Was there an assassin on Grant's train?

[John Fazio]

(05-26-2015 07:39 AM)Gene C Wrote:  I am under the impression Ste. Marie has a credibility problem.

Excuse me, there is so much to try to remember, who (Surratt?) or what (hotel registry?) is the source for the Boston meeting, and do we know who else was there?

Who is Mrs. McClermont?

Gene:

1. Ste. Marie does have a credibility problem. One must weigh his statements carefully and consider form, substance, motive, context and corroboration or lack thereof in assessing them. In this case, he was merely giving an opinion, not reporting something he had seen and/or heard. We may accept his opinion, then, for what it is worth as an opinion, taking into account that he based it on what he had learned from Surratt directly.

2. The Parker House meeting is covered in some detail by Roscoe (p. 502) and Tidwell, Hall and Gaddy (pp. 262, 263), both of whom rely heavily on the letter of May 30, 1865, from Cordial Crane to Stanton, a copy of which is in the National Archives and may be found on pp. 401 and 402 of The Lincoln Assassination (Edwards and Steers).

3. Mrs. McClermont is a women we should all know about. She did not testify at the trial of the conspirators, but she did testify at John Surratt's trial. She stated under oath that she heard Booth, Herold and Atzerodt discussing the murder of Lincoln as early as April, 1864. Her testimony was never impeached and is critical to understanding that the business of kidnapping was always a ruse to conceal the far more sinister plan to assassinate. Coupled with much other evidence of this fact, her testimony is very valuable. You may read it in my book at pp. 136 and 137 or in the original source, The Trial of John H. Surratt, Vol. I, pp. 365 and 366.

Thanks. I hope this helps.

John