Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-10-03
THE SLAYER OF BOOTH.
A Man Who knew Boston COrbett
Tells of His Habits and Manners.
Corbett's Story of the Killing of Mr.
LincOln'S Assassin COrbett'S
Prayer, Etc.
American Review.

The writer had a personal acquaintance
with Boston Corbett, who avenged the
death of President Lincoln in so tragic a
manner on the night of April e. 1865.
During the year 1875, while attending a
soldiers reunion of blue and gray, at Cald-
well, O., first met Mr.. Corbett. The
town was small and an immense crowd
had gathered; Gen. Sherman, among
others, being present. Corbett and | were
assigned to the same room for the night.
| found him a nervous, excitable man. al
ways the center of attraction, with keen,
but wild look in his eyes. and an interim
Unable recklessness of body and limb. He
was then preacher, regularly ordained,
think. He lead a prayer-meeting In the
village church while there. He was al
ways well armed, in self-defense, as he ex-
planned and his experience while at Cald-
well showed that he had some reason to
fear violence. He got into an exciting ar
gument with several men one afternoon
over the question as to whether Booth had
really been killed at ali. Hot words ensued,
a rush was made toward Carbett, and In
an instant the cleaning barrel of his re-
volver flashed in the faces ofhis opponents.
It was with considerable difficulty that
they were separated and peace restored.
Corbett claimed to those of us whom he
considered friends that he had been hound
ed for years by men who were high in au-
thority at Washington, at the time of the
assassination, and that they caused him to
lose several important positions after he
went into civil life, and had refused to
shake hands with him or to answer his
salutatiOn on the streets. The only reason
he assigned for this was that his bullet
had deprived the Washington authorities
of an opportunity to make a grand display
in the execution of Booth.
Be this as it may it is certain that Cor
bett was always on the watch for bodily
harm from some source. During the night
| shared bed with him this was exemp pill
fed. 1t was close, hot hight We slept
on the ground floor, with the window
raised. Corbett walked the floor for ten
minutes after | was in bed. He would
frequently clasp his hands and exclaim:
THE Lord have mercy on my soul! At
last he knelt down and offered a fervent
yer under his pillow and went to bed. He
then told me the whole history of the dark
night In Virginia. He said no words
heroic look, of Booth s face as it was light
ed up by the flames of a tobacco barn in
which he had taken refuge from his pur-
suers. To the call of surrender, Booth
hurled back words of scorn and defiance,
and turned his back on the troops in
derision, Corbett said he could stand it no
longer, and, although the orders were to
take Booth alive, he raised his revolver
and fired. The wound in Booths head
was said to have been within half an inch
of the location of5Iincoln's fatal wound
Corbett went to sleep and | followed
later on with restless, troubled sleep, In
which | dreamed of something which
made me awaken Corbett. He sat up in
bed, drew out his pistol and covered me
with it. | assured him it was all dream,
and he Gained down again. For several
years afterward | received occasional let
tiers from Mr. Corbett, and he finally drift
ed up Kansas, where, through the aid of
some friends, he was appointed doorkeep-
er of the House of Representatives during
the winter of 1887. While there his mind
became seriously affected, and he suddenly
appeared In the House one morning with
revolver In each hand. and attempted to
kill the Speaker and others. He was
promptly removed to the insane asylum.
Early In the year 1887, and while he was
In the State House at Topeka. sent note
to Corbett asking him to write me an ae-
count of the capture and death of Booth,
which he did. | have every reason to think
Mr.. COrbett' S memory was In fair condi-
ton when he wrote the article, and it may
safely be accepted as a correct narration
of the incidents of dark hour in the ma
tlon's history. r. B. HOOVER.