Otto Eisenschiml
Encyclopedia
Otto Eisenschiml was an Austria
n-born chemist and industrial executive in the American
oil industry, and a controversial author. He may be best known for his provocative 1937 book on the assassination of Abraham Lincoln
in which he proposed that a senior member of Lincoln's Cabinet
orchestrated the plot to kill the president.
and obtained advanced degrees in chemistry
. In 1901, he emigrated to the United States
and took a job as an industrial chemist. He rose through the ranks to become president of the Scientific Oil Compounding Company. For much of his life, Eisenschiml lived in Chicago, Illinois.
He invented a window envelope made from one piece of paper. Later he developed a test to detect the presence of fish oil
contaminants in vegetable oil. Eisenschiml was well published within the chemical and oil industries, authoring several articles in trade journals and magazines on various technical aspects of the business.
He became a student of American history, with a particular fascination for the Abraham Lincoln assassination
. He began researching the murder in 1928, but was not satisfied with the prevailing account that John Wilkes Booth
was the mastermind of the plot. In 1937, his signature work, Why was Lincoln Murdered?, was published to mixed reviews and a national furor. The resulting publicity resulted in good sales volumes. In it, he postulated that the Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton
had plotted to kill Lincoln due to marked political and personal differences. He used circumstantial evidence
to build his case, including Stanton's hiring of a bodyguard named John Parker to protect the president (Parker was temporarily absent when assassin Booth entered the presidential box at Ford's Theater).
Eisenschiml also speculated that Stanton had deliberately left one key bridge across the Potomac River
open, the same bridge Booth actually used to escape, and that he ordered Booth to be shot and killed by the Union Army
. Another controversial suggestion was that Stanton tore several incriminating pages from Booth's diary. The book sparked other books and conspiracy theories, as well as some films. His theories have become popularly known as the "Eisenschiml Thesis," but have generally been discredited by leading historians.
play Yours, A. Lincoln. His theory, or one derived from it, was mentioned by the fictional detective Steve Crosetti
in an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street
. Edward Hyam's book, Killing No Murder, which studied a number of assassinations, accepted this theory, with the added error of supposing Secretaries Seward and Stanton to be next in line after the Vice President.
Eisenschiml's book is also referenced in the 2007 Disney film National Treasure: Book of Secrets, when it is mentioned by a precocious child during a scene at the White House
Easter egg roll. Similar to the book, the film's premise was partially inspired by pages missing from John Wilkes Booth
's diary.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n-born chemist and industrial executive in the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
oil industry, and a controversial author. He may be best known for his provocative 1937 book on the assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
in which he proposed that a senior member of Lincoln's Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
orchestrated the plot to kill the president.
Career
Eisenschiml was born in Austria. He attended the University of ViennaUniversity of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
and obtained advanced degrees in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
. In 1901, he emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and took a job as an industrial chemist. He rose through the ranks to become president of the Scientific Oil Compounding Company. For much of his life, Eisenschiml lived in Chicago, Illinois.
He invented a window envelope made from one piece of paper. Later he developed a test to detect the presence of fish oil
Fish oil
Fish oil is oil derived from the tissues of oily fish. Fish oils contain the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid , and docosahexaenoic acid , precursors of certain eicosanoids that are known to reduce inflammation throughout the body, and are thought to have many health benefits.Fish do not...
contaminants in vegetable oil. Eisenschiml was well published within the chemical and oil industries, authoring several articles in trade journals and magazines on various technical aspects of the business.
He became a student of American history, with a particular fascination for the Abraham Lincoln assassination
Abraham Lincoln assassination
The assassination of United States President Abraham Lincoln took place on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, as the American Civil War was drawing to a close. The assassination occurred five days after the commanding General of the Army of Northern Virginia, Robert E. Lee, and his battered Army of...
. He began researching the murder in 1928, but was not satisfied with the prevailing account that John Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth was an American stage actor who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. Booth was a member of the prominent 19th century Booth theatrical family from Maryland and, by the 1860s, was a well-known actor...
was the mastermind of the plot. In 1937, his signature work, Why was Lincoln Murdered?, was published to mixed reviews and a national furor. The resulting publicity resulted in good sales volumes. In it, he postulated that the Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton
Edwin M. Stanton
Edwin McMasters Stanton was an American lawyer and politician who served as Secretary of War under the Lincoln Administration during the American Civil War from 1862–1865...
had plotted to kill Lincoln due to marked political and personal differences. He used circumstantial evidence
Circumstantial evidence
Circumstantial evidence is evidence in which an inference is required to connect it to a conclusion of fact, like a fingerprint at the scene of a crime...
to build his case, including Stanton's hiring of a bodyguard named John Parker to protect the president (Parker was temporarily absent when assassin Booth entered the presidential box at Ford's Theater).
Eisenschiml also speculated that Stanton had deliberately left one key bridge across the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
open, the same bridge Booth actually used to escape, and that he ordered Booth to be shot and killed by the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
. Another controversial suggestion was that Stanton tore several incriminating pages from Booth's diary. The book sparked other books and conspiracy theories, as well as some films. His theories have become popularly known as the "Eisenschiml Thesis," but have generally been discredited by leading historians.
Publications
- Why was Lincoln Murdered? (1937)
- The Shadow of Lincoln's Death (1940)
- Reviewers Reviewed: A Challenge to Historical Critics (1940)
- Without Fame: The Romance of a Profession (1942)
- The Story of Shiloh (1946)
- The American Iliad: The Epic Story of the Civil War as Narrated by Eyewitnesses and Contemporaries (1947) - with Ralph NewmanRalph NewmanRalph Geoffrey Newman was an American author and well known Abraham Lincoln scholar. He owned the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in Chicago, Illinois, and hosted a monthly gathering known as the Civil War Round Table...
- As Luck Would Have It (1948)
- The Celebrated Case of Fitz John Porter: An American Dreyfus Affair (1950)
- The Civil War (1956) - with Ralph Newman and E.B. Long
- Why the Civil War (1958)
- Eyewitness: The Civil War as We Lived It (1960) revised version of The American Iliad
- The Hidden Face of the Civil War (1961)
- O.E.: Historian Without an Armchair (1963)
In popular culture
Otto Eisenschiml's first book on the assassination inspired the 1942 BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
play Yours, A. Lincoln. His theory, or one derived from it, was mentioned by the fictional detective Steve Crosetti
Steve Crosetti
Det. Steve Crosetti is a fictional character on the television drama series Homicide: Life on the Street portrayed by actor Jon Polito for the show's first two seasons. He is believed to be based on Baltimore Police Department Det...
in an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de-facto series finale...
. Edward Hyam's book, Killing No Murder, which studied a number of assassinations, accepted this theory, with the added error of supposing Secretaries Seward and Stanton to be next in line after the Vice President.
Eisenschiml's book is also referenced in the 2007 Disney film National Treasure: Book of Secrets, when it is mentioned by a precocious child during a scene at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Easter egg roll. Similar to the book, the film's premise was partially inspired by pages missing from John Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth was an American stage actor who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. Booth was a member of the prominent 19th century Booth theatrical family from Maryland and, by the 1860s, was a well-known actor...
's diary.