The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1882-01-14
the soldiers had surrounded it. and

the soldiers had surrounded IL and
JACK and l were put under arrest, One
OF the detectives demanded of Booth
mat ne surrender, and then unlocked
the door and pushed brother Jack in
with the command that he 90 and tell
them to come out and give themselvas
up. My brother approached the noint
where Booth was lying on the corr
blades. and said:
1.-The soldiers are here after Won
ana they want you to surrender. II
you don't come out they threaten to
ourn the barn and destroy all our prop
"'det cut of here, young man
whispered Booth, desperately. or 7
will take your life. Yon have BETRAYED
me- gu
Brother Jack tried to arpue with
MN 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 ua
short distance from the barn. and set
light directly in front of rs. Two
men were placed to guard us. with in,
structions that the first time Rootb
fired 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 execn.
ton, shouted at the top Of his voice:
"'That is unfair; these men are in.
nocent These people do not know
who I 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. Ii you put any more against this
place I will shoot you
Colonel Oonger 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, howevei, wanted to give him.
self up, and Booth, after calling him an
arrant coward, virtually drove him ont
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
chance for his life.
"' Be fair, captain said BSoth, sand
give me show. / co1ld ave killed
you dozen times tonight, but l took
you to be brave man. Now give me |
a chance for my life
"' You must surrender replied |
Lieutenant Baker, we came to AXE on
prisoner, not t. kill you
"' will never be taken alre,' re-
torted Booth; ryou may make D your
mind I will fight to the DEATH
Hardly had the last words did upon
his lips before blaze shot up .mong
the dry fodder. Colonel Congr had
during the talk slipped around the
back of the barn, and, lighting aland-
ful of dry straw, lad passed it though
crack in the boards and fire the
building. The combustible matials
inside the barn burned like tinderand
in moment the whole inside othe
building was blaze of light, an in
the middle Booth could be seen lealng
upon his clutches, with his carbinin
his hands, trying to get sight an
shot at his enemies. He could not ,e
hey ond the light which surround
him, while those outside could see ha
plainly. At last, when the fire was #
approaching him he started for t,
door as if about to take his last d.
perate chance for life. He had Oh
advanced step or two when the craJ '
of carbine was heard and Booth fell {
MORALLY wounded, shot through TIL :
neck by one of the soldiers who ha@
been sent TO capture him.
lieutenant Baker and myself wereh
the first to reach him after he fell, anda
W ilOul ti1O DullQ-
ing. Both of us then thought that he
had shot himself, and I am not yet con
vlnced that he did not. He attempted
several times to speak, but his words
were incoherent, and as soon as posi-
bic We bore him to 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 guLshot
wounds"
Ibid you hear anything he said as
he lay on the porchY"
"He attempted to speak several
times, but could not utter many words,
I remember he held up his hands and
looked at them, saying as he did so:
"'Useless, useless These were the
last words Booth ever SPOKE"