Why was Booth admitted into the presidential box?

[LincolnToddFan]

(04-29-2015 01:27 PM)Juan Marrero Wrote:  As a late arrival I apologize if this has been covered, but I wonder if JWB would only have been momentarily deterred if he had not gotten into the box. Forcing an entry might have worked, but he also had the option of waiting for the play to end and then stalk the President on his way to the coach. Once the night was underway and he had parted with his co-conspirators, JWB knew that there was no going back. An attack on Seward and/or Johnson would most likely give way to revealing the full extent of the plot. So, there was nothing to lose if he tried to attack Lincoln sometime that night. I suppose, JWB could have "skedadled" once he was denied entry, but it would seem out of character to leave the others in the lurch.

Like the sinking of the Titanic exactly 47 years later, that night haunts with those twists of fate that made all the difference.

No Juan, you are right. On the night of Apr 14 1865, JWB did not have the option of re-arranging the timing of the murder once he entered Ford's Theater.. Remember what was going on at the Seward mansion at roughly the exact same time as the Presidential assassination. It was crucial that the mayhem chez Seward and the death of the President be carried out at the same time, like clockwork.

Otherwise, once Seward had been attacked word would have spread very quickly to Ford's. Hearing about the attack on his Secretary of State and close friend, Lincoln would have insisted on leaving at once. At that point the alarm would have been sounded and he would have been surrounded by U.S. cavalry for protection for the foreseeable future..

Once the conspirators set out that night, the die was cast. Booth had to act at the agreed upon time and so did Lewis Powell.

I strongly disagree that it would have been out of character for JWB to flee and leave others in the lurch.

That is exactly what he did do, after all.