The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-04-22
BOSTON CORBETT.
The story Of tho Killing Of booth
RetOld.
tPrivste Dslzeli, in Cincinnati Enquirer.l

Private Dslzen, in Cincinnati Enquirerl
Corbett belonged to the Sixteenth
New York cavalry, think, and was a
Sergeant. After they had tracked Booth
over the river and through woods and
fields for days, at length he was discov-
cred in q barn. Corbett saw him III
there ut the moment the hay or straw
took fire. The commanding officer COM
manded Booth to surrender. He was
standing, as Corbett saw him through
the cracks in the barn, on pile Of hay,
leaning on his crutch, pale with loss of
blood and from excess of hatred and re-
venge, for John Wilkes Booth never
knew what fear was. Corbett said he
watched Booth like hawk. He was
standing there on his crutch with car
blne in his hand, and had his back
toward Boston Corbett. He was the
impeisonation of the assassin, and even
there, when he determined to die, did
not for a moment forget his part in the
tragedy he was acting.
The fire was mounting up all around
him, and the pallor on Booths face in
the wild light Of the blazing barn grew
CHASTITY pale, and he stood there lean
ing on his crutch, with carbine in hand.
The demand for his surrender was re-
peated, and answered with the same
sullen silence of contempt, scorn and
defiance. Just then the soldiers were
standing q few PAGES from each
other all around the barn, every man
with his pistol in his hand. Suddenly
Corbett saw Booth raise his carbine, as
if he were going to shoot some one out
side, when, quick as lightning, Corbett
raised his pistol, fired at the PRESIDENT
eide, and the next moment he was lying
on the hay from wound in exactly the
same spot where he hit Lincoln. In
the next second Booth was dragged out,
stretched on the ground away from the
burning barn-the next, he was dead.
Corbett told me that Booth never spoke
after he sh ot him, and that all this non
sense of his dying words was mere clap
trap of sensational writer's. The mo-
ment the officers saw that Booth was
dead they inquired for the rash fellow
who had disobeyed orders for ii was
their purpose to take him alive and have
grand state trial, and all that, after the
manner of the great historic English
regicide trials in the time of James III.
Boston Corbett had spoiled that sport.
All eyes turned to Corbett, for the sol
diers on his side of the barn pointed him
out as the guilty one, and he was placed
under arrest. From that hour he never
knew q moments peace. The pistol
with which he killed Booth was stolen
from him that night, but the holster was
left, and he had it at my house. His
share of the prize was likewise stolen
from him the day he got it-every cent
of it,
From the moment Corbett killed
Booth he was doomed man. One
disaster followed another. He was treat
ed with scorn by his officers and neglect
by the Government, and his share OF the
reward he lost. 1t never did him any
good. He was stopped on the road by
masked men, pistol put to his breast,
and he was required to dismount and
surrender his hard-earned money the
very day he received it. He was stripped
of his clothing and every dollar he had.
This was on his way to Washington.
The officers there, wild with rage at him
for depriving them of the pomp and cir
cumstance of leading Booth in captive
alive, and parading him through long
public trial, of which they should be
central figures, felt like prosecuting him
further, but better counsels prevailed,
and he was released and permitted to
retire from the service branded and dis
graced. From that hour to this army
officers speak of Corbett with contempt.
He has been driven from post to pillar.
He breaches with pistol in his pocket.
After he says his prayers he lies down at
night with a loaded revolver under his
pillow. He means pitifully at all hours
Of the night 1t almost seemed to me
my house was haunted while he was
there. Although he was good man, II
pure and devout Christian of spotless
life, declare 1 was glad when he was
gone, he was SO unhappy, so uneasy, SO
strange. He is no lunatlc. He is no
fool. He is q good man every way.
But wherever he goes he says Nemesis
pursues him, and the troubled spirits of
revenge will not let him rest He is In