The Why Files: Operation Podcast – Episode 615

Title: Lincoln Conspiracy: a Diary, a Mummy and The Escape of John Wilkes Booth
Date: October 27, 2025
Host: A.J. Echelfish (“The Why Files: Operation Podcast”)

Episode Overview

In this episode, A.J. Echelfish dives into one of America's most persistent historical mysteries: Did John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, actually escape justice rather than die at Garrett’s farm? The story explores lost diary pages, alleged cover-ups, body doubles, mummified remains, and decades of conspiracy theories. True to The Why Files format, the episode is rich with researched detail, narrative dramatization, and debunking of popular myths.

Main Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Official Story and Its Holes

• Setting the Scene ([00:30]):
  A.J. summarizes the commonly accepted version: Booth murders Lincoln, flees, and is killed 12 days later.
  "Everyone thinks they know how Lincoln died... But the FBI's own forensic tests discovered Booth's diary is missing 86 pages. Pages filled with names, payments, and secrets." – A.J. Echelfish [00:30]

• Intrigue: 86 diary pages missing; possible names and payments tied to a larger conspiracy.

2. Booth’s Motive and the Plot

• Booth’s Character and Motives ([01:51]):
  Booth was a celebrity actor, Confederate spy, and ardent supporter of the South; he saw Lincoln as a tyrant like Caesar.

• Original Plan: Kidnap Lincoln in exchange for concessions for the South.
  When Lee surrenders, Booth’s motive shifts:
  "Booth was devastated. The war was over, and now the kidnapping plot was useless... (he) came up with a new plan. Kill the President during the play." – A.J. Echelfish [01:51–03:20]

3. The Alleged Inside Job

• Political Tensions & Conspiracy Theories ([05:32]):
  Conflicts between Lincoln’s cabinet members, particularly with Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, and radical Republicans.
  "Stanton believed showing mercy to the south was a betrayal of everything Union soldiers died for... Booth was the perfect choice. He was wealthy, famous, and an outspoken critic of Lincoln's. The whole country would believe it." – A.J. Echelfish [05:32–07:26]

• Stanton allegedly enables Booth by removing Lincoln's security and orchestrating conditions for the assassination.

4. The Assassination and Escape

• Ford’s Theater, April 14, 1865 ([10:12]):
  Booth enters Lincoln’s box, shoots the President, escapes with the help of removed security protocols. Memorable moment:
  "Booth quietly wedged a piece of wood behind the door and broke the lock... At 10:15 pm the audience exploded in laughter. Booth stepped forward and raised his pistol." – A.J. Echelfish [10:12]
  "Ever thus to tyrants." – Booth, dramatized [12:00]

• Manhunt and Aftermath ([12:05–16:40]):
  Stanton leads a vast manhunt. The official account: Booth dies in a burning barn after being shot, allegedly whispering,
  "Tell Mother I die for my country." – Booth, dramatized [15:45]

5. Alternative Theories & The Escape Legend

• Booth’s Secret Family and Will ([17:14]):
  Reports claim Booth survived and fled to San Francisco (as “John Byron Wilkes”) and then India. He left a will, using his alias, listing family and associates, which even attracted Ulysses S. Grant’s attention.

• The Saloon Confession: John St. Helen ([21:18]):
  Booth, now under the alias “John St. Helen," confides in lawyer Finis Bates: "I'm not who you think I am. My real name is John Wilkes Booth." – John Wilkes Booth/John St. Helen [21:18]

• David E. George’s Death and the Booth Mummy ([21:30–27:00]):
  Decades later, a man named David E. George dies in Oklahoma, allegedly confessing on his deathbed to being Booth. His body, preserved and displayed as a sideshow attraction, exhibited physical traits consistent with Booth’s known injuries.
  "The corpse had a broken left leg, just like Booth, a deformed right thumb, also like Booth. And there was a scar on the back of the neck that matched the location of a scar Booth had from a tumor removal." – A.J. Echelfish [26:50]

6. The Body Double Theory

• James William Boyd as the Sackee ([29:07]):
  David Herold, a Booth co-conspirator, allegedly insists that the man killed at Garrett’s farm was not Booth, but James William Boyd—a Confederate double agent.
  "That's not Booth in there. Then Harold named the man James William Boyd." – A.J. Echelfish [29:07]

• The Diary and the Cover-Up:
  Allegations that Stanton destroyed evidence (the diary), and the real Booth escaped, never to be found.

