Booth escape route north

[wsanto]

(08-30-2013 03:15 PM)JMadonna Wrote:  

(08-30-2013 12:59 PM)L Verge Wrote:  6. You already know that I do not believe that Booth lied about where he broke his leg. I am a definite proponent of the fact that it was broken at Ford's Theatre.

6. Absolutely not one person who witnessed the scene would have agreed with you at the time. It was not until his diary was 'found' 2 years after did it become part of the mythology.

Jerry,

Most of the April 28th, 1965 newspaper accounts on of the killing of JWB and capture of Herold report that (paraphrasing) "it is now believed JWB broke his leg leaping to the stage at Ford's Theatre".

We have no way of knowing if any of the witnesses at Ford's would have agreed with Laurie. The question wasn't put to them. The fact that no one gave a statement that indicated Booth broke his leg in the leap does not mean that they may not have agreed with Laurie upon reflection that very night or, at least, thought it likely or possible.

We will all agree that it is a fact that Booth leapt from the box after the assassination and landed on the stage 12 feet below. By most accounts he landed awkwardly. I assume we can all agree that this is a way a person might break their fibula.

What we do not have is any witness to the horse fall or any reliable evidence that Booth and Herold weren't lying about the horse fall to cover his broken leg during their escape.

There is no evidence that I know of that Booth's Bay Mare was significantly injured from a fall. Mudd's famhand's statement in "the Evidence" states the Mare was in "fine trim" with a small quarter sized avulsion on the inside of one of its front legs. Unless someone has other statements of this farmhand that includes more detail--that's it? Hardly evidence of a horse fall.

Thanks--
Bill Carnevali