The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-07-25

Eve ut once surrounded the barn
(said Capt, E. r Doherty) and !
went to the door and tried to open
it, but it was locked with q paddock.
Young Garrett had the key to the
paddock with him, and, when be un-
locked it, I called to the man inside:
"T have come here to take you. /
know who you are. and ! want you.
If You do not come out have men
enough to, take you. dead or alive
"At first there was no answer. FL
nally, in loud, strong voice, Booth
replied: Who ara you, and what do
you want?' at.sS - ts - ne
II said: It's no matter what We
want; deliver up your arms and sur
render yourselves ,sa 7ia4sia les
t"He called again: Who are you 7
az replied: That makes no differ
ence. We know who yon are, and
we want you. l have fifty men here
armed, aud you cannot get away. =
T. "BOoth made some answer about
his being captured by his friends,
and then he asked for time to think
the matter over. Finally I said to
him: We have waited long enough;
it is time for. you TO surrender
Booth called out: i am crippled and
alone. Take your men back fifty
yards from the door and I will pome
ont. You ought to give me chance
| for my hfe.' II told him that we
had not come to fight. but to capture
him, and he bad better come ont.
After while Booth called: There
is man here who wants to surrender,
and wants to surrender awful bad
Eat this Harold came ont to the
door and said: Let me out. want
to surrender / said: Hand out
your arms, and Booth said he had
no arms. l took my pistol and told
Harold to put both hands out at the
door. He did so, and ! caught him
aud pulled him ont. Then Booth
made some stsgeslike speech that ]
could not distinctly understand; but
1 remember he said: Boys, prepare
q stretcber for me. Another man ia
slain under our glorious banner, "A
minute later be called to me again
to take my men from around the
barn and give him chance for bis
life Just at that moment somebody,
whether one Of my men OF one Of
the detectives, / am not sure, lit d
match aud dropped IL in the straw 10
the rear of the barn. In. en- instant
the whole place was lighted up. y We
raw Booth standing on the floor Of
the barn leaning over on his crutch.
On the door was the strs =, and out
j lining Booth as he stood there glsr-
lug around as If trying TO see as on
the outside. / do not think he in
tended TO shoot at us, but had made
up his mind to kill himself IL was
hardly moment after the fire burss
ont before Booth dropped his crutGh
and took his carbine in both hands,
still glaring about the barn, and
really looked as If he were about 70
shoot At this instant We heard q
Eshot. Booth gave a yell and for the
moment stood with the carbine be-
tween bis legs. his head bent over
the butt, and then, a. be was ,aboui
to fall. Iesught him under the arms
and pulled him out Of the barn.
Some one called ont. he had shot
himself and it was for some time
my impression that that was The
case, But Sergt. Boston Corbett
soon told me that be had shot, IN
tended only to disable Booths arm.
"Booth lived about two hoors.
took the blanket of my horse. sewed
him up in it; took anlold negro with
his cart and returned to Belle Plsine
i where the stesfDsr l. 8. Ide, Capt
Wilson, was waiting for me; returned
/ to Washington With the corpse 81
| Booth, and David f. Harold as pris,
oner,i and at 81 A. m. + on April &c
1866. turned 10th over to the navs
authorities in charge of the irou.clat
| monitor Msntauk 1t the navy yard.
"Booth had on an old bnsi,lesl
snit- black with little white spots
In bis pockets were . lot Of 1ittl,
onions. "A diary was in one pockst
j did not read it carefully Sewers
4 pages had been written after th,
4 assassination. He alluded TO, him
self as the greatest patriot known I.
modern history. tnrusd the disr!
over to the war department.. / thiDl
i itwas never published. % ~ s5G
4 Tho prize money Of 81, 900 wa
4 divided on the plan governing ID
distribution Of prize money III th'
navy. I was regarded as = csptail
Of q. vessel passing from one squad
ron tn another, aud making . csptnr'
4 on the WAY, Z received 1880. Col
Baker $3.50. Couger $4,000. L. b
1 n y = "a snn n n - A Il