The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, July 25, 1913, Image 8
f?w? s<o, b*for? Ommt 1 as ?ls or
w*#? the cMttnii bnuKb had 'eome
'o lot#, Concordia, Kmv ?uat?d It*
??-J| upon the potosslon of ? wild
man The wild omi'i iuu?? v'm
Boston CorbeU, though be wuo't *
prize fighter at oil, and he had the
farther distinction of bavlag killed
John Wilkes Booth, lb# mmmIu of
Abraham Lincoln Also be vu a
deed ?hot with an array revolver,
wore bts balr long and suffered un
der the delusion that be was a much
wronged man. ? ?
To begin at the beginning, how*
ever, which was a good man/ bun
dord miles from Concordia- When
the Civil War broke out Corbett,
who was 22 years old and a hatter,
joined <he Hi* teen tb New York cav
alry regiment. Corbett was convert
ed bj a street preacher in Boston be
fore he Joined the army; all during
the war he spent much of hia leisure
time attempting to evangelize hi*
fellow trooper*.
Then, before the war was oyer,
same the assassination of Lincoln;
and Booth's- flight on horseback
south through Maryland. Corbett,
who had been promoted to the rank
$t tergeant for bravery during the
war, was one of the twenty-five
troopers who went south on Booth's
trail under command of Lieutenant
Edward F. Doherty. There are a
good many different .versions of
nrbat really happened after Booth
was surrounded in a barn near Bowl
ing Green, but none of these ver
sions httH ever disputed the fact that
it was Corbett who shot Booth.
The actor supporting himself upon
a rough crutcb, was standing in the
middle of the barn floor, refusing to
Kurrender, and he held a carbine,
with which. In the growing light of
the barn which two civilian detec
tives had net on fire, be took aim
at flohqrty. r Boston ?Corbett, who
bad been standing guard at a small
opening in the aide of the barn,
?aw the move, thrust the muzzle of
his revolver through the aperture
and flrqd, wounding Booth at thte
base of tho skull. Booth was car
ried outside and died two hours lat*
?r.
Now, It had been no part of the
army officers who had net out after
Lincoln's slayer to have him shot
down there in Maryland.. They want
ed to bring him back to Washington
and have kirn hanged in due state,
and many poople who knew Corbett,
?ay he waa practically drummed out
of the army because he killed Booth
At any rate, Corbett always felt
afterward he was a much wronged
i)u>. He had slain Booth; there
fore, It wag only right that. he.
Bhouhl have a largo part of the $75.
000 reward that had been offered
by con great* for the capture of Booth,
alive or dead. Instead, ho got only
$2,545 of the money, and before he
had a chance to Kpend any of that,
he was held up by footpads and
robbed of the whole roll. . "
c?
?Congress granted Mm a trifling
pension, and he went to Camden, N*.
J., and applied for the job of assist
ant pOBtuiaster there, wiih refused,
and made up tils inlnd to corne west
He came to Concordia and applied
at the land office there for a claim.
Kighteen miles from Concordia,
there was a little hillside "eighty"
of no especial value to any one. and
there (U>rbett built a cabin. He
trenched his cabin, and there were
loophole# In the walls out of which
he might shoot. Some one 'had told
told him that Booth had belonged
to a secret order, and that the mem
bers of the order had taken a vow
to avenge ills death.
Mounted on a pony and riding bin
<?!d army saddle, he spent bin time
wandering about almleKsly enough,
now and again coming to town, but
generally subpicioub and keeping to
himself. Judge Sturgls, one of. Con
cord Ui'b pioneers, in one of the men J
now living in the town who know
the strange little soldier.
"Often enough, as Iwas driving
along," he says, "I have aeon th*s
Boston Corbett slip quickly off his
horse ah he caught sight of me and
lie motionless in the grasH, his )ong
revolver In one hand, waiting to see
what was coming. He never made
any attempt to hurt me, or, indeed,
to hurt any one, but he was always
wary.
"He waa a strange, solitary fel
low, and ho had not been on his
claim long before he succeeded in
quarreling with n number of chaps
who wore in the habit of riding
acrosH hid place. They meant no
harm, but Boston had the curious,
precise Kngllsh notion of property
rlgb4s, and he ^yarned t h**nt upt to
set foot on Ills .claim. One thing
led to another, and finally they had
liim arrested*. chnrgcd with threaten
ing to kill them. That court room
scene was the sort? a man remem
bers.
