1 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 1: Body Backs with Joseph Scott Morgan. I've been to two 2 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 1: locations over the course of my life where presidential assassinations 3 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: took place. I got to say I was. I was 4 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:33,239 Speaker 1: left surprised by both. I don't know how this kind 5 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: of figure is into the calculus, if you will, are 6 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:42,559 Speaker 1: what my expectation was. I went to Dallas and stood 7 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: just adjacent to what they term as the sniper's nest 8 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 1: on Dealey Plause in Texas school Book Depository. There looked 9 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: out that window and I could see the road stretching 10 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 1: on before me. And what really kind of stood out 11 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: to me. Having watched newsreels for years and years relative 12 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: to the Kennedy assassination, I always imagined that area was 13 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 1: going to be really, really big massive. It wasn't. It 14 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: was kind of condensed, if you will now. I actually 15 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: went down, and when traffic wasn't approaching me, I went 16 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 1: out and stood on the X where they claimed that 17 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: the fatal shot was sustained. But it seemed small. However, 18 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 1: I went to Ford's Theater as well. Other than you know, 19 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: the building being very very old and probably having one 20 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: of the best museums I've ever been in period. Down 21 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 1: in the basement. The space of Ford's Theater was so 22 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: much larger than I expected. And as I stood there 23 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: and I looked, and of course it's not necessarily configured 24 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: like it was at that time. They had to do 25 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: a lot of restorate of work and repairs and all 26 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 1: those sort of things. But the approximations of where everything is, 27 00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: you can only imagine that as a single shot rings 28 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: out and the sound of maybe ripping bunting as a 29 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,519 Speaker 1: spur is caught in it and John Wilkes booth falls 30 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 1: to the stage below, it would echo in that space, 31 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: everybody frozen in tom It's hard to take the measure 32 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 1: when great men fall. But today we're going to talk 33 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: about the assassination an autopsy of our sixteenth President, Abraham Lincoln. 34 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: I'm Joseph Scotten Morgan and this is Bodybags. Dave Mack, 35 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 1: my friend, a senior crime reporter with Crime Online. When 36 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,359 Speaker 1: I proposed this to you, I don't know if you 37 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:47,959 Speaker 1: thought that I was out of my mind or if 38 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,639 Speaker 1: you thought that, Wow, this is going to be really intriguing. 39 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:53,919 Speaker 1: I was fascinated by the prospect. That's why I wanted 40 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: to do this. I've always been interested in exactly what 41 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: was found relative to Abe Lincoln and his mortal remains, 42 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,800 Speaker 1: how did they go about assessing what had happened? And 43 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: so much has been written about Lincoln. I think that 44 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: probably out of every president, there's been more books written 45 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 1: than any other president we've ever had, and they still 46 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: continue to be written today. But you know, when you 47 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 1: get down to it, he was a man. He was 48 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 1: a man that died at the hand of another man, 49 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 1: and he was felt, like so many other people have 50 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:33,639 Speaker 1: died in our country, at the end of the muzzle 51 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 1: of a weapon. I just wanted to explore that. Were 52 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: you kind of surprised when I pitched this to you? 53 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 2: My first thought when you suggested doing it, I thought, Okay, 54 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 2: I know nothing. I mean, other than the shot from 55 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 2: John Wilkes Booth. I am totally ignorant of his death 56 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 2: and what took place in those hours between the time 57 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 2: he was shot in the time he died. I know 58 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 2: plenty of rumors, I guess are theories of things that happen, 59 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 2: because no matter what happens, when you talk about Abraham 60 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 2: Lincoln and the assassination, there are so many rabbit holes 61 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 2: to take a tour of from conspiracy theories to know 62 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 2: what really happened, which, by the way, was a conspiracy. 63 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 2: I remember mentioning this one day on my radio show, saying, 64 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:22,040 Speaker 2: you know, we'll talk about the conspiracy surrounding the assassination 65 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:27,239 Speaker 2: of President Lincoln. And I had people that were mad, 66 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 2: they thought I was just muddying the water that you know. 67 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 2: I was shocked that people don't know what really happened. Okay, 68 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 2: So when you mentioned covering it, I thought, Okay, this 69 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 2: is one big part of the story that most of 70 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:44,160 Speaker 2: us don't know and cannot understand what really happened when 71 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 2: President Lincoln was shot in a public place at night 72 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 2: with an audience by an actor. I mean, there's a 73 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 2: lot going on in that moment. You're a scholar, you're 74 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 2: a forensic genius, you are all of these, And I'm 75 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 2: gonna be honest, I'm waiting to hear what really happened, 76 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 2: the truth of what took place medically speaking with President Lincoln. 