Evening star., 1897-04-06
Burial at Arlington Of Captain Edward P.
Doherty.
The Story of the Pursuit and Death
of President LincOln's
Assassin.

herty was for five years commander. The
services at the house were conducted by
Rev. Father Ryan of the Church of the
Immaculate Conception. The relatives
present consisted of the widow, the only
son. Edward G. Doherty: Mrs. Hoover and
Mr.. Charles Gautier. brother of the
widow. There were present from the Granl
Army pests of the District Junior Vice
department Commander ]. E. McCabe
Assistant Quartermaster General J. Tyler
Powell, Department Chaplain w. H. Black
Past Department Commander M. E. Urel
and others.
Among those in the funeral party were
Captain 7. J. Spencer of the regular army
who served on the plains with Captain
Doherty when he was in the 9TH Cavalry,
and Sergeant w. ]. HARRISON of the metro
politan police, who was first sergeant in
Captain Dohertys company in the 9Th Cav
airy. The pallbearers were Comrades Nc
Cabe, Powell. Urell, Spencer, Sweet Patten,
HARRISON and Gilman of Lincoln Post. On
the way to Arlington, where the remains
were inferred, the funeral cortege was
Joined by Colonel Sumner. comrnandant at
Fort Myer. and Major Lebo, with a firing
squad and trumpeter. Colonel Sumners
commanded the 9TH Cavalry when Doherty
was in the regular army. The services
at Arlington were conducted by Depart
ment Chaplain Black.
The Pursuit of Booth.
Capt. Doherty was sitting with brother
officer on bench in Lafayette Square Sat
urday morning. April p, 1865 discussing
a little program Of amusement that even
ing with some young ladies to whom they
were at that time attentive. when an Or
derby rode up. dismounted, touched his hat
and gave the captain dispatch. 1t was
the order for him to take twenty-five men
and proceed by steamer to Belle Plain In
pursuit of Booth.
In an hours time he had picked out his
men, hardy troopers of the 10th New York
Cavalry. most Of them being stout and
active Dutchmen from the neighborhood
Of Plattsburg, N. Y. and was on his Way
down the river. Accompanying the de-
tachment were two specials from the Sc
cret service. detailed to the pursuit by Col
Lafayette c. Baker. head of the secret SER
vice. Doherty and his men disembarked
at Belle Plain. where they first struck the
trail of Booth and Herrold, the simple
minded young Washington boy. whose on
iy share in the great crime was to hold the
assassin S horse at the rear door of Ford's
Theater and who had accompanied him in
his flight.
The woman who kept the tavern at Ma
thias Point on the Rappahannock recog-
nized Booth from photograph which
Doherty showed her. She said he had
several days growth Of beard and was
very pale from the suffering caused by his
broken leg. She also said that Booth and
Herrold were being pioted into Virginia by
y
who was on his way home.
The troops rode on as fast as they could
and by chance passed after dark the Gar
rett house, where Booth and his comDan-
ion were. On the road Doherty had learn
ed that Willie Jett. the young lieutenant,
had a sweetheart at Bowling Green. Capt.
Doherty shrewdly concluded that it would
be a good stroke to locate Jett and his
sweetheart if they wanted to find out any
thing about the whereabouts of Booth. At
midnight Tuesday, the 18th of April, Jett
was rudeiy awakened while sleeping in the
tavern at Bowling Green. and as he opened
his eyes saw the CLEAN of Doherty's pistol
under his nose, and heard the captain say:
Get up young man, and dress, or III blow
your brains out!' JetL had reached the
home of his sweetheart after having left
Booth and Herrold five miles back on the
road at the Garrett farm, and intended
after short visit at Bowling Green to go
to his fathers place near Port Royal. on
the Rappahannock.
Jett got up and dressed, was put on
horse and conveyed Doherty's party back
to the Garrett farm. The men turned In
at some bars just before they reached the
house and surrounded the barn. outbuild-
ings and the dwelling house before their
presence was known to the CARROTS. Doh
erty awakened the family. and while talk
ing with the father was told by one Of the
boys who had been found sleeping in an
outbuilding that the two strangers were
III the barn.
The Capture.
The barn was closely surrounded and
Doherty went to the door and hailed the
assassin, saying: Il want you to come out
and surrender: / know who you are. and
| have you surrounded" Booth was ap-
rarenty standing up when Doherty first
spoke to him. He replied in a tragic.
STACEY manner, refusing to surrender. and
Ieciting some Shakespearean line that DOH
erty could not afterward remember. Quite
parley ensued in the midst of which
Doherty, retiring few steps, ordered the
barn to be set on fire. Sergeant Boston
Corbett, who was q devoted admirer Of
Doherty and a model soldier, although
somewhat eccentric In his conduct and Ian
guage had stationed himself at a rear cor
ner of the barn, where he had a good view
of the outlines of the assassin as he stood
en- the barn floor. using his carbine as a
crutch and continuing his noisy declama-
ton. Booth finally announced: There's a
man in here who wants to surrender"
Herrold appeared at the door. and by
Dohertys orders. reached out his hands,
whereupon two luSty troopers dragged him
out and tied him.
Booth making some movement as he
stood leaning on the carbine. and having
remarked that he had bead on the cap
tain and could shoot him" If he wanted
to. Boston Corbett, as he afterward said.
TO save Dohertys life. fired and gave Booth
bis mortal wound The dying assassin was
taken out of the burning barn and carried
all that could relieve his suffering was
promptly done. Capt. Doherty in reciting
the exciting events of that night, describ-
ed Booths efforts to talk when he appar-
emily knew that he must die, and always
said that nearly as he could understand
Booths last word was mother" His
throat was drenched with blood and articu-
lation was almost impossible.
Capt. Doherty turned the body over to
Secretary Stanton well as his youthful
prisoner. and was highly complimented for
his efficient service. Willie Jett after some
months of Imprisonment in the old Capt.
tol prison was released, and later became
a commission merchant on Louisiana ave-
nue. in this city. The prize money which
Secretary Stanton offered for the capture
of Booth was awarded to Capt. Doherty
and his men, he receiving $1,000. each Of
| the two detectives, $500: Boston Corbett,
| 81, $50, and the privates in the detachment.
81 500. The rule applied was that which
revails in the navy when a vessel being
detached from its own squadron is pass
| ing to another and on the way captures
| a prize.
| singular incident connected with Do
herty's capture of Booth was the fact
that the gentleman who afterward became
| his father-in-law. Mr.. Gautier. then the
| leading restaurant keeper in Washington.
| was arrested and put in the old Capitol
thnr S1ovv