Sic Semper Tyrannis - Revenge for the South

[Laurie Verge]

I can see Jerry's point, and it is a very good one - however, I do not think it was ad-libbed or spontaneous. I'm one of those who follows the line of thought proposed by Shakespearean scholar John Andrews a number of years ago in an article that he did entitled "Did Shakespeare Kill Abraham Lincoln?" Andrews begins with discussing the Shakespearean atmosphere in which the Booth family existed and carries it through the multiple plays in which tyrannical rulers are done in by heroes seeking republican government.

That said, I think that John Wilkes had planned what he wanted to say -- and I think it is quite possible that he planned it to make a political statement as well as to "confuse" the audience in order to time his escape. The two are not mutually exclusive.

I am also confused as to why Jerry thinks that turning off the gas lights was still part of the assassination attempt? This was Booth's big moment in the spotlight. He had done what he set out to do.