Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-01-19


reveal the whereabouts of the two
men. When brother Jack came up he
said to the soldiers:
81 will show you where the men
are" and the officers released father
and took Jack and me into custody.
"The men are in the barn." said
Jack, and the officers ordered him to
lead the way there. A moment later
the soldiers had surrounded the barn,
and Jack and were put under arrest.
One of the detectives demanded of
Booth that he surrender, and then un-
locked the door and pushed brother
Jack in with the command that he go
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 and after you,
and they want you to surrender. If
you don't come out they threaten to
burn the barn and destroy all our prop
erty."
''Get out of here, young man." whis.
pered Booth, desperately, cor I'll take
your life. You have betrayed meP'
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 reported to the officer
that Booths only reply had been a
threat to kill him. The officer then
took my brother and me and placed us
short distance from the barn and set
a light directly in front of us. Two
men were placed to guard US with in
structions that the first time Booth
fired upon any of the party that 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-
tion, shouted at the top of his voice:
"That is unfair; those men are inno-
cent. These people do not know who
1 am"
The officer then revoked the order
he had given, and Col. Conger, one of
the detectives, ordered me to pile dry
brush against the corner of the barn
so that it could be fired. 1 had piled
up but little when Booth called to me
and said: young man, you had bet
ter stop that. If you put any more
against this place 1 will shoot you"
Col. Conger then ordered me to step,
and Lieut.. 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 in
formed Lieut.. Baker. Harold, how
ever, wanted to give himself up, and
Booth, after calling him an arrant cow
ard, virtually drove him out of the
barn into the hands of the officers.
There was quite an extended parley
between Baker and Booth, during
which Booth begged the officer to draw
his men off fifty yards, then twent-fve
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 show. 1 could have killed
you a dozen times tonight, but L took
you to be brave man. Now give me
a chance for my life"
"You must surrender" replied Lieut..
Baker; I'VE came to take you prisoner,
not to kill you."
81 will never be taken alive" retort-
ed Booth. "You may make up your
mind will fight to the DEATH"
Hardly had the last words died upon
his lips before blaze shot up among
the dry fodder, Col. Conger had during
the talk slipped around to the back of
the barn, and lighting handful of dry
straw had passed it through a crack in
the boards and fired the building. The
combustible materials inside the barn
burned like tinder, and in moment
the whole inside of the building was
blaze of light, and in the middle Booth
could be seen leaning upon his crutches
with his carbine in his hand, trying TO
get sight and shot at his enemies.
He could not see beyond the light which
surrounded him, while those outside
could see him plainly. At last when
the fire was fast approaching him he
started for the door as if about to take
his last desperate chance for life. He
had only advanced a step or two when
the crack of carDine was heard, and
Booth fell, mortally wounded, shot
through the neck by one of the SOL
diers who had been sent to capture
him.
Lieut.. Baker and myself were the
first to reach him after he fell, and
to carry him from the burning building.
Both of US then thought that he had
shot himself. and 1 am not yet con-
vinced that he did not. He attempted
several times to speak, but his words
were incoherent, and as soon as
possible we bore him to the house, and
laid him on 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 during the war
from gunshot wounds. He suffered a
great deal. After his death he was
sewed in blanket and they got Ned
Freeman, an old colored man, to draw
bis body to Port Royal in his rickety
old wagon. Brother. John and myself
were taken to Washington, and kept
in prison thirty one days. We were
never called upon to testify, although
our written statements were taken by
Col Baker, the chief detective. Ihave
always thought we were not called as
witnesses by Baker for fear the author
ities would award us some portion of
the reward offered for the capture of
Booth. This is how it was that our
story has never before been told.
ALimited Ticket Case.