I love the engraving, Caleb. Thanks for sharing that.

The National Police Gazette had such wonderful illustrations about the assassination too, but its so hard to find copies of them. I think it was due to their exceedingly large size.

Just a reminder to everyone that Caleb will be one of our speakers at the Surratt conference in March. Conference packets will be mailed to all Society members in November. If you are not a member, but want to receive a packet of information, please contact me at laurie.verge@pgparks.com. The conference is open to everyone.

I agree with what Dave has said, Caleb. I LOVE those old engravings - they are so telling! Thanks for sharing - can't wait for the book!

(10-03-2013 04:10 PM)BettyO Wrote:  I agree with what Dave has said, Caleb. I LOVE those old engravings - they are so telling! Thanks for sharing - can't wait for the book!

I love it too! I was so happy to come across it during my research.

It looks like some people knew that Major Rathbone was a potential threat to himself and/or others. Why wasn't he locked up, like they did to Mary Lincoln (without sufficient cause)?

(10-04-2013 08:49 PM)My Name Is Kate Wrote:  It looks like some people knew that Major Rathbone was a potential threat to himself and/or others. Why wasn't he locked up, like they did to Mary Lincoln (without sufficient cause)?

Maybe because he was an unbalanced American they didn't care that much.

Another thing I don't understand:

He asked to see the children. So he knew they were children, and presumably knew they were his children. But if he had been let into their room, would he suddenly have forgotten who they were and murdered them?

I think it is very likely he would have killed them. He didn't show much reluctance in killing Clara, and almost killing himself.
There is no telling what was going through his head. He was certainly battling some some dark and evil thoughts, and he lost.

(10-03-2013 01:22 PM)calebj123 Wrote:  Eva thanks so much for the translation. The act was so horrific and there are even more details that flesh out the actions of that early morning. Henry had been sleeping with a loaded gun under his pillow for the few weeks before the murder. His post traumatic stress and depression was worsening. The night before the murder he actually sat in a family room "staring blankly and picking at a handkerchief". There's no doubt his ruminations and paranoia was at its height. Clara herself mentioned to her sister that "the end was not far off", however she assumed he was going to commit suicide. The neighbors around their home stated that Henry was wary of "strange people" and "shy of human beings".

He went for the children first and after his sister-in-law refuted his entrance, Clara came into the hallway told Louise to "lock the door and save the children; there is going to be dreadful work." There's no doubt Clara was aware the end was near. After screams from the bedroom, two gunshots rang out and Louise busted into their locked room. There she found her sister and Clara's last words to her were "He has killed us both at last." She died within five minutes.

Henry however was delirious and covered in his own blood from the five stab wounds he inflicted on himself, one deep into his lung. Henry actually started calling out for Clara, not aware of what he had done. "Who could have done this? I have no enemies!" he cried out. when the German police arrived Henry was adament there were men hiding behind the paintings.

There is a little more detail to the story, but I don't want to give too much of my book away so early. I've also attached an amazing drawing depicting the act from the National Police Gazette, 1/10/1884.

Hi Caleb! Thank you very much for sharing and posting this fascinating engraving. I can understand you were excited finding it.
It's interesting that Clara is depicted lying on the floor.The death/police report doesn't say whether Clara lay on the floor or on the bed, the "Hannoversche Courier" (on Dec.25) wrote she had lain on the bed. Obviously the National Police Gazette had a different source (or imagination?), I wonder who was right. Same goes for Clara speaking any last words (according to the Courier she hadn't).

(10-05-2013 06:30 PM)Gene C Wrote:  I think it is very likely he would have killed them. He didn't show much reluctance in killing Clara, and almost killing himself.
There is no telling what was going through his head. He was certainly battling some some dark and evil thoughts, and he lost.

If he had just come clean right after the assassination, and admitted that he saw Booth enter the theater box (if he did, and from where he was sitting, he probably did), and the assassin would have had his gun drawn, so there would be no doubt of his intentions, maybe Rathbone wouldn't have had to keep piling lies on top of lies to save face and his reputation, until it drove him to criminal insanity.

(That's my take on it, anyway, FWIW.)

(10-04-2013 08:49 PM)My Name Is Kate Wrote:  It looks like some people knew that Major Rathbone was a potential threat to himself and/or others. Why wasn't he locked up, like they did to Mary Lincoln (without sufficient cause)?

