The “rubber box” or did Laura Keene indeed held Lincoln’s head?

[loetar44]

(09-10-2014 03:29 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Good luck figuring it all out, Kees. That's a scenario that many of us have debated (and laughed about) for many years! It's just not rooms and presidential boxes that can be stretched like rubber -- the truth of who was there can be stretched a lot also...

Laughed about? What do you mean exactly? Laughed about the arguments that Laura Keene was indeed in the State Box, or laughed about the contra arguments she was not? It is my understanding that it is at least highly questionable whether she would have been able to get there. And yes, truth may be stretched, but cannot be broken! I’m not a person automatically believing what’s being said, and always willing to take the time to fact check and hear other arguments. Of course, I know the story of the blooded gown, of course I know the arguments used to “prove” that Laura was in the state box, but I also do know that all these arguments are secondary. My question was: where is the primary evidence? BTW. Have you read the blog of Norman Gasbarro about this subject? He has IMO a good story I certainly did not consider laughable.

http://civilwar.gratzpa.org/author/normgas/

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(09-10-2014 03:56 PM)Jim Garrett Wrote:  The Presidential box (7&8), when put together have an unusual shape, somewhat L shaped. The vestibule, or entry hall was made from space taken from box 7. It would be an extremely tight fit with 10 people in the box all at once, but if you include the vestibule as part of the box, the additional space makes it move conceiveable. Rich Smyth and I have gone over and over the issue of whether Thomas Gourlay and Laura Keene were in the box. We believe that Gourlay and Keene were in the box. If I remember correctly, Neither Keene nor Gourlay left a written record, however there were a number of credible accounts of them in the box.

Thanks Jim, even with the vestibule included, some writers have said that it’s only possible that all those people could have fit in the box if they were stacked on top of each other. Of course an exaggerating statement .....ha, ha, ha.

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(09-10-2014 03:56 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Kees, please see this, you might find it interesting:
http://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussio...ight=keene
(The Keene-in-the-box issue is debated till the end of the thread.)

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(09-10-2014 03:56 PM)Jim Garrett Wrote:  If I remember correctly, Neither Keene nor Gourlay left a written record, however there were a number of credible accounts of them in the box.

P. 226 in "Backstage at the Lincoln Assassination" reads:
"Keene, too, refused to discuss the assassination after issuing an initial statement on April 29, which was printed in the 'Clipper' and other newspapers. In it, she restricted herself to narrating her own actions that evening:...heard a call for water, and then made her way...to the president's box, remaining with him until he was carried out." The statement might have been the one Roger posted here (post #89):
http://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussio...ge-6.html?

Kees, have you read Tom Bogar's fantastic book ("Backstage at the Lincoln Assassination")? I'm sure you will love it!!!

Hi Eva! Good advice. I haven't read Bogar's book. I will try to borrow from my library. Have you an ISBN ?