Thomas F. Harney

[John Fazio]

(11-18-2014 05:53 PM)L Verge Wrote:  I believe that Mike Kauffman used to state on the Surratt Society's Booth tours that O'Laughlen may well have been going to Stanton's house to warn him of the plot - having contracted a bad case of nerves - and then backed off. I don't have American Brutus at home to check on whether this ended up in the final edit.

Laurie:

Kauffman suggests that possibility on p. 216 of American Brutus. He offers it as a greater likelihood than going there to murder someone. But, as I have already said, O'Laughlen could not have been there for the purpose of murder because that would have upset all of Booth's plans. "Murder", therefore, is a straw man upon which the O'Laughlen-as-warner scenario is posited. IMO O'Laughlen did not intend to warn Stanton or Grant of anything. It is pure speculation on Kauffman's part, based on a false premise and without any evidence to support it. Despite being one of the best researchers in the business, Kauffman frequently arrives at the wrong conclusions, IMO. O'Laughlen came to Washington on the 13th because Booth summoned him there. He met with Booth as soon as he arrived. He was then identified by three men as being at Stanton's that evening. He then met again with Booth the following morning. What is the most reasonable conclusion?

John