Breaking a leg

[Rhatkinson]

In reading this excellent GATH article posted in the Thomas Harbin post:

http://www.samuelmudd.com/831884-george-...ation.html

...several interesting observations were made, one of which deals with this much debated leg break issue. If it is to be believed, Harbin actually heard directly from Booth on the issue. Of course, we also have Booth's diary, but to me this is a key piece of evidence to support the Ford's break as Booth had no reason to lie/embellish to Harbin (as I have argued, he also had no reason to lie to Jones.) here is what was reported:

Mr. Harbin asked Booth about his fractured leg. Booth said: "When I jumped out of that box I felt the bone give way in my leg, and a swooning sensation came on me, and I thought that I should fall to the floor. But," said he, "my courage took me through. If I had dropped there they would have captured me on the spot and that would have been the end of it. I rallied all my mental strength for the effort, and limped across the stage with a white face and went out of the door in the rear."

I do acknowledge there are problems with Harbin's hearsay of Booth which may cast doubt on this topic, namely the claim that Booth said he met up with Herold at F street and rode together from there. This is of course not in line with the other evidence of them crossing the bridge at differing times.

Harbin also says that Spangler knew of Booth's plan which I see no other evidence at all to support, and it makes little sense to trust such damning information to someone not in the group.

Heath