The Man That Avenged Abraham Lincoln Was Mentally Insane

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Thomas P. (Boston) Corbett, the man who found and shot John Wilkes Booth, became insane from handling mercury as a hatter. Years before shooting Booth, Corbett had calmly castrated himself with a pair of scissors. As Corbett began apprenticing as a hatter he was exposed to the fumes of mercury nitrate that was used in the process for the felt on hats. After killing Booth he was arrested for disobeying orders, however he argued that Booth was going to shoot him and through the barn (in which Booth held a hostage, the homeowner) and he killed him in self defense. He was later released. So he wasn't too insane.

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