Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-12-15
THE MURDER
OF LINCOLN
IMPORTANT PART PLAYED IN
THE FINAL END OF BOOTH
BY MONTANA MAN.

FAiiohS tAt DlllOu VI. "A. II. veterans
| who attended the national encamp-
ment which was neld at Denver last
fall, was Judge E. j. Conger, of Dill,
Ion. Probably no other man at the
encampment was received with more
honor and Difference and given more
attention than was Judge Conger. The
following article, which appeared in
the Denver Republican in regard TO
MIR. Conger, will prove of unusual in
terest to our readers:
No man at the encampment nas
greater story to tell than EvertOn
j. Conger, of Dillon. Mont, lieutenant
colonel First district of Columbia cav
! airy. Col Conger's story is more
| than a "Reminiscences. 1t stirred the
! heart of the nation back at the dark
est crisis in its history. for he was
the man who captured John Wilkes
Booth, the murderer of President Lin
| coin, ard under whose command, al
though not by ais order, Booth was
shot and killed.
With memory unuimmed by the
intervening years since the most no
tdDIC dShICNCllcHl Ol Ills career, COl.
Conger last night went over the story
with Col. John McEroy. editor of
the National Tribune of Washington,
ID. c. He told of the stirring events
Immediately following President Lin
coins death and of the unavailing
search made for his murderer.
Col. Conger was in Richmond the
night Lincoln was assassinated. but
went to Washington upon news of the
tragedy. The Potomas river was be-
ing patroled by all kinds of vessels
with orders to let no one cross to the
other side. The city was being ran
sacked by the police and secret SER
vice men. He was detailed by Sec
rotary of War Edwin M. Stanton to as
sist Col. Baker, chief of the govern
ment secret service. A search was
made of the streets in Washington
and also neighboring cities. including
Baltimore. In the course of time Col.
Conger stumbled upon an old darkey
from Port Tobacco, an old fellow with
white hair.
The negro was pumped for informa.
ton, and after much probing said he
had been brought up the river recent
ly. He had hidden some kettles on
'iiC ooAh VI q SlouSIi anu Sdfu uc Ildu
gone to find them. They had been
moved. and while making a search
he had heard two men talking in a
boat under the bank.
Col. Conger produced a picture of
Booth, which was identified by the
old darkey who said: "Fo' God sab
| belibe dat is de man."
Upon this clew Col Conger decided
that in Cnitn nf tho 70 - not he ~,
had been carefully patrolled, Booth
and his companion. a weak individual
named Harold. who afterwards hang
ed for completely in the affair. had
gotten to the other side 1t was then
as hours since the negro had seen
them.
Col. Conger knew the lay of the
land, having had charge of COM
mand there under Burnside, and went
across alone. Arriving on the oppo-
site shore he asked Major General c.
Augur for some men and was given 25
men from the Sixteenth New York
cavalry. A boat called the John S.
lde was also given him. He took his
men to Aqua creek and went ashore,
starting toward the Rappahannock
river. At Fort Conway a party told
him two men had agreed to give him
$40 to take them to a nearby town.
This part of the trip was described by
Booth himself in his diary.
! Hn proceeded TO The town with his
men, passing the Garrett farm, and
found three confederate officers, nam.
ed Jet, cambridge and Ruggles, who
nad assisted Booth in escaping. Jet
was calling on his sweetheart and
Col. Conger entered the house and
seized him. He was ordered to tell
Booths whereabouts, and, after much
hesitation. finally led them back ov.
err the road to the Garrett farm.
! Here Conger requested old man Gar.
rett to deliver up Booth. The old
man said he had gone, but CARROTS
boy said he would tell where he was
if'no harm was done his father The
boy then showed him where Booth was
located. with his wounded leg, in the
tobacco house, usually spoken of in,
correctly as barn. Here Booth and
Harold had been forced to stop be.
cause of the formers wounds.
The tobacco house was full of
cracks, as they were Intentionally
built. ad the men were asked to sur.
render. The two went into converse.
ton. and Booth finally said Harold
wanted to give himself up. Harold
was then taken out and into custody
Col. Conger ordered brush put
around the tobacco house, and sal !
he would put fire to it. He also sta.
toned his men about Garretts boy
aided in putting the brush around the
house, but became frightened when
Booth said: Oh you, if you put
any more of that there I'll put a hole
through you"
Col. Conger twisted a rope of straw
and set fire to it. Booth saw the
blaze and began moving about inside.
lie asked Conger to fight him, but was
Informed that he must surrender.
AS the blaze shot up" said the
narrator, II ran around to the door.
way, cooking my revolver and ex.
pecting fight in which only the best
man would win. AS did so heard
shot l went in and found Booth
lying prone upon the floor. thought
he had shot himself, but found that
an eccentric old man named Boston
Corbett had fired the fatal bullet.
had ordered him to certain spot and
he mad Left it several times.
Booth was then taken outside and
laid down. He whispered: Tell moth
er I died for my country. Tell her
that I did what I thought best. That
was all he ever said to my knowledge
as he died about 20 minutes after
ward"
Col. Conger took the first opportun
ifv n on RI Woch m otop docir;pu