The Trial Today: May 31

Here’s a sample of what occurred on this day in the Lincoln conspiracy trial:

• It was a day of brothers in the court
• Two of Samuel Arnold’s brothers testified about him staying in a Baltimore suburb during the latter half of March before getting a job in Virginia
• John T. Ford and two of his brothers testified about Edman Spangler’s duties at Ford’s Theatre and the day leading up to Lincoln’s assassination
• Dr. Mudd’s brother clarified that while their father owned the lease to the Mudd farm, Dr. Mudd only needed to ask for it in order to sell it to John Wilkes Booth
• Edwin Booth, the brother of John Wilkes Booth, appeared in court as a visitor

The May 31, 1865 entry for the trial of the Lincoln assassination conspirators is now released and has more information. Please click here to access it. You can also access it through The Trial homepage.

Throughout May and June of 2020, I am publishing a day by day chronology of the trial of the Lincoln assassination conspirators. This includes almost daily posts announcing the release of what happened at the conspiracy trial 155 years ago. For more information about the creation of this project please click here.