"The Man in the Barn"

[Copperhead-mi]

1937 short film about a Lincoln assassination conspiracy.

 

[Seduzal]

Thanks for sharing this awesome video. Although this video was made in 1937, it replies to another one of Civil War History Mysteries found! One may never know who was "The Man in the Barn"!

 

[Patrick H]

That is a very nice video and an intriguing mystery.

 

[A. Roy]

Interesting -- I've never seen that, but I've heard of these kinds of questions raised about the identity of Booth after his capture. The movie seems to suggest that Booth was shot dead in the barn, but he was actually captured and survived for a few hours, correct? I believe the body was later identified by several people who knew him.

I think most historians of the Civil War period would say these theories are unproven and untrue. For those of us who like to speculate about historical mysteries, here's an interesting story from the Philadelphia Inquirer, about researchers who have used facial recognition software to examine photos of Booth and those who later claimed to have been him:

Did John Wilkes Booth get away with murdering President Abraham Lincoln?

The latest photo-recognition software backs a belief that had been dismissed by most historians as conspiracy nonsense.

www.inquirer.com

Roy B.

 

[James N.]

Interesting -- I've never seen that, but I've heard of these kinds of questions raised about the identity of Booth after his capture. The movie seems to suggest that Booth was shot dead in the barn, but he was actually captured and survived for a few hours, correct? I believe the body was later identified by several people who knew him...

The "official" story was that he had been mortally wounded after the barn was set on fire to drive him out; afterward he was dragged out before being consumed by the flames and taken to the porch of the house where he expired after only a few minutes, never regaining consciousness.

 

[frontrank2]

1937 short film about a Lincoln assassination conspiracy.

Thanks for posting.

 

[Sbc]

1937 short film about a Lincoln assassination conspiracy.

Surprising upon reflection that no photographs of his corpse were taken.

 

[atlantis]

The man was not booth but an innocent killed to cover up a conspiracy involving the sectary of war is the most likely the actual truth.

 

[KHyatt]

Well I'm convinced. It's because of the "satanic type ears." What other evidence is necessary?

 

[CowCavalry]

The man was not booth but an innocent killed to cover up a conspiracy involving the sectary of war is the most likely the actual truth.

Or that he was shot by Boston Corbett to cover up any complicity by the radical Republicans. Its been a long time since I read or saw anything about this but I recall an interesting tv special about it back around 1980 that aired, claimed the radicals were involved. I have always found it suspicious that Corbett, a supposedly crazy man, shot Booth in a barn on fire.

IMO, there was plenty of motive on the part of the radicals to wish Lincoln dead; fire up the North, end the easy reconstruction Lincoln had in mind, or deportation of the ex slaves etc.

 

[archieclement]

Surprising upon reflection that no photographs of his corpse were taken.

Or not surprising if they knew it was not in fact Booth...............

 

[Pollaco]

Possible.

 

[James N.]

Or that he was shot by Boston Corbett to cover up any complicity by the radical Republicans. Its been a long time since I read or saw anything about this but I recall an interesting tv special about it back around 1980 that aired, claimed the radicals were involved. I have always found it suspicious that Corbett, a supposedly crazy man, shot Booth in a barn on fire.

IMO, there was plenty of motive on the part of the radicals to wish Lincoln dead; fire up the North, end the easy reconstruction Lincoln had in mind, or deportation of the ex slaves etc.

Other inconsistences included that Corbett was reputedly armed only with a carbine, whereas Booth was shot with a pistol. When Corbett and his commanding officer were posed soon afterward for a photograph, someone made sure he had a holstered pistol conspicuously on his belt!

 

[atlantis]

Don't forget Lincoln was not the only one attacked/targeted.

 

[donna]

Always for me one of history's great mysteries, "Who really shot Booth and why" There is more then meets the eye.

 

[atlantis]

The wound was not fatal. A skilled surgeon could have extracted the round. The doctor should not have probed the wound with his fingers. I could be wrong.

 

[Kip124thNY]

Interesting, gets you to thinking maybe it is possible. Thanks for posting.