Breaking a leg

[JMadonna]

(11-28-2012 09:49 PM)J. Beckert Wrote:  Booth's claim is not hearsay. It was written by him in his diary. Apparently he was alone when his horse fell. That makes everyone else's statements hearsay based on what he told them. He was lying to everyone he encountered as well. His statements to them have to be considered at least as fabricated/embellished as his diary entries.

Was his diary account exaggerated? Absolutely. Does this mean that he created the narrative that he injured himself jumping to the stage? Why? How does his breaking his leg leaping to the stage improve his story for prosterity?

Actually Joe, the definition of hearsay is anything said that can't be cross-examined. Booth's writings in his diary definitely fit the definition of hearsay.

If his diary never existed do you really think anybody would have postulated that he broke his leg in the leap from the stage? What evidence would they have to make such a theory?