The hole In the door

[John Fazio]

(11-13-2015 08:38 AM)jonathan Wrote:  I can see how doing a dry run during an intermission would make it less likely he would be noticed by those outside the box. People milling around, chatting, gone next door for a drink, that kind of thing. He would likely just blend in with the crowd. But wouldn't it make it much more likely that he would be noticed by everyone in the box? The four are in the box, it's intermission so none of them are looking at the stage, they're likely having some casual chit chat…and someone opens the door and looks in. Seems to me that those facing in that general direction would immediately notice, stop conversation, and look up at him. This would lead the others to wonder what it was and do the same. Booth then closes the door and goes back to his other business, while the four in the box quickly and casually discuss what that was all about before going back to what they were talking about prior to the interruption. And if one of them happened to recognize Booth, they might even discuss him for a minute (Oh I saw him in such and such a play a couple of years ago, etc.) before continuing. If that had been the case, it just seems to me that one of the others surely would have mentioned it at some point. Although I suppose it's possible they did mention it, only in conversation with friends and not in any kind of official statement or testimony. And maybe Rathbone or Mary did contradict Clara, but also in private conversation rather than during any kind of official questioning. I wonder if anyone asked Clara about this, asked her to elaborate. I wonder if anyone ever asked Rathbone or Mary about it. I'm far from convinced, but I see the argument. I'd be curious to know the timing of the intermissions.

Jonathan:

I said a peek-in during an intermissionwas a possibility; I did not say it was probable. I believe the greater likelihood is that it occurred during the performance rather than during an intermission. It was so perfunctory, I do not believe anyone saw it but Clara. If anyone in the audience saw it, they would have thought it was merely a service call of some kind, certainly nothing that had a sinister purpose.

In an odd way, the fact that Clara dropped reference to the intrusion in her second statement, given very soon afterward before Judge Olin, lends greater credibility to the account. It is easier to accept that she initially recorded what she saw, when her memory was fresh and there was no apparent reason to falsify, and later omitted reference to it as a way of protecting her fiance's image and reputation from an imputation of negligence in protecting the President, than to accept that she made up the initial account out of whole cloth for no apparent reason.

John