Lincoln Discussion Symposium

This person is a part of the Lincoln assassination saga. His or her death certificate listed "senile decay" as the cause of death. Who is the person?

Thomas T. Eckert or Christian Rath?

Both died with Alzheimers......

Logical guesses, Betty, but it's not either of them.

Hint #1: The person was female.

Nora Fitzpatrick?

Nope, not her, Betty. Good try.

Hint #2: This person only enters the assassination saga after the event itself. I found this information in a Surratt Courier article. (not a recent Surratt Courier)

Sarah Francis Mudd?

This is a total wild guess but is it Anna Surratt, Mary Surratt's daughter?

Good guesses, Gene and Miss Bellatrix, but neither of those ladies is correct.

Any of these Virginia contacts? Sarah Jane Peyton, Julia Stuart, or Lucinda Holloway?

These are more good guesses, Laurie, but none is correct. However, you are in the right state.

Mrs Quesenberry?

Excellent, Betty! Yes, when Mrs. Quesenberry died in 1896, this was listed on the death certificate as the cause of death. This information was in a wonderful article on this interesting woman in the September 2008 Surratt Courier. The article was written by Rick Smith and Bill Richter. Bill and Rick's source was her death certificate in the Quesenberry File in the James O. Hall Research Center at the Surratt House Museum.

Betty, you win best wishes for a wonderful spring in Virginia!

One author has written about the following scenario:

1. John Wilkes Booth was not killed at Garrett's. He got away after assassinating Abraham Lincoln.

2. Booth went into hiding.

3. Later Booth had an affair with a married lady.

4. The lady's husband died.

5. Booth impersonated the dead husband and became President of the United States.

Which U.S. President was really John Wilkes Booth (in disguise) according to this author's book?

I've never heard this wild tale! I will venture a guess of Benjamin Harrison as the "alias" of JWB. My first thought would have been Grover Cleveland, but I know he was married only once (to the much younger Miss Folsom!)

You are very close, Scott, but it's neither of these two U.S. Presidents.