Herold and Surratt

[Pamela]

(05-12-2015 03:02 PM)Wild Bill Wrote:  If you would like to see a book that goes with the idea that Surratt was in Washington DC on the 14th, it is my "Confederate Freedom Fighter" available in the Surratt Society book order pages. Of course I am generally considered an idiot so be careful!

I will and I'm used to idiots, being one myself quite often :-)

So, if we go with the theory that the John Surratt letter read to Weichmann on the 14th never existed (and is it possible to check records of any telegraphs to Annie Ward?), then why did Mary do it and who else at supper was aware of her little fraud? Anna didn't like it when Ward and Booth played their deception on Louis a few days prior, so maybe she was intended to be deceived also, and maybe everyone at the table, in case detectives questioned them. I guess Mary's eyesight was in good shape that night since she had no problem reading the letter. Everyone already knew that John had gone to Canada and there was a letter from him on April 10th. But maybe that date gave him too much time to get back and participate in the attacks. But if Mary knew he wasn't back, then there would be proof of his whereabouts. Maybe she didn't want to take any chances or maybe she knew he was back. Ultimately, the missing letter didn't make her look good, but she may have thought as a woman, she was golden.