- Home
- Search This Site
- Slavery: Colonial Era
- Slavery: Revolutionary Era
- Slavery: Pre-Civil War Era
- Slavery: Charles County
- Samuel A. Mudd
- The Civil War
- 1864: A Very Bad Year
- John Wilkes Booth
- The Booth Escape Route
- The Accused
- Prison & Penitentiary
- The Conspiracy Trial
- Conviction
- The Dry Tortugas
- Attempted Escape
- Prison Life
- Yellow Fever
- Dr. Mudd Pardoned
- Arnold/Spangler Pardoned
- The Final Years
- Reference Library
- Contact Us
5/16/1865: Testimony of Lt. Lovett and Others
Source: Benn Pitman, The Assassination of President Lincoln and the Trial of the Conspirators. New York, N.Y.. Moore, Wilstach, and Baldwin. 1865. Page 87.
Lieutenant Alexander Lovett
For the prosecution - May 16
On the day after the assassination of the President, I went with others in pursuit of the murderers. We went by way of Surrattsville to the house of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, which is about thirty miles from Washington, and about one-quarter of a mile or so off the road that runs from Bryantown, arriving there on Tuesday, the 18th of April. Dr. Mudd, whom I recognize among the accused, did not at first seemed inclined to give us any satisfaction; afterward he went on to state that on Saturday morning, at daybreak, two strangers had come to his place; one of them rapped at the door, the other remained on his horse. Mudd went down and opened the door, and with the aid of the young man who had knocked at the door helped the other, who had his leg broken, off his horse, took him into the house and set his leg.
On asking him who the man with the broken leg was, he said he did not know; he was a stranger to him. The other, he said, was a young man, about seventeen or eighteen years of age. Mudd said that one of them called for a razor, which he furnished, together with soap and water, and the wounded man shaved off his moustache. One of our men remarked that this was suspicious, and Dr. Mudd said it did look suspicious. I last him if he had any other beard. He said, “Yes, he had a long pair of whiskers.” He said the men remained there but for a short time, and I understood him that they left in the course of the morning. He said that the wounded man went off on crutches that he (Mudd) had had made for him. He said the other led the horse of the injured man, and he (Mudd) showed them the way across the swamp. He told me that he had heard, at church, on Sunday morning, that the President had been assassinated, but did not mention by whom. We were at his house probably an hour, and to the last he represented that those men were entire strangers to him.
It was generally understood at this time that Booth was the man who assassinated the President; even the darkeys knew it; and I was told by them that Booth had been there, and that he had his leg broken.
On Friday, the 21st of April, I went to Dr. Mudd’s again, for the purpose of arresting him. When he found we were going to search the house, he said something to his wife, and she went up stairs and brought down a boot. Mudd said he had cut it off the man’s leg, in order to set the leg. I turned down the top of the boot and saw the name “J. Wilkes” written in it.
I called Mudd’s attention to it, and he said he had not taken notice of it before. Some of the men said the name of Booth was scratched out, but I said that the name of Booth had never been written.
[A long riding boot, for the left foot, slit up in front for about eight inches, was exhibited to the witness.]
That is the boot.
(The boot was offered in evidence.)
At the second interview, he still insisted that the men were strangers to him. I made the remark to him that his wife said she has seen the whiskers detached from the face, and I suppose he was satisfied then, for he subsequently said it was Booth. After we left his house, one of the men showed him Booth’s photograph, and Mudd remarked that it did not look like Booth, except a little across the eyes. Shortly after that, he said he had an introduction to Booth in November or December last, at church, from a man named Johnson or Thompson. On being questioned, he said he had been along with Booth in the country, looking up some land, and was with him when he bought a horse of Esquire Gardiner, last fall.
Although I was in citizen’s clothes at the time, and addressed no threats to him, Dr. Mudd appeared to be much frightened and anxious. When asked what arms the men had, Dr. Mudd stated that the injured man had a pair of revolvers, but he said nothing about the other having a carbine, or either of them having a knife; his manner was very reserved and evasive.