77 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: What's shocking to me. I guess I'm taking this in 78 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:17,360 Speaker 1: measure compared to the way we see things now. I've 79 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 1: been to presidential inaugurations, I've been in the presence of presidents. 80 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: I almost got t boned one day in downtown Atlanta 81 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 1: many years ago by Al Gore's detail that were blowing 82 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:35,159 Speaker 1: red lights going to CNN, and I was actually returning 83 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:38,159 Speaker 1: from a death scene. I just worked and I was 84 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 1: down by CNN Center and I could hear sirens, but 85 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: I wasn't expected because in downtown Atlanta, you don't expect 86 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:49,039 Speaker 1: to see people driving like, really really fast on the streets. 87 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: First off, the streets are horrible. They're real bumpy and uneven. 88 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:55,280 Speaker 1: Not in that case. And there before me flew the 89 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:58,239 Speaker 1: motorcade of al Gore when he was a vice president, 90 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:01,280 Speaker 1: and that's a vice president. I think that the thing 91 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:04,599 Speaker 1: that many people ask or many people have questions about 92 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 1: when it comes to President Lincoln is access and opportunity. 93 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 1: Abraham Lincoln was known for his kind of folksy way, 94 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 1: and back during those times, just measure this by what 95 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 1: happens today, Dave. If an individual wanted to come and 96 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: see the President at the White House, all they merely 97 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 1: had to do was it was referred to as presenting 98 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 1: your card, and you would knock on the front door 99 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,039 Speaker 1: of the White House. You would show up, the door 100 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 1: would be answered by servant, and you would hand your 101 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 1: card like a business card over to the person that 102 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:48,560 Speaker 1: greets you at the door, and they would announce you. Now, 103 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 1: you might not get to see the president. It stated 104 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:54,040 Speaker 1: that there would people be standing around, milling about and waiting, 105 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,440 Speaker 1: but there were people that got into see them. There 106 00:06:56,440 --> 00:07:00,119 Speaker 1: were really no appointments that were needed. You could just 107 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:03,279 Speaker 1: take a shot, no pun intended, and see him. And 108 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:08,360 Speaker 1: of course that night at Ford's Theater, I think one 109 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 1: of the lingering questions guarding the president and what happened 110 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: that night a low these many years. How did Booth 111 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 1: get access to the president, to his box? And it's 112 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: one thing to stand outside of the President's box because 113 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 1: let me kind of paint the picture for you if 114 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: you're and having been there, if you're in Ford's Theater, 115 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 1: and I know I'm going to say this wrong to 116 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 1: all the people that have theater background, so forgive me 117 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 1: in advance. But if you're standing center stage, if you 118 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: will in the audience, there's an orchestra pit right at 119 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 1: the Ford portion in front of the stage. They kind 120 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 1: of sit down and the stage itself is pitched, which 121 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: I was struck by. The stage itself gradually rises from 122 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: the front to the rear and then it comes to 123 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: this big crescendo where you can see that there is 124 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: a tremendous elevation change. It's not like it is today. 125 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 1: The stage is completely different from the way they have 126 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: it reassembled down there. I was struck by that. But 127 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 1: up to your right in Ford's Theater, there is a 128 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: president what they called a box up there. It was 129 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: the Presidential Box, and it's still forestoon today. They have bunting, 130 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 1: the red, white and blue bunting that's up there, and 131 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: there's a portrait of President Washington hanging on the front 132 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 1: of it. They had prepped it that way that night, 133 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: knowing and this is the key, knowing that the president 134 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 1: was going to come. It was actually announced that he 135 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:39,200 Speaker 1: was going to be there. 136 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 2: You know, Joe, I actually found out. They had flyers 137 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 2: printed up announcing that he would be there and what 138 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 2: time he would be there. 