The suspicion that Vice President Andrew Johnson had a hand in the assassination of President Lincoln, were shared, and also voiced, by Mary Todd Lincoln. Mrs. Lincoln, as well as many others had openly accused Andrew Johnson of being involved in the conspiracy. Mrs. Lincoln was convinced that it was Andrew Johnson who had pulled the guard off of the door at Ford’s theater that night, and even accused the guard himself, John Parker of having a hand in the murder of her husband.
Was Mary Todd Lincoln lashing out at Andrew Johnson and John Parker because she was hurt and in mourning, or did she have good reason for her accusations? These were troubled times, and there were hundreds of death threats that had been made on President Lincoln by April of 1865. Some of those threats on the president‘s life, had been openly published in the countries’ newspapers.
Was John Parker chosen by his superiors for his outstanding skills as a police officer to guard and protect Abraham Lincoln, or was he chosen for his lack of intelligence and poor skills? Parker was a carpenter by trade until becoming one of the capital’s first officers when the Metropolitan Police Force was organized in 1861. He had a terrible work ethic and was a pitiful excuse for a policeman. . Parker was almost canned for falling asleep on a street car while on duty. When he was asked why he was on the street car while he was supposed to be walking the beat, he claimed to have heard ducks on the street car and went on board to investigate. Eventually, Parker was reprimanded for visiting a whorehouse, conduct unbecoming an officer, using intemperate language, and being drunk on duty. He was eventually fired in 1868. How this man was selected to be a presidential guard in those dire days, is beyond anyone’s imagination, that is unless you open your eyes and see that he was selected for these same reasons.
Let me see…….if I was going to plan an assassination, who would I want to guard the president’s door? Steven Segal or Barney Fife? It becomes obvious that Parker's assignment was no oversight when you look at the information the Secret Service had on hand at the time. It was no secret by 1865 that old Abe had a lot of people that wanted him dead. The news of his reelection was just too much for the K.G.C. to stomach. They would make the plans and put up the money to pay the assassins to take Lincoln out. A paid hit, just like the mafia of today. This was ordered from the top and people were selected to get the job done. The money was gathered from certain extremely wealthy people who were located all over the states, and a selected Knight took it to New York City to fund the operation. It would not be a hard thing to cover up, seeing as how these bankers and investors moved large amounts of gold and cash on a regular basis. All of the conspirators were to be paid well for their services. Some of them had spoken to there close friends and families of big plans in their near future, and of a task at hand that would pay them well when completed.
After Lincoln was murdered, over 100 death threats he had in his own possession were found in a covey hole in his desk. Lafayette C. Baker as well as Allen Pinkerton of the Pinkerton Detective Agency both knew the President was at great risk. Pinkerton had himself, spoiled several attempts on the President in the prior four years. In fact Lincoln had already been shot at and had his stove pipe hat hit just above his forehead.
It is more than a little ironic, that on the same night that President Lincoln was shot, John Parker exited Ford’s Theater and went next door to the Star Saloon for a drink. Lincoln’s coachman and footman also went with Parker at that time, into the same saloon. It would just so happen that John Wilkes Booth was in the Star Saloon about that same time. Could the sight of John Parker walking into the saloon, “Lincolns only body guard that night,” have been Booth’s signal that the coast was clear? Booth would have known for sure that the door to Lincoln’s private box was now left unguarded. One can imagine seeing Booth and Parker giving the K.G.C. hand signal to each other in the saloon as Booth slams down one last whiskey for courage and then exit’s the bar on his way to kill President Lincoln.
John Parker was charged with neglect of duty and tried on May 3, 1865 but no transcripts of the case were kept. You really didn't think the conspirators would want that to go public now would you? It is also ironic that no known photograph or picture of John Parker exists to this day, and. He is also buried in an unmarked grave. It is almost like they tried to make him disappear.
There were many voices that secretly whispered the intentions of The Knights of The Golden Circle from mouth to ear, and they were the mouths and ears of men unseen and protected by the inner sanctum of the K.G.C. They were protected from any charges by their secrecy and almost anonymous presents in the organization.
L.C. Baker
. Then you sift all of that knowledge through your "B.S." filter by using simple logic. What you have left over is credible information and facts. Base your beliefs on that and you are on your way to finding out the truth.
L.C. Baker