What sufficient evidence was there that he was indeed a deathly danger to his family? And who should have been "they"? Who should have been interested in locking him away that much to get a legal process started (like Robert in Mary's case - who did spare no effort to gather "sufficient evidence" and "witnesses")? I can't imagine Clara would ever have done so.

(10-03-2013 01:22 PM)calebj123 Wrote:  Henry had been sleeping with a loaded gun under his pillow for the few weeks before the murder. His post traumatic stress and depression was worsening. The night before the murder he actually sat in a family room "staring blankly and picking at a handkerchief". There's no doubt his ruminations and paranoia was at its height. Clara herself mentioned to her sister that "the end was not far off", however she assumed he was going to commit suicide.

By "they" I mean primarily his wife and her sister. And why would Clara not have done so? And why did they allow him to have a loaded gun when they feared he was going to commit suicide?

(10-05-2013 06:57 PM)My Name Is Kate Wrote:  If he had just come clean right after the assassination, and admitted that he saw Booth enter the theater box (if he did, and from where he was sitting, he probably did),

Hi Kate. I brought this up once before (long ago). It seems like a difficult angle, even if Booth entered through Door 8 and not Door 7. Door 8, I believe, is closer to where Rathbone was sitting. It seems to me that Rathbone's head would have to be turned away from the play (at least to some degree) to have seen Booth enter. If he was sitting watching the play then it's difficult for me to imagine him seeing Booth entering the box.

(10-07-2013 07:41 PM)My Name Is Kate Wrote:  

(10-03-2013 01:22 PM)calebj123 Wrote:  Henry had been sleeping with a loaded gun under his pillow for the few weeks before the murder. His post traumatic stress and depression was worsening. The night before the murder he actually sat in a family room "staring blankly and picking at a handkerchief". There's no doubt his ruminations and paranoia was at its height. Clara herself mentioned to her sister that "the end was not far off", however she assumed he was going to commit suicide.

By "they" I mean primarily his wife and her sister. And why would Clara not have done so? And why did they allow him to have a loaded gun when they feared he was going to commit suicide?

I think part of the issue was the time period. Rathbone was still the husband and there were many social stigmas, so speaking up and forcing him to do things he didn't want would have been difficult. There's no way he would give up his new gun and knife at that point of his depression. Clara did entertain the idea of divorce, however she still loved him dearly and felt that it was her duty to stay with him. With that said, however she also feared that a divorce would be a social blight on the Harris and Rathbone names.

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(10-08-2013 04:49 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(10-05-2013 06:57 PM)My Name Is Kate Wrote:  If he had just come clean right after the assassination, and admitted that he saw Booth enter the theater box (if he did, and from where he was sitting, he probably did),

Hi Kate. I brought this up once before (long ago). It seems like a difficult angle, even if Booth entered through Door 8 and not Door 7. Door 8, I believe, is closer to where Rathbone was sitting. It seems to me that Rathbone's head would have to be turned away from the play (at least to some degree) to have seen Booth enter. If he was sitting watching the play then it's difficult for me to imagine him seeing Booth entering the box.

Roger, I agree with you. The possibility that Rathbone did see Booth enter is plausible. The truth will probably never be known, but there is evidence to argue both sides.

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(10-05-2013 06:57 PM)My Name Is Kate Wrote:  

(10-05-2013 06:30 PM)Gene C Wrote:  I think it is very likely he would have killed them. He didn't show much reluctance in killing Clara, and almost killing himself.
There is no telling what was going through his head. He was certainly battling some some dark and evil thoughts, and he lost.

If he had just come clean right after the assassination, and admitted that he saw Booth enter the theater box (if he did, and from where he was sitting, he probably did), and the assassin would have had his gun drawn, so there would be no doubt of his intentions, maybe Rathbone wouldn't have had to keep piling lies on top of lies to save face and his reputation, until it drove him to criminal insanity.

(That's my take on it, anyway, FWIW.)

I agree, it would have compounded the issue. However, regardless of if he saw Booth enter prior to shooting, he still let Booth escape after having him in his grasp and as a soldier he lost a fight with an actor. There probably wasn't a day that went by, where he didn't play that night's events over in his mind, realizing that he let the assassin get away.

Was Rathbone armed at Ford's Theater on the night of April 14?