A Suspicious Death

[DuQuense]

Baltimore Herald February 15th 1861 [afternoon edition]

As whe reported this Morning about the Death of Mrs Kate Warne*, Society Belle Was found dead in the Astor Hotel where She was Staying. Also found in her room were two men in a compromising Position.

The Herald has now found out Mrs Warne and the two men were Pinkerton Detectives. ..................


February 14th Barnum Hotel [Evening]

Kate Warne could sense that something had shifted, in some of the Party Members attitude to Her. She could also tell when it had started.
The Trouble had started a 1/2 hour ago after she had been introduced to Mr Robert Gilly, said to be from Atlanta.
She had worked there 3 years ago on the Adams Express Company Case, and had help convict Mr. Maroney of Embellishment.
She was attending as a Rich Southern Belle, from Atlanta. So she knew the city and could field questions about her cover.
Kate looked around the room and signaled Her two fellow Detectives.

Robert Gilly's past in Atlanta was checkered, He hadn't been involved in the Adams Express Case, but knew a lot of the people that had been.
When He had been contacted to be a courier been a Atlantic group unhappy about Lincolns Election, and this Baltimore Group, He had been very happy to leave Atlanta for a period.
He had never expected to run into little Mrs Kate Warne Here in Baltimore.
He now stood beside Cipriano Ferrandini - a hairdresser from Corsica who emigrated to the United States, and established himself as the long-time barber and hairdresser in the basement of Barnum's Hotel.
Ferrandini's job as a barber gave him a perfect position as a Contact Person for messages that had to be transferred without being written down.
Robert saw the Signals Kate was sending to who they were being sent.

February 19th

Allan Pinkerton had been hired by the Railroad to provide security for president-elect Lincoln on his journey to Washington, D.C., through Baltimore.
He had been getting hints of something, but since the death of three of his best agents five days ago, everything had dried up, there was nothing He could point to.


*# Kate Warne - female Pinkerton agent who is credited with gathering and supplying information which helped convince Allan Pinkerton that there was a plot to assassinate Lincoln in Baltimore.

 

[Admiral Matt]

[sithlordvoice]Goood goooood....[/sithlordvoice]

 

[DuQuense]

Baltimore, February 23rd 1861, Evening

Alan Pinkerton sat in the Coach glaring at Lincoln’s friend and escort, Ward Hill Lamon. Pinkerton was convinced that something was planned to happen in Baltimore, But Lincoln preferred to listen to his long term friend, whe had spend the journey BooBahing the Idea.

As the Northern Central train pulled into the Calvert Street Station, where Lincoln would have to travel several Blocks to the Baltimore-Ohio Camden Street Station, Allan Pinkerton could see nothing but supporters & well wishers outside the window.

As Lincoln moved thru the crowd toward the waiting Carrige, Robert Gilly approched from the rear While Cipriano [lefty] Ferrandini approached Lincoln from the Front.
As Lincoln reached out to shake Ferrandini's Rite hand Ferrandini's left hand whipped out and plunged a Knife in Lincoln' belly. At the same time Gilly plunged a knife in the Back.
Both Pinkerton & Lamon reached out and grabbed Robert Gilly, but the damage was done. Lincoln collapsed with two knifes stuck in Him,, and Cipriano Ferrandini escaped in the Crowd.

Two weeks later Robert Gilly would go to the Gallows, Still insisting He worked alone.

 

[NHBL]

Interesting...

I'd like to see where this one goes. Was the idea that, if the President-Elect is killed, the Vice President-Elect in sworn in as president already the rule? Or do we, perhaps, have a constitutional crisis on hand to go with the rest of the mess?

 

[Lord Grattan]

I'd like to see where this one goes. Was the idea that, if the President-Elect is killed, the Vice President-Elect in sworn in as president already the rule? Or do we, perhaps, have a constitutional crisis on hand to go with the rest of the mess?

Yes, as 2 sitting VPs had previously ascended to the presidency upon the president's death, the precedent has been established for the VP-elect, Hannibal Hamlin in this case, to become President on Inaguration day. However, judging by his other thread on this matter, I believe DuQuense is focusing on the constitutional crisis angle and plans to have the House of representatives select William Seward to become the 16th President.

 

[DuQuense]

However, judging by his other thread on this matter, I believe DuQuense is focusing on the constitutional crisis angle and plans to have the House of representatives select William Seward to become the 16th President.

Unfortunately for my plans, I have this problem of listening to people who know more than Me.

Hamlin won the Vote in the other thread, [by more than all other combined] and the comments convinced me, that he would have been President in 1861's Political environment.

Please comment in the - President Hamlin - Thread. on how you think a President Hamlin Administration would go.

 

[DuQuense]

Almost as soon as the News of President Elect Lincolns Death spread across the Nation - Two Questions Arose to dominate political talk in Barber shops and General stores alike.
Who's fault was the assassination of Lincoln, and who would be the next President.
The question of the President was the easier,
There was Douglas -2nd in popular vote, 4th in Electoral Votes, & Breckenridge - 2nd in Electoral votes, 3rd in popular vote, Steward - the runner up at the Convention .
And there was Hamlin - declared by the House as the Vice President Elect.

Talks Between Chief Justice Taney and the Party Leaders, Pointed out that only Hamlin had any standing, and only if anyone tried to set him aside.

So at Noon, on a Gray & Windy March 4th 1861, Chief Justice Taney swore Vice President Elect Hannibal Hamlin into the office of Vice President.
He then waited a couple Minutes, Then Annoucing in a loud voice that the Office of President was Vacant, turned and swore Vice President Hannibal Hamlin into the Office of President.

As for the other Question that was to be a lot harder.
Within hours of the Assignation Alan Pinkerton and Lincoln’s friend and escort, Ward Hill Lamon, Were trading accusations.
Even today Lincoln's assassination and aftermath is a favorite of Conspiracy Nuts, and Counter Factorial Writers alike. [Sometimes they are hard to tell apart]