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

[J. Beckert]

You did, Laurie. I was edumacated by Nuns for 8 years and never got an eraser thrown at me. I'm going to be on my best behavior here from now on. Ma'am.

[RJNorton]

He did time his deed with a line causing laughter from the audience to give him an advantage.

It seems for the better part of my life I have frequently read that Booth knew the play so well that he timed his shot to coincide with the greatest laughter in the play. He apparently knew this would come in the c. 10:00-10:30 P.M. time frame.

My question is - what is the original source that says Booth thought this way? Or is this similar to the "was Herold at Seward's?" question in which some early authors included this in their books and subsequent authors assumed it was fact and included it as such.

As far as I know this "timing of loudest laughter plan" of Booth's is not in his diary, not in any letter he wrote, not in any of the conspirators' statements, etc. Where does it originate? Was the timing of the shot really a pre-planned thing, or was it more of a random thing that took place when Booth was good and ready to do it?

[J. Beckert]

Good point, Roger and I've never seen that either. Didn't Stanton come up with that the weekend after the assassination after having the play performed for himself and several other Gov't officials?

Booth once played in "Our American Cousin" for 9 consecutive days, but I've never seen a reference to what part he played. He obviously knew it well.

[JMadonna]

IMO the shot occurring when it did not pre planned. It was one of those moments when time was frozen and remembered.

As I said in a previous post - Booth could not have known Lincoln was unguarded. If he had been he could have expected a quick pat down before meeting the president at an appropriate break in the play. Which is another argument against your hidden gun theory Joe. Sorry about that.

Parker's absence gave Booth the opportunity to shoot when he wanted - but it could not have been pre-planned

[jonathan]

That's an interesting question, I've never really thought about it. On the one hand, it makes sense that Booth, knowing the play so well, would fire the shot when the theater was the noisiest. But I think his ace in the hole was the surprise factor. I'm not sure that timing the shot during a laugh would add much benefit. He was planning on doing the deed and being out the door in 30 seconds, so what difference would it make if the audience heard the gun? I would imagine it would be more important for Booth to go about his business smoothly and efficiently, which for the most part he did. The audience would still have been largely confused, many people thinking the gun shot was part of the play, or some special tribute to Lincoln and the Union, or simply not knowing what was going on. Of course, timing the shot during a big laugh certainly couldn't hurt….So who knows, maybe all of these things or none of them crossed Booth's mind.

[Laurie Verge]

I agree that there is no definite evidence that I have ever heard as to Booth timing the shot to coincide with the audience's laughter. However, I do feel that the attacks on Lincoln, Seward, and Johnson were coordinated to occur at much the same time.

There is one other thing that I researched about thirty years ago that lends credence to his shooting Lincoln at that precise line in the play: "Sockdologizing" is not a term that you hear nowadays except in explaining the assassination, but it is not a made-up word by Tom Taylor, who wrote Our American Cousin. It was a genuine word in the good old days of the English language.

Given Booth's proclivity for theatrical symbolism (his belief in Shakespearean principles linked to republicanism, etc.), the definition of sockdologizing makes sense as to why he might time the shot at that exact moment. If I remember correctly, the word was used to describe final, knockout blows that quelled one's enemy or opponent. I think it was used a great deal in pugilistic terms. Anyhow, it seems very appropriate that Booth would deliver a sockdologizing blow to Lincoln at the moment the word was uttered, especially since he was so familiar with the play.

[jonathan]

Wow, that's very interesting, and actually seems to be much more in line with Booth's personality. I wonder if Booth had hoped to time the gun shot with this particular line, for either or both reasons, but realized he had to just play it out and hope for the best.

[Dave Taylor]

While the specific line said before Booth's shot could easily have been coincidental, I believe that he knowingly and deliberately waited until the stage was essentially empty before shooting. His escape could have been interferred by too many people on stage.