139 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 1: This is fascinating because this is only four days after Lee. 140 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:52,880 Speaker 1: It's surrendered at Appomattox, and people have described those times. 141 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: If you can imagine coming through this tremendous darkness, and 142 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 1: it is a darkness that none of us can comprehend. 143 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 1: I don't think of that war in the movie Lincoln. 144 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: Spielberg's Lincoln character of Lincoln is played by Daniel day Lewis, 145 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: and he makes the comment describing describing the Civil War 146 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: is I want to put an end to this pestilential war. 147 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 1: I love that term. It just encompasses everything. Can you imagine, 148 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:22,320 Speaker 1: all of a sudden you get this news. They didn't 149 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: all they had telegraph and horseback. Suddenly the clouds began 150 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 1: to lift. Everybody's in a celebratory mood, and even reports 151 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:35,200 Speaker 1: from the audience that night said that there was a 152 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: sense of levity in the audience that people. It was 153 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 1: like it was celebratory and people were very I don't 154 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 1: even know if happy is an insufficient term relief. 155 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:49,959 Speaker 2: I think oddly though, even at that time, Lee had 156 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:54,160 Speaker 2: surrendered to Grant four days earlier, but Tennessee was still fighting. 157 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:57,439 Speaker 1: Yeah, there were still battles going on. I don't know 158 00:09:57,559 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 1: that the surrender in North Carolina, which followed the surrender 159 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 1: at Appomatics had taken place even to this point, and 160 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:08,320 Speaker 1: still out west you had skirmishes going on out in Texas, 161 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 1: so it hadn't actually come to an end. Things moved 162 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:13,800 Speaker 1: a lot slower back then than they do now. Going 163 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:16,680 Speaker 1: back even decades prior to this, The Battle of New 164 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 1: Orleans in the War of eighteen twelve was actually fought 165 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:24,319 Speaker 1: after the end of hostilities, So that's kind of an 166 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:26,959 Speaker 1: interesting It gives you an idea of how slow things moved, 167 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,080 Speaker 1: and they didn't have telegraph then, but it was a 168 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:33,800 Speaker 1: different pace, and with that different pace, you didn't have 169 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 1: the rigor that you have now when it comes to 170 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:37,119 Speaker 1: presidential security. 171 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 2: But you mentioned somebody being able to walk up to 172 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:41,959 Speaker 2: the White House, knock on the door and present your 173 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 2: card and have access to the White House and possibly 174 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:50,200 Speaker 2: the president. So at Ford's Theater where he's in the 175 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 2: presidential box where everybody's been told he's going to be, 176 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 2: it was not necessarily guarded. It has been said that 177 00:10:57,720 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 2: it was essentially unguarded. 178 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 1: One of the most infamous characters in this whole tragedy 179 00:11:06,679 --> 00:11:11,080 Speaker 1: was this fellow John Parker, who was actually one of 180 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: the original members of the first established police force for 181 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: DC what we now know is DC Police. He was 182 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:22,520 Speaker 1: actually one of the first members that were hired. And 183 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: I mean, we'll break it down. He was a drunk. 184 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 1: He had been reprimanded multiple times, had been brought before 185 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 1: board over and over and over again and had never 186 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 1: been terminated from employment. Out of all of the people 187 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 1: in the world, he was actually assigned to protect the president. Now, 188 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,880 Speaker 1: this is before the days where you had a Secret 189 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 1: Service presence taking care of everything. These guys that work 190 00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:54,679 Speaker 1: with Secret Service now they do advance planning so far 191 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 1: out that I think a lot of people will be 192 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 1: shocked to know everything that goes into that detection detail. 193 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 1: And back then, you know, when the Secret Service was 194 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 1: initially established, it had nothing to do with presidential security. 195 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 1: That's something that they inherited years later. There would be 196 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 1: two more presidents assassinated after Lincoln before it kind of 197 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:17,520 Speaker 1: clicked with them that hey, you probably need a full 198 00:12:17,559 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 1: time detail. And back then they were known to do 199 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:25,400 Speaker 1: counterfeit investigation. This John Parker character was assigned to Lincoln 200 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:31,440 Speaker 1: and he would be found sleeping on duty many times. 