The Conspirators

Frederick Aiken, his friends William Thomas Hamilton and Nicholas Baker, and his wife Sarah Weston celebrate the end of the Civil War five days after Lee's surrender. The mood is festive as they toast and mark the victory. Unknown to them, a ruthless conspiracy moves toward the nation's capital that will shatter that peace.

That night, John Wilkes Booth breaches Ford's Theatre to strike at the nation’s leadership. Booth shoots President Abraham Lincoln in the back of the head, while Lewis Powell attacks Secretary of State William Seward and leaves him gravely wounded at his residence. George Atzerodt is assigned to kill Vice President Andrew Johnson, but he drinks and fails his mission.

The President is carried from the theater and taken to a nearby boarding house for emergency care. He dies in the early hours of the following morning, shocking the nation. The conspirators’ violent night triggers a swift nationwide manhunt.

Secretary of War Edwin Stanton orders the arrest of all suspects connected to the plot. The capital tightens its security as agents move to secure the case, and the list of those to be charged grows longer. The crackdown sets the stage for the dramatic courtroom battles to come.

Powell, Atzerodt, and Booth's group flee across the countryside, evading capture for days. A Maryland barn is discovered and set on fire as soldiers close in on hiding places. Herold surrenders to the Union troops while Booth continues to elude pursuit.

The manhunt ends when Booth is shot and killed by sergeant Boston Corbett as he raises a rifle at the soldiers. The nation reels from the dramatic climax as the conspirators’ ringleader is removed from the scene. Booth's death marks the turning point of the immediate crisis.

Mary Surratt is arrested and charged as part of the conspiracy. Reverdy Johnson, the defense attorney, is drawn into the high-stakes case and asks the reluctant Frederick Aiken to take over the defense.

Aiken searches Mary Surratt's boarding house and finds a ticket with the initials LJW, pointing toward Louis J. Weichmann. At the trial, Weichmann—John Surratt's seminary friend—becomes a key witness, and Aiken uses his testimony to implicate him in the conspiracy. The defense strategy begins to hinge on distancing Mary from direct involvement.

Anna Surratt testifies that Mary had no part in Lincoln's assassination and that it was her brother John who acted. Mary contends that John and others plotted to kidnap Lincoln, not kill him, complicating the legal narrative. Anna visits Aiken and informs him about Booth and John, deepening the mystery.

In court, innkeeper John Lloyd claims Mary provided items for Booth's plan. Aiken aggressively challenges Lloyd's reliability, angering him and leading to a dramatic confrontation in the courtroom. The exchange underscores the battle over credibility in the trial.

Mary is found guilty on all charges and initially faces a life sentence. Stanton intervenes, and the four condemned—Mary Surratt, Powell, Herold, and Atzerodt—are sentenced to hang, while Mudd, Arnold, O'Laughlen, and Spangler receive prison terms. The courtroom spectacle marks the culmination of the trial's intense political stakes.

A writ of habeas corpus is sought to allow Mary to be tried in a civilian court, but President Johnson suspends it. The four condemned conspirators are hanged, sealing the fate of the most prominent conspirators. The episode highlights the tension between military and civilian justice.

Frederick Aiken visits John Surratt, who is imprisoned abroad and later in custody. John thanks him for his kindness toward his mother, and when offered Mary's rosary, he declines. The visit underscores the personal costs of the trial on both sides.

The film notes that roughly a year later the Supreme Court rules that citizens are entitled to civilian trials, not military tribunals, even in war. John Surratt's post-trial fate unfolds with uncertainty before eventual outcomes. The era closes with a hint of reform and lingering questions about justice.

Having stepped away from the practice of law, Aiken transitions to journalism. He becomes The Washington Post's first City Editor, shaping the paper's early voice and his own unexpected career arc. The final note redefines his legacy beyond the courtroom.