Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-01-10
BOOTHS CAPTURE.


people might draw this prize. .-;
BOOTHS CAPTURE.
How Lincoln's Assassin Was Taken
and How He Died. Z
n Long ana an Exciting Chase After
| the Great Actor-yvho Fired
The Fatal Shot "A His
| .. tory of the Event.
| Lieutenant l.. Il. Baker, now q
clerk i'll the auditors Office i'll Wash.
ingtnif, who had charge of the party
which captured 'aifas kii!ed John
Wilkes Booth, gives the following
history of that event: AT the time
when Booth shot President Lincoln,
| April IA, 1868, in Ford's Theatre,
General l.. G.. Baker, chief of the tie
tectlve force OF the war department
and Lieutenant l.. B. Baker were III
New York City looking after bounty.
jumpers. Secretary Stanton telc-
graphed these two officers to come 10
Washington Immediately. They ar
rived in Washington the morning OF
the third day after the terrible deed
was committed. Cavalry had secured
the country i'll every direction for
miles around Washington, and tcle-
| grams were sent over all the lines.
General Baker gained all the informa-
ton he could in regard to the route
Booth and his accOmpllces would
probably take, and concluded that
they would 60 down the Potomac,
taking i'll Surratsville, cross the
| river, and make their way to Rich
moud. lie sent a telegraph operator
| and a detective down the river by
boat to Port Tobacco and vicinity,
with order to tap the wires and let
him know if there was any trace of
the escaping tugitives. Near Chap
pelle Point the detective found a ne
gro whom he brought to Washington,
| and who stated that he was positive
he saw Booth and Harold, whom he
| knew well, cross the river i'll fish
| ing-boat. At first the general dis
credited his statement, but OH show
ing him several likcnesses of the as
sassin and others, the coiorcd man
pointed out Booth and Harold as the
men whom he saw.
men, under Gen. Dougherty, were
placed at Lieut.. Bakers command,
who had orders to "bring Booth,
dead or a!ive.' AT the request OF
Lieut.. Baker, Lieut. Col. E. j. Conger,
a brother of congressman .. G. Con-
ger, ali experienced cavalry officer,
who had just been mustered out OF
the United States service, was added
to the party. Col. Conger had raid
ell the country i'll every direction,an
was valuable on account of his famil-
iarity with the roads and his un.
daunted courage and bravery. The
party went on board the tug John s.
Ide, and steamed down to Belle Plain
near the mouth of Acquia creek
They landed about 10 O'Clock at night
and commenced the search. Lieut.
Baker and Col. Conger would leave
the escort at Il short distance behind
them, and call at the various farm
houses, pretending TO belong to
Booths party, but from whom they
had been separated in crossing the
river. They found many sympa
thizers who were ready to aid them
but could lind no one who had seel
Booth. The night was spent in max
ing such inquiries. The next morn
ing the party left the Frederick sburs
road, where they had been searching
and turned their horses heads across
the country toward the Isappahan
mock, and about noon reached thu
river at Port Conway. The horses
being jaded aud the men exhausted
Il rest was made here and most of tn,
men went to sleep. Lieut.. Baker tolC
Col. Conger that he would ride down
the river to the ferry, about half-a
mile away, and see what he couit
fluid. Accompanied by an orderly
he rode to the ferry, where he met
fisherman by the name of Rollins
The lieutenant asked him if party
OF men, one of them lame, for Booti
had broken his leg i'll jumping from
the theatre-box to the slagc,) ha,
crossed the river within a day OF
two? Rollins said there had, the da
before, and Oh being shown the like
nesses of Booth and Harold. he a
once recognized them. Lieut., Bake
Immediately sent the orderly to Col
Conger, asking him to bring the es
cOrt to the ferry at once. The ferry
boat was crazy affair, and the af
|
men and horses across the river
Rollins pretended to be Union man
and was willing to go as Il guide, bu
feared persecution from his neigh
bOrs unless put under arrest. Thi
was done. Rollins said that Bootl
was accompanied by Captain Jctt
one of Mosby's command, who fire
quently went to Bowling Green
about eighteen miles distant, to se
his sweetheart. Her parents kept
hotel, and he thought the whole part,
had gone there. just about dusk til,
party set out for Bowling Green
They had not gone tar before the,
discovered two men, mounted OF
horses, at the fork of the Frederick s
burg and Bowling Green roads, VIII,
seemed TO be watching the move
ments of the party. Lieut.. Bake
and Col. Conger gave chase, and tn,
latter being mounted on swift
horse, gained so rapidly Oh the pur
sued that they turned their horses in
to the timber and escaped. One o
these horscnen proved afterward I,
be Harold, the place of pursuit bein.
only one and Il half miles from tn
Garrett place, where Booth was thcl
, sccreted. Bowling Green was reach
Ell about midnight, when the part,
dlsmounted and surrounded the hOtG
where Jetts sweetheart was sup
posed to reside. She was there, an,
so was Jett, but Booth and his &C
complies were not to be found.
, When the building was surroundc,
and every avenue of escape guarded
Lieutenant Baker raped on the hal
door with the butt of his pistol. Th
mother and daughter soon appcare,
with the light, and informed then
that there Was no one i'll the hOus
except lcr son, and a friend of his
Captain Jett. Lieut.. Baker and Col
Conger requested to be shown T.
their room, where they found then
asleep. On being aroused, Jctt said
what do you want with Us :" Col
Conger said: 1--WE know all abou
: you. You piloted Booth across tn
river, and you know where he is.
Z Jett. told them they were mistake
III their man, and denied knowiu
l anything about Booth. The sight o
two navy rcvOlvcrs, and the threa
that he must tell or die, convincc
. him that 1t was foOlhardy to longe
delay information, and he said
1 "Gentlcmen. upon my word an,
G honor | will tell you all about it
e you will promise to shield me from
all completely i'll the matter" Th
: promise was made. Then Jctt sand