Why was Booth admitted into the presidential box?

[Sally]

(04-01-2015 03:42 PM)Rhatkinson Wrote:  Terry Alford mentioned that he has a new theory on this subject that explains not only the entry, but why Charles Forbes was never called to give a statement after the assassination. I have his book on order, but confess that it is under a pile of other books on the assassination that I have just started reading.

Could anyone who has read Alford's book yet fill us in on his theory? I always assumed it was because of Booth's theater fame.

Heath

Mr. Alford poses his theory on page 264 of the book. He believes the card Booth presented to Forbes was that of John Parker Hale, the father of Lucy Hale. In the footnotes, he writes that Lucy's grandson, John Parker Hale Chandler wrote to Helen Milius "that it was well understood in his family that Booth used Hale's card." He also cites other sources to buttress his claim.

Mr. Alford states that Forbes was not meant to serve as Lincoln's bodyguard that evening, but only as a "valet", and he would not have thought a famous actor who carried around the visiting card of a former Republican senator would pose a threat to the President.

Mr. Alford also posits that J.P. Hale was aware Booth had used his name in order to get to Lincoln, and that when he attended Andrew Johnson's inauguration on the morning of April 15, he and Johnson had a "private" discussion during which Hale "explained away" his family's association with Booth. Alford speculates that this discussion may be the reason why Lucy was never dragged into the investigation, and why Forbes was never forced to produce the card. It seems to have vanished into the mists of history.