Frederick Demond

[L Verge]

(08-08-2015 06:21 PM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote:  

(08-08-2015 04:05 PM)Pamela Wrote:  

(08-08-2015 12:52 PM)L Verge Wrote:  

(08-08-2015 10:52 AM)Pamela Wrote:  Has anyone visited Veroli, Italy to check out that cliff and ledge and get to the bottom (pun intended) of the great Surratt escape leap? It sounds like a great reason, among thousands of others, to visit Italy.

Michael Schein, author of the 2015 book on John Surratt, Jr.: The Lincoln Assassin Who Got Away, did visit Veroli and took his own photos of the area, including a view looking down on the old barracks/prison, a picture of a cell door, and a very impressive one looking down the steep enbankment near where Surratt is believed to have leapt. Today, he would have landed in the middle of a highway.

Michael also presents some good primary source materials to support Surratt's leap into what could have been abyss.

I should read his book because I agree that the story of Surratt's jump is hard to believe. 35 ft is a deadly height.

According to sources cited by Schein, Surratt claimed it was only about 12 feet. A report at the time gave an estimate of 23 feet, and indicated that he landed in a pile of dung, which cushioned his fall.

Mike Kauffman also supported the leap and the landing into filth, which cushioned his fall. Surratt wrenched his back and damaged his shoulder in the landing despite it being somewhat cushioned. Mike used to joke about Surratt's scent being easy to pick up by his pursuers.