[brtmchl]

Herold's role in the conspiracy seems to have been more of an outdoorsmen or guide, he was a good hunter and tracker, familiar with the Lower Maryland/ Virginia country. His role was to get Booth out of the city and into the South. If Herold's main purpose was to aid those involved after the assassinations, wouldn't it be plausable for him to have been the one equipped? Possibly carrying the guns? Personally I would have had someone waiting at Soper's Hill with a bag of supplies, or possibly have just stashed supplies there. To me it's one of the most important aspects of having a rendezvous point. I would also plan out additional checkpoints, like it seems they did, Surratsville Tavern and Mudd's House seem to both be planned stops. Obviously Herold was important to Booth, he waited for Herold at Soper's Hill. Once Herold joined Booth I don't recall them waiting around too long for Powell or Atzerodt. I think it is likely that Herold had the guns on him. I do not think it is likely that Booth stopped at the boarding house while fleeing Ford's. I know I wouldn't take any chances of word spreading and getting bottled up inside the city. I also think Booth could have easily tucked another hat inside his riding boots if needed.
All of the theories I have read have been fun and do make sense. All are possibilities and it's fun to get my mind spinning. Booth could have stopped at Surratt's, Booth could have been carrying guns on him and only used the Derringer because it was a gentleman's weapon, there could have been saddlebags or the guns stashed enroute. I just believe it to be simpler.

[wsanto]

A lot of people mention Booth losing his hat upon leaping to the stage. Is that a fact or a supposition? Is that based on statements of the witnesses? Wouldn't his hat have his name inside? Wouldn't it have been recovered as evidence or as a souvenier if left on stage? Where is it?

Perhaps he picked up his hat or held it in his hand as he leapt to the stage and put it back on his head after he mounted his horse.

[J. Beckert]

His hat was recovered from the theater, but has since vanished. I know Lincoln's hat was exibited as evidence at the trial, but I'm not sure about Booth's. It may have been. Here's (a since colored) engraving from Frank Leslie's paper shortly after the assassination.

[wsanto]

His hat was recovered from the theater, but has since vanished. I know Lincoln's hat was exibited as evidence at the trial, but I'm not sure about Booth's. It may have been. Here's (a since colored) engraving from Frank Leslie's paper shortly after the assassination.

Thanks Joe. That's excellent. I always wondered.. What happened to that hat?

[JMadonna]

Does anyone know how Booth dodged the draft? Did he buy a substitute?

[L Verge]

I suspect that he was traveling the theater circuit so much that they couldn't catch up with him.

[MaddieM]

Gene, I am with Kauffman on the broken leg coming on the road near Soper's Hill. I think JWB threw out his back in the jump from the box in the theater. Since I went with these suppositions, he can mount his flighty horse (it was quite a rodeo, as they say out thisaway), enter the street-level English basement at the Townhouse. As far as I know, Mostly black house servants lived in the basement, possibly one or more of the white girls, depending on the weather. The top floor was kind of stuffy, i my understanding.

I read that the kitchen and dining room occupied the ground floor space.

---

Joe, I had forgotten about Hazelton's description of Booth's attire. That makes sense that he came prepared to ride hard and fast. I have never worn a slouch hat, but I have always been of the opinion that it was pulled down more towards the ears and more secure on the head.

Jim Garrett - your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to put on white gloves, convince the Ford's curator to let you examine the boot, and report back to us as to any pockets on the inside.

Seems to me that Joe's remembering the Hazelton statement and the possibility of examining Booth's boot might provide the factual information required?

Laurie,

A man who examined the boot in 1925 wrote: "This is of well-worn black leather, 23 (maybe 28) inches long an approximately 20 inches in diameter at the top or thigh. The sole and heel together measure 11 inches outside, the sole at its greatest width ?? inches, and the sharply squared off toe is 2 1/2 inches. It is the boot for the left foot. The heel is intact at the outside, but is worn down about 1/4 inch at the inside and the same is true of the sole , indicating that when walking Booth turned his ankles in, and perhaps was inclined to be knock-kneed. [Yes, I know he was bowlegged] Inside, at the top, the boot is faced with smooth white calfskin for a distance down of 6 1/2 inches, where it joins the rough interior. At the front on this calfskin , some two inches below the top, is written in black ink, but very faintly, the name and address of the maker, and about an inch below this the name "J. Wilkes -----" From "New Interest in Booth Relics Keeps War Department Busy," Washington Star, Sunday Morning, May 17, 1925 by George M. Battey, Jr.

There is no mention of a pocket. I have another article which claims Booth used the boots for ice skating and there is a screw hole in the heel for mounting skates.

11 inches is a 10.5 shoes in UK Size and a 10 in US. That's a quite a big really. How tall was Booth?