The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-02-01

the soldiers had surrounded It, and
Jack and / were put under arrest. One
OF the detectives demanded Of Booth
that he surrender, and then unlocked
the door and pushed brother Jack in,
with the command that he 60 and tell
them to come out and give themselves
up. My brother approached the point
where Booth was lying on the corn
blades, and said:
"'The soldiers are here after you,
and they want you to surrender. II
you don't come out they threaten to
burn the barn and destroy all our prop
erty.'
"'Get out of here, young man,
whispered Booth, desperately, 'ur
will take your life. Yon have betrayed
me-
Brother Jack tried to argue with
him as to the uselessness OF resistance,
and appealed to Booth to prevent the
destruction of our property. Booth
became very violent, and my brother
came out and repeated to the officers
that Booths only reply had been q
threat to kill him. The officer then
took my brother and me and placed us
a short distance from the barn, and set
a light directly in front of us. Two
men we're placed to guard us, with in
structions that the first time Booth
fred upon any of the party they should
Immediately shoot us. Booth, who
had been Watching the operation
through crack in the barn, and heard
the order Of the officer for our execu-
ton, shouted at the top of his voice:
"That is unfair; these men are in
nocent. These people do not know
who am
"The officer then revoked the order
he had given, and Colonel Conger, one
of the detectives. ordered me to pile
dry brush against the corner of the
barn so that it could be fired. had
piled but little when Booth called to
me and said:
"'Young man, you had better stop
that. If you put any more against this
place will shoot YOU
"Oolonel Conger then ordered me
to stop and Lieutenant Baker began a
parley for the surrender of the fugitives.
Booth was determined from the first
that he would not be taken alive and
he so informed Lieutenant Baker.
Harold, however, wanted to give him.
self up, and Booth, after calling him an
arrant coward, virtually drove him out
of the barn into the hands OF the off,
GERS. There was quite an extended
parley between Baker and Booth, dur
ing which Booth begged the officer to
draw his men off fifty yards, then
twenty-five yards, and then he came
down to ten yards, and give him a
chance for his life.
"' Be fair, captain said Booth, 'and
give me a show. l coald have killed
you dozen times tonight, but took
you to be brave man. Now give me
q chance for my ife.'
"'You must surrender replied
Lieutenant Baker, we came to take You
prisoner, not tc kill you
"'I will never be taken alive re-
torted Booth; ryou may make up your
mind 1 will fight to the DEATH
" Hardly had the last words died upon
his lips before blaze shot up among
the dry fodder. Colonel Conger had
during the talk slipped around to the
back of the barn, and, lighting hand
full of dry straw, had passed it through
crack in the boards and fred the
building. The combustible materials
inside the barn burned like tinder, aud
in moment the whole inside of the
building was a blaze of light, and in
the middle Booth could be seen leaning
upon his crutches, with his carbine in
his hands, trying to get a sight and a
shot at his enemies. He could not see
hey ond the light which surroundt d
him, while those outside could see him
plainly. At last, when the fire was fast
approaching him he started for tht
door. as if about to take his last de, =
perate chance for life. He had only
advanced step OF two when the crack
of carbine was heard and Booth fell,
mortally wounded, shot through the
neck by one of the soldiers who had
been sent to capture him.
Lieutenant Baker and myself were
the first to reach him after he fell, and
to carry him from the burning build
ing. Both of us then thought that he
had shot himself, and am not vet con
vlnced that he did not. He attempted
several times to speak, but his words
we're incoherent, and as soon as posi-
bic We bore him 10 the house and laid
him upon the porch, and did every
thing possible to ease his dying mo-
ments The story of the death scene is
the same as that of thousands OF other
men who died in the war from gurshot
wounds"
"Did you hear anything he said as
he lay on the porchT"
"He attempted to speak several
times, but could not utter many words,
1 remember he held up his hands and
looked at them, saying as he did so:
"Useless, useless These were the
last words Booth ever sroke."