Booth's Day on April 14

[John Fazio]

(01-03-2017 10:13 PM)SSlater Wrote:  I'm not up-to-date on this topic, but I do have a question. Didn't I read that Booth had a pocket full of wood chips, when he died?
My unfounded guess would say that he "saved the chip" from the peep-hole that he drilled in the door. He didn't want "chips" all over the floor that would draw attention to the peep hole.
Does anyone have another source for the "wood chips'?

John:

Judge Olin examined the box and, in the trial of the conspirators, said that he found no chips or shavings on the floor where the hole had been drilled. In the trial of John Surratt, however, he said he did find chips. He did not satisfactorily resolve his inconsistency. More than one witness testified at the first trial that the hole appeared to be freshly cut, with fresh knife markings. As for the chips found in Booth,s pocket, they were said to have been wrapped in a handkerchief and that they were in fact shavings from the bored and knife-reamed hole. So said Kauffman.

John

[RJNorton]

(01-03-2017 10:13 PM)SSlater Wrote:  Does anyone have another source for the "wood chips'?

(01-04-2017 12:49 AM)John Fazio Wrote:  As for the chips found in Booth,s pocket, they were said to have been wrapped in a handkerchief and that they were in fact shavings from the bored and knife-reamed hole. So said Kauffman.

I know we have discussed these wood shavings before but my memory as to a source is blank right now. I just checked Everton Conger's trial testimony, and he testified what was found on Booth's body at Garrett's, but I don't see any mention of wood shavings in the account Conger gives. My question is - does anyone know the original source for these wood shavings and handkerchief?

[Dennis Urban]

(01-03-2017 07:03 PM)L Verge Wrote:  I'm not "seeing" what you're "seeing," Dennis. I think Joe Beckert once posted a good diagram from either the NPS or the restoration book.

I have not been to the box in years, but I don't think there is much space between doors 7 & 8. Booth entered door 8 behind Rathbone's settee, crossed behind Harris and MTL (maybe a distance of six feet?), and shot the President at close range. I think he then leaped over the railing to the right of Mrs. Lincoln. That's the only way I envision him striking the Washington litho or the flag on his way down.

Laurie, you are correct. There was not much space between the two doors. I am using the "Historic Structures Report, Restoration of Ford's Theatre" (1963). This restoration book does not include JWB's path through the box, just his path from the point at which he hit the stage. Page 48 contains a contemporary drawing showing the relationship between the two doors. The opposite page pictures the box (Brady photo) with the furniture in position (correctly I hope)and stating the Booth entered through the Box 7 door (which I now believe to be incorrect). The Box 7 door is visible behind the Lincoln rocker. Further, Page 41 is a copy of the original drawing of the plan for the dress Circle which depicts the boxes on both sides of the DS but fails to show the east door for Box 8 as it does for Box 6 on the opposite side.

Somewhere recently I read that the door to Box 8 was open and JWB could see Rathbone through the open door (maybe not though). JWB clearly had to act fast, crossing behind Ms. Harris (there are no accounts of him crossing in front of her) and act quickly to take his fatal shot. I suspect Rathbone saw JWB at some point just before he took the shot and Rathbone began to approach him thus engaging JWB before he approached the Box 7 front rail. I will consider this path to be correct. If a drawing of JWB's path through the box is extant, I'd love to see it.

.

[RJNorton]

(01-04-2017 09:48 PM)Dennis Urban Wrote:  I suspect Rathbone saw JWB at some point just before he took the shot

Dennis, you are not alone.

Thomas Mallon, in his historical novel Henry and Clara, writes that Rathbone saw Booth out of the corner of his eye and had about 5 seconds to react. But Rathbone sat there frozen. He only reacted after the shot. Mallon seems to argue that Rathbone felt guilty about not reacting in time, but at the same time he "allowed" Booth to shoot Lincoln because he wanted "to hurt all the old men who'd made the war."

In Worst Seat in the House, Caleb Stephens writes, "And sitting directly opposite of Booth's entry door increases the likelihood that Henry Rathbone actually encountered Booth prior to the trigger being pulled."

However, Rathbone himself denied this. He said, "When the second scene of the third act was being performed, and while this deponent was intently observing the proceedings upon the stage with back towards the door, he heard the discharge of a pistol behind him, and looking around saw through the smoke, a man between the door and the President."

[Rob Wick]

Quote:I know we have discussed these wood shavings before but my memory as to a source is blank right now. I just checked Everton Conger's trial testimony, and he testified what was found on Booth's body at Garrett's, but I don't see any mention of wood shavings in the account Conger gives. My question is - does anyone know the original source for these wood shavings and handkerchief?