"There was Boston Corbett, a lit
tle, slender, dark-eyed chap, his
hair hanging down long behind, sit
lowft told how he bad threatened to
. ..... ... ... .... i*
ck^wkt | l , ? ,' u ^vL-i ^ | .
* *9 ?|w J S
tl M tw. s*tttr, *h* Uhn* CM
op# ^mt kls ar^^jr roro^vs?'
and Mm pointing tt ftt ?m au ?f
U?r iMtk#r,
" *That's ? lie, a lie, * lift." *o
?krMW. I'll shoot My bm who
??ys such ikiagM ? boot m? '
"I cm toil you there w *? nt ?ticr
log, Most of the town had come to
to listen to tb? hearing. lor Boston
Corbett was ? notorious chap They |
trampled oorb other getilsi to the:
door* eod vlitdovf. One old attor
n*ry. who w ft* crippled up with rheu
matism and knew he couldn't make
tnuth ?ho?lA( In ? mo, crawled un
der ft small tabl*, ftnd It wft? with
difficulty tb?t we got him out.
?'flu* Boston didn't shoot, and
nothing wft? done to bin either.
They quitted him down and talked
to him, end he went back to his
hillside eighty, tb? cabin ftnd the
pony.
"Of course we realized before long
the chap wasjcrsiy, He would go
along gf|iotiy enough and then break
out In some new and unexpected
way, 1 remember, for instance, the
time Judge Dan Brown, of the pro
bate Court, got up a scheme to have
Boston give a lecture on his life aud
his killing of J. Wilkes Booth.
Here was Boeton, a celebrity who
had been living right In our own
crunty and nobody bad thought to
capitaii&e him. ' .
"The first lecture, they agreed
was to be In Concordia, and I
think every one In town must have
bought a ticket. At any rate the
Presbyterian cburcb, the blggent
building in towu, was crowded full
when the night of the lecture came,
and people were standing in the
doors and windows. Judge fcrown
got up and introduced his protege
? the famous Boston Corbett, the
man who hod killed kincoin's s]ftjer,
and who would nOw give his own
story of just how it happened.
"And then Boston stood up, his
long hair brushed and oiled and
putted back from bts fprehond, and
launched Into his speech ? or ser
mon, rather. For he told them nev
er a word- about himself, never a
word about Wilkes Booth or the
"w?r, or anything -m^-^s~wsH~war
vertlsed to speak upon. He talked
religion to 'em, shouting, ranting,
street preacher religion, 'Repent aud
lye shall be saved! 'Z
"Dan Brown wa? so mad he could
j have wept or beaten Oorbett, but he
did neither. He talked to him quiet
ly and gently, and finally they
agreed to wait awhile and then he
would lecture agaiii ? this time out
of town.
"So Judge Brown took his notable
down to Junction City, advertised,
Hold tlckote ? and Bonton did the
name thing over again. That was
the last time he ever appeared on
the lecture platform.
"He kept on living here for a
number of yearB; the (same wort of
ft record of wild eccentricity. H5o
rode and shot, and he was a won
derful Khot. 1 have seen hitu bring
down a barn swallow with his re
volver, or one of these circling prai
rie bids that we call 'bullbats/ and
people around Concordia had whole
some respect for hlf> shooting tal
entB. Every now and then he
would make one of his wild, foolish
Kiin plays here In town, but he nev
er shot any one and everybody un
derHtood he was not Just accounta
ble, bo nobody tried to shoot him.
"A good many folks were friend
ly with him, and finally one of our
local Republican politicians got him
a job a? door-keeper Aat the legis
lature In Topeka."' i
That appointment took Boston Cor
bett away from Concordia perma
nently. For one day in February,
1887, he appeared at the capitol
with a drawn revolver, shouting
that he meant to kill the speaker of
the house. Doorkeepers and ser
geants-at-arms fled; legislators Bcur
ricd down the corridors like fright
ened jackrabblts. CorbotL caught up
with one man who resembled the
speaker and shouted to him:
"You can discharge me, Mr.
