His Name is Mudd
After assassinating Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth rode into Maryland to evade capture. In disguise, he sought refuge at the home of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd. The next morning, Booth rode on and was subsequently killed in a shootout with federal troops a few days later. Dr. Mudd was interrogated for his ties to Booth and was found guilty of aiding and abetting the assassin and was sentenced to hard labor. Ever since that decision, the descendants of Dr. Mudd have sought legal means to clear the family name and prove his innocence in the Booth matter. This past November 2002, the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia dismissed the Mudd case. This is the story of a man whose name is Mudd.