Dr. Mudd's name on Booth's notes ?

[John E.]

David Homer Bates, in his book "Lincoln In the Telegraph Office", said that Eckert found a scrap of paper at one of the conspirators' meeting place (based on information from Powell's interrogation) that had the name "Mudd" on it. He also taped together scraps that mentioned an abduction plot.

Does this change anyone's opinion about Dr. Mudd's involvement in the kidnapping or assassination plots?

Do you think Bates is a reliable, second-hand source?

Why weren't the scraps of paper entered as evidence?

[Jim Garrett]

That's a great question John. Bates was very observant. I have not read his book, but I've read some of this diaries (they may be on-line with LOC by now. They were being digitized in Feb 2012. I would think that Bates would be reliable. I don't think he had any axes to grind.

And no, doesn't change my thoughts of the doctor's involvement.

[Hess1865]

I read Bates' book years ago-a good read!!

[RJNorton]

This is a great question, John, and I agree with Mr. Hess that it is a fascinating read. I do not know how reliable it is, but isn't it the sole source of what we know of the Eckert-Powell conversations? Or is there another source?

I have a question. On p. 298 it says:

"A duplicate of this mutilated picture of Lincoln came by chance into the possession of Eckert under the following circumstances. While on his way to Cortlandt Street Ferry on November 26, 1864, Eckert found in a street car an unsealed envelop containing, among other papers, a letter giving directions, evidently referring to a kidnapping plot and also a picture of Lincoln with a rope around his neck and red ink-marks on the bosom of the shirt. These papers were afterward discovered to belong to Payne, the assassin, see chapter XXVII."

Seems that Eckert was "finding" all sorts of things. What is that all about?

P.S. That is two strange things found on streetcars. Mrs. Hudspeth testified she found her weird letters on a streetcar.

[Gene C]

P.S. That is two strange things found on streetcars. Mrs. Hudspeth testified she found her weird letters on a streetcar.

Was her first name "STELLA"?

[RJNorton]

Marlon Brando thought so?

I just thought of two more "streetcar incidents" - John F. Parker thought he heard ducks squawking on a streetcar, and I think Ella Starr was on a streetcar when she first heard Booth had been killed.

[BettyO]

"While on his way to Cortlandt Street Ferry on November 26, 1864, Eckert found in a street car an unsealed envelop containing, among other papers, a letter giving directions, evidently referring to a kidnapping plot and also a picture of Lincoln with a rope around his neck and red ink-marks on the bosom of the shirt. These papers were afterward discovered to belong to Payne, the assassin, see chapter XXVII."

Seems Lew Powell must have been pretty bored just sitting in his boarding house bedrooms drawing silly pictures!

[John E.]

I find Thomas Eckert and Alexander Gardner to be two of the most fascinating characters of the assassination drama. However, I think I'd (at a safe distance from Eckert of course) chew both these guys out for not writing memoirs of their experiences. Shame on Gardner for being so close to history and not saying much about it and for Eckert not jotting down those notes for Seward.

What were they thinking? Didn't they realize that 148 years later we'd be discussing this stuff??

[Jim Garrett]

Marlon Brando thought so?

I just thought of two more "streetcar incidents" - John F. Parker thought he heard ducks squawking on a streetcar, and I think Ella Starr was on a streetcar when she first heard Booth had been killed.

Willie Jett had his big psychotic breakdown on a streetcar in Baltimore. His father-in-law was a very prominent doctor and had him declared insane and sent back down to Virginia. He was commited to the sanitorium in WIlliamsburg where he died at about the ripe old age of 45. Believed to have been the same cause of death as Napoleon.....and it wasn't arsenic poisoning.

[LincolnMan]

Are we sure John F. Parker was sober when he heard the ducks?