201 00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:34,840 Speaker 1: He liked to as the older generation used to say, 202 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:38,240 Speaker 1: he liked to pull the cork. And even that night, 203 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:43,880 Speaker 1: after everyone got settled in the box up to the 204 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 1: right aspect or to the right of the stage, there 205 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:49,599 Speaker 1: was a chair for him out there that he would 206 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:52,440 Speaker 1: be seated in, and you got kind of two doors 207 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:53,959 Speaker 1: that you have to walk through in order to get 208 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 1: access to the actual box. He would not have seen 209 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 1: inside of the box he was stationed there. It was 210 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: at some point in time he was seen going down leaving, 211 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 1: chatting with the carriage driver for the President and Missus Lincoln. 212 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: Then adjourneying over to a bar that was called the Star, 213 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 1: and I've seen it. It's immediately adjacent as you're facing 214 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:24,840 Speaker 1: forts theater. It's to the right, and he began pulling 215 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:27,520 Speaker 1: a cork over there during this period of time when 216 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:31,320 Speaker 1: the play was going on. Re enters the theater, they believe, 217 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: and finds himself a choice seat down in the audience 218 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 1: so that he can enjoy the play, so the president 219 00:13:37,559 --> 00:13:42,440 Speaker 1: is completely unguarded. Then enters John Wilkes Booth his day, 220 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:46,199 Speaker 1: he would have been I guess from a movie star perspective, 221 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: he's Ben Affleck or a Matt Damon, or he's dad brother. 222 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 2: Because of his brother Edwin being an act. 223 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, hey, you know, you're absolutely right. And their dad, Julius, 224 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:01,080 Speaker 1: you know, had immigrated from Great Britain very well known. 225 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:04,520 Speaker 1: I mean, this was a theater family. They were known 226 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 1: and he was known. He was regarded as very handsome, 227 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:10,360 Speaker 1: spent a lot of time at Fort's Theater, but he 228 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 1: was just full of vitriol when it came to the president. 229 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:17,720 Speaker 1: He blamed the president for everything. He supported quote unquote 230 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 1: the Southern cause, but never quite found the guts to 231 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:25,000 Speaker 1: go and sign up and stand a post and shoulder 232 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:27,760 Speaker 1: a weapon. Never could find that within himself to do. 233 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:31,720 Speaker 1: But yet he planned several attempts. I think at one 234 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 1: point time he's going to try to kidnap the President 235 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 1: and ransoming. 236 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:38,200 Speaker 2: That plan had to be changed, obviously for all kinds 237 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 2: of reasons. But you mentioned he didn't have the guts 238 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 2: to shoulder a weapon. He didn't have the guts to 239 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:47,200 Speaker 2: man up and actually fight for what he claims he believes. 240 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:50,800 Speaker 2: But he did think by doing this he would become 241 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 2: a hero in the South, which plays into what really 242 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:55,840 Speaker 2: happened after the fact. 243 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:59,080 Speaker 1: As a Southerner, I have to admit I think that 244 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 1: Lincoln was about bringing the country back together, healing. I 245 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:05,720 Speaker 1: think that this was the worst possible thing that could 246 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:09,480 Speaker 1: have ever have happened. He did damage to the South 247 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 1: that would probably rival the damage that had actually occurred 248 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 1: during the war. When the North had an opportunity to 249 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: visit vengeance upon the South. Boy, they did it, and 250 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 1: they did it in spades. Man. I mean, they just 251 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 1: wrecked the South for years and years. And it was 252 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 1: because of this act, this act of this person. People 253 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 1: were sick of war. They didn't want anything else to 254 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:37,800 Speaker 1: do with it. That night back in eighteen sixty five, 255 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:41,280 Speaker 1: in that old theater, when John Wilkes Booth pulled that 256 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 1: Philadelphia derringer from his pocket, he pulled that hammer back 257 00:15:45,800 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 1: and he let fly that round. He changed history. You 258 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 1: think about things in minute detail, particularly when it comes 259 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:18,840 Speaker 1: to the assassination or president. The mere action of placing 260 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: the pad of your right index finger onto that smooth, 261 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 1: metallic surface of what otherwise would be known as a 262 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 1: beautiful and elegant weapon and engaging that trigger mechanism, That 263 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 1: one motion, that one initiation, that one action set in 264 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:42,080 Speaker 1: motion things that I don't know that we have ever 265 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 1: recovered from Dave. 266 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 2: I think that what took place in the months leading 267 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 2: up to the assassination, from the summer of eighteen sixty four, 268 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:55,480 Speaker 2: when John Willis Booth was gathering amongst some people who 269 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:57,920 Speaker 2: felt the same way he did, or at least leaned 270 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:01,560 Speaker 2: that way, up until the point of the assassination. I 271 