Speaker, but you can't scare mo."
The legislator assured him that
he wasn't the speaker and CorboU
let him go. Finally the crazy door
keeper was captured by Topeka po
licemen and was sent to an asylum
in Topoka. Ho stayed there a lit
?tle more than a year and seemed to
bo improving distinctly; his whole
bearing was so gentle that he was
allowed the freedom of the grounds,
along with the harmless patients.
One morning, while the guard was
paying no special attention, ho drop
ped out of lino to pick a flower. A
visitor had ridden out to the asylum
arsd his pony was tied near "one
of the gates. Corbett untied It,
Clambered up and was away down
the road, lost in a cloud of dust.
A few attendants rode after him,
Uut 4lu>y wcro too late.
A week later a letter from a man
in Ncodsha, who had known Corboft
during the war and who had repeat
edly protoKted against his imprison
ment, told the prisoner had
oome to him, had received aid and
money and had started for Mexico
in^cui to T|^
Weatrllle. B. C? July Ify?* Tbe
drouth VM bryk*Hi Im Saturday
with a food rata. It wm Meoapt
lied wi<h a Hi lie hell, but ao dam
4?? ??i dose to the trope
Mr*. }. C. R*y 8M?d children. of
Anoiatoa, Ale . ere speadlag ? r*w
weeks here wttb ber sister, Mr* J
T. Young
Mr?. Jtaie Peden, of Plae l>evel,
N. C? is spending a few days bere
?.itb ber suoth*r, Mm. J. T. Young.
Mike Nellie Wilkes. of Cbesfr H
C., is spending a few days b*r? tier
boel of friend ? ere glad to have
Iter bere again.
Mrs, U. M. Trueedale. who baa
bH'R rlously 111, we ere glad to
r*po*<, hi utt?h better. Her host of
friend* ber a speedy recovery.
Mr. * belly Trueedalo Is (be hap
piest man we have around here ?
it'a a bey.
Mi*. Jaek lieckhana, of Ileatb
ftprlngs, spent Sunday bere witu Mr.
ai?d Mr*. K. I- Bell.
T^ere will be Cbitdrebi' Pay ex
*>rcise* at I>auiaa< us Church, Sunday,
i he 27tb, at 3; 30 o'clock.
Mrs, Bailee McLkmald. and daugh
ter, Mian IJlIian, spent laat week
end at Kershaw with relatives.
Mr. K. T. Ealrldge, of Bethune,
wan here Monday.
Messrs. Bennle and Ed. Peach, of
tho Hoonetown section, spent Satur
day and Bunday here Wttb relatives.
Messrs. D. G. Fletcher and O. M.
Anthony were In Camden on buslnee
Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. R. L, Bell will spend
a few days next week at tbe Isle of
1'altns.
, Stockton Newv Note*.
Special to The Chronicle.
Boy kins, 8. C., July 24.? Thia
section lias been visited by , severe
storms for several days. The cropa
were badly damaged. Hail fell in
some parts of the community.
Mr. Byron Hudson and children,
(BT-BSnO^ "cotmly," visited relatives
here last week.
Misses Maud Cook and Y eat La
Block have been the guests of Miss
JLorena Ihumphrleg. - ? ? , ;
Mr. Luther Sowell spent Sunday
with relatives here.
Miss Maureen Hammond, of State
bUrg, was the gyest of Miss Jessie
Owens last week)
We are glad to report that our
sick ones here are not in any worse
condition.
Carlton Humphries has been sick
for several days with fever
Mr. and Mrs. Jesse, Sowell, <> of
Hartsvllle, have been visiting rela
tives here. '
Mr. Jesse Hammond, of Stateburg,
spent TAit Week-ehd at the home of
his son, Mr. H. Hammond.
Mr. B. A. Hornsby, of Cantej*, vis
ited relatives here last week.;
Mr. Henry Pearce spent Sunday j
here. ' "
Mr. Arthur Humphries, of Cam
den, spent Sunday with relatives*
MIsb Ethel Humphries and broth
er, Willie, spent Tuesday In Cairf
den. - ?
Miss Etta Watts, qf Cantey, is
visiting Miss Jessie Owens.
