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Lincoln Assassination Conspiracy Theories 89

The Weirdest Lincoln

Assassination Conspiracy

Theories

by Mike Rothschild

On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth shot
President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theater in
Washington, D.C. The president perished the
next day. Almost immediately, conspiracy
theories arose as to what happened, who ordered
it, and who knew about it. Some of these
theories revolved around a grand conspiracy put
into action by high-ranking Confederate leaders.
Others posited that Lincoln was felled by
members of his staff - or even his vice president.

Soon enough, a conspiracy was discovered.
Booth and others conspired to slay Lincoln, Vice
President Andrew Johnson, and others, all to
avenge the South's defeat in the Civil War. Still,
in the decades that followed, Lincoln
assassination conspiracies grew to encompass
the Catholic Church, Jewish bankers, the
Confederate Secret Service, various disgruntled
Republicans, and a cabal of cotton traders. Even
Mary Todd Lincoln hasn't been immune from
accusations.

Here are some of the wildest and most husband's demise: capture and ransom Lincoln for Confederate
compelling conspiracies about what happened “That, that miserable inebriate Johnson, prisoners. In fact, Booth and his comrades did
that day in 1865 - and what really happened. had cognizance of my husband's [passing] - attempt to nab Lincoln - on March 17, 1865.

Why, was that card of Booth's, found in his box, Booth learned that the president would be
The Shot Through The Hat some acquaintance certainly existed - I have attending a play at a rural military hospital. He
been deeply impressed, with the harrowing led a number of men to a position on the road
President Lincoln sometimes worked late into thought, that he, had an understanding with the outside the hospital to wait for Lincoln to leave,
the night by himself at the Soldiers Home, three conspirators & they knew their man.” at which point they'd ambush his party. But they
miles from the White House. One night, while She added: "As sure, as you and I live, never left the hospital, since they were never
riding to the Soldiers Home by himself, a lone Johnson, had some hand, in all this..." there at all.
shot flew through his hat, sending his horse Instead, Lincoln changed his plans - or
running. Lincoln eventually arrived at the Home The Baltimore Plot was never actually planning on attending at all -
unscathed and told his bodyguards what and so foiled Booth's scheme.
happened. Long before Lincoln perished in Ford's Theatre,
They went back out and indeed found the other plots emerged that threatened the A Member Of Lincoln's Cabinet
hat with a hole in it. The shot missed Lincoln's president's life. One took place before he was Wanted To Capture Him
head by inches, and it's never been discovered even in office - the so-called Baltimore Plot.
who fired it, or why. Lincoln himself believed With the nation on the verge of civil conflict in In 1937, author Otto Eisenschiml began
the shot had been discharged by a careless February 1861, Allan Pinkerton, President-elect speculating that Lincoln's passing came not at
hunter and is alleged to have remarked: "I can't Lincoln's personal bodyguard, became the hands of disgruntled Confederates, but his
bring myself to believe that anyone has shot at convinced there was a plot afoot to take Lincoln own secretary of war, Edwin Stanton. As the
me or will deliberately shoot at me with the out in Baltimore as he journeyed to his theory goes, the fiercely abolitionist Stanton
deliberate purpose of killing me." inauguration. opposed Lincoln's charitable attitude toward
After he was warned, Lincoln proceeded former Confederates and wanted someone in
His Vice President Took Him Out as planned during the day, but passed through office who would treat them much more harshly.

Baltimore in disguise during the middle of the When Lincoln perished, Stanton led the
Fringe theorists have long speculated on a link night. Meanwhile, the Lincoln family used a manhunt for Booth - supposedly ensuring that
between Lincoln's second-term vice president, dummy train to throw off what Pinkerton his patsy would be taken out. However,
Andrew Johnson, and John Wilkes Booth. A believed was a cadre of conspirators waiting for historical scholars have downplayed these
1997 book called Right or Wrong, God Judge Lincoln with knives as he changed trains. theories as based on flawed readings of the
Me: The Writings of John Wilkes Booth Lincoln got through Baltimore with no source material.
purported to reveal that Johnson contracted the attempts on his life, and the existence of the plot
slaying out to Booth. was never proven. Lincoln was deeply (Continued on Page 90)
Most scholars dismiss any link between embarrassed by the affair - but some believed he
the two men, and an 1867 committee didn't find made it all up to enhance the threat posed by the TO ALL PARANORMAL GROUPS
any evidence to substantiate it. But the theory South.
did have one high-profile proponent: Mary Todd If you have video that you have taken
Lincoln. The president's widow reportedly Booth Only Meant To Capture Lincoln during your investigations and would
detested Johnson, seeing him as a repugnant like to have the world view your footage,
drinker. She wrote to a friend in 1866 revealing In the investigation of the slaying, it was email us today for more info.
that she believed Johnson was involved in his revealed that Booth's original plan was to Email - admin@rel-mar.com