The San Francisco call. [volume], February 28, 1909, Page 3, Image 3

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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feie San Francisca Sunday -Call
C. Irvine
: i X THE dark days of the rebellion to
•I. California fell the honor of supply
.'A- ing the flrEt national chief of. the
\u25a0 T," government's detective bureau.
The man chosen to head this most
important department was Lafayette
C. Baker, who arrived at the Golden
gate In 1£53, coming by way of Panama.
He was an active member of the vigi
lance committee at San Francisco from
1556.t0 IS6I. Early In the spring of
•61 he returned to New York, expect
ing to remain in the east only a short
time, but at the very moment he was
ready to return to the west the tocsin
of war startled the land, and In com
' nion with the loyal citizens of the
.. north he decided to abandon his prl
' vat* business enterprises and serve the
' Imperiled country!
\u25a0 • ft was In April of that year that
'.Baker visited Washington city for the
purpose of allying himself with the
' government in the defense of his coun
. try. There he had an Interview with
.General Scott, who was then in com
mand of the army of the United States.
Present et this Interview was Hon.
..George TV. "Wright of California, and
"fit that tlxn* the plans were discussed
•and. laid for a visit to be made by
\u25a0 : Ba.ker to Richmond, which was then
/the capital of the confederacy. In pur
\u25a0 cuance of this plan the start was made
::ior • Richmond on July the pur
/pTojse of the hazardous Journey being
:'tb learn, if possible, the locality and
• strength of the hostile troops and of
; .their fortifications. There being tralt
• ors In the government and In the army,
•the union troops were not let Into the
'secret of the expedition or its mission.
Therefore Baker's first step from
•Washington In the direction of the
•.'sacred soil of Virginia" was one of
great risk, as any attempt to pass the
lines miglii. result in his arrest as a
spy. .
'.\u25a0 -Twice at least he was apprehended
and returned to Washington, but after
tribulations he succeeded in
evading the outposts and nlred a negro
'boy to row him across the river. Here
"lie was promptly placed under arrest
. by the confederate sentinels. By them
-lie was discredited and looked upon as
a spy when he assured them that he
\u25a0was a peaceful citizen, unarmed, and on
his way to Richmond. Baker carried
letters introducing him f to prominent
• rebels. ln Richmond. Anfong, other de
l.ceptlve documents was a letter pur
f porting to have been written by Rev.
\u25a0air. Shuck, who was for many years.; a
missionary in China, and who. in later
years became a resident of .California.
Baker was sent afoot under heavy
guard to Manassas Junction, ' where
he was turned over to General"Beaure
THE CALIFORNIAN WHO
FOUNDED THE SECRET SERVICE AND
RAN DOWN LINCOLN'S PLAYER
gard. Here he was placed In a stock
ade, but through \ the bribery .of the
guard that had been placed over him
he had' an opportunity to . view the
fortifications and to inspect the famous
and dreaded "black horse cavalry,"
which he saw consisted of 200- men.
Baker's . Journey by rail to Richmond
was without event, but its slowness
afforded him an excellent chance to ob
serve the number of troops moving
toward Manassas.
Four days after his arrival in Rich
mond Baker was ushered into the pres
ence of President Jefferson Davis, the
audience being in the front parlor of
the Spottswood house. The weather be
ing wariri the confederate chieftain wore
simply a light linen coat, without vest,
collar or cravat. Davis listened with
Indifference td the story told by Baker,
and at the conclusion of the narrative
gave no Intimation as to his probable
action. After a lapse of one ' week,
Baker was again summoned before the
president, when he was freely plied
with . queries as to the strength and
positions of the union troops at and
in the vicinity of Washington. After
a wait of three days the suspected spy
was for the third time taken into the
presence of Davis. . Impersonating
Sam, a son of Judge Rlunson of Knox
ville, who went to California at an
early day. Baker succeeded in: deceiv
ing the president, from whom "he: re
ceived a parole. This released him
from confinement and pledged him not
to leave Richmond without first having
received permission from -the provost
marshal. Richmond thus became an
open .b ook to Baker, who sopn obtained
all the information he desired relative
to the, movements, plans, fortifications
and strength of the enemy. Being
anxious to return to the north without
delay, he. secured a- pass that carried
him to Frederlcksburg. At appoint
four miles- below that city he crossed'
the Rappahannock without difficulty,'
but in stealing an old rowboat, in which
to effect his escape across the Potomac,
he was so closely pursued that "he was
compelled to kill one and wound two of
the confederate sentinels who .were
guarding the. river bank. .
