Breaking a leg

[wsanto]

[quote='Dave Taylor' pid='12410' dateline='1360032996']
That's right I'm opening up the can of worms again!

First, a quick review:

Roger posted Michael Kauffman's article from the Blue and Gray laying out his theory regarding Booth's broken leg here.

John Elliott expanded on the ideas here.

I debated the idea that John Lloyd was told Booth broke his leg when his horse fell here.

While Kauffman uses the statements of David Herold and Dr. Mudd to support his theory, given the fact that they were co-conspirators who both tried to play ignorant of Booth's crime, nothing they said under examination can be taken at face value. Neither Dr. Mudd or Davy Herold could admit that Booth broke his leg while jumping to the stage after shooting the president, without implicating their knowledge of the events. Putting these statements aside, one major pro in Kauffman's theory are the statements of Thomas Davis, a farmhand on Mudd's farm. Davis noted that Booth's horse was, "lame in her front leg she was very lame before taken out of the stable" and had a "piece of skin off on the inside of the front left foreleg about as big as a silver quarter". This injury could be a result of Booth's horse falling, or perhaps the result of being ridden hard through rough, scratchy terrain.

I have always been on the fence about the two theories. To me, it always seemed to come down to when we wanted to believe Booth. Either we believe Booth through the words of Dr. Mudd and Davy Herold, or we believe what Booth wrote in his diary. There is an inherent unreliability with both. Dr. Mudd and Davy Herold both played dumb of Booth's crime when giving their statements to avoid further incrimination. Booth himself wrote in exaggerated statements in his diary. Forced between these two, believing Booth's own words seemed the lesser of two evils.

Recently, I have stumbled across a new aspect to the debate, which makes me cast more doubt on my previously held belief. I have a problem rectifying these telegrams (1 & 2, 3) describing Booth breaking his leg at the theatre.

Two of the telegrams are from Col. William Wood, who would later be in charge of Mary Surratt, Dr. Mudd and many witnesses and suspects in the Old Capital Prison. He writes in the morning of April 23rd, the following:

"There is no doubt but that Booth broke one of the bones in his leg in the jump on the stage of the theatre immediately after the murder."

Later the same day he sends the following:

"The assassins changed horses. Herold was riding the bay mare obtained from Pumphrey's Stable, and it may be possible that she fell or threw off Booth and broke his leg. However, I believe as I have written this morning."

The 3rd telegram, sent at 8 pm on April 23rd is from Major John Waite, who, like William Wood, is forwarding information gleaned from Brytantown. It says, in part:

"Booth fractured a bone of his leg in jumping upon the stage, not by falling near Bryantown."

My problem with these telegrams is this, from where did the soldiers get their information? Booth was still on the run and no one had read his diary when these telegrams were written. Therefore, Wood and Waite could not have gotten their information from Booth's writings...

The way I see it, the language of William Wood's telegrams show that he was under the impression that Booth broke his leg when he jumped to the stage, even though he had no evidence for it. In fact, the lines, "it may be possible that she fell or threw off Booth and broke his leg. However, I believe as I have written this morning," demonstrates that he ignored evidence to the contrary to his opinion and continued to support his idea without merit. The subsequent telegram from Waite must have been influenced by Wood's assertions, even though they were unfounded.
quote]

Dave,

These telegrams bring up a very interesting question for me. Perhaps the answer is well known already to historians but it has me dumbfounded. I could use some help.

How do you think William Wood came up with the theory that Booth broke his leg jumping to the stage prior to Booth's diary coming into evidence and making the same claim?

Was it speculated in the newspapers prior to Booth's diary entry? If so then Booth might have picked that theory up for his confessional account. If not, it would be quite a coincidence for Booth to make that claim after William Wood and others investigators in Bryantown felt fairly convinced of this theory.