Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-04-17
JANlroR OF CITY HALL At BOONE
WITNESS 70 THRILLING
TRAGEDY.
LIVED ON FARM NEAR
FAMOUS GARRETT PLACE
Followed Posse Which Was on Track
Of slayer Of Lineoln-sadiy Fright
ensd When Shooting Began and
Went Into HidinsA-Now Owns Piece
Of Post to Which Booth Tied Horse.
,ecial to Times Republican.


Boone, April! IA res!aea. &C Boone
witnessed the capture Of ]. Wilkes
Booth and was familiar with the coun-
try around the scene of the capture
of the assassin. He had, when little
pickaninny, played in and around the
barn where Booth met his death and
knew all the people living in that vi
cinity.
Frank Taylor, the genial colored
janitor at the city hall, was born at
Port Royal, Carolina county, Virginia,
and at the time of the assassination of
Lincoln was little over 10 years Of
age. His mother, Sarah Taylor, had
been slave and at that time, tho she
had been freed, lived on the old Pay
ton farm which adjoined that of Henry
Garrett, the sheriff of Carolina county.
Mr.. Payton was the commonwealth at
torney and Jack Garrett deputy sher-
III.
On morning in April, 1865, about
II o'clock two men on horseback
crossed the Rappahannock river and
came to the Taylor cabin asking for
something to eat Frank was stand
ing in a chair churning. One of the
men had been injured and the blood
dripped from his leg. Mrs Taylor,
with characteristic southern hospital
ity baked an ash cake and gave the
men breakfast of ash cake and but
termilk. They then asked the way
to the Garrett farm, and Franks little
brother, who was herding cattle in
1.-THE meadow, was called by Brooks.
the overseer, and ordered to go up
thru the meadow and guide them
to the place. Both the sheriff and
his deputy had gone to Bowling Green
on business and the only male mem
Der of the family at home was Willie
Garrett, young boy. The men wanted
to get into the barn and were finally
allowed to enter.
Shooting frightened Lad.
When the Yankees came in pursuit
the men were traced to the Garrett
place and it was found that they
were in the barn which was locked
and the key hidden. Willie Garrett
knew its hiding place and when ordered
to get it did so. In the barn was
piled bales OF fodder and Booth was
hidden among the bales. He refused
to come out and they commenced
shooting. AS soon as the shooting
began Frank flew and did not. witness
the final scene, but Booth was finally
wounded and brought out. Franks
uncle. was a huckster, having been a
free negro. and had a covered wagon.
They placed Booth IN this vehicle and
started to Washington with him.
The Garrett family being = intensely
loyal to the confederacy, were so in
censed at Willie for giving up the
key that they practically disinherited
him and he left that part of the
country.
Some years ago Frank went back
to Virginia and visited the scenes Of
his boyhood days. The remains of
the barn had been carried away by
visitors to be preserved as souvenirs
and the old plantation had been cut
up into small farms and sold to the
old slaves. The only member of the
Garrett family now living there was
Miss Catherine, or Miss Cattle" as
the negroes always called her. She
lived in the old homestead on the big
hill and was fairly worshipped by
those who were her former slaves.
Frank has some souvenirs he brought
back with him, among them being a.
piece of the cedar post TO which
Booths horse was tied and some
shingles from the barn in which the
assassin was shot.
Mrs. Taylor afterward moved to Mis-
souri,, where she died a few years ago
at the ripe old age of 104 years.