Cross-examined by Mr. Ewing
At the time that Dr. Mudd was describing to me the “two strangers” that had been to his house, I did not tell him of my tracking Booth from Washington; I did not mentioned Booth’s name at all; it was not my business to tell him whom I was after.
On my second visit, Dr. Mudd was out, and his wife sent after him; I walked down and met him. I was accompanied by special officers Simon Gavacan, Joshua Lloyd, and William Williams. After we entered the house, I demanded the razor that the man had used. It was not until after we had been in the house some minutes, and one of the men said we should have to search the house, that Dr. Mudd told us the boot had been found, and his wife brought it to us.
I asked him if that might not be a false whisker; he said he did not know. I asked this because Mrs. Mudd has said that the whisker became detached when he got to the foot of the stairs. The Doctor never told me that he had Booth up stairs; he told me he was on the sofa or lounge.
Mudd stated, at our first interview, that the men remained but a short time; afterward his wife told me that they had staid to about 3 or 4 o’clock, on Saturday afternoon. I asked Mudd if the men had much money about them. He said they had considerable greenbacks; and, in this connection, although I did not ask him if he had been paid for setting the man’s leg, he said it was customary to make a charge to strangers in such a case. When Dr. Mudd said he had shown the men the way across the swamps, I understood him to refer to the swamps a thousand yards in the rear of his own house. He told us that the men went to the Rev. Dr. Wilmer’s, or inquired for Parson Wilmer’s; that he took them to the swamps; that they were on their way to Allen’s Fresh; but I paid no attention to this at the time, as I considered it was a blind to throw us off the track. We, however, afterward searched Mr. Wilmer’s, a thing I did not like to do, as I knew the man by reputation, and was satisfied it was unnecessary. We tracked the men as far we could. We went into the swamp and scoured it all over; I went through a half a dozen times; it was not a very nice job though. I first heard from Lieutenant Dana that two men had been at Mudd’s house. I afterward heard from Dr. George Mudd that a party of two had been at Dr. Samuel Mudd’s.
Cross-examined by Mr. Stone
When we first went to Dr. Samuel Mudd’s house, we were accompanied by Dr. George Mudd, whom we had taken from Bryantown along with us. Our first conversation was with the Doctor’s wife. When we asked Dr. Mudd whether two strangers had been there, he seemed very much excited, and got as pale as a sheet of paper, and blue about the lips, like a man that was frightened at something he had done. Dr. George Mudd was present when I asked if two strangers had been there. He had spoken to Dr. Samuel Mudd previous to that. He admitted that two strangers had been there, and gave a description of them.
In my first interview with Mudd on the Tuesday, I did not mention the name of Booth at all; and it was not till I had arrested him, when on horseback, that he told me he was introduced to Booth last fall, by a man named Johnson or Thompson.
For the prosecution - May 16
On the day after the assassination of the President, I went with others in pursuit of the murderers. We went by way of Surrattsville to the house of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, which is about thirty miles from Washington, and about one-quarter of a mile or so off the road that runs from Bryantown, arriving there on Tuesday, the 18th of April. Dr. Mudd, whom I recognize among the accused, did not at first seemed inclined to give us any satisfaction; afterward he went on to state that on Saturday morning, at daybreak, two strangers had come to his place; one of them rapped at the door, the other remained on his horse. Mudd went down and opened the door, and with the aid of the young man who had knocked at the door helped the other, who had his leg broken, off his horse, took him into the house and set his leg.
On asking him who the man with the broken leg was, he said he did not know; he was a stranger to him. The other, he said, was a young man, about seventeen or eighteen years of age. Mudd said that one of them called for a razor, which he furnished, together with soap and water, and the wounded man shaved off his moustache. One of our men remarked that this was suspicious, and Dr. Mudd said it did look suspicious. I last him if he had any other beard. He said, “Yes, he had a long pair of whiskers.” He said the men remained there but for a short time, and I understood him that they left in the course of the morning. He said that the wounded man went off on crutches that he (Mudd) had had made for him. He said the other led the horse of the injured man, and he (Mudd) showed them the way across the swamp. He told me that he had heard, at church, on Sunday morning, that the President had been assassinated, but did not mention by whom. We were at his house probably an hour, and to the last he represented that those men were entire strangers to him.
