Episode Summary
Executive Summary: The episode traces Charles Colchester, a 19th-century spiritualist and alleged medium who gained access to Mary Todd Lincoln and even drew Abraham Lincoln’s scrutiny. He was repeatedly exposed as a fraud through seances, testimony, and a tax trial for “jugglery,” yet continued performing until his death in 1867. The story ties grief, politics, fraud, and the legal treatment of spiritualism together.
Main Topics: Charles Colchester’s elusive identity and rise (Priority: 5/5): Colchester’s real name and early life are uncertain, but he presented himself as an English-born illegitimate duke’s son and built a reputation for seemingly supernatural feats. Mary Todd Lincoln, grief, and spiritualism (Priority: 5/5): Mary’s mourning after Willie Lincoln’s death made her receptive to spiritualism, and Colchester exploited that vulnerability to gain access to the White House orbit. Abraham Lincoln’s investigation of Colchester (Priority: 4/5): Lincoln did not appear to believe Colchester; instead, he sought to understand the tricks and involved Smithsonian secretary Joseph Henry in examining him. Blackmail and expulsion from Washington (Priority: 5/5): Colchester tried to leverage private information about Mary Todd Lincoln to obtain a railroad pass, prompting Noah Brooks to expose and confront him. Connection to John Wilkes Booth (Priority: 4/5): Booth also sought mediums after a family death and developed a relationship with Colchester, which later drew suspicion after Lincoln’s assassination. The 1865-1866 ‘jugglery’ prosecutions (Priority: 5/5): Colchester was charged as a tax matter for practicing ‘jugglery without a license,’ turning his case into a broader public debate over spiritualism versus fraud. Exposure, decline, and death (Priority: 4/5): Testimony from magicians, former associates, and journalists steadily dismantled Colchester’s credibility; he died in Iowa in 1867 after losing most public support.
Key Arguments: Colchester’s public identity was self-invented and likely fraudulent; even his name and background were doubtful. His appeal came from exploiting wartime grief and the broader popularity of spiritualism rather than from verifiable supernatural ability. Lincoln’s interest in Colchester was primarily protective and investigative, not credulous. The government case against Colchester was framed as a licensing/tax issue, but it functioned as a public exposure of mediumistic fraud. High-profile patrons did not validate Colchester’s powers; they mainly show how persuasive and socially embedded spiritualism had become. Witness testimony described specific stagecraft and deception techniques, undermining claims that his manifestations were supernatural. Even after exposure, Colchester continued touring, showing how resilient public demand for mediums remained despite scandal.
Data Points: Episode original air date: September 20, 2021 - Stated in the show introduction as the original release date of the episode. Willie Lincoln’s age at death: 11 - Mary Todd Lincoln’s interest in spiritualism intensified after the death of her son Willie at age 11 in 1862. Year of Willie Lincoln’s death: 1862 - The catalyst for Mary Todd Lincoln’s turn toward spiritualism. Year of Lincoln assassination: 1865 - Colchester’s association with Booth and warnings to Lincoln became newly significant after the president’s death. Seances per day: 8 to 10 - D.A. McCord claimed Colchester held this many sittings daily during his exposure letter. Fee per sitting: $1 to $2 - McCord described Colchester’s charges per seance. White House-related fine: $40 - Colchester’s penalty after being found guilty in the jugglery case. Court costs: $473 - Additional amount Colchester had to pay after the conviction. Year of New York arrest: 1865 - Colchester was arrested in August 1865 for practicing jugglery without a license. Date of trial verdict: August 23, 1865 - Jury found Charles Colchester to be a juggler. Year of Louisville case: 1866 - He was again cited for practicing without a license in Kentucky. Year of death: 1867 - Colchester died in Keokuk, Iowa, in early May 1867.
Pivotal Quotes: "You are a swindler and a humbug. Get out of the city at once." — Noah Brooks: Brooks confronted Colchester in the White House after revealing the injury he sustained while exposing the seance trickery. "It is a simple inquiry whether Charles J. Colchester is practicing sleight of hand under the guise of spiritual control." — District attorney: Opening argument in the 1865 jugglery trial clarified that the case was about fraud and licensing, not the legitimacy of spiritualism as a whole. "I make this exposure not to injure him, but to keep others from being injured and defrauded by villainous impostures." — D.A. McCord: McCord’s open letter described Colchester’s methods and motives after working as his agent.
Implications: The episode shows how grief, politics, and mass media created opportunities for fraud in the spiritualism era. It also highlights early efforts to distinguish belief from deception through investigation, testimony, and law.