The Mother and Son Team That Conspired to Kill Lincoln

[RJNorton]

(08-29-2013 10:52 AM)HerbS Wrote:  What did Mary Surratt tell Bingham?

Good morning, Herb. This post I am making is not intended to start another debate/discussion on whether Andrew Johnson wrote passes for Booth and Herold to escape Washington; it is simply pure speculation in an effort to offer a possible answer to your question. But here's a possible answer (in theory). Let's assume for a moment that Johnson did indeed write the passes, and Booth told Mary Surratt that he had them. (Booth had made several visits to see Mary on the 14th.) Thus, Mary knew the Vice-President had written the passes used by Booth and Herold to cross the Navy Yard Bridge. (Of course this speculation I am presenting assumes that Cobb was "coached" by Stanton to keep quiet about the passes.) And Mary Surratt told Bingham who realized this was explosive information and kept it secret the rest of his life. If Bingham had revealed this information in 1865 how would the country have reacted to the knowledge the new President had written the passes that allowed Lincoln's killer to escape Washington?

Another possibility suggested by Heath in a different thread was that Mary told Bingham about a much broader conspiracy. Certainly that is also a possibility. Could Booth have told Mary that one or more of Lincoln's Cabinet members were involved in the plot, and then Mary relayed this information to Bingham?

I guess we can speculate endlessly.

The bottom line is no one knows. According to Bingham's physician, John S. Campbell, Bingham changed his mind about revealing the secret, and finished with the words "The truth must remain sealed." I don't know if there was anyone else in the room who could back up Dr. Campbell's version of this.