It was generally understood at this time that Booth was the man who assassinated the President; even the darkeys knew it; and I was told by them that Booth had been there, and that he had his leg broken.
On Friday, the 21st of April, I went to Dr. Mudd’s again, for the purpose of arresting him. When he found we were going to search the house, he said something to his wife, and she went up stairs and brought down a boot. Mudd said he had cut it off the man’s leg, in order to set the leg. I turned down the top of the boot and saw the name “J. Wilkes” written in it.
I called Mudd’s attention to it, and he said he had not taken notice of it before. Some of the men said the name of Booth was scratched out, but I said that the name of Booth had never been written.
[A long riding boot, for the left foot, slit up in front for about eight inches, was exhibited to the witness.]
That is the boot.
(The boot was offered in evidence.)
At the second interview, he still insisted that the men were strangers to him. I made the remark to him that his wife said she has seen the whiskers detached from the face, and I suppose he was satisfied then, for he subsequently said it was Booth. After we left his house, one of the men showed him Booth’s photograph, and Mudd remarked that it did not look like Booth, except a little across the eyes. Shortly after that, he said he had an introduction to Booth in November or December last, at church, from a man named Johnson or Thompson. On being questioned, he said he had been along with Booth in the country, looking up some land, and was with him when he bought a horse of Esquire Gardiner, last fall.
Although I was in citizen’s clothes at the time, and addressed no threats to him, Dr. Mudd appeared to be much frightened and anxious. When asked what arms the men had, Dr. Mudd stated that the injured man had a pair of revolvers, but he said nothing about the other having a carbine, or either of them having a knife; his manner was very reserved and evasive.
Cross-examined by Mr. Ewing
At the time that Dr. Mudd was describing to me the “two strangers” that had been to his house, I did not tell him of my tracking Booth from Washington; I did not mentioned Booth’s name at all; it was not my business to tell him whom I was after.
On my second visit, Dr. Mudd was out, and his wife sent after him; I walked down and met him. I was accompanied by special officers Simon Gavacan, Joshua Lloyd, and William Williams. After we entered the house, I demanded the razor that the man had used. It was not until after we had been in the house some minutes, and one of the men said we should have to search the house, that Dr. Mudd told us the boot had been found, and his wife brought it to us.
I asked him if that might not be a false whisker; he said he did not know. I asked this because Mrs. Mudd has said that the whisker became detached when he got to the foot of the stairs. The Doctor never told me that he had Booth up stairs; he told me he was on the sofa or lounge.
Mudd stated, at our first interview, that the men remained but a short time; afterward his wife told me that they had staid to about 3 or 4 o’clock, on Saturday afternoon. I asked Mudd if the men had much money about them. He said they had considerable greenbacks; and, in this connection, although I did not ask him if he had been paid for setting the man’s leg, he said it was customary to make a charge to strangers in such a case. When Dr. Mudd said he had shown the men the way across the swamps, I understood him to refer to the swamps a thousand yards in the rear of his own house. He told us that the men went to the Rev. Dr. Wilmer’s, or inquired for Parson Wilmer’s; that he took them to the swamps; that they were on their way to Allen’s Fresh; but I paid no attention to this at the time, as I considered it was a blind to throw us off the track. We, however, afterward searched Mr. Wilmer’s, a thing I did not like to do, as I knew the man by reputation, and was satisfied it was unnecessary. We tracked the men as far we could. We went into the swamp and scoured it all over; I went through a half a dozen times; it was not a very nice job though. I first heard from Lieutenant Dana that two men had been at Mudd’s house. I afterward heard from Dr. George Mudd that a party of two had been at Dr. Samuel Mudd’s.
