he originally planned to kidnap him during the war to trade for confederate prisoners but two plans fell through after lee surrendered to the union army lincoln made a speech at the white house announcing his intent to allow black people to vote booth was in the crowd at the speech and made a comment to the effect of this means nigger citizens that will be the last speech he ever gives the plot was to kill lincoln the vp johnson and his secretary of state seward to cut off the republican head of the government and throw it into the chaos seward was sick and bed ridden at the time one of booths companions stabbed him several times but none of the wounds were fatal the conspirator tasked with killing johnson lost his nerve and got drunk at the hotel bar where johnson was staying