James J. Gifford

[Anita]

James J. Gifford, Head carpenter of Ford's. Is there any solid evidence that he aided Booth? Does anyone know what he was up to the days prior to the assassination?

Right after the assassination Gifford testified: "I don't know who took the partition out and the box fitted up."

Then he makes a statement from prison that "on the evening of April 14 he directed Edward Spangler to take out the partition of the State box." He then professes to be a loyal man having no hostilities to the government. There are statements to the contrary.

He could have helped to frame Spangler. According to Spangler " I know nothing of the mortise hole said to be in the wall behind the door of the President's box, or of any wooden bar to fasten or hold the door being there, or of the lock being out of order. I did not notice any hole in the door. Gifford usually attended to the carpentering in the front part of the theater, while I did the work about the stage. Mr. Gifford was the boss carpenter, and I was under him."

According to Edward Steers, Jr. " Gifford had a close connection with Booth".

At the trial Gifford testified that he left the theater during the performance to check a light outside and then have a glass of ale. He says he returned for Act. III. What was he really doing?

According to Harry Ford's testimony re: Booth's visit to the theater the day of April 14: Q. -- Do you know who was with him from the time he came there, got the letter and went away? A. -There were some young men talking with him. I recollect Mr. Gifford, Mr. Evans and Mr. Guerrilla.

As the head Carpenter Gifford had access to the box. If no one noticed Booth in the box why would they notice Gifford? Gifford also testified he was in the President's box a week before the assassination but never says why.

On Saturday, April 15 Stanton asked Gifford to recreate the theater the way it was at the time of the assassination. Gifford had the opportunity to cover up evidence. The photos documenting the scene were then taken by Brady on April 16, two days after Lincoln was shot. Gifford said he found a second gun at the theater on Sat. April 15 with Booth's name engraved on it. The reason this has a ring of truth is that he didn't disclose this for years and never profited from it.

[RJNorton]

Fascinating post, Anita! In all honesty, I do not know enough about Gifford to give an intelligent reply. However, on many occasions, I have argued for Spangler's innocence. I feel Spangler was a friend of Booth's who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The prosecution felt Booth could not have pulled off the assassination and getaway as he did without inside help at Ford's, and they went after Spangler. I hope folks who know a lot more about Gifford than I do will respond here. I admit that anything that might help clear "ol Ned" sure interests me.

[Jim Garrett]

Good post. I think Gifford probably considered himself, as the Fords did, friends of all the Booths and with JWB being the only exception, the Booths were very pro-Union. If Gifford was involved, he sure kept a low profile.

[L Verge]

That is the first time that I have heard the proposition that Gifford could have been involved. Gifford knew the Booths through the building of their home, Tudor Hall, in Bel Air, Maryland, years before and was involved with them through the Ford brothers' theaters in D.C. and Baltimore. I think more needs to be known about Mr. Gifford.

As a side bar: We know that the rest of the family supposedly supported the Union, but I have often wondered what Junius Brutus Booth, The Elder, would have thought of the Civil War, Lincoln, and the rise of a strong, central government. For some reason, I just think that he would have supported the republicanism of son John...

[J. Beckert]

Something about Gifford came up before and I thought I saw here that there were hard feelings between him and JWB. After the death of Booth's father and being stiffed for payment on Tudor Hall, Gifford tore the roof off. I also remember Edwin having an opinion of him. It's here somewhere.

[Anita]

This is from Ferguson's May 15 trial testimony regarding Gifford.

Referring to the the day after the assassination Ferguson states
"...Next morning I saw Mr. Gifford who said " You made a hell of a statement about what you saw last night; how could you see the flash of the pistol when the ball was shot through the door?..." "...Mr. Gifford is the chief carpenter of the theater and I understood he had full charge of it. I recollect when Richmond was surrendered I said to him,
"Have you not got any flags in the theater?" He replied, "Yes I have; I guess there's a flag about." I said "Why don't you run it out on the roof?" He answered "There's a rope, isn't that enough?" I said, "You are a hell of a man, you ought to be in the Old Capitol." He didn't like me any how.

