The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-03-27

about TO tip IL over upon the flames. He quick
iy saw the futility OF this, and dropping one
crutch ne limped with the other toward the door
At about the center of the barn he stopped and
drew himself up 10 his full height. The leg
10 % he e s was
and Booth stood before his solitary watcher
erect and defiant. His hat was OF, and his dark
hair pushed back from his high white forehead.
He held his carbine In one hand and revolver
in the other. In his belt was another pistol and
bowie knife. His lips were compressed his
features fierce and his full, dark eyes were roll
ing and glittering with excitement. The flames
swept up TO the roof, rolled across aud 10 tho
frame OF FIRE He stood under an arch Of iiame,
leaping. rolling and kissing. as In mockery OF
ais misery.
doors and run the gauntlet OF the GORDON
OF soldiers. Suddenly he dropped his remain
ing crutch, threw down the carbine, and
sprang forward. Then sounded the pistOk
of Boston Corbett, tho man President Lin
coin had pardoned when once sentenced To-
be shot for remissness in guard duty, and Booth
fell forward on his face Lieut.. Baker spranes
upon him and caught the nerveless arms. IL
was unnecessary. The shot had paralyzed him
below the wound, and all save the fertile brain
and futtering heart and lungs were already dead
The assassin carried from the barn and laid
under an apple tree out OF reach OF the flames
Presently he opened his eyes and Appeared tcs
realize his condition. In painful whisper he
said:
Tell mother Tell mother"
Then he became unconscious again. The heat
of the burning barn grew intolerable under the,
tree, and he was removed 10 the piazza. cloth
wet with brandy and water placed between
his lips, and at length he revived again. His.
eyes looked with dumb appeal into the faces of
those about me. 20, kill me; kill me quick, he'
whispered bitterly.
Another lapse into Inconsistencies and IT,
seemed impossible that ne could revive again,
but just before sunrise there Was IA last bright
ening OF the stunned brain. As he revived he put
out his tongue, and Lieut.. Baker, thinking be-
wanted TO know il there was blood in his mouth,
told him there none
Tell mother die for my country" Booth
gasped TO the officer Il did what 1 thought was
best"
Baker lifted one Of the nerveless hands. II
fell back by his side again Useless useless,
murmured Booth.
These were the last words.
Col. Conger had been sent on 20 Washington.
twenty minutes before the death OF Booth
and, after a hurried breakfast Lieut..
Baker started after him with the body II.
was wrapped in a blanket that had been used as
a saddle cloth, and after the blanket had been
firmly sewed together was placed in rickety
thoroughly familiar with the country, acted as
driver. Baker directed the cavalryncn 20 follow
him as soon as they had breakfasted, and with "a
single corporal by his side departed for Belle
Plain Landing, thirty miles away.
The story Of that days ride has never appeared
in print. Mile after mile passed over, but.
the cavalry did not reioin them although the,
negro driver assured him that they were ON the
shortest road To the landing The officer finally
became alarmed for the safety of his command
and sent the corporal back with orders 20 tho
squad to push forward with the utmost haste.
Inc corporal uld not return, did the cavalry
men appear. one officer was alone with the
negro in IA hostile country and with the body Of
the murderer of the hated Lincoln in his posses
sion.
The road grew forbidding The day be-
came hot and sultry. Baker began 10 meet
struggling groups of Confederate soldiers who
glanced carelessy ut the burden in the rickety
wagon and said: What hev you there-dead
Yank?"
There mas been no other day i'm Lieu Baker's
life that proved SO heavy drain upon his phvsi-
cal and mental strength. Exhausted by thirty
six hours of hard riding in the saddle ne
required 20 bc constantly on the alert in nltici-
patton OF an attack from every ravine. HuntTy
and thirsty, he dared not stop for food or drink.
Now the kingbolt broke and the front end Of tho
wagon-boX dropped down. The corpse slipped
forward and blood from the wound tricKlel
down upon the axle and reach aud snearcd the.
hands of the old negro as he bent under the
wagon to repair the damage The old man cried
out in terror.
stop your noise sternly commanded the Of
fcer; III will wash off.
1t will nebber nebbcr wash of, walled the.
negro, in horror. 1T is the blood OF muir
derer."
Up hills almost without end. threading num-
berless ravines, the two plodded along, finally
reaching the Potomac in the evening" only to
find themselves three-fourths of mile above.
the landing. The negro had taken the old road,
while Lieut. Baker 8 command had returned on
the newer and better road constructed by the
Government during the war. When the cor
poral reached his company the officer in COM
mand jealous that IA mere detective md been
placed in authority above him. refused to follow
If he wants to go off on the wrong road be-
must take the consequences
Baker and the negro made the best of the
situation by carrying Booths body 10 the
river and hiding II under cluinp OF willows,
after which the former rode Two miles around n
bluff and found his command and gunboat "a.
the Government landing. He pulled back
with two men TO the old landing. secured the
body, and when it was swung on board the gun
boat he dropped exhausted on the deck aud lay
there until the boat had steamed hall way TO
Washington.
The next day no gave the Secretary Of
War n detailed account OF the tragedy.
Stanton had Booths carbine, and il was
found that the cartridge out OF position and
could not be exploded Its appearance showed
that n number of efforts had been made TO dis
charge the weapon, and it is probable that Booth
snapped IL repeatedly at Baker as the latter
stood before the old barn with the candle in HE.
hand.
The administration was in a quandary regard
ing the disposal of the assassin's body, which
Was still on board the gunboat. The second day
after Lieut. Bakers return Gen. Baker came To-
him, and said stanton wants me TO dispose
of Booths body. He doesn't where liz il.
put, only it will not be found until Gabriek
blows his trumpet. / want you 10 90 with me-"
The two started for the navy yard, stopping on
the way for n moments conversation with the
officer in charge of the old penitentiary, then
used arsenal. At the navy yard the two.
cousins dropped into n rowboat, the body
taken on board, and n heavy ball and chain was.
conspicuously placed in the boat II then
late in the afternoon Crowds Of people lined the
river and followed the rowboat far down the
stream as the marshes would permit.
The story sprang from lip to lip that the body
was TO be weighted down with ball aud chain
and sunk in midstream. For several days there
after searching parties dragged the stream and.
the next issue of Frank Leslie's newspaper con-
tanned singularly accurate full-pa{se picture,
showing the Bakers in the act OF showing the
body into the river.
Two miles below the city the boat halted I'm a.
little cove near the grounds where condemned
warehouses; were slaughtered and remained until
darkness had settled Town. Then il was pulled
slowly back to the old penitentiary. A door at
the waters edge was opened and the corpse car
ried To n criminal cell where the stone slab that
covered the floor had been removed and grave
dug in the earth beneath. Into that black hole
with only the United States blanket as n wind
ing-sheet, lowered the body of j. Wilkes
Booth, qnd the stone slab replaced above IL.
Col. Conger afterward insisted that the COM
mand OF the capturing party was turned over to-
him in Virginia, and claimed the lions share OF
the reward All the foundation there was for
this CHIN was that Conger informed Baker
during the search that no knew the lay of the
land well and the latter replied: well IL you
are familiar with the country, go ahead" How
ever, Conger induced "a corporal of the guard to-
testify that Baker had really turned over the
command, and 10y shrewd engineering eventually
secured $4,000 as the commander of the party,
Lieut.. Baker receiving only 5000.