The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1882-01-10
BOOTHS DEATH.
Graphic Account of the Scene by a
Lady Who Was an Eye Witness.

Lille Garrett, who was q child Of nine
when John Wilkes Booth was captured
in her fathers barn, has been telling the
story of that event. Booth came to the
house as pretended wounded Con(ede-
rate soldier. Harold came two days af.
ierward AMI joined him. AS to the cap
ture she said:
"Fatber and mother slept in this very
room, and he was awakened by a noise
at the door which leads out toward thr
servants quarters. He opened the door
and the soldiers at once pulled him ou
into the yard. They stationed soldier
in the door and would not let any Of us
out, but watched my chance and slip.
ped by the soldier who stood at the door
with a pistol in his hand. The barn wa:
then burning land in few moments after
| got out the fatal shot was fired, and
Booth was brought up and laid on the
porch with his head near the door. They
tried to lay him upon mattress, but he
would not let them; neither would he
allow d pillow to be placed under bis
head. He seemed to suffer great deal,
especially jlst before his death. He
could not talk much as the wound was
THROUGH the throat. heard him say
Tell mother - and the detective
who stopped over him said that the bal
ance Of the sentence was, thai died
for my country The detective would
not let US come very near him. Thef
were constantly bending over him 80 as
to catch any word he might utter, for he
was very frequently muttering. The de
tectives would call for what they wanted
and nv two older sisters, who were then
young ladies, would get it. They would
constantly ask for brandy for him, and
sister would saturate a piece OF cloth
which the detectives would place to
Booths lips, and he would suck it eager
ly. This would revive him for the time
being. but of course nothing would help
him then. Booth died as the sun CAM
up"
The bright young LAZY gave these in-
teresting details of Booths last mo-
ments in a graphic and intelligent man.
ner, and walked out upon the porch and
poin'ed ont the various objects connect
ed with the story. "There," said she,
pointing to rough, crooked Georgia
locust tree which stood only few feet
from the porch, sis the tree to which
Harold was tied from the time he sur
rendered until after Booths death. 1t
must have been painful position, for he
was lied back so that his body was shap
ed to the bend of the tree, as you see
it."
"Where was the barn in which Booth
and Harold were secre,ed, and where
Booth was shot ?"
"Yonder, to the left of the orchard" +"
she replied; sand here is where he was
brought and laid upon the porch" said
she, pointing to the spot near the door
where Booth breathed his last.
Looking in'the direction to which she
pointed, the stains Of the blood which
gurgled from Booths throat as>he lay in
the death agony were still plainly visi-
BILE.
"They say that murderer's blood can
never be washed out" she said. at
seems to be true. For years the stains
upon the porch where he died remained
very distiuct, and you see that they can
yet be essily traced"
Turning from the point where he died
to the spot where the barn stood in which
he was shot, she said: "That charred
post you see yonder is one of the four
original corner posts of the old barn
You see it has been Clipped and hacked
near the bottom. That has been done
by people who have visited here, and
pieces have been taken away as relics.
A gentleman who was here last summer
told me that he saw in Baltimore piece
of the wood from that post, made into
the shaoe of cross and tipped With
gold,- offered for sale for SIS, and an
nounced to he from the building in
which John Wilkes Booth was killed
Think of it, Five dollars for piece
not as big as your little finger from that
postw