The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-11
EDWIN BOOTHS oRDFM
HIS "TRIP TO WASHINGTON ANN
LINCOLN's ASSASSINATION

The Story of His Arrest Kno
Few PerSOns-IvOry NJ. BIoo5 nv
How He Took Him to Waxbino..
to lie Questioned About HI.
knowledge of the Crime.
From the New York Sun
Very few persons are aware of tho g..
that after John wilkes Booth Shot p.'
dent Lincoln Edwin Booth was praotio.,
ly taken into custody by agents Of -
government. He was released AZ. soon
an examination showed that he kr.
nothing of the conspiracy. This story a.
the affair is related by Ivory M. Blood.
AT that time, Mr.. Booth resided =.
East Fourteenth street, near Broadvav
was in the United States secret servioo. =.
the war department, and had been datau
by Chief Baker to take Mr.. Booth ~.
custody. 1t was after the assassspa+iaS f
Of President Lincoln, and Mr. Rootn'
brother, John Wilkes Booth. the assass,.
had been apprehended by Bakers w.
and mortally wounded by sergt. Boston
Corbett' in Mr.. CARROTS barn, in Viz.
ginia.
Secretary Of War Stanton and r,,s
IS,
structions l acted, wished to question Mt
Booth in regard to his knowledge if any, any,
OF the movements and converse tions -
his brother, John Wilkes Booth IN ~
my going to Mr.. Booths residence IN IN
door bell was answered by co;ored sa n'
want. L told him that l wished to see M
Booth. He went up stairs and unon -
turning said that Mr. Booth visboa "
know If l would not tell him the natpro
of my business.
" No. / replied, I must see him in ro,.
son., and 1 sent up my card. pef'
THE servant returned to Mr.. Rootb,.
room, and shortly afterward that par1
tleman came down and invited me Ints
the parlor. l shall never forget hjs a,
pearance. He was pale and haggarc
greatly agitated and trembling from bea;
to foot. He had apparently an intuitjoa
that something serious was to hammer -
him. When seated, I opened the convar
sation by saying to Mr.. Booth:
=" You see by my card that 1 am in tbo
secret service, and am obliged to taLs
you to Washington, D. C. If you wish ~
see any other authority l have NV NO
pers in my pocket
with a tremulous voice he ran1ioa,
No, l do not care about seeing them y;
Several times during our conversation ba
said; It's an awful thing. 1t has dis.
tressed me greatly I feel as If WAC
going to die. I cannot understand WIN
my brother did the terrible deed
Mr.. Booth wished to know if he could
give bonds, and replied in the mega
tive. Then he asked if he could conSiIt
counsel, and / told him he could under
the following conditions: That he must
not leave my preseneei that he could not
have any conversation with any person
including his counsel, except in nv hear.
ing, and that all such conversation wouId
be strictly confidential on my part. giving
him as a reason that the habeas corpus
act was then suspended and that the
government did not allow any private
conversation where parties were under ar.
rest
Mr.. Booth at the time had on his dress.
ing gown. He returned to his room and
came down wearing a black suit and silk
hat and said he was ready to accom-
pany me to his lawyer on Wall street.
whose name I do not at present recoIect.
Before leaving the house 1 said to him
that 1 would not, as was customary, put
the handouts on him, and that no one
on the street would know that he was
under arrest, adding: You cannot get
awsy from me, because / am armed
I pledge myself as a gentleman re-
piled Mr.. Booth, that 1 will not try to
get away
81 asked him if he had pistol, and he
answered:
II have not
1.-THE servant was dispatched for car
| riage, and upon it's arrival we were driven
to the Office of Mr.. Booths counsel, on
Wall street. Mr.. Booth asked me if
there was much excitment in Washing
ton, what 1 thought they would do with
him, and if any one thought that he had
any connection whatever with the tragedy.
" I would rater die than go to Washing
ton,' he said.
Il replied that knew of no one who had
intimated in the least that he had been In
any way connected with the affair.
ION introducing me to his counsel he
said to him.
"'Mr. Blood will tell you his business
with me-
II told the lawyer that was going to
take Mr.. Booth to Washington, by order
of the Washington authorities.
1.-THE lawyer declared that had no right
to take Mr. Booth from the city, and il
there were amy charges against him he
ought to be tried by the United States
court here
" The government has authority I re-
piled, to send any person to Washington
and Mr.. Booth is not the first person that
l have taken there
" L don't care what you have done with
other people, the lawyer exclaimed in an
angry tone, punctuated with an OCCASION
al oath. I am here to defend the rights
of Mr. Booth
" NO one objects to you doing that
responded, but shall obey the orders OF
the government
" 4 want continued the lawyer, to see
Mr.. Booth alone.
You cannot do it, was my answer.
What are the charges against, ana
what does the government want with
him?' asked the lawyer.
" To examine him aS to when he saw
his brother last, and II the brother had
ever intimated to him anything about the
assassination. The government is not 60
Ing to spare any pains or expense to get
at the bottom facts of the affair
II 1 should set forth Mr.. Booths
rights as a citizen under the constitution
you could not take him to Washington
said the lawyer, with much asperity OF
language and show of impudence IN MS
manner.
Il replied that would take Mr.. Booth
and the lawyer, too, if he interfered WIN
the orders of the government, If It took all
the soldiers at Governors Island to DO IT,
Well, Mr.. Booth said the irate cohu-
sci, turning to him as he sat in CHAIR
in the Office, without takingspart what
ever in the foregoing dialogue, you had