Assassination Trivia

[RJNorton]

I found a letter written by Samuel Mudd to his wife on September 18, 1867. In the letter he mentions the name Prout. He writes, "A Rev. Mr. Prout is an uncle of hers in Nanjemoy, Charles County, Md."

So I will guess Samuel Mudd.

[Dave Taylor]

Good guesses but neither Lewis Powell or Dr. Mudd went by the alias Charles Prout. I commend you on your research though, Roger. We're slowly dwindling down the conspirators.

Hint: The conspirator advised a third party to write to a Washington D.C. photographer in order to get a print made of his incognito photograph.

[L Verge]

Was Prout a neighbor of David Herold?

[Dave Taylor]

Nope. Not Davy. Only a few conspirators left at this point.

Hint: The third party who wanted a picture of this conspirator was named Al Emmett Fostell.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Mary Surratt? (...just kidding.) Well, even before Laurie posted her guess, my next one would have been O'Laughlen?

[Dave Taylor]

Sorry, Eva, it was not O'Laughlen (or Mary ). From my count we have three conspirators left.

Hint: The answer is one of the three conspirators left.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Ok, Dave, now I will guess the one whom I would originally have guessed the last (and this will be my last guess, too): Atzerodt?

[Dave Taylor]

Atzerodt ist nicht korrekt.

Two more to go. 50 / 50 chance at this point.

[L Verge]

Arnold? I'm losing count - has he been suggested?

[PaigeBooth]

Hi Dave-- Yes, I did make a post guessing John Surratt. However, after giving it more thought, I decided the answer was likely not Surratt and deleted my guess; changed my mind.

[Dave Taylor]

Arnold? I'm losing count - has he been suggested?

Correct, Laurie! Read more here: http://boothiebarn.com/2014/10/12/samuel...nd-museum/

Here's the actual letter in which Sam Arnold instructs Al Emmett Fostell to write to photographer J. Orville Johnson and request a copy of his Charles M Prout photo. This letter is not in the collection of the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum in Harrogate, Tennessee, but was in an auction in 2012:


Click to enlarge

EDIT: I just want to add that this trivia question was great fun to me. Particularly because part of the stats I can see for my blog is when people visit my website based on google searches. I had two people visit my site today using the searches of ""al emmett fostell" "o'laughlen"" and "photo under false name "spangler" ford's". You guys certainly do your research for these trivia questions!

[L Verge]

And, in my case, win by the process of elimination!

[RJNorton]

On Sunday, February 10, 1861, John Wilkes Booth expressed secessionist opinions. Booth was in Albany, NY at the time. A man cautioned the actor against further declarations.

Booth asked the man, "Is this not a democratic city?"

The man replied, "Democratic? yes; but disunion, no!"

What was the man's name?

[RJNorton]

Hint #1: The book in which the answer can be found was published in 2014.

Hint #1.5: One other book in which the answer can be found was published in 1880. The complete text of that book is online.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Jacob C. Cuyler, treasurer of the Gayety Theatre. (I cannot believe it - not only that I was able to answer an assassination trivia question, I have actually also beaten Herrn Beckert on a Booth question!!!)