A Wonderful Find ...

[J. Beckert]

This is always an interesting debate when it comes up (you're welcome!) and good points are always made on both sides. The forum Doctors chimed in a few months ago and cleared up what we were looking at when viewing the Booth vertebrae and Bill and Rick have shown that mechanically, it was entirely possible. Coupled with Woodward's autopsy report, that cleared up that the shot did not enter from the rear.

With the lack of evidence regarding Corbett making the shot, (A young Garrett was the only "eyewitness"), what seals my opinion is Booth's statements and state of mind at the end and a revolver with an empty chamber being pulled from his dying hand. He was literally celebrating his act before he got off the stage at Ford's. Witness Ferguson stated he stopped near the wings, shook the knife and said "I've done it!". Next he bragged to Lloyd and I think it was over after that. His rebuke by Mudd, his treatment by Cox and others until finally he feels the warmth of a fire, eats at a table and sleeps in a real bed at the Garrett's. Then that rug is pulled out from under him and he's outdoors again. He first told Jones he wouldn't be taken alive and told Jett he'd kill himself. The fact that this might end badly was on his mind from early on. He wrote in his date book that he'd prayed he'd be spared the indignity of suffering the death of a criminal and asked God to spare him that. Whether he did or not will never be known, but I think he spared himself of that.