Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-11-12
BOOTHS LAST DAYS.
The Rev. X. Is. Garrett, Who Was an Eye
witness of Booths Tragic Death, Tells
the story of How lie Was Discovered and
Shot by Boston Corbett.

IdnOoSd was an eyewitness Ol Tue tragic
death of the slayer OF Abraham Lin
coin. He was twelve years of age al
the time. He owns the homestead
where the last moments of j. Wilkes
Booth were spent, and he has since
taken great interest in the subject of
his capture, has cleared up some deba-
table points. In giving his recollec-
tion OF the event the other day he said
"My home was about 60 miles from
Washington, in Caroline county, Va.
Lincoln was shot on April IA, and ten
days after the shooting. on the evening
OF April "a, three men rode up to my
fathers house, one with crutches and
two in the uniform of the Confederacy.
One OF the soldiers was Captain Willie
Jett, who was son of an old friend of
my fathers, and he introduced the
wounded man as James w. Boyd. He
said he was Confederate and was
wounded at Petersburg and was trying
to get home to his people IN Maryland,
but that his wound was too painful to
allow him to travel. He asked my
father to take care OF the man a
day or two until he was able to travel.
AT that time we hadn't heard of the
death of the president. That night at
supper a neighbor came in and told us
of the assassination and the subject
was discussed, the wounded man join
ing in. He agreed that perhaps it was
only a rumor started by stragglers,
but assented when my father said that
If il was true it was an exceedingly un-
fortunate thing for the south. | re-
member the neighbor stated there was
a big reward offered. 500, 900, and one
of my brothers said that the assassin
had better not come our way, for he
would like to make such sum of mon
ey about that time. Boyd turned round
and said, ''Would you betray him for
thatY" and my brother laughed and
said: 'They better not tempt me.
I'VE not dollar IN the world. F"
1.-The wounded man slept in the house
that night, and slept with one of my
brothers in the same room. Next day
be played with the children in the
yard, and about noon went into the
house and asked me to take down a
map from the wall. He put it on the
floor and studied it, tracing line from
Norfolk TO Charleston by water and
from Charleston to Galveston. ! asked
him where he wanted to go, and he
said to Mexico. So far as / know, this
was the only clew as to his intended
escape. About O'Clock in the after
noon or later some men rode up and
left one OF their number at the gate.
He came in, and Boyd introduced him
as Mr.. Harris. Harris was, in fact,
David f. Harold who was afterward
hanged with Mrs. Surratt, and who
had been party to the attempt TO as
sassinate Secretary Seward. Some
little time later the men came hurried
ly back, and said that the troops were
crossing the river at Port Royal. The
two men became very much excited at
this intelligence, and Boyd sent me up
to my room for his pistols, which he
had left hanging on the bedpost. BY
the time got down a detachment Of
troops rode past on the road a quarter
OF mile from the house. AS matter
OF fact, they were after Jett, knowing
that he had crossed the river with
Booth, and supposing that Booth was
still with him. They got Jett IL miles
farther on, and made him tell where
he had left Booth.
when the troups passed our house, !"
he continued, "the two men walked
down to a piece Of woods back OF the
house and staid there about an hour,
returning to ask my brother il he
would rent them a horse to take them
to the nearest railway station. He re-
fused, having become suspicious of
them, but helped them make bargain
with a colored man who lived near by.
The negro was to call for them early
next morning. My father was not
feeling well that evening and he re-
tired early. The men sat out on the
upper gallery and talked till quite late
after which they asked if they might
sleep in the barn so yards away, so as
not to disturb my father when they got
out in the morning. This explains
why Booth was killed in barn. That
night about o'clock my father was
awakened to find the yard full of men
with swords and pistols drawn. They
demanded the wounded man that was
left there, and my father told them he
did not know where he was. They told
him that lies would not answer, and
that they would hang him il he de.
ceived them. He protested his ignor-
ance, and their threat was about to be
put into execution when some one call.
ed out that there were men In the barn
The barn was surrounded. | was a
witness to all this, and Booth, or Boyd