The Spur Question

[Steve]

(03-05-2024 01:29 PM)J. Beckert Wrote:  I think the best description of Booth's attire that night came from Joseph Hazelton. He also expressed shock at seeing Booth arrive wearing "heavy riding boots, spurs, a blue flannel shirt and an Army slouch hat" after having seen him earlier in the day "dressed in the height of fashion". He also wondered "what he was doing there on such a gala night dressed in such a garb".

Joseph Hazleton was a boy who was about 11 years old at the time who did chores for actors at Ford's and who was handing out programs that night. His account comes from years later as an adult actor.

https://archive.org/details/accountsofas...3/mode/2up

Memory is very malleable especially with a young kid as a witness. He noticed the change of Booth's clothing from earlier in the day. Hearing retellings of the story of Booth's spur getting caught in the flag could've convinced that he did see spurs along with the riding boots all those years ago. Are there any other sources which claim they saw Booth wearing spurs in the theater?

Roger, do you know if Tom Bogar has any sources on what Booth was wearing and if they saw him was wearing spurrs?