Dave has (another) great post on his site: http://boothiebarn.com/2013/05/03/the-bo...e-auction/

where he shows a cane given to Booth by (ironically) Laura Keene in (even more ironically) 1865. Does anyone have more informationon this?

Heath

   

No new information, I'm afraid, Heath, but here's another Booth cane to ponder: http://archive.org/stream/greatamericanm...2/mode/1up

Here's a photo of Mike Kauffman and Dr. Lattimer holding JWB's cane which Dr. Lattimer owned. I believe that this is the same cane as appears in the Bryan Book. Photo circa 1983

Looks the same to me, Betty. Thanks for sharing this.

Betty, you are correct.

If I am not mistaken, there was another similar cane that was still in the family hands and rode along with us on a Booth Tour over thirty years ago, along with some other relics like a watch fob.

I wonder what the provenance is on the Keene cane. I've never heard of how their relations were. She supposedly had hard feelings toward Edwin after her Austrailian tour in the 1850's. Booth was very busy and in and out of many different towns from Oct. 1864 through April 1865. I've never heard of any friendship they may have had.

All I know about that relationship between Edwin and Laura Keene is from "My Thoughts Be Bloody" by Nora Titone.
That's an interesting book about Edwin and John, I recommend it. There are several pages about Edwin and Laura's "relationship"

Regarding the cane, the stick part looks a bit thin and not capable of supporting much weight. More for show than substance?
A good dog could chew that sucker up in no time!

Does anyone have a detailed picture of the handle they could post.
I wouldn't mind a reasonably priced reproduction of Booth's cane, (except my wife might beat me with it if I purchased one)

We use the term "cane" today, but in earlier times, this was considered a "walking stick" and was more of a fashion statement for gentlemen than a medical device. Hence the fragile construction. I believe that some also thought that it could be a defensive weapon to knock a gun out of someone's hands with a sudden upward thrust.

Some of the thinner ones, like Booth's were also used as riding crops for gentlemen.

There's a good close up of the head of the cane Booth was photographed with so many times in Mr. Kauffman's new book "In The Footsteps of The Assassin". It's the same one he's holding in the photo Betty posted.

I wonder if JWB had any thoughts at all specifically toward Laura Keene regarding his planned action for the evening of April 14. She must have had strong regards towards him to gift him with the walking stick. Did the thought cross his mind that his life-changing action could possibly destroy her life-her career? I suppose he was too absorbed with killing Lincoln at the 11th hour to not much care how it might impact her.

This comes from The Day Lincoln Was Shot, so I don't know the authenticity, but supposedly Booth declined to go to Taltavul's with Capt. William Williams (?) for a drink, saying "Keene will be onstage in a minute and I promised to take a look for her."

That was the night of April 14th?

Yes, Bill, but I can't find my copy of the book. I'm wondering if there's a footnote, or if it's one of Bishop's literary liberties he took.