Evening star., 1897-05-12
.',ss. dsl,E
The Disposal Made of & the Assassin's
Remaii6is.
oIf RfnARKl&E 1coIscDEscEE;s
How the Newspaper Men Struggled
to Get lie News News.
THE BoDY

COnger and Lieut.. BAKER or Bakers secret
service. and a detachment of twenty-five
men Of the 18th New York Cavalry, he re-
turned here with the body of John Wilkes
Booth and the person of D. c. Herold. who
together had rapidly fed from the city af-
ter Booth shot President Lincoln, on the
night Of April IA. They had been captured
near Bowling Green, Va. where Booth re-
cefved his mortal wound few days be
fore. The steamer on which they came up
the river had made short Stop at Alex
andria. and was directed to deliver the
prisoners. both the dead and live one. on
hoard mentor, then used as prison ship,
at the navy yard, on which Payne, Arnold
and O'Laughiin were confined The steamer
at ONCE proceeded to the Eastern branch,
and making fast to the moniter the body
OF Booth, wrapped in . gray army blanket,
was placed on bench on tho forward part
low. placed In irons. and locked up, and
young Jett. who had accompanied the party
to the barn where the capture was made.
was sent to the guard house at the navy
yard gate, and subsequently to the old Cap
ttol and Carroll prisons. Mrs. Surratt
Spangler and others had been sent to these
prisons: number of persons used as wit.
resses before the military commission con-
yened in the following month, In the old
chapel room of the penitentiary, were also
confined In these prisons by that time.
Fortnight Of Suspense.
When 1t is recalled that over two weeks
mad passed since the Preparation OF the
crime and up to this time there had been
nothing tangible made public as to Booths
whereabouts it is not surprising that the
public was becoming impatient and many
were beginning to doubt that Booth was
the assassin and, In fact doubted. If there
were any-Ereal grounds for suspecting
n tNlS Y<
that Major Richards. superintendent OF the
metropolitan poltce" was IA Ford's ,rheatrr
when the fatal shot was fired. and, becom-
Ing satisfied In aIsitcrt time that Be- otlr was
the perpetrator OF the deed. had freuuent-
ed the house Of Mrs. Surratt and had TAX
en- Night across the Navy Yard bridge he
at once ordered out entire force,, search
ed Mrs. Surratt's house in less than three
ready to pursue the ASSASSIN when the
government should furnish horses. Owing
to red tape. this posse could not leave
Washington till twelve hours after the
taken by Booth and Helr6ld. and. as they
learned afterward, were within few hun
dred yards of the hiAing place of Booth
and Herold. but were thrown off the scent
Though this posse failed to capture the
fugitives; the Information obtained proved
valuable, leading, as n dtd, to the watch
ing of Mrs. Surratt's house. where Payne,
the assailant of Secretary Seward, came
a short time afterward, and was arrested.
Jealousy of Detectives. .;nsi,:-1
Col. L. @. Baksrsadeteceives svtre in
New York at this, time. his entire force en-
gagged in tha detection and arrest of i,:;haups
ty juWDera.,ii and. .weye geEdsred here, end
arrived on ADEHR16.t e Besides, these there,
wers, sdHtaetiye' ofiaerss a4tscfead 10, tha
ofiiceo of Cob ngrahamy sDroV0st marshall
for t he department Of 3wAshtngtdi; and
those Of Col O'Beirne. provost marshal i'm
der the draft: p Gar townzne etropoiftan police
detectives and 20 some independent, ri cerps
were also at Work. AS IN duty bornnd. in
formation obtainsd BY the police Was al at
once furnished the government. Such,
however, was not the course of s-other
forces. and some of them evidently did not
tive work. ''-'S' '-'- i'.''S|
There was SO much jealousy among some
of the detectives that this was regarded
as the cause of the failure to capture
Booth promptly. Though many suspects
were being arrested. the work of forging
the chains of evidence was often rendered
difficult or useless. 1t had become evident
that the first information obtained by the
police, that the flight was into lower Mary
land. was correct. and that section was
overrun by officers. some Of them inde-
pendent, were stimulate ed by the heavy re-
wards offered. AS time progressed and the
general public were settling down to the
belief that Booth and Herold had either
committed suicide or left the country-and
there were some who always believed that
Booth had escaped from the Countrywide
military authorities and most of the de-
tective oti1cers became certain that they
had at least made the attempt to cross
the Potomac, If they had not succeeded in
getting over. .->,.t... -.
Doherty's Start.
Colonel Baker and some of his men be-
came convinced that they had reached pip-
Dfn nd he.
Northern Neck for. clues. He. there
fore; unfolded his plans to Lieutenant Colo
mel Conger and Lieutenant Baker, and hav-
ing secured a detail of twenty-five men.
Under Capt. E. p. Doherty of the 16th New
York Cavalry. and a steamer from the
quartermasteTs department, the party left
the 9th street wharf at sundown Monday.
April "a. on the steamer John 8. 1de. or
course tie fact of the departure was
known: but that they were going In pur-
Only two days before a number Of con-
federate officers having been brought here
from Virginia, It was thought the expedi-
ton was to bring in other officers from
that state. The condition of the public
mind was at. the time such that almost
any report would be taken as the truth.
When these captured officers left the pro-
vost marshars office. then on 18th street
above g street, under the escort; Of q COM
pany of regular infantry, for the old Capt.
toll. a report that they were prisoners con-
nected with the assassination raised q mob
of hundreds Of persons, who hooted and
stoned them along G street. Several OF
the prisoners and soldiers were struck by
missiles. but the military showed the. eff
feet of discipline by MARCHING steadily on
ward and safely landti'tGeir charge at the
old Capitol From this The. condition of
the public mind may be inferred. The
news of the arrival Of t1e body created the
greatest exoatement .terSBpghout the COM COM
On the Monitor.
The iron-clad prissnI ship was under
Commander u. e. Siofie, land the prisoners
were guarded by Detachment Of marines
under Capt. Frank ; Monroe. The mon
itors were specially fntaTesting In, those
days. but when 1t had became known that
Booth had been captursa and his body
was on board Of an ffbn9tad. for that day
at least the vessel bESalne the chief at,
the dock and did theif kssst. to get out 20 it.
Only those who could bfoduce pass from
the ofiice OF the SecreSatE Of War foutsNie
OF the officers OF the yss5el and yard and
the mechanics engaged at work on IT.
were permitted on board. and all papers
by which admission was sought were yised
by an officer. while sentry stood guard
at the landing All boats not belonging to
the yard or the vessel wero kept away, and
4 Aw~xrw ~A- -