   

[Anita]

(10-20-2013 09:58 AM)L Verge Wrote:  That is the first time that I have heard the proposition that Gifford could have been involved. Gifford knew the Booths through the building of their home, Tudor Hall, in Bel Air, Maryland, years before and was involved with them through the Ford brothers' theaters in D.C. and Baltimore. I think more needs to be known about Mr. Gifford.

As a side bar: We know that the rest of the family supposedly supported the Union, but I have often wondered what Junius Brutus Booth, The Elder, would have thought of the Civil War, Lincoln, and the rise of a strong, central government. For some reason, I just think that he would have supported the republicanism of son John...

Laurie, Gifford was 51 and living in Baltimore according to his testimony.
Can you find an address for him there or tell me where to look? This seems too far to commute from Ford's. Thanks, Anita

[Anita]

Laurie, I just found this:

The Baltimore Sun, March 6, 1894 (Wednesday)
Submitted by: Jan Gifford

JAMES J. GIFFORD Mr. James J. Gifford, a retired carpenter and builder, died yesterday at his home 1422 East Fayette street, aged eighty years. He was born where he died.

Mr. Gifford was the architect and builder of the old Ford’s Theatre in Washington, which was the scene of the assassination of President Lincoln. This was the building whose roof collapsed June 9, 1893, and caused the death of many government clerks and employes. When the building came into possession of the government the alterations necessary for converting it into a building for the conduct of public business were supervised by Mr. Gifford, at the request of the contractor for the work. Mr. Gifford was not satisfied with the manner in which the work was done, and protested against it without avail.

As master carpenter, Mr. Gifford erected for the late Noah Walker what is now known as the Sutro Building. He also took part in erecting the Holliday Street Theatre and Ford’s Grand Opera House in Baltimore, Harris, Brinton & Dean’s Theatre in Washington and many other well-known structures. He preserved the drawings of nearly all his work, and could explain all the details. He was stage carpenter at Ford’s Opera House up to fifteen years ago, when he retired from active pursuits. Mr. Gifford leaves a widow, two sons and five daughters.

[JMadonna]

Chester said that the reason he was recruited was that Booth needed someone on the inside that was familiar with the theater. When John Matthews refused he asked Chester a second time.

[SSlater]

In 1865 James J. Gifford was 49, Occupation Carpenter, Residence 188 E. Fayette St. Baltimore, MD
Gifford shows up in the Baltimore City Directory as early as 1850 and continues up past 1900.
!870 Census James 54 House Carpenter, Anne E. 47, Josephine 26, Jane 19, Robert 18 (Apprentice Carpenter), Mary 15, Hugh 11, and Margarett 7.
I have not determined that each "James J." is the same person., but they are all B, etc.altimore

[L Verge]

I don't think it would be unusual for Gifford (or others) to work in D.C. and live in Baltimore. The B&O Station was within blocks of Ford's Theatre, but I also suspect that the workers could rent rooms by the week when the theater was open for productions - or even sleep on a cot in the building somewhere behind the scenes. That's what Ned Spangler did.

[Hess1865]

[quote=

Mr. Gifford was the architect and builder of the old Ford’s Theatre in Washington, which was the scene of the assassination of President Lincoln. This was the building whose roof collapsed June 9, 1893, and caused the death of many government clerks and employes. When the building came into possession of the government the alterations necessary for converting it into a building for the conduct of public business were supervised by Mr. Gifford, at the request of the contractor for the work. Mr. Gifford was not satisfied with the manner in which the work was done, and protested against it without avail.

He preserved the drawings of nearly all his work, and could explain all the details.
[/quote]

1-I'd like to know what Mr Gifford's protests against the work done were, and who did he complain to?? He obviously knew it was slipshod work.

2-Whatever happened to these drawings??? I'm sure they could clear up some of the questions we have about the dimensions of Ford's Theater