Dr.Richard Mudd

[L Verge]

As we know, Dr. Mudd failed to hang by one vote - and it irritated me for years as to why one judge was swayed to execute a woman, but not a man who had lots going against him also (and I am not a bleeding heart for Mary Surratt's innocence as most of you know). My mentor, James O. Hall, explained that Mrs. Surratt - and the three others who were hanged -- had been in contact with Booth up to within hours of the assassination. As for Dr. Mudd, there is no evidence that he had contact with Booth once the capture scheme failed until after the deed was done. That was likely the one point that swayed the judge.

P.S. I'd like to talk to that judge and tell him of my theory that the reason Davy Herold stopped at the Huntt home in T.B. on the evening of April 13 is because he had been down in Southern Maryland spreading the word to the underground that something big was going to happen soon. After the Lincoln speech on April 11 irritated Booth, I bet there was a beehive of activity. And, if the Mudds were expecting company soon, that may be why the doctor asked his wife to answer the door at 4 am in the morning in her nightclothes (an unseemly thing to do). Perhaps they were already expecting this company? And, if I could ever prove that Herold talked to Mudd on April 12 or 13, that would have the doctor in the conspiracy until the end. Just a theory of mine -- just a theory...