New Eyewitness Account?

[L Verge]

I think we're swatting at mosquitoes here in trying to decipher so-called eyewitness accounts - that then get translated differently from one person to the other. Remember the old game of "Gossip?"

Mike Kauffman is an excellent person to explain changing eyewitness accounts and used to give talks on it. In fact, he was the inspiration for Tim Good's book on the Lincoln assassination accounts. Tim was a NPS Ranger and heard Mike give this talk at Ford's (I think there). Tim was working on a Master's degree and needed a thesis. The thesis became the book.

Getting back to Mike: He once told me about his experience as an eyewitness. I believe he was then working for CNN as a cameraman and was assigned some notable event in D.C. to cover. I can't remember what the incident was that occurred, but Mike had his camera rolling as he witnessed it. He later gave his account of what HE saw and then rolled the FILM coverage of what the camera saw. There were quite a few differences...

P.S. I would never count Clara Harris as a totally reliable eyewitness. Too much trauma for her brain to absorb and still give a clear picture of what went on. And, I agree with Kerry that her position in the Presidential Box would have made it difficult for her to know what was going on at the rear of the box - either when the mystery man checked earlier (if such a thing occurred) or when Booth first entered