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

[RJNorton]

(09-11-2014 08:16 PM)Jim Garrett Wrote:  See, I'm right!! Rich Smyth, Tom Bogar and I believe Laura Keene was in the box. nuf said

Hi Jim. I am still straddling this one. Do you have any idea why Clara Harris was so adamant in her denial of Keene's presence? She is the only one of the presidential party who made a statement on this. I did a search of Mary Lincoln's letters, and she never once mentioned Keene's name in a letter.

Also, I think RogerM (and others, too) once made the point of Mary's probable reaction to another woman cradling her husband's head. Do you feel she was in such a state of shock that she was numb to react?

At the same time I am mystified by GATH's inclusion of Keene's role in an 1865 book. I am thinking he must have talked to some of the actors in the play, and they told him what Keene did.

So a part of me thinks Keene was there and a part is still somewhat doubtful.