Why was Booth admitted into the presidential box?

[John Fazio]

(04-26-2015 04:10 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  John, I am currently reading both your book and Betty's second edition. Most certainly I am enjoying both. I commend both of you!

John, I am curious about the statement Clara Harris gave which was published in the New York Herald. Here's a part:

"Nearly one hour before the commission of the deed, the assassin came to the door of the box and looked in, to take a survey of the position of its occupants. It was supposed at the time that it was either a mistake or the exercise of impertinent curiosity. The circumstance attracted no particular attention at the time. Upon his entering the box again, Maj. Rathbone rose and asked the intruder his business. He rushed past the major without making a reply, and, placing his pistol close to the back of the president’s head, actually in contact with it, fired, and instantly sprang upon the cushioned baluster of the box, when he made a backward plunge with his knife, aimed at the face or breast of Mr. Lincoln. Maj. Rathbone, springing forward to protect the president, received a stab in his arm."

As far as I know there is no other eyewitness evidence that John Wilkes Booth made a "trial run" about an hour before the assassination. Don't you find it strange that Clara was apparently the only one to see this? Also, she states, "Upon his entering the box again, Maj. Rathbone rose and asked the intruder his business." As far as I can tell this is in direct conflict with what Rathbone said - that he was intently watching the play (with his back to the door) and was not aware of Booth's presence in the box until the shot was fired.

Although Brooks does write about the Harris' account on p. 189 he also says, "Miss Harris, hearing the door open a second time, looked up and saw Booth enter deliberately but rapidly, walk up behind the President, whose face was turned toward the audience, and applying a little pistol exactly under the left ear, fire." I assume this information also comes from the Clara Harris' account?

How much veracity do you place in Harris' account? I ask because the implication seems to be that both Henry and Clara were fully aware that Booth had entered the box. This whole concept is new to me as I was of the opinion that both Clara and Henry were intently watching the play and both were not aware of anything amiss until the actual sound of the gun.

In my opinion Booth did intrude briefly, just as Clara described it. She had absolutely no motivation to invent this story and it makes perfect sense from Booth's standpoint. That said, however, I do not accept the statement that Rathbone inquired of the intruder the nature of his business when he entered the box the second time. Clara added that embellishment, obviously, to protect her fiance', because she realized that he would otherwise be subject to criticism for inaction before the shot was fired. Rathbone's affidavits and statements make no mention of such an inquiry. The intruder could not have been Hanscomb, for reasons given in the book (p. 163). We may accept as certain, therefore, that Booth made a dry run, opened the Box 8 door, looked in briefly to survey the position of the occupants, possible security arrangements and the presence of any other possible impediment, and then withdrew. Clara's stating "Upon his entering the box again" proves that the intruder and the assassin were the same man. We may also accept as certain that Lincoln, Mary and Rathbone did not see the intruder because they were facing away from the door toward the stage. Clara, on the other hand, was facing partially toward the door and would therefore notice the intrusion in her peripheral vision. She said nothing to the others because she "supposed it to be a mistake or the exercise of an impertinent curiosity" and it was therefore unimportant to her, not worthy of comment to the others. We may also accept as certain that Rathbone said nothing to Booth when he entered the box the second time.

John