Cross-examined by Mr. Stone
When we first went to Dr. Samuel Mudd’s house, we were accompanied by Dr. George Mudd, whom we had taken from Bryantown along with us. Our first conversation was with the Doctor’s wife. When we asked Dr. Mudd whether two strangers had been there, he seemed very much excited, and got as pale as a sheet of paper, and blue about the lips, like a man that was frightened at something he had done. Dr. George Mudd was present when I asked if two strangers had been there. He had spoken to Dr. Samuel Mudd previous to that. He admitted that two strangers had been there, and gave a description of them.
In my first interview with Mudd on the Tuesday, I did not mention the name of Booth at all; and it was not till I had arrested him, when on horseback, that he told me he was introduced to Booth last fall, by a man named Johnson or Thompson.
Lieutenant David D. Dana
For the prosecution - May 20
On Saturday, the day after the assassination of the President, I sent a guard of four men ahead of me to Bryantown, and they arrived about half an hour before me. I arrived there about 1 o’clock. I communicated the intelligence of the assassination, and the name of the assassin, to the citizens; it spread through the village in a quarter of an hour. Some of the citizens asked me if I knew for a certainty it was J. Wilkes Booth, and I told them yes, as near as a person could know any thing.
For the prosecution - May 20
On Saturday, the day after the assassination of the President, I sent a guard of four men ahead of me to Bryantown, and they arrived about half an hour before me. I arrived there about 1 o’clock. I communicated the intelligence of the assassination, and the name of the assassin, to the citizens; it spread through the village in a quarter of an hour. Some of the citizens asked me if I knew for a certainty it was J. Wilkes Booth, and I told them yes, as near as a person could know any thing.
William Williams
For the prosecution - May 17
On Monday, the 17th of April, in company with some cavalry, I proceeded to Surrattsville. On the next day, Tuesday, I arrived at Dr. Mudd’s. He was not at home, and his wife sent for him. I asked if any strangers had been that way, and he said there had not. Some of the officers then talked with him. I think he stated that he first heard of the assassination of the President at church, on the Sunday morning. He seemed to be uneasy, and unwilling to give us any information without being asked directly.
On Friday, the 21st, we went there again for the purpose of arresting Dr. Mudd. He was not at home, but his wife sent for him. I asked him concerning the two men who had been at his house, one of them having a broken leg. He then said that they had been there. I asked him if those men were not Booth and Herold. He said they were not. He said he knew Booth, having been introduced to him last fall by a man by the name of Thompson, I believe.
After we had arrested him, and were on our way to Bryantown, I showed him Booth’s picture, and asked him if that looked like the man who had his leg broken. After looking at the picture a little while, he said it did not; he did not remember the features; after awhile, however, he said it looked something like Booth across the eyes.
At our second visit to Dr. Mudd’s house, I informed Mrs. Mudd that we had to search the house. She then said ---
Mr. Ewing. You need not state what Mrs. Mudd said.
The Judge Advocate. Anything that was said in Dr. Mudd’s presence is admissible.
The witness continued. This was said, I believe, in Dr. Mudd’s presence. She said that the man with the broken leg had left his boot in the bed. She then went and brought the boot down. It was a long riding boot, with “J. Wilkes” and the maker’s name, “Broadway, N. Y.,” written inside. The boot was cut some ten inches from the instep.
Dr. Mudd said that the men had arrived before daybreak, and that they went away on foot between 3 and 4 o’clock on the afternoon of Saturday. He had set the man’s leg, and had had crutches made for him by one of his men.
