What Was The Role of David Herold

[John Fazio]

Was it Vaughan Shelton that proposed the theory that Paine had a double (his cousin)?

Gene:

Thank you for your input.

Yes, it was, but I do not recall that the cousin was identified as Wood or Woods. Furthermore, Shelton's theory about the cousin who willingly went to his death to preserve the real Lewis Powell is off-the-wall, thoroughly refuted by numerous historians, most recently by Betty Ownsbey. The fellow in the box, who was later hanged, was positively identified as the fellow who wreaked carnage at the Seward mansion on the 14th. No doubt remains about that. My doubt, rather, is that James Wood and Lewis Powell are the same person. The fact that Powell at one time used the alias Rev. Wood does not preclude another conspirator having the name Wood or Woods.

John