Lincoln Discussion Symposium

Full Version: Assassination Trivia
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Yes, Iceland would be "cool" - although it would mean they "kick" the host (France) out of the tournament.
One Lincoln assassination author claimed that the White House stable fire of February 10, 1864, was actually an assassination attempt on Abraham Lincoln. The thinking was that the White House staff would race out to fight the flames and Lincoln, left deserted in the White House, could then be assassinated. The plan failed when Lincoln himself departed the White House to join the fight against the flames.

What author made this claim? (as far as I know there is only one)
(07-20-2016 05:32 AM)RJNorton Wrote: [ -> ]One Lincoln assassination author claimed that the White House stable fire of February 10, 1864, was actually an assassination attempt on Abraham Lincoln. The thinking was that the White House staff would race out to fight the flames and Lincoln, left deserted in the White House, could then be assassinated. The plan failed when Lincoln himself departed the White House to join the fight against the flames.

What author made this claim? (as far as I know there is only one)

I know this one: John Fazio's Decapitating the Union. (It was on my summer reading list.)
Brilliant, Reignette!! You are correct. I had forgotten that John had mentioned this in his book. So there are two authors whose books have this.

Thus, I will ask a second question - without looking, what book did John Fazio use as his source for this statement about the stable fire?

Reignette, you win best wishes for a wonderful day!
(07-20-2016 10:17 AM)RJNorton Wrote: [ -> ]Brilliant, Reignette!! You are correct. I had forgotten that John had mentioned this in his book. So there are two authors whose books have this.

Thus, I will ask a second question - without looking, what book did John Fazio use as his source for this statement about the stable fire?

Reignette, you win best wishes for a wonderful day!

In the words of Lewis Powell, "I will take a stab," (too soon??) and say Theodore Roscoe in The Web of Conspiracy.
(07-20-2016 10:17 AM)RJNorton Wrote: [ -> ]Brilliant, Reignette!! You are correct. I had forgotten that John had mentioned this in his book. So there are two authors whose books have this.

Thus, I will ask a second question - without looking, what book did John Fazio use as his source for this statement about the stable fire?

Reignette, you win best wishes for a wonderful day!

Thanks, Roger. It's a beautiful day here in New Jersey and I plan to enjoy every minute of it.
That is wonderful, Reignette, and Bill, that is a great guess.

I really cannot think of any hints for this as I do not think the book is very well known. So I'll just give the answer: it's Charles Higham's Murdering Mr. Lincoln. Not only does Higham write that the stable fire was intended as an assassination attempt on Lincoln, but also that Patterson McGee, the prime suspect in the fire, departed the United States on the exact same ship as John Surratt (the Peruvian). Just a coincidence? Who knows.
Does a picture of the ship exist?
(07-21-2016 08:33 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote: [ -> ]Does a picture of the ship exist?

Yes - there is a photo of the Peruvian here.
Thanks, Roger - I found several "Peruvian"s, but not this one!


Another ship I've "researched" in vain as for a sketch or other depiction of it is the "John and Dorothy" of Ipswich, which brought Samuel Lincoln to the New World.
Robert Lincoln was at the White House when his father was shot. How did he find out about the shooting? In his later years he could not recall who was first to tell him what had happened. But there was a person who traveled from the Petersen House to the White House to tell Robert. Who was this man?
Alphonso Donn via Charles Sumner?
Excellent guesses, Joe, but this man is sometimes not mentioned in books. He was at the Petersen House and apparently Mary Lincoln asked him to race to the White House to tell Robert about what happened.
Isaak Newton (not the one born in Lincolnshire...) and Thomas Pendel, according to the latter's book.
Excellent try, Eva, but my reply is the same as what I said to Joe: this man was at the Petersen House and, at Mary Lincoln's specific request, he went to the White House to inform Robert.

Hint #1: The correct answer is in Kathy Canavan's book.
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