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 2: think that whole planning stage and the execution that took 272 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 2: place damaged our country and there are places still felt 273 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 2: to this day. I think Winston County, Alabama comes to 274 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 2: mind if you ever have a chance. And as long 275 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:17,440 Speaker 2: as we're talking history, there's a place called Loony's Tavern 276 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 2: in Winston County, and at Looney's Tavern, the county decided 277 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:25,920 Speaker 2: to not be involved in the Civil War, and they 278 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:29,320 Speaker 2: decided they were going to be neutral Switzerland right here 279 00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:34,200 Speaker 2: in Winston County, Alabama, and to this day, because they 280 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:37,240 Speaker 2: remain neutral, if you go into Winston County, you can 281 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 2: tell how the road changes from the minute you go 282 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:45,359 Speaker 2: into Winston County because they don't get support from the 283 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:49,040 Speaker 2: state of Alabama the way other counties do because they 284 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 2: refused to be involved. That's how far out I mean. 285 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 2: It is twenty twenty three and we're talking about something 286 00:17:57,040 --> 00:18:00,160 Speaker 2: that happened in eighteen sixty one point two, three, four 287 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:03,119 Speaker 2: and five. But anyway, I had a question for you, 288 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:06,399 Speaker 2: because I'm not a gun expert, Joe, I don't know 289 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:10,160 Speaker 2: that much about what they do. I'm looking at everything 290 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:14,360 Speaker 2: surrounding the assassination and what John Willikes booth was going 291 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:17,840 Speaker 2: to use. He couldn't walk into the theater carrying a rifle. 292 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:20,879 Speaker 2: It had to be a small gun. He knew as 293 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:23,240 Speaker 2: an actor he would have access to areas within the 294 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:26,920 Speaker 2: theater that the regular patron might not, so he knows 295 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:28,639 Speaker 2: he can get up there. But he still has to 296 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:30,720 Speaker 2: have a weapon that will do what he needs it 297 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:32,879 Speaker 2: to do. But it has to be small enough that 298 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:35,439 Speaker 2: he can get in there with it. So what are 299 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:37,679 Speaker 2: we talking about with the gun that he used was 300 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 2: that it didn't have a magazine. It only had one shot, right. 301 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it did. It's quite a beautiful weapon when 302 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:47,119 Speaker 1: you see it. And I've seen this weapon, the weapon. 303 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:50,840 Speaker 1: You remember I had mentioned the theater Museum Forts Theater. 304 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 1: It's in the basement, and look, I recommend anybody if 305 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:57,359 Speaker 1: you're in DC go to Ford Theater. It's one of 306 00:18:57,400 --> 00:18:59,160 Speaker 1: those places that you got to pay to get into. 307 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:01,160 Speaker 1: You know, there's a lot of stuff that's free in DC. 308 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 1: That's the beauty of it if you're a history person. 309 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 1: But fortunately you got to pay. It's worth every dime 310 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:10,120 Speaker 1: you're going to spend. Trust me, this weapon, it looks 311 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:12,240 Speaker 1: like it's floating in the air. And when you see it, 312 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: but it's pegged up there with a couple of really 313 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:18,800 Speaker 1: tiny little nails and hanging suspended in the air, and 314 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:21,880 Speaker 1: you can see it. And what's really kind of fascinating 315 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:24,160 Speaker 1: about it is that you can move around this thing 316 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:27,760 Speaker 1: and you can actually stare right down the muzzle of it. 317 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:30,439 Speaker 1: I mean when I say steer down the muzzle, you 318 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:33,600 Speaker 1: can stare down the muzzle so effectively that you can 319 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:36,600 Speaker 1: actually see the lands and grooves which are the twists 320 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,719 Speaker 1: that are built into this barrel. I think many folks 321 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:44,399 Speaker 1: believe that this is almost like an old fashioned smooth 322 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:48,199 Speaker 1: or musket. It's not. It was back then. It was 323 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:52,240 Speaker 1: cutting edge technology. It's referred to as a Philadelphia darringer. 324 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:54,919 Speaker 1: It had a walnut stock, has a walnut stock, and 325 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:59,479 Speaker 1: it's beautifully embossed. This style of weapon is something that 326 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:02,480 Speaker 1: people will referred to as a poker pistol, which is 327 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 1: interesting also as a pocket pistol, a palm pistol, a 328 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 1: belly gun, and it was meant, as you had stated, 329 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 1: for concealment purposes. And the effective range on it is 330 00:20:14,119 --> 00:20:18,560 Speaker 1: very limited, very very limited. Once you get outside of 331 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: probably about ten feet, you might as well be throwing 332 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 1: rocks at that point in time. But the reason the 333 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:29,480 Speaker 1: scene is referred to as a poker pistol is that 334 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:33,720 Speaker 1: the distance across a poker table that the scene would 335 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:36,760 Speaker 1: have been deployed in would be sufficient to the task 336 00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:40,200 Speaker 1: if you were firing at somebody across the table. I 337 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:42,320 Speaker 1: don't know if they're cheating at cards or whatever the 338 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 1: case might be. But here's what's interesting. When you look 339 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 1: down the muzzle of this weapon. You remember I talked 340 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:52,479 Speaker 1: about lands and grooves for its time, this particular weapon 341 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:57,720 Speaker 1: had a left hand twist, which when you think about 342 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:02,160 Speaker 1: lands and grooves, which are those kind of spiraling marks 343 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:04,320 Speaker 1: that run down the length of the barrel to add 344 00:21:04,359 --> 00:21:07,120 Speaker 1: stability to the round. It's kind of like throwing a football. 