This, in brief, is the story of the be
ginning of .the .secret service depart
ment of the government/ although It
was, not until August, 1861,. that Baker
became regularly • attached to the war
department; as; secret agent? Accord
ing to the story of the organization of
the service/ as told .„ by Baker himself,
"the detective > business of the war; was
commenced with no ; : head, . system or
regulations, excepting such: as . were
made ; by. those, having no knowledge of
the peculiar; and: difficult business.'! r* lt
was, his -opinion that "congress f should,"
at \u25a0_; the; outset *of the .rebellion, /have
passed a law authorizing the organiza
tion of a: detective'' policei^withr a; head
responsible only" to. the" .war or some
other; department. ' Under \u25a0 the /plan
; adopted, .operations were at^ first
ducted by the 'bureau^ of ';the^national
detective- police, .and during, the , earlier
days/ of.', the service ,; Baker.. signed ; his
official reports .as I detec-
How Layfayette G/B
onstrated the Usefulness of Detective WqA in War and Peace
The war, being over/. Baker, • then ; be- '
Ing. brigadier general and/ chief of ha
tionalvpolice, expressed himself as being
firmly of the belief that a'detective bu
reau, although, contrary to. the; spirit of .
republican' institutions 'in! "time- 'Of
peace,, was indispensable., in. time of
war. ; He was certain that some of tho
most, important movements, and, battles
of the war had been made: and fought
entirely-. ..upon /information'"" obtained
through the operations i of-the p«*!ce de- •
tective, bureau. ] He;]believed,/further
more, that there was nothing in tho
secret' service 'that'dernanded'Ja/yiqla
tion-. of v honors or A a" sacrifice- of
pie beyond the ordinary rules .of .^War
fare/ While admitting, that /deception
was.'at times practiced/; he ; contended,
that in v time of .war'no: cprnrriarider
fails to deceive -the - enemy ( fwhenever
possible." -The interception of;' corre-"
spondence,- feints -in army.' movements,
misrepresentations. of military; strength
and position .are .regarded as honorable
means •of securing victory," over the • foe.
Tho work; of the detective, -.lie; said/ is
simply deception^ reduced' to- a* science;
while/war is a s terrible] resort /in' th*e
defense • of even a : righteous • cause and
sets'at] defiance' all the 'ordinary laws
and '\u25a0 customs :'of society, i .;.rv; . 7» s \u25a0
In February of lS62Secretary Seward
of the, "department of state addressed 'a
letter to : Edwin Stanton, /secretary of
war, and in this v the /statement] was
made that "L. - C.'« Baker '\u25a0, has"; been emf
ployed \u25a0/ by - the^ '• state * ; department ( in
. the i detective"' service," iibut-in conse-j
quence '• of a recent ; executiye : order/ the
state department:. had:". "no . further.* use
of his services" \\ and Baker; was ,'consef
quently commended^to^the.considera
tion of the secretary of iwar, as; a""capa
ble i and .•'" efficient / officer.'/ :'.: '. From t that
time: forward 'Baker .was 'known -as
"detective? agent,~;war ; department"," -Lor.
;as: provost "marshal./ iln; tho> spring.] of
- 1 8G3 ; he " was ' made "j, colonel /of ;the v First
regiment, ..District '-; Columbia'* cavalry, 11
and was \u25a0 busy with i affairs growing j'out
of . the war] and i connected ; with', the ;sey."
; c raf i d epar tme ri ts / o f ?.': th e ':' go ye fn meh t ;
In*April,ilß6s, J ;he-was;in}Newj:Y6j-k{city
; securlng^evidence'.v against ;] deserters,' 1
.when the; following /telegram, '/dated
April 16, caused him. to hurry, to .Wash^
ingtoh: \u25a0\u25a0'. \u25a0 / •, "\u25a0-\u25a0..'\u25a0 \u25a0,/' : -.;.'./. ..//': : ' " \u25a0
/'"Corned to- Washington. '\u25a0 Immediately
and "' see.] if "\u25a0• you can find . the^ murderer
of the president. : : /\u25a0;/-'- ' ,v \u25a0;''\u25a0'/
"E. M.*: S.,' Secretary, of War."
