The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-03
HAUNTED BY BOOTHS SECRET
4 STORY TOLD or JAMES 4. CORBY
or ST. JOSEPH, MO.

A STORY TOLD or JAMES A. CORBY
or ST. JOSEPH, MO. 3.
Reason 10 Believe That an lntimatiOn Of
the Plot to Asssssina Lincoln Was
Given to Him Months BEFORE tho
Tragedy-Hb Meeting With Booth
and HIS Anxiety Over the Secret.
.When ! was In Glasgow" said New
York man who had been abroad for several
months, Il read with considerable interest
the articles In THE Sun on the plot to as
sassinate Lincoln had thought that
I was pretty nearly the only man living
who knew j. Wilkes Booth. But reckon
our name Is legion.
Il have no ambition to link my name
with what I know, although the connec-
ton would in no wise Danish me, or even
cause me to be regarded with wonder.
l have never made any promise to myself
to keep the matter secret since the death
OF the man who told 1t. In fact. have
mentioned 1t incide ntslly, without attempt
ing to recall the details, to a few OF my
friends.
when I was reading the articles in THE
Sun, however, 1t began to creep over me
that would tell some Of you fellows what
knew II you wouldn't turn the limelight
on me.
Several months before the assassination
WV ~ .y".,,
west before millionaires became as COM
mon as they are to-day. He asked me to
hs sH nun III , iu' o'nve H., ..u &c.
o' laN "ae VIZ o"'s VIZ Us. ~.
,eo.u.ee' en.e' Vo'' "a. o. un"'
mao III our so"n, o. . S1up M H.. ~
eoroy "ae nv ulnI ,"l ". 'Sn c ouS ne
was inc uaaMois, no-o .ne ,.
lauren 10 tne Nor.hNes'; anu u.o S S.so ''aN''
u .nn De",oeIt p.S ~ ~ ~. r..s,', a..
"hen o.neu ~ W. Noys o.'
nc mace sure 'neI no one e's ne ~as pieson.,
Ahn .In IoeHou uo 49, m.,,.s.
n~a, ia . NJ. h.. 80
w 80. WV
seen nun sovor1I 'nhee,
Corby's Hall in which to give shakespearean
recitations. Mr.. Corby then said, with
cons m as'a'''n' 90 nearly a. oa''
reoan nus ~oIos'
arranged for the hall and as the evening
worn on he oonfided to me something which
..o.s 49,. h,oad,
iro ,.zs, my o,o'", MI
There Mr.. Corby stopped That is'
h he saa ao' s s hs added s saa l peea
bis words
'Ds "o.ue.
6reat snaoow rests upon our country
darker than the Civil War. But do not
' AS we'll ell a. I knew Mr. Corby' and knew
Liz, "1 ,nS 40 80 anu ona o." ,h;nL
nm ~, 40 ni'N'"' 90 ' ny, A'
did not prees him 70 tell me his secret. 1
knew that il anything ever came OF 1t all
Booth, however, got the hall, and he gave
his readings. l met him on that occasion.
at Mr. Corbys request both before and
after his readings. Notwithstanding what
had been told the young man fascinated
me WIN nus haanneI .,, 49,.
j was almost prepared TO believe that
Mr.. Corby must have been mistaken in the
man II he supposed that Booth was engaged
he enacted later never entered into my
imagination.
Mr.. Corby told me after Booth had left
town that Booth had entreated him for
to meet Sm s .ssn 0! not Ss but
am almost certain that Mr.. Corby con-
fded the secret to the Rev. John Hennessy,
at that time the priest Of that parish and
afterward Bishop Of Dubuque, Ia. who
died about two years ago.
Il knew the Rev. Mr.. Hennessy very
we'll. He was q brilliant and magnetic
man, He sent for me once and IN most
diplomatic manner ne told mo that he was
apprehensive OF Mr.. Corby's mental condi-
ton. and asked me TO use my influence in
getting him 10 give up hi. business and go
out Of the country. He said that Mr.. Corby
was laboring under strange hsllucination.
.That was - far a. he went. My regard
for the Rev. Mr.. Henfiessy old not, OF course.
permit me even to show that had any
curiosity as 70 what the Authorization
might be.
y met Mr. Corby number Of times
afterward, and he frequently said to me:
I 60 to bed every night With an awful fear.
and awake In dread But he never went
further.
We'll, you know the awful shock which
made this continent tremble on that dark