What if Booth Escaped?

[jonathan]

The word "legal" also freezes my brain, but I had the same question about extradition. I simply don't know how it worked at the time, not that I know much of anything about how it works today. I realize that John Surratt was caught in Italy and then in Egypt, but I've got to believe that Mexico and points south would have some mighty fine lairs for an American fugitive to hide out in. Much more so than Europe I would think. I believe Surratt could have gotten away if he had actually made it into Egypt, but as I understand it they knew he was on the ship and were waiting for him when it got there. So while it's technically correct that he was captured in Egypt, it's not as if he was hiding out there and they tracked him down. As far as Booth though, while I believe he could have found himself in some perfect situations for eluding capture, I just don't think he had it in him to lay low for the long haul. Ego and family (as Laurie pointed out) would have coaxed him out into the open. And of course, I assume that Herold would have been with him, and who knows what kind of monkey wrench that would have thrown into the situation. Herold was a real asset for the 12 days, but as those 12 days turned into 30, then 90, I'm not sure how Davey would have handled it.