Roger,

I'm not sure of the original source, but Conger mentioned the wood shavings in his testimony during John Surratt's trial. He described in detail what he had taken off Booth's body and mentioned "He had some pine shavings, some daguerreotypes, some tobacco, a little Catholic medal, and a pin." (Vol. 1 Trial of John H. Surratt in the Criminal Court for the District of Columbia, Pg. 309)

As to why Conger might not have mentioned the shavings at the conspirator's trial, on cross-examination Conger was asked:

"On the trial before the military commission, to which you have referred once or twice, were you interrogated as to all the articles taken from Booth?"
"No sir."
"Were you not then asked what things were found upon him?"
"I think I was shown things, and asked to say whether they were found there, but I am not certain about it." (Ibid, Pg. 311)

Best
Rob

[RJNorton]

Many thanks, Rob. I checked the wrong trial.

[Eva Elisabeth]

(01-05-2017 09:49 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(01-04-2017 09:48 PM)Dennis Urban Wrote:  I suspect Rathbone saw JWB at some point just before he took the shot

Dennis, you are not alone.

Thomas Mallon, in his historical novel Henry and Clara, writes that Rathbone saw Booth out of the corner of his eye and had about 5 seconds to react. But Rathbone sat there frozen. He only reacted after the shot. Mallon seems to argue that Rathbone felt guilty about not reacting in time, but at the same time he "allowed" Booth to shoot Lincoln because he wanted "to hurt all the old men who'd made the war."

In Worst Seat in the House, Caleb Stephens writes, "And sitting directly opposite of Booth's entry door increases the likelihood that Henry Rathbone actually encountered Booth prior to the trigger being pulled."

However, Rathbone himself denied this. He said, "When the second scene of the third act was being performed, and while this deponent was intently observing the proceedings upon the stage with back towards the door, he heard the discharge of a pistol behind him, and looking around saw through the smoke, a man between the door and the President."

IMO Rathbone's denial of doesn't prove anything. It is a pretty human trait to try to not possibly get involved into anything inconvenient/get blamed for not acting immediately.
   
Somehow I feel he wouldn't necessarily have admitted in case it was the way it was.

[RJNorton]

(01-06-2017 08:46 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Somehow I feel he wouldn't necessarily have admitted in case it was the way it was.

Well said, Eva. This certainly is possible IMO. And it may have been this internal conflict that greatly effected his mental state in future years.

[L Verge]

I agree with both Eva and Roger. In Rathbone's defense, however, (if he needed one) there had already been one messenger in the box, and he was likely accustomed to such "interruptions" during wartime. What made Booth's entry any different? And, what are the chances that Rathbone would instantly recognize Booth and consider him a danger?

[Dennis Urban]

It is certainly possible that Rathbone was so absorbed by the play (as he said) that he did not notice JWB until it was too late. In that case, he may not have wanted to admit he saw him, however briefly, beforehand. A little of both is probably the case. Rathbone had not previously been to the theatre with the Lincolns and probably had not been in a box at Ford's so he would not necessarily be aware that visitors to the box were reasonably common. He could easily ignore/dismiss the second visitor of the evening. No doubt he was overtaken by such second-guessing for the rest of his life.

[J. Beckert]

Roger dug it up after I'd mentioned it a few years ago, but a contemporary newspaper account has Clara's statement that Booth had made an earlier visit to the box and made them all uncomfortable with his "peering into it". She further stated that when he returned later, Rathbone arose "to ask him his business" and Booth rushed past him and fired.

[RJNorton]

Joe, here is what I have on what you just mentioned.

Part of the statement Clara Harris gave which was published in the New York Herald:

"Nearly one hour before the commission of the deed, the assassin came to the door of the box and looked in, to take a survey of the position of its occupants. It was supposed at the time that it was either a mistake or the exercise of impertinent curiosity. The circumstance attracted no particular attention at the time. Upon his entering the box again, Maj. Rathbone rose and asked the intruder his business. He rushed past the major without making a reply, and, placing his pistol close to the back of the president’s head, actually in contact with it, fired, and instantly sprang upon the cushioned baluster of the box, when he made a backward plunge with his knife, aimed at the face or breast of Mr. Lincoln. Maj. Rathbone, springing forward to protect the president, received a stab in his arm."

[Eva Elisabeth]

I find it peculiar that Clara Harris as one first eyewitness wasn't asked to testify.

[L Verge]

I am very skeptical of this account - sounds like journalistic "liberties" to me.

If Booth had already gotten past Forbes an hour before, why would he need to present his card to him a second time? Wouldn't Rathbone having enough time to rise and ask Booth a question have drawn some attention from Lincoln or the women? Booth's pistol was not in direct contact with Lincoln's head, and he would not be close enough to the President to stab him in the face or breast once he was on the baluster.

If Clara did profess this, was she just trying to make Henry appear more heroic? There was a person in the box earlier - someone refresh my memory, please, as to who that was. (Three months of medical leave and being out of the loop has wasted my brain!)

[Dennis Urban]

The Clara Harris account just does not pass the "sniff test". I agree with Laurie's card presentation comment. If Rathbone actually did rise to confront JWB, JWB would have likely already had the deringer and the knife in his hands and would probably have to take on Rathbone. No mention is made of this by Harris. Such action would certainly alert others in the box to something nasty happening. The entire account just does not compute. Hard to image CH was not asked to provide a statement/affidavit as Rathbone was asked to do.