The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-31
NEWS OF THE CITY.
what the Democrat Reporters Saw
and Heard Yesterday.
THE CORBETT SENSATION.
The So-Called Priest-Killer Nothing But a
Lunatio or Blackmailer.

LunatiC or Blackmailer.
Two OF our contemporaries haVlus "olheu
up the arrest of one w. T.. Corbett In quite Q
sensational way, showing him up 70 the
world dis q regular priest-killer, particularly
intent upor graduating all traces OF priest
hood from New Orleans, the DEMOCRAT
thought Of looking into the business, just to
zee that oil parties ''toted fair" The result
of the investigation made by one Of our i'm
personal journalists shows the priest-killer
To be a tramp, perhaps crazy, perhaps OF q
blackmailing turn Of mind, but nothing more,
who was arrested under the law, and very
properly, Id the technical sense, as a "dan-
gerous and suspicious character"
Gun impersonal journalist first saw Capt.
Leonard Malone, chief OF detectives, who
made the following statement:
There is not the slightest foundation for
the sensational reports published In yester-
day mornings Times and Picayuae. The facts
Vi the case are simply these. | received in-
formation that the man Corbett had written
some letters to his sister, who was In q con,
vent In this city, Of q desperate nature, n
the letters also conveyed the that
the writer was en- route TO this city.
ii 4OL DDSStlSSlbh il tIV IN NabNp "spNA
reading them, saw from the style that they
were either from the pen of an insane man or
from a man whose intentions we're TO black
mail. The purport of the letters gave the Sis
tor to understand that Corbett and his father
had given in the past q greatdeal TO the Gath
Ole Church, and now that he was down In the
world he thought that the church should see
that he was cared for. Although the letters
conveyed threats, there was nothing TO show
that the writer had any intention Of assassl-
~.~A as,.a ., I nnty nrnn
i then obtained information from Chicago
that Corbett had already been In prison 10
that place for being a suspicious character,
and concluded to arrest him on his arrival III
the city, for the same offense. When he ar
rived here, confident that he was some
drunken vagabond whose only intention was
to- brighten his sister, with the nope That she
would raise him some money, / made an ALL
davit against him for being q dangerous and
suspicious character, and he was sent to
prison. :,
Reporter-Captain, what has become Of
those letters ,.
C~aptain-They have been sent back to his
sister.
himY
Captain-No; they nave not the slightest
bearing on the case.
Rep.-Dtd either the Times or Ffcdyatne re-
porter see those letters?
Captain-No; they were In my possession;
Chief Boylan was next seen and he stated
that the articles published Ia the morning
papers were perfect nonsense. there being no
foundation for them. Tn man Corbett Is a
drunken, worthless tramp, who Is crazy, or
who is vicious enough to attempt to Diack-
mail his sister, as he believes she has some
influence with the priests, owing TO the num-
Der of years she has been a faithful sister III
the convent.
Below we give,s for what It Is worth, the
attainment made BY the Individual Corbett, who
a. J&rlA a., fha partah prtgnn tn anEWer tl6
charge of being a dangerous aud suspicious
ii am quite unconcious OF having written
any letters OF the description mentioned IL
must have been out Of my mind ct the time,
as / was suffering from an attack OF typhoid
fever. I was delirious during that time and
wrote tomy sister. The contents OF the letters
have altogether escaped my recollection,
owing to my state OF mind
ssThe reporters who called on me on Ihurs-
day decoyed me into making Q statement, and
promised me that they would not publish my
name. They made me say Q good many
things that | did not say. The articles pub
lished In both papers contained 2 little truth
mixed up with q great deal OF falsehood. 1t
reminded me OF Shakespeare's smile OF two
grains OF wheat mixed up with two bushels OF
chat.
II am very much surprised at the course
pursued by my sister. Until lately sne mas
utGu tu6 ittOSl dliJSlIchuSV "a " eAV w.
responded constantly with me: She Inc my
self were in the habit Of i~nterchanging letters
every few days. She receives all my letters
and drafts for money from Australia. Only Q
short time ago she received $1,000 for me from
the Archbishop of Melbourne, Australia, who
owes me d good many thousand dollars stlii.
sShe must have known that was not In
my right mind IL l wrote any letters OF the
threatening description alluded 70 "a the
other pap rs. which makes her d mex
pllcable. she knows that / have the greatest
respect for priests and nuns having q brother
who was advanced to be q deacon H. the
church and ready for ordination to the priest
hood, and likewise three sisters who are
nuns. :.
II have not the slightest animosity or evil
Intentions towards any priest or bishop, al.
though In my present condition L am annoyed
with bishops and priests in Australia for not
sending me pecuniary assistance, as ! have,
In my better days, given at least G15,000
leuual to S75, oOO) for bishops. priests and
clereymen's dwellings, schools, converts and
other church property. l am very much sur
prised at being sent to prison for ten days on
the present charge, as there was not q little
OF evidence adduced or any Of the alleged
Objectionable letters sent to justify such q
committal.
The entertainment at the Varieties on satur'
day night, to be given by our gallant nremen
will. no doubt. attract a large crowd oil our oes
fl