New Eyewitness Account?

[L Verge]

I believe that there was at least one circuitous route that led from backstage down a passageway that ran parallel to the inside wall to the right if one stands in the rear of the theater proper. There was another stairway in that passage that came up into a room at the opposite end of the open area at the back of the dress circle (opposite the regular winding stair used by patrons and Booth). In previous years, the NPS used this room for meetings, small programs, etc., but I'm not sure what it is used for now. One just needed to open that door and walk down the right-hand side aisle to reach the presidential section.

I am willing to accept that Miss Keene had blood on her dress, but my question would be as to what amount of blood. If she was as gruesome as Munroe describes, I would bet on it being Rathbone's blood -- unless she got there, sat on the floor, and cradled Lincoln's head before his wound was discovered. That first gush of blood after the first clot was removed might have been significant in amount, but it seems that the clots formed pretty quickly to seal the wound. It would also be interesting to see what part of the dress had the most blood. If she were seated, it would seem that Lincoln's head would rest closer to the waistline than to the hem.

And, I still have reservations about Mary Lincoln allowing another woman (and an actress at that) to cradle her husband's head. Miss Keene was accepted into the box because she brought water, but I suspect that her Florence Nightingale act ended there.