The Washington herald., 1915-05-03
Shooting of John WiIkc. Booth.

Editor of The Washington Herald:
| notice in one paragraph of the in
terestinG story of Winfield NJ. Thomp-
son, touching the tragedy in CARROTS
barn on the morning of April &c, 1868.
he says: dropping his crutch, he
drew pistol from his belt, and with
his pistol in one hand and his carbine
in the other, but neither of them in
position for use, he started toward
the door. 1t was the first time since
the night of the assassination. twelve
days before. that he had sought TO
step upon his broken leg. He made
several limping. hating jumps toward
the door, but the pain must have been
more than he could bear. for he next
began hopping on his sound leg, his
weapons at his side
/ am at loss TO know where Mr..
Thompson gets his authority for these
statements. In fac; Booths leg never
was broken. One bone was slightly
cracked. but this never did prevent
him from hobbling along, with the
aid, at first, of a rude cane, made out
of an old broom handle by one of DR..
Mudd's men. He hobbled on foot away
from DR.. Mudd's, he hobbled down the
embankment of the Rappahannock
River to the ferry boat, and according
to the statement of Rev. DIR. Garrett,
WNO was dl the HoIUe VI HIS idlHcf,
Richard Garrett, when Booth was
there. when advised by Ruggles and
cambridge that the Federal cavalry
had crossed the ferry at the Kappa
hammock River three miles below the
Garrett house. Booth ''immedia tely
went up stairs for his belt ana
pistols, and. after buckling them on,
left and went into the woods
So he had not only taken one step,
T., r.Ft 1,
Theater: in fact he was never at any
time unable TO hobble along on his
lame leg. aided by his broom andle
crutch. and when he reached CARROTS
he had nothing but a cane, perhaps
part of the original broom handle
Crutch which one OF Dr. Mudds men
had made for him. There is not
scrap of evidence that Booth had any
Crutch in the Garrett barn. The fact
is the evidence to my mind, is con-
elusive that Booth. if it was Booth IN
that barn. was at the very moment
when the pistol ball of Boston Cor
bett struck his neck, going to IN.
open door to surrender himself to
Lieut.. Baker. who stood on the out
side covering the approaching inmate
with his revolver.
| say this on the testimony of Ever
ton J. Conger, the most competen,
Hliu catcher III the tIo"u lIdt sur
rounded the barn, at the trial of the
conspirators. On May l.. 1865. as
shown by the printed testimony as
given by Ben Pittman. the official
stenographer at the said trial, he aid:
When / first got a glimpse of him,
he stood with his back partly to me.
turning toward the front door. He
came back within five feet of the
corner of the barn. The only thing =
IL l. l.
came was carbine. He came back.
and looked along the cracks, one after
another. rapidly. He could not see any
thing He looked at the fire, and from
the expression of his face. / am salts
fed he looked to see IL he could put
it out. and was satisfied he could not
do it: it was burning too much"
At this point, Mr.. Conger continues
his evidence as follows: He dropped
his arms (manifestly meaning his
carbine) relaxed his muscles, turned
around and started for the door at
the front of the barn. / ran around
to the other side, and when about
half round l heard the report of a
pistol" etc. Mr.. Conger then continues
his evidence by saying that he ran on
into the barn where he found Lieut..
Baker looking at Booth, and that he
himself first thought that the man had
L.
Baker, but Baker knew better. because
he was keenly watching the man when
the ball hit him, and told Conger en-
phatically, that he had not committed
suicide moment after Boston Cor
bett admitted that he shot him. Now,
if the fact that the man in the barn
dropped his carbine. relaxed his mus
Giles, turned around and started for
the door at the front Of the barn."
was not intending TO surrender to
Lieut.. Baker. then what was his OBJ
ject? 1t is my belief that IL Boston
corbett, in reckless disregard of pos
tive and imperative orders. had not
shot the man in the barn, he would
have peacefully surrendered. and IL
SO. then another. and quite a different
story as to subsequent events might
have been written touching the events
which happened at and subsequent to
this reckless and useless shot Of the
mad Corbstt. H. c. BELL.
el1 East Capitol street.