345 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:11,679 Speaker 1: The reason really good football players are great, or quarterbacks 346 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 1: that is, is if they can get a tight spiral 347 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:18,160 Speaker 1: on a ball, it maintains energy. Okay, the bullet is spinning, 348 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:22,359 Speaker 1: the football is spinning, and it maintains it holds onto 349 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:25,840 Speaker 1: what energy that it can, and it stays on target. 350 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:29,640 Speaker 1: Whereas if you fire something down a smooth bore, that 351 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:32,399 Speaker 1: projectile is kind of rattling down the barrel if you will, 352 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:38,320 Speaker 1: and it has no kind of predictability to it. Now, 353 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 1: there are parameters for this thing. First off, you have 354 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:43,960 Speaker 1: to consider the size of the round. You have to 355 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,879 Speaker 1: consider the amount of powder or propellant that would have 356 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:48,560 Speaker 1: been used. 357 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:50,480 Speaker 2: What would it have looked like. Would it have been 358 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 2: like a bullet like we know today or would it 359 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:55,919 Speaker 2: be a round ball? And where would the powder be. 360 00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 1: It's been known under several different calibers. And remember when 361 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:02,760 Speaker 1: we say caliber, we're talking about the diameter in inches 362 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 1: around the circumference of the round itself. So this is 363 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: some people call it a forty four caliber. Some people 364 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:16,639 Speaker 1: call it a forty five caliber. That is the Philadelphia Derringer. 365 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:20,679 Speaker 1: It was a forty four caliber. That means point four 366 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:24,240 Speaker 1: to four inches in diameter. Okay, the muzzle of the weapon. 367 00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:28,720 Speaker 1: Booth loaded this thing with a point four to one, 368 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 1: So he didn't get the maximum power because as it's 369 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: packed in there, as it's packed in there, and you 370 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:38,679 Speaker 1: have to use If people have seen what a ramrod is, 371 00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:42,879 Speaker 1: it's the attachment. It looks like a rod that's generally 372 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:46,960 Speaker 1: held beneath the length of the barrel on a weapon. 373 00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:49,200 Speaker 1: That is what was referred to as a muzzle loader. 374 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:52,640 Speaker 1: So you have to put the round down the barrel 375 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:54,560 Speaker 1: from the open end of the barrel and pack it 376 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:57,280 Speaker 1: down in there in order to get this thing to 377 00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:02,040 Speaker 1: initiate well. He used a caliber of bullet which was 378 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 1: a forty one caliber. The bullet is actually smaller. What 379 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:09,240 Speaker 1: you want is primarily you want a round that is 380 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:12,879 Speaker 1: going to be tightly fitted in there, because that is 381 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:16,159 Speaker 1: going to take advantage of this muzzle, of this blast 382 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:20,680 Speaker 1: of the propellant. As the firing sequence is initiated, you're 383 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:25,439 Speaker 1: going to transfer more energy that's kinetic energy to this 384 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:27,639 Speaker 1: round as it travels out of the end of this 385 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:49,800 Speaker 1: muzzle and gets to target. You have to preload this 386 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:53,399 Speaker 1: thing and have it loaded in your pocket. Generally, the 387 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:57,320 Speaker 1: hammer is forward and hammer is the big mechanism. If 388 00:23:57,320 --> 00:23:59,960 Speaker 1: you'll take a look at this thing online again, it's 389 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:03,480 Speaker 1: it's elegant when you see it. The hammer mechanism is 390 00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:05,919 Speaker 1: that thing that has to be driven forward by the trigger. 391 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:09,439 Speaker 1: When you pull the trigger, the hammer slams forward and 392 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:13,160 Speaker 1: initiates the firing sequence. And there's a couple of components here. 393 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:17,000 Speaker 1: There is what's referred to as there's actually what's referred 394 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:20,879 Speaker 1: to as a nipple in the hammer housing which has 395 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:23,560 Speaker 1: a little firing port on the top. So you have 396 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:26,639 Speaker 1: to take a percussion cap which has got an explosive 397 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 1: in it, it's brass. You set it on the nipple, okay, 398 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:33,920 Speaker 1: And so when the hammer, when the trigger is pulled 399 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:37,080 Speaker 1: and the hammer slams forward, it sends this little spark 400 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:39,879 Speaker 1: down this little portal inside of the nipple, and it 401 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:45,160 Speaker 1: travels down until it strikes. That spark strikes the actual 402 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:50,040 Speaker 1: propellant or powder inside of the muzzle that you've already preloaded. 