Voting Station

Samuel J. Seymour

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Oddity

The Resume

    (March 28, 1860-April 12, 1956)
    Born in Easton, Maryland
    Middle name is James
    Last surviving witness of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln (April 14, 1865)
    Appeared on I've Got A Secret (February 9, 1956)

Why he might be annoying:

    He didn't give his testimony to a written account by a biographer until 1954 (at the age of 94).
    His claim of witnessing the Lincoln assassination has been questioned.
    Not understanding what had happened, he initially was more concerned for assassin John Wilkes Booth, who broke his leg jumping from the balcony.
    He was given a can of Prince Albert pipe tobacco instead of the usual prize of a carton of Winston cigarettes by 'I've Got a Secret' sponsors R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He worked as a carpenter and contractor.
    He had very little reason to lie about being a witness at that late stage in his life (or he might have just been confused in his old age?)
    His appearance on 'I've Got a Secret' has since accrued over 4.5 million views on YouTube.
    When he arrived in New York City for the taping, he suffered a fall which left him with a large swollen knot above his right eye.
    His family, along with the show's host and producers urged him to forgo his appearance on the show but he insisted after being cleared by a doctor. He died two months later.
    He was survived by five children, thirteen grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren.
    He got to see 'Our American Cousin' as a kid (oh yeah, and he also likely witnessed the first successful assassination of an American President!)

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 20.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 6 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying