ON TV Right NOW

[Gene C]

**** History Channell ******

ON Right NOW...several specials about President Lincoln and the Assassination on TV this morning.

[DanielC]

Just saw Betty on TV "Lincoln Assasination"

Looking forward to seeing the movie today!

Somewhat off topic, but if folks get a chance the Smithsonian Channel has a show called Aerial America. It's really well done. Tuesday episode was Maryland/Delaware. My Maryland friends, you have a beautiful state. I've been there once (Antietam), but looking foward to bringing the family sometime to see some of the other areas.

Best,

Dan

[RJNorton]

Saw Betty and Laurie was just on, too!

[DanielC]

Your right Roger Laurie is on the program quite a bit... Yey..

[RJNorton]

Also, another member here, Tom Turner, was just on!

Dan, where's the segment where they interview you about Atzerodt?

[Dave Taylor]

Lindsey and I have been watching it from the beginning too. Hi Laurie, James O. Hall, William Hanchett, John Rhodehamel, Dr. Lattimer, Michael Kauffman, Thomas Schwartz, General Tidwell, Harold Holzer, Tom Turner, and Michael Maione!

Somehow we must have missed Betty.

---

Oh big mistake! They put up a picture of Joao Celestino and said it was Thomas Jones. And they were doing so well too...

[Larry Mansch]

Enjoying the show very much. One question I have always wondered about the assassination: Where exactly was Rathbone sitting in the box; that is, on which end of the sofa? How close was he to Lincoln? Wouldn't he have noticed the door opening behind Lincoln - maybe some light came in as the door opened - and shouldn't he have jumped up sooner? I wonder if the fact that he didn't react quickly enough haunted him for the rest of his tortured life.

[Gene C]

(11-17-2012 12:28 PM)Larry Mansch Wrote:  I wonder if the fact that he didn't react quickly enough haunted him for the rest of his tortured life.

Good point. That is one of the lines of thought in the novel Henry and Clara by Thomas Mallon.

[jonathan]

I'm not sure of Rathbone's exact positioning, but I imagine it would have been unlikely for him to notice Booth stepping into the box unless he had by chance been looking in that direction. When I think about how Booth might have entered the box, two possibilities come to mind. One, he eased the door open slowly and quietly, or two he just opened it quickly, pointed and fired. In either scenario, it's unrealistic to expect that Rathbone had any serious chance to prevent the assassination. At best he might have prevented Booth's escape from the theater. I assume that most of the theater was dimly lit, though I suppose the Presidential box might have been a little more well lit because it was practically part of the stage. Regardless, I think the chances that Rathbone could have stopped the shooting were extremely slim. And I believe that he was haunted by the fact he couldn't prevent it. It's just another sad part of a sad but fascinating story.

[LincolnMan]

And was Rathbone in his uniform or not?

[DanielC]

Roger, my segment on George must have been edited out

Dave, I saw Betty on the previous show that is airing now. 12:26pm

[BettyO]

Oh! So is Turner Classic Movies having a "Horror Fest Marathon" or something? A little late for Halloween.....

[RJNorton]

(11-17-2012 12:28 PM)Larry Mansch Wrote:  Where exactly was Rathbone sitting in the box; that is, on which end of the sofa? How close was he to Lincoln? Wouldn't he have noticed the door opening behind Lincoln - maybe some light came in as the door opened - and shouldn't he have jumped up sooner?

This leads to the question of which door Booth entered - was it to Box 7 or Box 8? Doesn't Mike Kauffman say it was Box 8? If so, that would make the angle harder for Rathbone to see as it would have been more behind him than off to the side.

I think the door to Box 8 was already open, so if that's where Booth entered, then he didn't have to open any door (other than the one to the vestibule).

[Gene C]

Which door had the peep hole? Likely that's that is the one he went through. After he entered, did he close the door?

It was nice for me to see on these TV shows, people who are on this forum, people who are mentioned on this forum, and some of the authors I have read or heard about. I associate in my mind that people look like their avitar (Lauri, Tom Turner, Rob Wick... -sorry Rob, Bill Nash, etc) Just so you know, my avitar was taken years ago. I'm a bit grayer, and I've put on a few pounds.

[RJNorton]

Gene, I am going to move this to a thread of its own. Kauffman writes Box 8 in his new book, and I am curious what others think.