Boston Corbett

[Craig Hipkins]

Laurie,
Here is an article that appeared in the Mountain Democrat (Placerville CA) on 21 February 1891. It relates the attempted killing of Judge Brown.

A Story of Boston Corbett

D.L. Brown of Concordia Kansas was at the Union Depot, says the Kansas City Star, on his way to the southeastern part of Kansas. It was in the latter part of December 1885 on a Union Pacific passenger train that an attempt was made by Boston Corbett the slayer of John Wilkes Booth to take Mr. Brown's life. Corbett was a superstitious sort of a fellow, and believing God had commissioned him to care for the spiritual welfare of the people of Cloud County they were harassed with his sermons depicting the horrors of the sulpheric regions and commanding everyone to flee from the wrath to come. Forbearance with these good people had ceased to be a virtue, and the feasibility of incarcerating Corbett in the state insane asylum was talked of.

At that time Mr. Brown was the probate judge of Cloud County and Corbett would necessarily have to be brought before him and his sanity determined by jury before he could be removed to the asylum. Corbett imagined that his oft-consulted friend was at the head of the movement and he resolved to kill him on sight. accordingly he made sure that his old army colt's pistol, the one he used in shooting Booth was in good trim and awaited his opportunity. About that time Corbett received notice from some of the Republican leaders of the state that if he presented himself at the opening of the legislature he would be given an appointment as doorkeeper. He boarded the train at Concordia one Monday morning for Topeka on the same day that Mr. Brown had decided to pay a visit to the capital. Corbett walked into the coach with his mammoth horse pistol strapped around his waist. Suddenly he saw Brown hurriedly coming down the sidewalk grip in hand, toward the train. Corbett was wild in an instant and vociferously announced his intentions of shooting as many leaden bullets into Mr. Brown's corpulent frame as it would hold. The latter stepped onto the platform of the train just as it was pulling out with not the least intimation of his danger. Corbett with his revolver in his hand stood in the center of the coach, his face livid with rage, waiting for his victim to turn the knob of the door and enter. The passengers in the car, not more than half a dozen including the news agent were greatly frightened at the impending danger. The latter, a boy of 18 years summoned up enough courage to pass Corbett and go out the front door and warn Brown. The latter entered the coach ahead and with a handsome but deadly looking double action revolver in hand awaited the attack from Corbett. The latter endeavored to force his way through the door, but the conductor appearing on the scene finally persuaded him to return to his seat. Corbett kept his hand on his revolver all the way on the journey. The excitement of the sessions of the Legislatures and his rehearsings of the killing of Booth almost completely unbalanced his mind. how he adjourned the Senate at the point of his revolver is well known.

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The newspapers contained tons of these kind of stories about Corbett. Some of the details are obviously spurious, and are made for good reading! It appears that the article about the judge first appeared in the Kansas City Star, but I don't know this for certain.

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Another interesting tidbit about Corbett that is not well known is that he was called to testify at the trial of Andersonville commandant Henry Wirz.

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Also, per the 1855 New York State census, Corbett's wife was "Susan R. Corbit." She was listed as 36 years of age and born in New York. Corbett himself was listed as 23 years of age, from England, and working as a hat finisher.