403 00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:54,920 Speaker 1: That explosion goes off, and so the bullet then travels 404 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 1: out of the end of the barrel and heads toward 405 00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:01,000 Speaker 1: the target. So pull the trigger. Now, for instance, on 406 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 1: a semi automatic weapon, you don't really get the sense 407 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 1: of any kind of delay, even though there is in 408 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:13,480 Speaker 1: a millisecond when the firing pin strikes that primer cap 409 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:17,840 Speaker 1: that we have on that's built into a bullet now 410 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:21,600 Speaker 1: or to live ammo, and that firing sequence all initiates 411 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:24,640 Speaker 1: inside the barrel. Not with this, what would have happened 412 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:28,680 Speaker 1: is as Booth took this weapon out of his pocket, 413 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:34,000 Speaker 1: he would have had to have cocked the hammer externally. 414 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:36,200 Speaker 1: And it's really high. It looks like it sits about 415 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 1: one to two inches above the top level of the barrel. 416 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:42,679 Speaker 1: The back side of the barrel. He would have pulled 417 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 1: it back and it would have clicked twice. You have 418 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:47,400 Speaker 1: a half cock and then you have a full cock. 419 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:49,040 Speaker 1: In order to fire it, you got to pull it 420 00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:53,360 Speaker 1: all the way back, so it'd go click click. Okay. 421 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:55,679 Speaker 1: He probably would have done this before he entered the 422 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:58,520 Speaker 1: area where where Lincoln and Mary Todd, Lincoln and Major 423 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:02,520 Speaker 1: Rathbone and his date were seated. He would have walked 424 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:05,000 Speaker 1: up to the back of Lincoln and pointed the scene 425 00:26:05,119 --> 00:26:06,840 Speaker 1: at his head. And we can get into that in 426 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:10,800 Speaker 1: a moment. But when he initiated this firing sequence, Dave, 427 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:16,639 Speaker 1: you would have heard a click as the thing is fired, 428 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:19,320 Speaker 1: and then you would have heard a small explosion. It 429 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:23,640 Speaker 1: would have been like that and then boom. So it's 430 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:28,600 Speaker 1: like boom like this. What happens is that externally, that 431 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:33,280 Speaker 1: hammer slams forward on that primer cap, initiates a tiny explosion, 432 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:37,639 Speaker 1: and that tiny explosion initiates a bigger explosion, which is 433 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:40,399 Speaker 1: the propellant, and it drives that round out of the 434 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:44,920 Speaker 1: end of that barrel. Now, today, if you were trying 435 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:49,880 Speaker 1: to get an idea of the energy of this weapon, Okay, 436 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:55,080 Speaker 1: in today's standards, it would be probably the equivalent of 437 00:26:55,160 --> 00:27:00,320 Speaker 1: our highest powered air gun that we have. Wow. And 438 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 1: the further away you are from target, the more diminished 439 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:06,159 Speaker 1: the power is. So you have to be up close. 440 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 1: And of course Wilkes was close. He was probably within 441 00:27:11,359 --> 00:27:15,159 Speaker 1: inches of Lincoln's head when he pulled that trigger, and 442 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:16,919 Speaker 1: his whole firing scene was initiated. 443 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:20,520 Speaker 2: When that firing sequence initiated, the click okay, squeezes the 444 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:24,600 Speaker 2: trigger and the beginning it starts. Would there have been 445 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:29,479 Speaker 2: enough time for President Lincoln to react to hearing that 446 00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:32,439 Speaker 2: click the figgure is pulled, for him to react and 447 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:35,600 Speaker 2: and begin to turn before before the bullet came out. 448 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:38,920 Speaker 1: That's the thing about this. I'm so glad you brought 449 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:43,359 Speaker 1: this up. As we have stated, and everybody knows John 450 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:46,119 Speaker 1: Wilkes Booth was an actor, and he had been present 451 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:48,680 Speaker 1: for this play so many times. He knew some of 452 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:51,200 Speaker 1: the people that were in the play. And not only 453 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:54,240 Speaker 1: did he know that, he knew because it's a comedy, 454 00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:59,440 Speaker 1: all right, he knew when laughter was going to rise 455 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:04,080 Speaker 1: and fall, and he timed it as a line is 456 00:28:04,119 --> 00:28:09,600 Speaker 1: delivered that during the period of this play that elicits 457 00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:16,800 Speaker 1: the loudest roar of laughter that can be experienced. According 458 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:20,200 Speaker 1: to what we know about the nature of the injury 459 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:28,119 Speaker 1: that President Lincoln sustained, he apparently was leaning forward, perhaps okay, 460 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 1: with his head kind of pitched downward, all right, And 461 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:35,679 Speaker 1: some people believe he wasn't looking at the stage, but 462 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:39,960 Speaker 1: he was probably looking in the orchestra pit, which is 463 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:42,560 