Second Innaugural Assassination attempt

[JMadonna]

According to Ward Hill Lamon in his book Recollections of Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth was the man who rushed the platform on inauguration day. Lamon claimed there were many affidavits that attested to that fact and offered this one to his readers:

District of Columbia, } County of Washington, }
ss: Robert Strong, a citizen of said County and District,

being duly sworn, says that he was a policeman at the Capitol on the day of the second inauguration of President Lincoln, and was stationed at the east door of the rotunda, with Commissioner B. B. French, at the time the President, accompanied by the judges and others, passed out to the platform where the ceremonies of inauguration were about to begin, when a man in a very determined and excited manner broke through the line of policemen which had been formed to keep the crowd out.

Lieutenant Westfall immediately seized the stranger, and a considerable scuffle ensued. The stranger seemed determined to get to the platform where the President and his party were, but Lieutenant Westfall called for assistance. The Commissioner closed the door, or had it closed, and the intruder was finally thrust from the passage leading to the platform which was reserved for the President's party.

After the President was assassinated, the singular conduct of this stranger on that day was frequently talked of by the policemen who observed it. Lieutenant Westfall procured a photograph of the assassin Booth soon after the death of the President, and showed it to Commissioner French in my presence and in the presence of several other policemen, and asked him if he had ever met that man.

The commissioner examined it attentively and said: "Yes, I would know that face among ten thousand. That is the man you had a scuffle with on inauguration day. That is the same man." Affiant also recognized the photograph. Lieutenant Westfall then said: "This is the picture of J. Wilkes Booth." Major French exclaimed: "My God! what a fearful risk we ran that day!"

Robert Strong. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 20th day of March, 1876. James A. Tait, Notary Public. [ SEAL ]

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Just for fun I checked the photo of Lincoln's 2nd inaugural and noted that the distance from the platform to the crowd below was not that high.

Shoot Lincoln, jump into the crowd and lose yourself in the confusion there. Not a good plan but feasible.