Backstage at the Lincoln Assassination

[brtmchl]

The fact that people knew about the kidnapping plot, refused to take part in it, but failed to mention it to authorities would still make them part of a conspiracy. Wouldn't it? Sort of, "by proxy." Was kidnapping a federal crime punishable by life imprisonment as it is today? Did anyone other than the 8 that were tried get convicted of kidnapping?

[BettyO]

What Mary Surratt and "the boys" were really tried for was Treason. Treason always has and still carries the death penalty - or so I was told in a law class I took in college. Kidnapping the President would also be considered a part of the treason penalty as far as I understand the law.

Any lawyers out there who really know?

[JMadonna]

Excerpt from Booth's diary:
I have no desire to out-live my country. This night (before the deed), I wrote a long article
and left it for one of the Editors of the National Inteligencer, in which I fully set forth our reasons
for our proceedings. He or the Govmt ...

Here, in mid-sentence, Booth stopped writing.

From Wiechman we know that Booth did meet with an editor from the Intellegencer in which they had the "no more Brutus's" conversation. It seems more logical that he would give the letter to him with the same instructions he supposedly gave Matthews.

IMO - The 'He or the Govmt' line is referring to the editor not the messenger.

[L Verge]

What Mary Surratt and "the boys" were really tried for was Treason. Treason always has and still carries the death penalty - or so I was told in a law class I took in college. Kidnapping the President would also be considered a part of the treason penalty as far as I understand the law.

Any lawyers out there who really know?

Mr. Hall taught us about "vicarious liability," a legality based on English common law. It translated to people who became involved in a conspiracy being liable for what any member of that conspiracy might do. The only way to be absolved of guilt was to actively work to stop the conspiracy (as opposed to just dropping out). We would call it "guilt by association" today. I think the legal system calls it "felony murder." I had a judge tell me once that it was what they used to get Charles Manson, who was not at the scene of his concocted crime.

[J. Beckert]

From Wiechman we know that Booth did meet with an editor from the Intellegencer in which they had the "no more Brutus's" conversation. It seems more logical that he would give the letter to him with the same instructions he supposedly gave Matthews.

IMO - The 'He or the Govmt' line is referring to the editor not the messenger.

John Coyle stated a few years later that Booth gave him a letter the afternoon of the 14th., but after reading it, he also burned it. I don't know much about Coyle, but I think a lot of folks here think his story is suspect.

[JMadonna]

John Coyle stated a few years later that Booth gave him a letter the afternoon of the 14th., but after reading it, he also burned it. I don't know much about Coyle, but I think a lot of folks here think his story is suspect.

Well we know there was such a letter, but to whom Booth gave it to will never be known. IMO Matthew's claim was a cry for publicity for a career going nowhere. As JWB once said "Actors should be seen - not believed".

I think that Coyle, just by his position as editor, has the stronger claim.

[RJNorton]

In American Brutus, regarding the afternoon of April 14, 1865, Mike Kauffman writes:

*****************************************************

George W. Bunker and Henry Merrick were at the desk of the National Hotel when Booth came in. They both noticed how pale he looked, and Bunker asked if he was ill. Booth said he was fine. He asked for a piece of paper, and took it behind the desk to write. Merrick saw him still sitting there a few minutes later, with a confused look on his face.

"Is it 1864 or 1865?" he asked.

"Don't know what year you live in?" Merrick replied.

Booth didn't answer. He just folded up the paper and dropped it into the mailbox."

*******************************************************

What letter is this?

[Gene C]

Was this the letter he gave to John Matthews to be delivered to the National Intelligencer?

In "They Have Killed Papa Dead" by Anthony Pitch, (page 89-90) indicates he folded the letter up and put it in his pocket and left the hotel. (no mention of mailing it) Later that day, he gives a sealed letter to Mathews and asked him to deliver it to the publishers of the National Intelligencer the next morning.

[brtmchl]

I thought the letter that was given to Mathew's was the letter Booth wrote in the upstairs bar at Grover's. So I also would love to know what was in the letter Roger refered to. Was it a letter to family or another letter detailing his plans? Maybe this was the letter Booth was referring to in his diary.

[RJNorton]

It looks like the two authors differ. Tony Pitch indicates the letter written at the National Hotel was the same letter Booth gave to Mathews. On the other hand Mike Kauffman on p. 221 has Booth giving a letter to Mathews and then on p. 223 has Booth writing another letter that he dropped in the mailbox at the National Hotel.

Mr. Kauffman implies the letter given to Mathews was written at Grover's.

[JMadonna]

In American Brutus, regarding the afternoon of April 14, 1865, Mike Kauffman writes:

*****************************************************

George W. Bunker and Henry Merrick were at the desk of the National Hotel when Booth came in. They both noticed how pale he looked, and Bunker asked if he was ill. Booth said he was fine. He asked for a piece of paper, and took it behind the desk to write. Merrick saw him still sitting there a few minutes later, with a confused look on his face.

"Is it 1864 or 1865?" he asked.

"Don't know what year you live in?" Merrick replied.

Booth didn't answer. He just folded up the paper and dropped it into the mailbox."

*******************************************************

What letter is this?

Booth wrote a letter to his mother on April 14, 1865 - “But so goes the world,” he wrote to his mother in apparent resignation , “Might makes right.”

[LincolnMan]

Tom: i just opened up my April 2014 edition of Civil War Times- and there you were! Pages 28 & 29- Q & A section on Drawing the Curtain on Lincoln's Assassination. Good going Tom.

[Tom Bogar]

Tom: i just opened up my April 2014 edition of Civil War Times- and there you were! Pages 28 & 29- Q & A section on Drawing the Curtain on Lincoln's Assassination. Good going Tom.

Thank you, Bill! I just ordered a subscription and look forward to the April issue arriving! That interviewer was exceptionally knowledgeable (not always the case, unfortunately).

[RJNorton]

Here is another article about Tom, his book, etc.

[L Verge]

As I read this post, Tom Bogar and 51 other people who registered for the Surratt Conference are touring Civil War exhibits at the National Portrait Gallery in D.C. There's a new exhibit there on Washington during the Civil War that is a must-see.

From the Gallery, they will then go to Clara Barton's downtown office where Miss Barton did so much work helping soldiers and families after the war. Several years ago, one of our conference tours included this site when it had just been re-discovered and needed mucho rehabilitation. It will be interesting to see the restored building now.

After lunch, the bus tour will clear the security hurdles of getting onto Ft. McNair so that our visitors can climb to the third floor of Grant Hall - the only portion of the old Arsenal Penitentiary that still exists - to tour the re-created trial room of 1865.

They will return to the museum in time for an opening reception at our James O. Hall Research Center, where they will be joined by 50 or so others who are coming to the conference -- plus my high bosses with the government agency that owns Surratt House.