Lincoln Kidnap Tries

[John Fazio]

(08-03-2015 08:18 AM)Rosieo Wrote:  
Attempts were made in January and March.
Why in winter?

(Please forgive larger font - bad eyes)

Rosieo:

My view is that Booth never really intended to kidnap anyone. I give 26 reasons in my book (pp. 129-137) for so believing. Here's one of them:
Samuel Arnold complained of "most favorable opportunities" (to kidnap) which were missed. Told of the opportunities by Arnold, Booth paid little attention to them, because, he said, he was too busy at the time. In the meantime, said Arnold, Booth continued "riotous living and dissipation," which compelled him to visit New York for more money.

Here's another reason, found on p. 130:

Arnold said, in his confession: "Of course I know nothing of the assassination plot. The kidnapping was of such a quixotic nature that there is nothing in it, and with the last no overt act was committed, therefore, no proceedings could be established under the law."

The January "attempt" (the Jack Cade affair) has so many uncertainties about it that Hanchett says: "Whatever Booth and his friends were up to in January, there is no real evidence that they planned seriously to capture Lincoln inside the theater."

The March "attempt" (the Campbell Hospital affair) is described by Kauffman in these words: "...in all likelihood, he (Booth) staged the event to make it work for him. He really had no reason to think that Lincoln was planning to go to Campbell Hospital". And Arnold said that "...the episode was so demented and foolhardy that we 'we concluded that it was done to try the nerve of his (Booth's) associates'."

John