Cross-examined by Mr. Stone
Lieutenant Lovett was present at this conversation. I believe it was on Friday that Dr. Mudd said that the first knowledge he had of the assassination was received at church on the Sunday before. I asked him the question on Friday, if “two strangers” had been there. He said that there had been. Two men had come there at daybreak; one, a smooth-faced young man, apparently seventeen or eighteen years of age, and that he had set the leg of one of them. They had come to his door and knocked, and he had looked out of the window up stairs, and asked them who they were. I believe he said their reply was that they were friends and wanted to come in. Dr. Mudd then came down stairs, and, with the assistance of the young man, got the wounded man off his horse into the parlor, and examined his leg on the sofa. The wounded man had a moustache, he said, and pretty long chin-whiskers. I asked him if he thought the whiskers were natural. He said he could not tell. The injured man had a shawl round his shoulders. Doctor Mudd said that on leaving they asked him the road to Parson Wilmer’s, and that he had shown them the way down to the swamp. I did not pay much attention to their going to Parson Wilmer’s at first, because I thought it was to throw us off the track; but we followed the road as far as we could, after which we divided ourselves, and went all through the different swamp roads. The road is not much frequented. We found horses’ tracks, but not such as satisfied me that they were the tracks of these men, and we heard nothing of them on the road. We got to the Rev. Mr. Wilmer’s, I think, on the Wednesday evening. We were acting under the orders of Major O’Beirne, and Lieutenant Lovett had charge of our squad.
For the prosecution - May 17
On Monday, the 17th of April, in company with some cavalry, I proceeded to Surrattsville. On the next day, Tuesday, I arrived at Dr. Mudd’s. He was not at home, and his wife sent for him. I asked if any strangers had been that way, and he said there had not. Some of the officers then talked with him. I think he stated that he first heard of the assassination of the President at church, on the Sunday morning. He seemed to be uneasy, and unwilling to give us any information without being asked directly.
On Friday, the 21st, we went there again for the purpose of arresting Dr. Mudd. He was not at home, but his wife sent for him. I asked him concerning the two men who had been at his house, one of them having a broken leg. He then said that they had been there. I asked him if those men were not Booth and Herold. He said they were not. He said he knew Booth, having been introduced to him last fall by a man by the name of Thompson, I believe.
After we had arrested him, and were on our way to Bryantown, I showed him Booth’s picture, and asked him if that looked like the man who had his leg broken. After looking at the picture a little while, he said it did not; he did not remember the features; after awhile, however, he said it looked something like Booth across the eyes.
At our second visit to Dr. Mudd’s house, I informed Mrs. Mudd that we had to search the house. She then said ---
Mr. Ewing. You need not state what Mrs. Mudd said.
The Judge Advocate. Anything that was said in Dr. Mudd’s presence is admissible.
The witness continued. This was said, I believe, in Dr. Mudd’s presence. She said that the man with the broken leg had left his boot in the bed. She then went and brought the boot down. It was a long riding boot, with “J. Wilkes” and the maker’s name, “Broadway, N. Y.,” written inside. The boot was cut some ten inches from the instep.
Dr. Mudd said that the men had arrived before daybreak, and that they went away on foot between 3 and 4 o’clock on the afternoon of Saturday. He had set the man’s leg, and had had crutches made for him by one of his men.
Cross-examined by Mr. Stone
Lieutenant Lovett was present at this conversation. I believe it was on Friday that Dr. Mudd said that the first knowledge he had of the assassination was received at church on the Sunday before. I asked him the question on Friday, if “two strangers” had been there. He said that there had been. Two men had come there at daybreak; one, a smooth-faced young man, apparently seventeen or eighteen years of age, and that he had set the leg of one of them. They had come to his door and knocked, and he had looked out of the window up stairs, and asked them who they were. I believe he said their reply was that they were friends and wanted to come in. Dr. Mudd then came down stairs, and, with the assistance of the young man, got the wounded man off his horse into the parlor, and examined his leg on the sofa. The wounded man had a moustache, he said, and pretty long chin-whiskers. I asked him if he thought the whiskers were natural. He said he could not tell. The injured man had a shawl round his shoulders. Doctor Mudd said that on leaving they asked him the road to Parson Wilmer’s, and that he had shown them the way down to the swamp. I did not pay much attention to their going to Parson Wilmer’s at first, because I thought it was to throw us off the track; but we followed the road as far as we could, after which we divided ourselves, and went all through the different swamp roads. The road is not much frequented. We found horses’ tracks, but not such as satisfied me that they were the tracks of these men, and we heard nothing of them on the road. We got to the Rev. Mr. Wilmer’s, I think, on the Wednesday evening. We were acting under the orders of Major O’Beirne, and Lieutenant Lovett had charge of our squad.