Speaker 1: in front of the stage. There may be some instrument 464 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:46,280 Speaker 1: caught his attention when you're around an orchestra, and Lincoln 465 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:48,560 Speaker 1: would have been around a lot of music, because every 466 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,320 Speaker 1: time he walks in a room, somebody's gonna play Hell 467 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:52,680 Speaker 1: to the Chief. There's still this fascination about a group 468 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 1: of people getting together and playing instruments, and they're playing 469 00:28:55,600 --> 00:29:00,560 Speaker 1: the soundtrack essentially for this play. Some people believe that 470 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:03,560 Speaker 1: he's looking down at the orchestra pit, and this kind 471 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 1: of dictates the orientation of his head relative to the 472 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:12,000 Speaker 1: firing line. But Booth knew enough about the place so 473 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:17,320 Speaker 1: that when laughter began to rise, he knew that his movements, 474 00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 1: the cocking of that weapon, and any comment he would 475 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:24,880 Speaker 1: make would be drowned out. He knew that anybody else 476 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:28,560 Speaker 1: that might be occupying that area up there, their attention 477 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: would be drawn to the stage, and the idea is 478 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:33,280 Speaker 1: to get the eyes away from you if you're the assassin. 479 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,560 Speaker 1: And to a great degree, he had planned this perfectly 480 00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:39,760 Speaker 1: in that sense, didn't plan his escape very well, but 481 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:43,120 Speaker 1: he planned this to this point. He knew that this 482 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:46,640 Speaker 1: was the best time. So when he fired that round 483 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 1: into the back of the president's head, he had one 484 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 1: attempt to do it. Here's a fascinating thing about these 485 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:58,200 Speaker 1: Philadelphia and Derringers as they referred to. You could buy 486 00:29:58,240 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 1: them in pairs. As a matter of fact, you could 487 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:04,760 Speaker 1: buy I think I think this is correct. You could 488 00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:07,320 Speaker 1: actually buy a pair of these things for twenty four dollars, 489 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:12,000 Speaker 1: which was a tremendous amount of money, but booth is 490 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:16,480 Speaker 1: very successful, would have been considered in that day wealthy. 491 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:21,200 Speaker 1: Probably You could actually buy in pairs. And it stands 492 00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:23,200 Speaker 1: the reason that you would want it because if one 493 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 1: round was not effective, you've got a second or fallback 494 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:29,360 Speaker 1: weapon to fire as well. Because these are not semi automatic, 495 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:32,640 Speaker 1: it's a pains taking practice to have to go through 496 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:37,120 Speaker 1: and load it. And the way the loading actually took 497 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:40,360 Speaker 1: place is that you would measure out the number of 498 00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:44,360 Speaker 1: grains that it would take grains of propellant, which this 499 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:48,280 Speaker 1: is a black powder weapon, so it's very messy, very 500 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: very messy. It's not like smokeless powder like we have today. 501 00:30:51,840 --> 00:30:54,320 Speaker 1: You put the powder down into the barrel, so you 502 00:30:54,360 --> 00:30:57,479 Speaker 1: have to lift the muzzle so it's pointed skyward. You 503 00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:01,320 Speaker 1: pour the powder down in there. Okay, Then you put 504 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:05,240 Speaker 1: a cloth patch down on top of the powder. Then 505 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:08,800 Speaker 1: the ball, which is a ball. It's a ball of lead, 506 00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:12,200 Speaker 1: all right. It's not the kind of conical shaped bullet 507 00:31:12,280 --> 00:31:14,440 Speaker 1: that we have now that have points on them. Okay, 508 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:18,080 Speaker 1: you'd ask that earlier. This is actually a ball that 509 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:20,720 Speaker 1: is now rammed down in there with this tiny little 510 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:24,800 Speaker 1: ramrod that's attached on the base of this Philadelphia derringer, 511 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:28,680 Speaker 1: and the bullet is what's referred to as seated at 512 00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:30,920 Speaker 1: that time. You get it tightly packed in there so 513 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:34,040 Speaker 1: that when you're walking up and you're walking up and 514 00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:37,280 Speaker 1: down the streets, or you're riding on horseback or whatever 515 00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:39,280 Speaker 1: it is, bullet's not going to fall out. You have 516 00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:41,400 Speaker 1: to have it tightly seated in there so that when 517 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:43,800 Speaker 1: you do use this thing and you cock it and 518 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:48,160 Speaker 1: you set that action in motion, you're guaranteed, first off, 519 00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:49,800 Speaker 1: you're going to still have a round in there, it's 520 00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:51,960 Speaker 1: not going to fall off in your pocket. And then 521 00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:55,200 Speaker 1: secondly that it's tightly secured enough so that you're going 522 00:31:55,280 --> 00:32:10,719 Speaker 1: to get maximum pressure when that explosion takes place. Hey, friends, 523 00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:13,360 Speaker 1: if that sounded like it ended kind of abruptly, there's 524 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:16,200 Speaker 1: a part two. Please join us for part two of 525 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:24,480 Speaker 1: the episode recording Abraham Lincoln his death and autopsy. I'm 526 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:28,360 Speaker 1: Josephcott Morgan and this is Bodybags.