“His name is mud”
I recall an interview I saw with award winning journalist Roger Mudd speaking about Dr. Samuel Mudd, a physician who treated John Willke’s Booth for the broken leg he sustained in his escape after assassinating Lincoln.
Mudd was subsequently tried and convicted of conspiracy because he failed to report this to authorities in a timely manner. Evidently, he had met Booth a few times prior and Booth and some of his associates had been to Mudd’s farm (which was conveniently on the escape route).
There has been considerable historical confusion about his possible innocence in the case. It’s unclear whether he had any prior knowledge of the plot and at what point in time he did know.
Evidently there’s also minor dispute about whether this phrase is specifically related to him. But Roger Mudd (who is related tangentially) said that the lore remains regardless.
Interesting story all around nonetheless.