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Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan

A Shot in the Dark: Investigating Lincoln's Assassination and the Chilling Conspiracy | Part 1

Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan

CrimeOnline and iHeartPodcasts

True Crime

4.81.8K Ratings

🗓️ 18 April 2023

⏱️ 33 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In part one of this two-part series on Body Bags we delve into the assassination and autopsy of President Abraham Lincoln.

Hosts Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack analyze the character and motivations of John Wilkes Booth, the layout of Ford's Theater, and the negligent behavior of John Parker, assigned to protect the president. They provide a fascinating explanation of the Philadelphia Deringer's firing mechanism, including its unique preloading process and firing sequence as well as going into Booth's meticulous planning, highlighting his knowledge of the play's comedic timing, Lincoln's potential focus on the orchestra pit, and the painstaking preparation involved in using the Deringer. Throughout this captivating episode, listeners uncover the chilling details and lasting impact of one of the most infamous moments in American history.



Time-codes:

00:25 - JoScott’s surprise at visiting presidential assassination locations.

01:30 - Description of Ford's Theater and the assassination scene.

02:20 - Introduction of Lincoln's assassination and autopsy topic.

06:10 - Discussion of access to the president during Lincoln's time.

07:10 - How did Booth gain access to Lincoln's box at Ford's Theater?

08:45 - Lincoln's well-publicized attendance at the theater.

10:35 - Comparison of past and present presidential security measures.

11:10 - John Parker, the inept officer assigned to protect Lincoln.

13:40 - Background on John Wilkes Booth and his Southern cause support.

16:00 - Long-lasting impact of Lincoln's assassination on the country.

18:15 - Specifics of the weapon used by John Wilkes Booth.

21:35 - Importance of caliber and limitations of Booth's weapon.

23:40 - Preloading the Philadelphia Deringer and its hammer mechanism.

24:55 - Comparison of the Deringer's firing sequence to modern weapons.

26:20 - Demonstration of the Deringer's firing sequence and sound.

27:10 - Proximity of Booth to Lincoln when he fired the weapon.

27:50 - Booth's understanding of the play's comedic timing and assassination planning.

29:40 - Discussion of Booth's planning and escape plan.

30:30 - Process of loading the Derringer and importance of seating the bullet properly.

32:15 - Please join us next time for part two!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan

0:19.8

I've been to two locations over the course of my life where presidential assassinations

0:25.0

took place.

0:26.1

I gotta say, I was, I was left surprised by both.

0:31.6

I don't know how this kind of figure is into the calculus, if you will, or what my expectation

0:38.2

was.

0:39.2

I went to Dallas and stood just adjacent to what they term as the Sniper's Nest on Deely

0:48.0

Plaza in Texas Schoolbook Depository there, looked out that window and I could see the

0:53.9

road stretching on before me and what really kind of stood out to me, having watched news

1:00.1

reels for years and years relative to the Kennedy assassination, I always imagined that

1:05.9

area was going to be really really big, massive, it wasn't.

1:12.0

It was kind of condensed, if you will.

1:14.3

Now I actually went down and when traffic wasn't approaching me, I went out and stood

1:18.5

on the X where they claimed that the fatal shot was sustained, but it seemed small.

1:26.1

However I went to Ford's Theatre as well, other than the building being very very old

1:33.6

and probably having one of the best museums I've ever been in period down in the basement.

1:39.7

The space of Ford's Theatre was somewhat larger than I expected and as I stood there

1:45.3

and I looked and of course it's not necessarily configured like it was at that time, they

1:49.8

had to do a lot of restorative work and repairs and all sorts of things, but the approximations

1:55.4

of where everything is, you can only imagine that as a single shot rings out and the sound

2:03.2

of maybe ripping the bunting as a spur is caught in it and John Wilkes Booth falls to

2:09.6

the stage below, it would echo in that space, everybody frozen in time.

...

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