'-The terrible event that called; forth/
this "order ; ls Ifresh' jin'thet.niln'Js/of I]the i
American". people./- Arid, that v that ftrag-/
edy; wpuld^riof.have/occurreaUwjieri^it '
did \u25a0 if ; Baker, had been >in*. Washington •-
is- the opinion: of ; a \u25a0chaplain^ In ; Baker's /\u25a0
cavalry. \u25a0i,Writlrig,;cbncernihg.,thls,;]the-:
chaplain -/said :<• t."Booth] '>/\u25a0 knew < : that
Baker .was in 'New /York, foriheiwould-.v
have ', delayed.:' tlie'- tragedy, oo r*"the;r * "the; 14th i
of April,*- 1865. •.And']wheh*he i knew^thaf
Baker. -was. on-] his', trail. his heart. faint- \u0084
]ed'inhim;and 1 . he.losttallihope." 1 ,/1 * ./
;; ; The story of < the] capture?. of/Wllkes C
Bobth.-.the-murdererof i Lincoln,^ as? told: 7
: by. Baker, affordsoneTofsthe'lriterestingi.
chapters-" in/; the 'detective's,' /exciting-.
career: After ; the military forces,- num- "
berln'g'lo,ooo,.- had ]i swept i-thel swamps'
success; Baker's; men- were] del^..
egated /by vthe'.departmentUo /continue ;•
the search* for the assassin." C r ? : " ; } > I
; vßut'i before jbeginnirurl the*' man • hunt .
Baker, and- his. lieutenants : consulted 'the .,
' coast- survey/ maps,';.] and J-wlth'j'de.tectlve '£
3ntul tlorif amounting jalniqstV.to^nsplra^i
tion* Baker \liadt cast : . upon 'the 'probable/
route \u25a0 and v destination /of i Booth' * >' arid' ,
fHarrold/'rv He>] reasoned 7 ' that" ,/Booth v
would; not '.keep^alpng;; the, < coast,^withTr;
frequent^ deep \ rivers ; ? to Across, >. nor : *in',;
any^directibn '• east •. ol I Richmond;;* where \
the murderer was'ilablerat.any^ time jtq
cross the lines. r^Tlie same line of reason; /
ing, indicated *that -jßoothribeing Hariie* -\u25a0;
could; not cride/.wellfon \u25a0horseback^ so>as;"
,toTplace\himself, ; wemwestw"afd", of jh'lsi?
point; of lin -Virginia;'.' He .
would /of ] ; necessity/be ' .'Compelled ji to?
travel/ in*, a; direct \cburse /irorii -I -Bluff; 1
point,, where ':he; crossed V' to 1 /,' eastern/
Maryland/ i arid . thi s; . would .\u25a0 take -J him -
; through* Port Royal.^on fthe : Rappahan^,'
;nock f rlyer^].".7 r .:-.///':. ,/\u25a0\u25a0':].. /^-''-u^r-Kv :
/ "You, may -rest assured," isaldiColotielr,
Baker] to' his ; lleuteriarits^afterstudyirig>
I theimaps" and iwhen: giyirig^hlsjflnaliin;/
structions,;", "you ;;"will ; i find f Himt.wlth}riY
', five/miles f'ot} Forty Coriway.Vs;,You-.will>
j have ; a*;detall, of rcavalry.'f whlc^J will. be r
jatrictlyi^subordinate^ito * your.s-;bfder.i
; There i rriust i be no ? shobtlng/4^*.The I vil->
lain' must \u25a0 be ' captured alive " at'%all.