Messrs. Tom Shiver and Lin wood
King were in this section Sunday.
Born? -to Mr. and Mrs. Ed. Work
man, on July 18 ? a daughter, Re
becca Elizabeth. ?
Mr. Jesse Holland, of Cantey,
spent the week end with relatives
here. -v
Mi sb Ethel Humphries spent Satur*
dsay night at tho home of Mr. C.
N. Humphries.
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence White, of
Lee. county, were visitors here last
week. ? ' ?
An Interesting protracted meeting
was closed at Beulah church last
Sunday. There was only one mem
ber added to tho church but it was
a great spiritual revival.
The Beulah Epworth League will
meet the first Friday night in Alug
ust at the home of Mr. and Mro. 8.
It. J. Smith. The members are spe
cially urged to attend as officers for
the coming year will bo elected.
Messrs. Ned Pearce, C. N. ? Hum
phries and Miss Ethel Sowell have
been appointed by the presiident to
nominate the new president. It is
hoped that the new officers will put
forth every effort to do good work.
According to English figures, 620,
000,000,000 cubic feet of illuminat
ing gas was made in the world last
year, requiring sixty million tons of
coal.
after "shaking $he dust of thetlnit
ed States from his feet." The pony
was left behind to bo returned to
its owner. And that is the -last
news that has ever been Received
from Boston Corbett. If ho is alive
today he is 81 years old. Numer
ous imposters have turned up at one
ttmo" nnd another, trying to palm
themselves off as Corbett and Judge
Sturgis was called on a few years
ago to refute one such claim. The
little hillside eighty changed hands
years ago, and today is pasture land,
and the fort Booth's slayer built is
crumbling fast. ? Kansas City Star.
I ? ? - ? i i 1 1 ii i| i i >n . ; ^
Having tec u red at a sacrifice a big lot of IWWf?rtlfW dose out* In Lace^
consisting of Valenciennes, Orientals, Shadow and Cluny Law*, and desiring to
give our customers the benefit of our Bargains, we will offer them during the
sale, ranging in price fras 1 per yard up. Also, one lot All-over Laces in
White and Ecrue at lOe per
This Sale Began Thursday, July 10th and Will
Continue Until Further Notice
' : " ' ? " '
Colored Drew Linens, in all the leading evening shades, value 35c, sale price . . 24c
3rpwn Linens, specially priced for this Sale, 36 inch Brown Linen Suiting 9c
20c value, sale price . . f\ 13c
25c value, s^le price 19c
Cotton Foulard?, one lot, value 25c, Sale price |0c
Bordered Cotton Suitings, 1000 yds. in very attractive combinations, value 25c. . 11c
Solid Colored Organdies in the leading season's shades, sale price. fa
One lot White Duck, sale price 7C
Embroidery ? We only mention a few of our immense line of Embroidery. We
are cutting deep into prices for this sale.
One lot Corset Cover Embroideiy, value 25c, sale price : ... 15c ?
27 inch Swiss Flouncing, value 50c, sale price 24c
45 inch 3wiss Flouncing, value 75c, sale price 39c
Flaxons ? Sheer and beautiful white goods, suitable for Mid-summer wear.
20c value, sale price , 14c
25c value, sale pric^ . .... 18c
35c value, sale price. . , . . ...... .22c ]
Remnants. Who can resist them? A table ladened with Remnant of a variety
of materials. Don't miss the opportunity.
Dresses ? Cool Dresses for hot days, every dress this seasons style. Value rang
ing in prices from $2.00 to $3.00, sale price. . . . . T . T . M
Colored Batiste, the thing for Mid-summer dresses, Jb stripes and figures .'.J,
Bath Towels, 50 doz^ extra large Turkish Bath Towels, value 35c4 sale price. . 22c
Corsets-? one lot of B, and American Lady Corsets, value $1 .00, sale price . .29c
REMEMBER THE DATE, THURSDAY, JULY 10
L. Schenk & Co.
Kimball Pianos, Kimball Player Pianos
Lockhart Pianos, Lockhart Player Pianos
Whitney Pianos, Whitney Player Pianos
Arian Pianos and Hinze Pianos
V ? - ' ~ , J . * ?
J. W. M
r . ~ ? ?*
'#?': music: