Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-07-18

his protege-the famous Boston Cor
bett, the man who had killed Lincoln's
slayer, and who would now give his
own story Of just how 1t happened.
"And then Boston stood ND, his long
hair brushed and oiled and pulled back
from his forehead. and launched into
his speech--or sermon, rather. For he
told them rever a word about himself.
never word about Wilkes Booth or
the war, or anything else he was adj
vertised to speak upon. He talked re-
ligion to 'em, shouting. ranting, street
preacher religion. Repent and ye shall
he saved!"
Dan Brown was so mad he could
have wept or beaten Corbett. but he
did neither. He talked to him quietly
and gently. and finally they agreed to
wait awhile and then he would lecture
again-this time out Of town.
$50 Judge Brown took his notable
down to Junction City, advertised,
sold tickets-and Boston did the same
thing over again. That was the last
time he ever appeared on the lecture
platform.
He kept on living here for a num-
Der Of years; the same sort Of a rec
ord Of wild eccentricity. He rode and
shot, and he was a wonderful shot
have seen him bring down a barn
swallow with his revolver. or one of
these circling prairie birds that we
call bullbats,' and people around Con-
cordia had wholesome respect for
his shooting talents. Every now and
then he would make one of his wild,
foolish gun plays here In town, but he
never shot any one and everybody un-
derstood he was not just accountable.
so nobody tried to shoot him.
"A good many folks were friendly
with him. and finally one of our local
Republican politicians got him q job as
door-keeper at the legislature in To-
peka."
That appointment took Boston Cor
bett away from Concordia permanent
ly. For one day In February, 1887. he
appeared at the capitol with q drawn
revolver. shouting that he meant to kill
the speaker Of the house. Doorkeep-
ers and sergeants -at-erins fed; legis-
lators scurried down the corridors like
frightened jackrabbits. Corbett caught
up with one man who resembled the
speaker and shouted to him: 81;
you can discharge me, Mr.. Speak
er, but you can't scare me-"
The legislator assured him that he
wasn't the speaker and Corbett let him
go. Finally the crazy doorkeeper was
captured by Topeka policemen and was
sent to an asylum in Topeka He stay-
ed there little more than a year and
seemed to be improving distinctly; his
whole bearing was so gentle that he
was allowed the freedom of the
grounds, along with the harmless pa
tients.
One morning, while the guard was
paying no special attention, he drop
ped out Of line to pick flower. A
visitor had ridden out, to the asylum
and his pony was tied neal. one OF the
gates. Corbett united It, oiambered up
and was away down the road. lost in
cloud of dust. A few attendants rode
after him, but they were too late.
A week later letter from a man in
Neodsha, who had known Corbett dur
ing the war and who had repeatedly
protested against his Imprisonment,
told how the prisoner had come to
him, had received aid and money and
had started for Mexico after shaking
the dust of the United States from his
feet" The pony was left behind to be
to Its owner. And that Is the
last news that has ever been received
from Boston Corbett. II he is alive to-
day he is 81 years old. Numerous i'm
posters have turned up at one time
and another, trying to palm them
selves of as Corbett and Judge Stur-
gis was called on few years ago TO
refute one such claim. The little hill
side eighty changed hands years ago.
and today is pasture land, and the
fort Booths slayer built is crumbling
fast.-Kansas City Star.
.