Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-01-26
BOOTHS DEATH.

Lille Garrett,who was 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 a pretended wounded Confeder-
ate soldier. Harold came two days after
ward and Joined him. As to the cap
ture she said: Father and mother slept
III this very room, and he was awaken
ed by noise at the door which leads
out toward the servants quarters. He
opened the door. and the soldiers at once
pulled him out into the yard They sta
toned a soldier in the door, and would
not let any of us out, but | watched my
chance and slipped by the soldier who
stood at the door with pistol in his
hand. The barn was then burning, and
in few moments after got out the
fatal shot was fired, and Booth was
brought up and laid upoE 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 a
pillow TO be placed under his head. He
seemed to suffer great deal, especially
jusl Before his death. He could not
talk much, as the wound was through
his throat. heard him sry: Tell moth
er--' and the detective who stopped
over him said that the balance of the
sentence was, that died for my coun-
try The detective would not let US
come very near him. They were con-
stantly bending over him, so as to catch
any word he might utter, for he was
very frequently muttering. The detec-
tives would call for what they wanted
and my two older sisters, who were then
young ladies, would get it. They would
constantly ask for brandy for him, and
sister would saturate piece of cloth,
which the detectives would place to
Booths lips, and he would suck it ca
gerly. This would revive him for the
time being, but of course nothing would
help him then. Booth died as the sun
came up"
The bright young lady gave these in
teresting details of Booths last mo-
ments in graphic and intelligent man
ner, and walked ont upon the porch and
pointed out the various objects connect
ed with the story. "There," said she,
pointing to rou4h, crooked Georgia
locust tree which stood only few feet
from the porch, 'is 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 tied back so that his body was
shaped to the bend of the tree, as you
see it.
"Where was the barn in which Booth
and Harold were secreted, and where
Booth was shot?"
"Yonder, to the left of the orchard"
she replied, "and here is where he was
brought and laid upon the porch" said
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 distinct, and you see that they can
yet be easily traced"
IS Turning from the point where he died
to the spot where the barn stood in
which he was shot, she said: THAT
charTed post you see yonder is one of
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 Balti-
more piece of wood from that post
made into the shape of a cross and tip
ped with gold. offered for sale for SIS.
and announced to be 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
postp