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[L Verge]

(07-10-2016 11:10 AM)L Verge Wrote:  

(07-09-2016 09:41 PM)SSlater Wrote:  

(07-06-2016 02:02 AM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote:  The original article in the Critic quotes Richards as stating that the stage was "entirely" free of all persons. The reprinted version in We Saw Lincoln Shot mistakenly renders "entirely" as "nearly." See column 7:

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/s...d-1/seq-1/

(That's why I prefer to check originals whenever possible. Mistakes do creep in.)

As for Grant, you're quoting quite selectively. Later in the article, Richards states that "in a few seconds word went round that General Grant had been shot," which suggests that the audience thought that the person shot had been Grant. The Presidential party, however, had entered the theater late and with fanfare, and with Major Rathbone and Clara Harris in the place of the Grants, so the audience at that point was well aware that Grant was not in the theater, whatever Richards himself might have supposed when he entered the theater.

Incidentally, J. B. Stewart in his April 15 statement makes no mention of meeting Richards at the theater after the assassination.

I've read Richards' letters to Weichmann. Interestingly, as Richards himself admitted to Weichmann, McDevitt was adamant at the time of the Richards-Weichmann correspondence that Richards had not been at the boardinghouse after the assassination, and McDevitt didn't place him there in his 1865 testimony either. In fact, none of the four men who came to the boardinghouse place Richards there, IIRC.

Susan. Did you ever read the "The Original Atzerodt Confession"? Surrratt Courier Oct 1988. Atzerodt never said that they were going to mine the White House. He said they were going to Mine the Kirk House. Can anyon explain that one? NO GUSSES. Plez
Pardon my spelling "Guesses" JFS

First, I think your question, John, was posted under the wrong subject since it pertains to the mining of the White House, not the activities of A.C. Richards. However...

We can only GUESS at this, John, because we can't dig up George and ask him what he told the authorities. I am at home and do not have the statement in front of me (and am too lazy to google). If the word truly is KIRK, and not WHITE, I can GUESS only a few things: Whoever was taking down the statement could not understand George's accent and wrote KIRK, assuming that the Vice President was the target and he lived at the KIRKWOOD House. OR, the KIRKWOOD was the target for the explosives because Johnson lived there AND because Powell also had stayed there and could assist Harney?

That would make sense to me as to why George did not expect and did not want to have to shoot anyone personally?? He had thought all along that he was hired for the get-away, not for the immediate action.

If the word truly is KIRK, how have we missed it for all these years?

I got over my streak of laziness and googled the Atzerodt confession. The exact wording as to what was to be mined is "pres. House."

"Booth said he had met a party in N. York who would get the Prest. certain. They were going to mine the end of the pres. House, near the War Dept. They knew an entrance to accomplish it through. Spoke about getting friends of the Presdt. to get up an entertainment & they would mix it in, have a serenade & thus get at the Presdt. & party."

Back to square one...