7. Debunking and Historical Reality

• Critical Review and Evidence ([32:30–35:08]):

  • Handwriting analysis debunks claims that St. Helen/George was Booth.
  • DNA tests show that alleged descendants are not related to the Booth family.
  • The romantic subplot and secret family traced to later pop non-histories and fiction (e.g., "The Lincoln Conspiracy”).
  • Details of Booth’s escape and 12 days as a fugitive are thoroughly documented.

• On Edwin Stanton:
  History paints Stanton as a villain, but he helped advance civil rights more than his successor Andrew Johnson, who was actually much harsher on Reconstruction efforts.

8. Philosophical Reflection and Legacy

• "If Lincoln lived, I suspect we'd be living in a very different country. A better country, a more just and united country. And John Wilkes Booth took that from us, from all of us, black and white." – A.J. Echelfish [36:00]

• The episode closes by acknowledging the human drive for “what if” mysteries and the lasting shadow of the Lincoln assassination.

Notable Quotes and Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote / Description | |-----------|---------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:30 | A.J. Echelfish | “Booth’s diary is missing 86 pages… filled with names, payments, and secrets.” | | 05:32 | A.J. Echelfish | “Like Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln was surrounded by enemies. On one side were the Democrats…” | | 09:33 | A.J. Echelfish | “You speak of treason.” | | 12:00 | Booth | “Ever thus to tyrants.” | | 15:45 | Booth | “Tell Mother I die for my country.” | | 21:18 | St. Helen | “I'm not who you think I am. My real name is John Wilkes Booth.” | | 26:50 | A.J. Echelfish | “The corpse had a broken left leg, just like Booth… a scar on the back of the neck…” | | 29:07 | A.J. Echelfish | “That's not Booth in there. Then Harold named the man James William Boyd.” | | 33:33 | Commentator | “I love it when paternity tests come back negative.” | | 36:00 | A.J. Echelfish | “If Lincoln lived, I suspect we'd be living in a very different country. A better country, a more just and united country. And John Wilkes Booth took that from us, from all of us, black and white.” |

Major Segments and Key Timestamps

• Lincoln’s assassination background and Booth’s motivation: [00:30–04:57]
• Cabinet intrigue, Stanton theory, and security failures: [05:32–12:05]
• The escape and Booth’s official death: [12:05–16:40]
• Alternative histories: secret wife, children, and legacy: [17:14–21:30]
• Saloon confession and mummy legend: [21:30–29:07]
• Body double, diary pages, and government cover-up theory: [29:07–32:30]
• Debunking the theories: [32:30–35:08]
• Reflection and historical impact: [36:00–36:47]

Tone and Style

The tone is witty, engaging, and packed with dramatic retellings—true to The Why Files style. Skeptical commentary punctuates the narrative to highlight both the allure and limitations of conspiracy theories.

Summary Takeaways

• The mysterious 86 missing diary pages and the possible conspiracy remain compelling but unproven.
• No credible evidence supports Booth’s escape, secret family, or the body double theory.
• DNA analysis and handwriting examination debunk claims of secret Booth descendants or a staged death.
• The wider lesson explores why these stories persist: our fascination with “what if” scenarios and the desire to reimagine history.
• Booth’s act has an enduring impact on American history, justice, and race relations.

For listeners who haven’t heard the episode, this summary captures both the intrigue of the conspiracy theories and the cool-headed rebuttal offered by The Why Files, striking a balance between historical fact, speculation, and the enduring allure of a great mystery.