Simon Gavacan
For the prosecution - May 17
I was at Dr. Mudd’s house on the fore-noon of Tuesday, the 18th of April, in pursuit of the murderers of the President. We inquired if two men passed there on the Saturday morning after the assassination, and Dr. Mudd said no. Then we inquired more particularly if two men had been there, one having his leg fractured. He said yes. In answer to our questions, he told us the they had come about 4, or half past 4, on Saturday morning, and rapped at his door; that he was a little alarmed at the noise, but came down and let them in; that he and the other person assisted the man with the broken leg into the house, and that he attended to the fractured leg as well as he could, though he had not much facilities for doing so. I believe he said the wounded person staid on the sofa for awhile, and after that was taken up stairs, and remained there until between 3 and 5 o’clock in the afternoon of Saturday. He said that he went out with the other man to find a buggy to take away the wounded man, but could not get one. I understood him to say that on leaving his house they first inquired the road to Allen’s Fresh, and also to the Rev. Dr. Wilmer’s, and that he took them part of the way to show them the road. He told us he did not know the persons at all.
On Friday, the 21st, we went to Dr. Mudd’s again, for the purpose of arresting him and searching his house. He was not in, but his wife sent for him. When he came, we told him that we would have to search his house. His wife then went up stairs and brought down a boot and a razor. Inside the leg of the boot we found the words, “J. Wilkes”. We asked him if he thought that was Booth, and he said he thought not. He said the man had whiskers on, but that he thought he shaved off his moustache up stairs. When we inquired of him if knew Booth, he said that he was introduced to him last fall by a man named Thompson, but he thought the man who had been there was not Booth.
Cross-examined by Mr. Ewing
Our conversation with Dr. Mudd lasted probably an hour. He was asked questions by all of us. Lieutenant Lovett was there all the time. When Mrs. Mudd brought down the boot and razor, we thought we had satisfactory evidence that Booth and Herold had been there, and did not search the house further. I believe there was a photograph of Booth shown to Dr. Mudd on Tuesday, and he said he did not recognize it, but said there was something about the forehead or the eyes that resembled one of the parties.
For the prosecution - May 17
I was at Dr. Mudd’s house on the fore-noon of Tuesday, the 18th of April, in pursuit of the murderers of the President. We inquired if two men passed there on the Saturday morning after the assassination, and Dr. Mudd said no. Then we inquired more particularly if two men had been there, one having his leg fractured. He said yes. In answer to our questions, he told us the they had come about 4, or half past 4, on Saturday morning, and rapped at his door; that he was a little alarmed at the noise, but came down and let them in; that he and the other person assisted the man with the broken leg into the house, and that he attended to the fractured leg as well as he could, though he had not much facilities for doing so. I believe he said the wounded person staid on the sofa for awhile, and after that was taken up stairs, and remained there until between 3 and 5 o’clock in the afternoon of Saturday. He said that he went out with the other man to find a buggy to take away the wounded man, but could not get one. I understood him to say that on leaving his house they first inquired the road to Allen’s Fresh, and also to the Rev. Dr. Wilmer’s, and that he took them part of the way to show them the road. He told us he did not know the persons at all.
On Friday, the 21st, we went to Dr. Mudd’s again, for the purpose of arresting him and searching his house. He was not in, but his wife sent for him. When he came, we told him that we would have to search his house. His wife then went up stairs and brought down a boot and a razor. Inside the leg of the boot we found the words, “J. Wilkes”. We asked him if he thought that was Booth, and he said he thought not. He said the man had whiskers on, but that he thought he shaved off his moustache up stairs. When we inquired of him if knew Booth, he said that he was introduced to him last fall by a man named Thompson, but he thought the man who had been there was not Booth.
Cross-examined by Mr. Ewing
Our conversation with Dr. Mudd lasted probably an hour. He was asked questions by all of us. Lieutenant Lovett was there all the time. When Mrs. Mudd brought down the boot and razor, we thought we had satisfactory evidence that Booth and Herold had been there, and did not search the house further. I believe there was a photograph of Booth shown to Dr. Mudd on Tuesday, and he said he did not recognize it, but said there was something about the forehead or the eyes that resembled one of the parties.
