One more post, on one broken leg.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thanks Anita for the tip and wsanto for the free link! Interesting book! I've always wanted to know what other productions Ford's had in the repertoire.
Yesterday (later) I also found another plan.
I never really could imagine the exact "arrangement" - the relative position to each other - of the "rooms" or compartments Booth had to pass at Ford's Theater, thus of the dress circle, the corridor and the State Box. I've always assumed the door through which JWB entered the State Box was directly opposite Lincoln's rocking chair (like door G in the following). Obviously it was not, as this sketch in Harper's weekly of April 29, 1865 shows:
http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundati...heater.htm

Dave also has it on his boothiebarn in a great article that answered many questions I had:
http://boothiebarn.com/?s=rathbone&submit=Search

Thanks, Dave! Although Anita had already posted the link it didn't (still doesn't - for whatever reason) work on my device ("page not found"). But I came across Dave's article yesterday myself when I searched for a floor plan.

Still I have some questions, and Dave kindly allowed me to use and quote from his article here.
There are two photos of the door, but I'm not sure which of the four compartments of the door was the one with the spy hole? (Thus at what height was it?) One of the upper two, I assume!?
Dave also writes:"A picture the next day by Matthew Brady shows the same door, right behind the President, closed...looking closely at the photo, I notice that no hole is bored into it." If the hole was in the top compartment of the door and on the left side (right side viewed from the corridor) it would have been exactly hidden by the curtain, wouldn't it?

Dave furthermore writes: "Rathbone claims that the door to Box 8 was never closed during the performance. If this is the case, Booth may not have used the peephole to spy on the President through Box 7." I agree on the conclusion, but could JWB have known the door was not closed during a performance?

Dave, thanks also for bringing up this question: "As Booth was making his jump, could the grasp of Major Rathbone on his clothes have thrown the actor’s balance off and caused his clumsy landing? Further, if this is indeed when Booth broke his leg, effectively slowing down his escape, could it be Rathbone and not the flags, that deserve the credit?"
I've always had this question in mind too, but never dared to pose it because I know too little on the topic and since I've always just seen the flag mentioned I thought for some reason I don't know it might be a stupid idea.

Finally, Dave, I like the illustrative way you worded the following which I could well imagine, too: "Booth becomes a shadowy figure, standing motionless in the doorway to box 8 eyeing his prey. To me the latter image is in line with Booth’s brazen persona. He brought an unreliable single shot derringer to kill the President, assured that he would succeed. I have no problem picturing this arrogant Booth, lurking near an open door a few feet away from the President, coiled like a viper waiting to strike."

I thank for any comment on the questions above!