(07-29-2015 11:03 PM)Pamela Wrote:  So, with Smoot, the dinner time visitor, and the man with papers taken by the servant, that was 3. Is there corroboration for Smoot's visit as there was for the dinner visitor? Because Mary did not admit, when questioned, to a dinner time visitor, it suggests she had something to hide, like another Booth visit.

(07-29-2015 11:03 PM)Pamela Wrote:  So, with Smoot, the dinner time visitor, and the man with papers taken by the servant, that was 3. Is there corroboration for Smoot's visit as there was for the dinner visitor? Because Mary did not admit, when questioned, to a dinner time visitor, it suggests she had something to hide, like another Booth visit.

(07-30-2015 08:38 AM)Pamela Wrote:  Smoot couldn't have been the dinner time visitor because he didn't ring the doorbell and there was a bonneted lady on the steps who apparently was Mary. If Smoot is truthful, the only the only timing that makes sense to me is that he caught Mary just as she returned from Surrattsville, while Weichmann was taking the carriage back.

Thanks, Roger, I hadn't read Smoot's story before.

Quote:I agree with Susan that the bonneted lady was very likely Eliza Holohan. BTW: That "bonnet" was probably something called an "ugly" or a "skuttle" bonnet. It was a head covering designed for cold and inclement weather and was not very becoming to most women. The nickname "skuttle" refers to its shape looking much like a coal skuttle (bucket) of the period.

(07-30-2015 10:55 AM)BettyO Wrote:  

Quote:I agree with Susan that the bonneted lady was very likely Eliza Holohan. BTW: That "bonnet" was probably something called an "ugly" or a "skuttle" bonnet. It was a head covering designed for cold and inclement weather and was not very becoming to most women. The nickname "skuttle" refers to its shape looking much like a coal skuttle (bucket) of the period.

Agreed. Here is a 19th Century bonnet called an "Ugly" -



Here is another variation which was worn under or over a standard "dress bonnet" -



"Uglies" date from the 18th Century and were commonly called a "Calash"

Susan, I haven't had time to read my Courier yet (just came the other day!) but I can't wait to read the article on Olivia!

(07-29-2015 07:48 AM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote:  

(07-29-2015 04:11 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  I still think there's a good chance Booth came that night. Here is my thinking:

1. Booth asked Mary to tell Lloyd to have the guns ready. He also asked her to take his field glasses to Lloyd. To me it would be logical for Booth to stop at the boardinghouse on his way to Ford's to see if Mary had successfully completed her "errand." Booth may have also asked her to check to see if the road to Surrattsville were guarded; Mary was able to tell him the pickets would be gone by the time he would go by.

2. During the ride back from Surrattsville Weichmann reported that Mary told him she was expecting a visitor about 9:00 P.M. She wouldn't tell Weichmann who the visitor was. Weichmann said she told him Booth was through with acting and would be leaving Washington for New York "never to return."

3. According to Weichmann Mary got extremely nervous after the visitor left and asked him to pray for her intentions. If the visitor were Scott why would Mary get so nervous? Smoot, who also visited that night (after Booth IMO) also reported Mary was very agitated.

4. In his book Weichmann supports his contention that Booth was the visitor by writing that when the detectives left on the morning of the 15th Anna Surratt cried out, "Oh, Ma! Mr. Weichmann is right; just think of that man (John W. Booth) having been here an hour before the assassination. I am afraid it will bring suspicion upon us."

Is it possible Scott, Kirby, Smoot, and Booth ALL stopped by the boardinghouse that night?

I think Kirby can probably be ruled out as a visitor--I don't recollect anyone specifically naming him as stopping by on Friday night (unless I'm just forgetting something).

If Mary knew from Booth's afternoon visit that Booth had something planned for that evening, that would be enough to account for her nervousness even without an extra visit by Booth around 9 p.m. I don't think Booth can be ruled out as an evening visitor, although it's odd to me that Weichmann with his detailed testimony didn't recall any of the evidence mentioned above until after he had been on the stand.

Smoot recalled that he approached the house, saw a woman with a large sunbonnet standing on the stairs, and gave her his name, so he wouldn't have had to ring the doorbell for all of the occupants to hear.

So for me it's Scott probable, Smoot probable, Kirby unlikely, and Booth maybe. What we can say for certain is that anyone stopping by the boardinghouse that night had to have five letters in his surname.

(07-31-2015 07:11 PM)BettyO Wrote:  I've finally got a chance to sit down and relax -- and the first thing I picked up was Susan's article on Olivia...phenominal research!! Susan, I can't wait to read your book!