His Name Is Mudd

[bob_summers]

When talking about Dr. Mudd's guilt or innocence, you have to be clear whether you are talking about Lincoln's assassination, or Booth's escape.

Regarding the assassination, Ed Steers, one of Dr. Mudd's harshest critics, says in Chapter 7 of his book, "It seems clear that Dr. Mudd did not know of, or participate in, any plot to murder the president." I think everyone agrees with Steers on this.

Regarding Booth's escape, Dr. Mudd's guilt arises because he didn't turn Booth over to the authorities when he learned of the assassination.

Andrew Johnson's pardon sums it up nicely:

"I am satisfied that the guilt found by the said judgment against the Samuel A. Mudd was of receiving, entertaining, harboring, and concealing John Wilkes Booth and David E. Herold, with the intent to aid, abet and assist them in escaping from justice after the assassination of the late President of the United States, and not of any other or greater participation or complicity in said abominable crime."