Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-21

mortal career OF John Wilkes Booth.
AS the years rolled on the recitals Of
the tragedy became further and further
apart, and after the rebellion and its
many sad memories had grown dim
Corbett showed n Discrimination to talk
or the part he had taken. Many efforts
We're made by other members of the
avengers, band to take the credit Of
| Killing Booth, but Corbett stoutIy
maintained the ground and as the
claimants gradually ceased to appear
on the public surface he grew indiffer-
ent and rarely referred to the story
unless strenuously urged.
It was after the year of 1879 that
| Corbett first began to evince a dislike
for the subject which had been upper
most In his mind for so many years
ana 't was then that an erratic reli-
gious enthusiasm increased until at
iast 1T reached the point of frenzy. He
was In the habit of coming to Philadel-
phia at night and walking rapidly up
and down Market street until nearly
midnight. Then he would go back to
Camden and be up bright and early
next morning, praying for an hour at
stretch. He did not exhibit any
symptoms of an unbalanced mind other
IMAM that mentioned, but there was
something in his gestures that always
reminded one of a 1unatic.
In February, 1887. his mental malady
assumed such q form that, having
travelled to the Sunhower State. he
look possession, IN It's upper gallery.
with n loaded revolver, of the Kansas
Legislature, and forced an adjourn
ment of that body without the for
maiity of vote being taken. Half a
uoZen years prior to that time he had
conducted revival services in Camden
Oh 1oine street, near Fourth, and there
ne gathered about him thirty of forty
persons, many Of them negroes. and
they implicitly believed that the man
was diVinely Inspired. He set up the
claim, Mt any rate, and performed
some very strange antics ut times TO
support 1t. At intervals of a week he
would go off for twelve or fifteen hours
INTO what was then known as the
wafer Works woods, and there on his
pended knees pray so long, so loud and
earnestly that he was sure to attro r.
the attention of any wanderers in the
immediate vicinity. On his return to
MS chapel on Pine street he would an
nounce that he had been favored with
the most beautiful heavenly visions
and had received Divine Instructions
as to his conduct during the ensuing
week.
For twenty-four hours after these
trlps. Corbett would be in a state of
religious frenzy. His expression Seem
cd to change altogether, and his voice
usually harsh bass, became a shrili
treble. He appeared to be loose in an
MS FONTS and the manner In which he
wouio throw his arms and legs about
ana Wag his head sometimes excited
the fear that he would come to pieces.
Els followers became infected with his
IefVor at these periods and the house
would become u perfect Babel of noises
women shrielSing and crying and men
shouting until their voices cracked. In
time the revivals became such an an
hoyance that the neighbors made a
complaint and Corbett was arrested
and taken before Mayor Avres Who
held him to keep the peace. Althourh
CorDett professed to be martyr there
was enough of old Adam in him to
make him institute cross suit charg
ing his accusers with disturbing n. re-
ligious meeting and with making faces
at him. The narrator does not remem-
Der the final results. but the zeal of Cor
oetl adherents was somewhat abated
and his own fervor seemed to have 70
ceived something OF q cold shower
OATH He made less noise after that
but did not, however, abandon his
claim Of Divine inspiration. He was n
larry well read man in Biblical his
tory. and 1t was one OF his fayorite
hobbies to pick out and twist IN Ger
tain OF the parallels to suit his own
ideas, and to endeaVor to prove that
certain men in modern days had been
especially selected to reclaim the unrc-
generate and to purify the entire social
fabric of the world, There was a spIrit
OF unrest about the man. however. that
led many close observers to believe
that the religious fervor so constantly
exhibited was simply an ATTEMPTED
panacea for a remorseful mind AT
long intervals, sometimes a year or.
eighteen months, Corbett would reach
an extraordinary state OF ecstacy and
while In that condition he would beg
and besecch most piteously to heaven
| to have taken from his mind the mtm-
| DRY of that man he had shot wears aro
| in burning barn.
Many strange fatalities surrounded
| and followed the killing of Abraham
Lincoln
Corbett died in an asylum for the
insane.
| The Kentucky Conteste.
| fRv Te1aOra nh 70 Uiro;n;,, roi,-4~