h*azartl.".. l /*'-''(' r ; '"',']' *'.- v . : /'^:' ";.*/'/: '{''\u25a0' \u25a0 !! J K ??-^~'
/ '.Upon i learning? from a \ negro ;i that^V,
man answering th a description' of Booth %
and . another.' man*had {crossed 7 the 'Poto-] r
mac : In .a fi3hlng- boat. -Baker ' sent . to
General . Hancock ' tor. 25 ,men. These
he placed - under, command of E. \u25a0 J. Con
.ger^and|V. r ß. ; Dakar and ; 1 1 /. was _'. but a
short'time ;uhtii;the murderer^and 'his
accomplice/had f been positively located
ln'theiGarret 'barn, which /was within
three* miles" of Hhe 'place. Indicated on
the "map" by; Baker. .. It ,was; night, and
,as .the I armed men . surrounded the '; barn,
[Booth; and v HarrolcT ; .were ) 'commanded
t6."Surrender.y6ur arms and: give your
! selves up.'or.' the barn will be, set on
'fire'!"."/.; ; \u25a0};',•] ,' : : : / ']; (:/]•\u25a0•\u25a0\u25a0'\u25a0 ''\u25a0 .. \u25a0,
:'\u25a0'.\u25a0; v-The reply that came from within. was
; brief 'and | to ; the 'point: :'_ \u25a0[ j '. •
:, ; ; "Give 'me a/chance >for. niy life, cap
;tain/..;;tain/..;;I will/ never^be/ tak"eri .alive."
BoottiVas^the* speaker. s ; Harrold's nerve
"had.*-; weakened, *•. and /-through .the'] half
,'open^barn,-aoor* he fstuck: his arms to
receive' * tho . ; manacles. /i .Meanwhile.
'Booth Vc'bntinu'e'a P' to "«talk.- \u25a0• ;"; "Draw . off
• your^men,' ' captain,, and f. l ! will;; fight
themVsinglj-.^ I" could' havolkilled '.you
:>isi: >isi- times; tonight., biitil believe.you to
be/a»brave> man, and would; riot- murder
you. ; : ". Give • aj; lanie dman : ] a ; showr'.'f—but '
before" he: had * ceased /speaking ': Colonel
; Conger] hud slipped • around \ to the irear
of the (barn, (drawn V some], ibose.Vstraws
through^ the" c'rack. and ]touched ; a light
ed'matchto'them./Thestrawiwas.dry,
and,4 blazlng/up ,; instantly,: carried a
] sheet \ 6 f smoke ; and" r flame" ; through '. the
; parted 1 planks.' ' 800 th could " be ' seen , in
ithe**center,iofUHelibarn; with", the "flame
c encroaching i-upon f him/ f f oin'iall/ sides.
.At. the gleamfof.the fire > he had
his crutch": and j carbine//] Hls/eyes lus
\u25a0 trous'arid* teetlu fixed," he^wore the.ex
'presslon; of^ one lnf the f calmness /before
f re,nzy. r /y erigeahce Iwas" In 3 his s eye; ;j He
•^glared <at -]the ' .'flames y\ and, v turning]
v toward]the;door to face his*captors,\fell,
;plerced^/through'-'the 'neck/ '-Hevlhad
'b'ee'n/shotvJby^Bbston/Corbitt^/a,. sef
*geant]r.who/ disobeying] orders.'hadf fired
iithroughV'aV crack Vof': the ;,'J)arri. v f :;• Booth"
''dled'asi'tliQ /morning.' sun i cast -tapering
shadows/over - the* marshland.! /";"' \u25a0/ :
"^ 'The 'stark {bbdy/of^the^murdefer; was
/committed;; to\Colonel T Bakef.gby.i the
; secretary y of \u25a0/war,/arv,d >. the
(made| of ; thetcorpse i was »the -secret of
\u25a0two men-^-Colonel Baker aridhisicousin,
] Lieutenant*/ Baker./ :On-- the"];'nlght'-*of
j^Aprll "these j two /men ,i received ; the
\u25a0corpse". ;in.j;a,.r rowboat? ,y,They; carried
,' it ; intb^the 5 darkness-^andv^iri ':_. the ?'dark-'
ness •it-remained.",: Speaking^ of Uhe'lflnal
disposition" made "of " it,/* Colonel ' Baker
;said^'];:// "; :/''v./ i ;''-</vv y ]*- /--.';
'4/i "Lieutenant ;.• Baker, .\u25a0 oii]"-, whose lap
f Booth's wasVlaid.'Tarid.'niyf
Iself|have>therdark(.^cyetUb}keep'.V',The
\co rpse ? ; of r the^'assossin U.was
"wltbH two; blankets,Tsewed*together; like
a sack, concealing it. At
noon of- night we -placed -It In a small
boat and 'rowed silently] away with no
watchful eye upon us. -It was a strange
hour on the quiet "Potomac, -and iyet
sogreat was my; exhaustion. that I tell-.
