Breaking a leg

[wsanto]

(02-21-2013 08:29 AM)Rhatkinson Wrote:  [quote='Rsmyth' pid='13653' dateline='1361451389']
...I thought it was very kind of Mary and Mike to take the time to respond. I do disagree with her about Wood "believing Dr. Mudd". His report sure sounds like the exact opposite to me. While we all may disagree (good naturedly), it is enjoyable to read differing points of view.

Wow. Great post. Thanks.

A few thoughts. Obviously Mike and Mary are not only wedded to each other but clearly very wedded to this theory. And for good reason...they know a lot more than me and, probably, a lot of us about these events.

And if it is true that Wood believed Mudd was innocent then that really throws a wrench into the theory that perhaps Wood learned any incriminating information from his dealings with Mudd and his staff.

Of course that doesn't discount that Wood's source was Swann or someone else unrelated to Mudd.

My biggest problem is that they don't consider Wood's telegrams indicating that he came up with the stage-leap theory as being relevent or important in the discussion. For them it is just a rather irrelavent trivial point that can not be explained. Perhaps they are right.

They also, in my mind, exaggerate the degree of false testimony in Booth's confession. In my mind, there is more truth than fiction in Booth's diary account.

They also take it as a matter of fact that Booth's horse fell. Whereas everyone knows that Booth leaped twelve feet and landed awkwardly at Ford's there is no witness to the horse fall. It is not a fact but a reasonable conclusion based on some rather scant (IMHO) and unreliable evidence.

One last point. In my opinion, they put too much stock in the idea that if Booth broke his leg at Ford's it would have been obvious to the audience that witnessed the event. I think a lot of this is base on the misconception that a "broken leg" would mostly cripple a person instantly and greatly hamper their escape. That is just not the case for a distal fibular shaft fracture. Booth's fracture would have just been as hard to discern as a twisted ankle for a witness that is in a state of perplexed shock as to what they are witnessing. I also doubt that the source for Wood's theory came from the witnessess at Ford's.

Just my thoughts but I do appreciate that Mrs. kauffman took the time to explain their point of view. It's just great.

Bill C.