The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-08-11
Who Killed Lincoln Is
Described
BY MAN Who LEO TROOPS
That Captured BOoth-was
Tipped Off By An Old
Negro Man.
THB cAPTrvE,s DYING WORDS

Los Angeles. Cal, Aug. John
Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abra-
ham Lincoln, as he lay dying on the
porch of Tom CARROTS farmhouse,
after having been shot while at
tempting to flee from a nearby fam
ing clubhouse where he had taken
refuge. gasped out in whispers his
final words:
I'll just want my mother to
know that | did II for my country"
The story of the search for and
killing of the fanatical murderer OF
the martyr President. which has
been told and retold in the books of
American history. was narrated in
graphic. vivid fashion by Col. Everton
j. Conger, who commanded the de-
tachment of soldiers who traced
down and avenged the untimely
death Of the Great Emancipator. He
Is 81 years of age, and a resident of
Dillon, Mont. He is visiting friends
in Los Angeles. and will in few
days visit the-two expositions.
The old veteran had just witness
ed the production of THE Clans
man. at the Auditorium, and the
scenes of battles and the shooting
of Lincoln at the old Ford Theater,
Washington, brought back wildly
the old and real scenes before his
eyes.
Col. Conger was in Richmond, Va,
when Lincoln was assassinated. The
Confederate army had just been dis
banded. and the soldiers, in twos
and threes, were starting for their
ruined homes. Like a flame of fire
sweeping the country came the sad
news that the President had been
shot, and that the murderer, the ac-
tor Booth, supposed to be accompan-
led by a young man by the name Of
Harold, was at large. With many
others Col. Conger joined in the
search.
81 figured out that they'd try to
cross the Rappahannock river and
get down into Virginia." he said,
so l got some pictures of Booth
and Harold and started out, making
inquiries from every one | saw. FL
nally came on an old negro, from
whom 1 had taken away a gun dur
ing the war. He remembered me.
81 showed him the picture and
asked him IL he had seen anyone
who looked like that. He pointed to
the picture of Booth and said he
thought he had seen him with an
other man in a boat. crossing the
river, although, he said, the man he
had seen did not have mustache.
81 made some inquiries and when
was sure / was on the right track,
went to Gen. Augur, in command
of the troops at Washington, and
asked for some men. He detailed
Lieut.. Doherty and twenty-five men.
and put them under my charge"
Then he told how they took up
the trail and followed 1t through in
formation they gathered from place
to place. They found that the two
men-one lame-had taken up with
three Confederate soldiers. Finally
they located the three Confederates
and arrested them and forced one of
them, Lieut.. Jett. to take them to
Booths hiding place. on Tom Gar
rett's farm.
I'VE got to the farmhouse about
3 o'clock in the morning and awoke
Garrett and told him to tell us
where Booth was. They had taken
him out to a tobacco house in the
yard because there wasn't room for
him in the house. We made Gar
rett's brother get the keys and we
went out and opened the door. Then
we yelled to Booth to come out and
surrender.
HE said he wouldn't and would
kill the first man that came after
him. So we surrounded the house.
and told one of the men to set fire
to the shed. He went up near the
tobacco house and then came back
and said that Booth had shouted
through the cracks that he would
kill the first man that lit fire.
"As l didn't like to ask one OF the
men to do IL while l stood back, !
gathered up some straw and lit IL
and went behind the house and
poked the burning straw through
one OF the cracks.
when the place commenced 10
burn inside. ! could see him. but he
couldn't see me on the outside in the
dark. He had a earbine and he was
trying to peer out to get glimpse
OF me. When he saw the house was
all afire he dropped the gun and
started for the door. drew my pis-