tb'dozlng wlth=; the' oarl in , my* hand
and, the, sack containing the assassin's
corpse at my feet. Further. I can not;
fgo-^-lt/is/ best to let the curtain of
unbroken secrecy and mystery re
main '.- between the burial ', and human
curiosity.'^fiSi
/But ] years -afterward, for the purpose
of gratifying public curiosity . arid: to
put at restrumors that were In circu
lation concerning the identification and
final, disposition "of the body of -the
assassin. Colonel -Baker .gave ' out the
following -information:,
// Yin"] order -to ; establish "the Identity
of the body. of. Booth -beyorid all ques
ition,'; the; secretary /of "war directed 'me'
to"; summon 'a. \ number of witnesses who
had';] previously .'knflwn ; 'th"e'.'inurderer.
Some two years ; previous to the \u25a0 assas
sination, of ..the ', president, / Boot- had
had a] tumor, or, - carbuncle .cut. from
vhls c neck ' by a _ surgeon./ I \u25a0 ascertained'
that Dr. May had. performed ithe opera
tion.;- Accordingly, Dr..May/ before see
ing "the;, body, the
'exact : locality.: of r the tumor./the nature
> and : date; of the operation, {etc. : After
' being ;. sworn,' he. pointed /, to '\u25a0• the » scar
:on the ; neck, 1 ; which was ' then . plainly
visible/" , Five V - other 'witnesses vweje
exaniine'l, : ;alliot] whorri i* had ; known the
assassin; intimately '.for^ years... General
Barries, /surgeon j general -. U. ;. S.<Ar, • cut
.from /Booth's;"; neck ,' about : two; Inches
of '« the spinal column / through ? which
, the \u25a0 , ball ?. had ; passed. This .v. v piece :of
ibone, r^whlch / is : C on exhibition / in V the
J'goyerriraent; medical-, museum : at Wash
ington, l's the only relic of the assas
sin's body abcve ground, and this Lj
the only mutilation of the remains that
ever occurred.
"Lieutenant Baker and myself took
the body direct to the old penitentiary
adjoining the arsenal grounds. Tha
buildings had not been used as a prison
for some years previously. The ord
nance department had filled the ground
floor cells with fixed ammunition. One
of the largest of these cells was se
lected as the burial place of Booth.
The ammunition was removed, a large,
flat stone uplifted from Its place and a
rude grave dug. The body was dropped
In, the grave filled up, the stone re.
placed, and there rests to this day all
that remained of John "Wllkes Booth."
In their official report of the capture
of Booth. Colonel Conger and Lieuten
ant Baker made the statement that
"Boston Corbitt. who fired the shot.
had -been placed by Colonel Cons«»
about "30 feet from the barn, with or
ders not to leave his post on any pre
text. Yet he did leave it, and approach
the barn. when, without order, pretext
or -excuse, he shot' Booth."
.: While tho war was in progress. Col*
onel : Baker had frequent walks and
talks with* President Lincoln. On sev
eral occasions they spoke of the fre
quent threats to kill the president.
Baker said -that he had always noticed
on these occasions, tnat' "there was. a
very extraordinary indifference in the
mind of Mr. Lincoln in regard to tha
threats of assassination, some of which
I communicated to him. Several times
I' walked with. him in the grounds of
the White House at a late hour of th*
evening- conversing upon such intelli
gence of .the war as I had received.
Whenever allusion was made io th«
intimations of designs upon his lif<*
he almost ' playfully listened, and ap
parently was unable to believe de
pravity could -go so far as to destroy
a. friend, of all the people, such. as he
felt himself to be. On one occasion I
carried to Mr Lincoln two anonymous
communications, in which b« was
threatened V with assassination. In a
laughing. Joking manner he remarked:
•Well, Baker; what do they want to kill
me for? If, they, do kill me the 7 "will
run the rl.sk of getting a worse man.*"
One, of tne few survivors of the origi
nal detective -police force is Egbert
Ingersoll, .who Is spending the evening
of hi3vdaysln Los Angeles. Another
member of the force was Milo Baker, a
brother.) of ;the first head of the secret
service as an "organized department, of
the "\u25a0\u25a0 government, who died at Los An
geles a- *. lew \. years ago, where * q«
founded the Baker iron wori*