Booth's visit to the Surratt Boarding House after the assassination

[John Fazio]

Hello Everyone:

A couple of days ago I responded to Bill Richter's original communication re the suggestion that Booth might have stopped at the boarding-house on his way out of the city. Bill took offense at my response, which surprised me somewhat inasmuch as my principal target was O'Reilly and Dugard, not Bill. From his response, I gleaned that I had missed something in his original communication, so I went back and re-read it. I had iindeed missed something, namely the fact that Bill offered the possibility as a plausible fiction for an historical novel rather that as historical truth. Missing that point, I shot from the hip. It was a mistake and I'm sorry for it. I have already expressed my regret to Bill.

As far as I am concerned, with fiction it is Black Flag warfare, i.e. anything goes. As a plausible scenario for an historical novel, I believe a stop by Booth at the boarding-house works fine, as long as he doesn't stay too long. As an historical truth, however, I still feel it is a very remote possibility.

Bottom line: Make sure brain is in gear before hitting the keyboard.

John