Joshua Lloyd
For the prosecution. - May 16
I was engaged with others in the pursuit of the murderers of the President in the direction of Surrattsville. We got to Dr. Mudd’s on Tuesday, the 18th. I asked him if he had not heard of the President being assassinated; he said yes. I then asked him if he has seen any of the parties - Booth, Herald, or Surratt; he said he had never seen them.
On Friday, the 21st, at the second interview, he said two men came there about 4 o’clock on the Saturday morning, and remained there until about 4 in the afternoon. They came on horseback; one of them had a broken leg, and when they left his house one was riding and other walking, leading his horse.
As we were sitting in the parlor, Mrs. Mudd seemed very much worried, so did the Doctor, and he seemed to be very much excited. At this interview Lieutenant Lovett and Mr. Williams did most of the talking; I was not well. Dr. Mudd said that he had been in company with Booth; that he had been introduced to him by a man named Thompson, I think he said, at church. He offered no explanation of his previous denial. When the men left, he said they went up the hill toward Parson Wilmer’s, and I think he said he showed them the road. I understood him to say that the man’s leg was broken by the fall of the horse.
Cross-examined by Mr. Stone
It was late on to Tuesday evening when we were there. Each time that we went to his house Dr. Mudd was out, but not far away, for he was not long in returning with the messenger sent for him. At the first interview, I asked him if any strangers had passed that way, and then if Booth and Herold had passed; I describe them to him, and the horses they rode, and he denied either that any strangers or Booth and Herold had passed. The interview only lasted a few minutes.
Booth’s portrait was shown to Dr. Mudd. He told us that Booth had been down there last fall, when he was introduced to him by Mr. Thompson. I think he said Booth was there to buy some property.
Before he came to the house, Mrs. Mudd brought us the boot, and when the Doctor saw that we had the boot, he admitted that Booth had been there. Dr. Mudd then brought the razor down himself, and gave it to Lieutenant Lovett.
For the prosecution. - May 16
I was engaged with others in the pursuit of the murderers of the President in the direction of Surrattsville. We got to Dr. Mudd’s on Tuesday, the 18th. I asked him if he had not heard of the President being assassinated; he said yes. I then asked him if he has seen any of the parties - Booth, Herald, or Surratt; he said he had never seen them.
On Friday, the 21st, at the second interview, he said two men came there about 4 o’clock on the Saturday morning, and remained there until about 4 in the afternoon. They came on horseback; one of them had a broken leg, and when they left his house one was riding and other walking, leading his horse.
As we were sitting in the parlor, Mrs. Mudd seemed very much worried, so did the Doctor, and he seemed to be very much excited. At this interview Lieutenant Lovett and Mr. Williams did most of the talking; I was not well. Dr. Mudd said that he had been in company with Booth; that he had been introduced to him by a man named Thompson, I think he said, at church. He offered no explanation of his previous denial. When the men left, he said they went up the hill toward Parson Wilmer’s, and I think he said he showed them the road. I understood him to say that the man’s leg was broken by the fall of the horse.
Cross-examined by Mr. Stone
It was late on to Tuesday evening when we were there. Each time that we went to his house Dr. Mudd was out, but not far away, for he was not long in returning with the messenger sent for him. At the first interview, I asked him if any strangers had passed that way, and then if Booth and Herold had passed; I describe them to him, and the horses they rode, and he denied either that any strangers or Booth and Herold had passed. The interview only lasted a few minutes.
Booth’s portrait was shown to Dr. Mudd. He told us that Booth had been down there last fall, when he was introduced to him by Mr. Thompson. I think he said Booth was there to buy some property.
Before he came to the house, Mrs. Mudd brought us the boot, and when the Doctor saw that we had the boot, he admitted that Booth had been there. Dr. Mudd then brought the razor down himself, and gave it to Lieutenant Lovett.
Copyright © 2012 Robert Summers. All rights reserved.
