What Was The Role of David Herold

[wsanto]

Dye's testimony is very interesting to read through.

Basically he witnesses three men interacting outside Ford's Theatre between 9:30 and 10:10 PM. For the most part, one of the three is walking back and forth on the street in front of Ford's and calling out the time as he reads it from Ford's lobby to the other two men who are waiting at the entrance to the alley next to the theatre. When he calls out 10:10 PM the well-dressed man (whom he identifies as Booth from a picture) enters the lobby of Ford's.

When asked if he recognizes any of the defendants he basically identifies the ruffian as Spangler but claims he had a dark mustache that night. He seems quite certain that if Spangler had a black mustache he could positively identify him as the ruffian.

The third man, the one calling out the times as he walked back and forth in front of Ford's, he describes as very neat, well dressed, and as a small man at about 5'6", with a mustache and a fashionable black hat with a round top and a stiff brim.

To be quite honest, I am not sure what to make of it. I've never heard of this aspect of the story before. None of these descriptions sound anything close to describing Herold.

It makes me wonder who these folks really were and whether or not any of the three were really associated with the assassination. It certainly does seem awfully suspicious.