a british clairvoyant warned abraham lincoln that his life was in danger weeks before he was assassinated, a historian claims it is thought charles colchester, a medium who was close to the first lady, told the president of the threat in the early months of 1865 lincoln was shot dead by actor john wilkes booth as he watched a play in a private box at ford's theatre, washington dc, on the night of april 14 that year assassinated: an illustration shows john wilkes booth shooting president lincoln at ford's theatre on april 14, 1865 clairvoyant charles colchester had become close to first lady mary todd lincoln, pictured centre  but while colchester may have been passing on the information as a mystic warning, it is likely the information came directly from the assassin   who was also his drinking companion colchester's relationship with the president has been well document, but until now historians have not connected him with booth, professor terry alford writes in fortune's fool, a new biography of the assassin, according to the times the medium became known to the lincoln family after he was summoned by first lady mary todd lincoln when she was looking to communicate with her dead 11 year old son, willie colchester, the illegitimate son of a duke, impressed mrs lincoln and was invited to hold a number of seances at the white house and the soldiers' home, the president's summer retreat warning: abraham lincoln, was told his life was in danger weeks before his death, it is claimed  but while he became important to the first lady, it appears he was unable to convince the president of his powers, writes professor terry alford on one occasion the president asked joseph henry, of the smithsonian institute, to investigate how colchester was able to summon noises in different parts of a room   evidence, he claimed, of his ability to communicate with spirits mr henry was forced to report that he was unable to find an explanation (it was later discovered colchester had an electrical noise maker strapped to his bicep) his close relationship to the first lady allowed colchester to become part of the washington social scene it was there he met booth and the two men became friends, writes professor alford 'they would go out and get drunk together,' he told the times in the weeks before the assassination, booth was staying at the national hotel   less than six blocks from ford's theatre colchester visited him there often, writes alford in early 1865 booth abandoned his plan to kidnap lincoln and decided instead to assassinate him he shared his plot with a number of trusted friends in washington, but it is not clear whether booth was one of them what is known is that, in april 1865   the month of the assassination   another friend urged the president to be mindful of his personal safety, lincoln replied: 'colchester has been telling me that' colchester fled washington after being confronted by a member of the president's inner circle following a blackmail attempt on the first lady he died in iowa a few years later fortune's fool: the life of john wilkes booth, will be published in britain by oxford university press on may 28
abraham lincoln washington dc clairvoyant charles colchester colchester lincoln booth british terry alford
abraham lincoln was shot dead in washington dc theatre on april 14 1865  clairvoyant charles colchester had warned him of threat, it is claimed  colchester was close to lincoln family and also friend of assassin booth  but the british medium had failed to convince president of his powers  revelations made in new biography on booth by historian dr terry alford 