Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-10-14

49, DufH OV years d6o.
JOHN SHARP. In1S81h he enlisted
at Ogdenshurg in the Sixtteth New
York Cavalry, in which he served al
together four years and half. After
the close Of the civil war number
Of regiments were stationed in and
about the city of Washington as q
guard. It was while with this regi-
ment In this capacity that President
Lincoln was shot by Booth. Files OF
soldiers from the different Federal
regiments stationed In Washington
were sent out In different directions to
apprehend the murderer. Among the
party detailed from the Sixtlcth New
York Cavalry was Mr.. Sharp. The
party was composed Of 10 men, COM
manded by Capt Baker.
Speaking Of the event Mr.. Sharp
said that Booth was traced by the
soldiers to place in Maryland called
Fort Tobacco, near the Potomac river.
and finally located in barn. An
attempt was made to enter but the
door was fastened. 1t was soon learn
ed that some other person or persons
were with the fugitive, and these prov
ed to be Harold and Payne. Capt.
Baker called to the men in the barn
that they would be given a few min
utes in which to surrender and IL they
did not do SO within that time the
barn would be fred.
"Well never surrender" said the
voice Of Booth.
Then the soldiers were ordered to
surround the barn and fire It. AS this
order was given the door was opened
and Harold and Payne stepped out,
the door being Immediately fastened
behind them by Booth. They declared
that they had nothing to do with 1t
(meaning the murder of the presldent),
but were at once taken into custody.
After the surrender of Harold and
Payne. Capt. Baker called to Booth
that the best thing that he could do
would be to come out and surrender,
but the latter replied, "I'll die first. !"
Baker then gave the order "Close up
and we'll fire this barn." The barn
was set on fire and the flames grad
ually penetrated the inside, and yet
Booth seemed determined to perish
by fire rather than be taken by his
enemies. The interior Of the barn be.
came lit up and revealed the figure
Of Booth standing in the middle Of the
floor, facing the barn door. his gun
cooked and ready to be raised to Ills
shoulder.
Major Corbett. who was one Of the
party, seems to have been standing Mt
the side Of the barn. and as the flames
lit up the interior he saw, through a
crack, Booth standing in the attitude
described. He at once raised his rifle
and fired through the aperture and
Booth fell. The door was then forced
in and the assassin was found lying
on the floor, apparently dead. The
bullet had entered his head just below
the ear. Capt. Baker asked Booth II
he had anything to say.
TELL my mother" said he, that l
died for my country"
He was taken out of the barn by
four men whose names were Berbe:lu,
Frank Longlee, Peter Reid and Jack
SLAYER. all Of the village Of Malone.
N. Y. and conveyed to the nearest
steamboat landing on the Potomac.
The body flor Booth expired shortly
after uttering the words above, says
Mr.. Sharp was put on board the trans
port New York and taken to Washing
ton. Arrived there 1t was carried to
the arsenal. The next day Mr.. Sharp
says that he obtained a permit from
the orderly of the day to go to the
arsenal and view the remains of Booth
But on his arrival there he learned
from some of the riotous and surg,ng
mob that surrounded the place that
the body of the murderer had disap-
peared, no one knew where. He did
learn. though, that a stone coffin had
been brought to the arsenal and the
corpse placed into 1t.
Mr.. Sharp verifes the generally ac-
cepted theory that the body of Mr..
Lincoln's slayer was placed in this
stone coffin and sunk in the Potomac.