I have read a report that A. C. Richards, Chief of Police in Washington, retired about 1887 and moved to Florida (Eustis, Lake) and in 1900 he gave a talk about his experiences at the time of the assassination.
As a result of his talk, a L. T. Hogan claimed to have delivered a message to Washington, that ordered Booth not to shoot the President.
That looks interesting, but I don't have time right now. Does anyone want to get started???
I'm not positive, but I think that Hogan worked at the Torpedo Bureau.
I think that a place to start would be for someone who has "Newspapers", to find an announcement of Richards Talk, find the name of the "Club" and maybe any comments on the Talk.
That's all I have right now. If I find more, I'll post it.
It would be a step forward, if we can find that Richards did make a talk. Good Luck!

(06-29-2016 10:45 PM)SSlater Wrote:  I have read a report that A. C. Richards, Chief of Police in Washington, retired about 1887 and moved to Florida (Eustis, Lake) and in 1900 he gave a talk about his experiences at the time of the assassination.
As a result of his talk, a L. T. Hogan claimed to have delivered a message to Washington, that ordered Booth not to shoot the President.
That looks interesting, but I don't have time right now. Does anyone want to get started???
I'm not positive, but I think that Hogan worked at the Torpedo Bureau.
I think that a place to start would be for someone who has "Newspapers", to find an announcement of Richards Talk, find the name of the "Club" and maybe any comments on the Talk.
That's all I have right now. If I find more, I'll post it.
It would be a step forward, if we can find that Richards did make a talk. Good Luck!

There was a Leonard T. Hogan living in Eustis, Lake Co. FL in 1900
he lived 1848 to 1912. In 1865 he would have been 17. Looks like we found the guy. Now, did he do it?

John, there is a 1987 Orlando Sentinel article that discusses this:

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1987...kes-eustis

According to that article Richards gave his talk at Clifford (or Clifford's) Hall in Eustis, Florida.

Several names are mentioned in that article, and I don't know the veracity of of their revelations. But I do wonder about Richards' mental state at that time if this report of what he said is accurate:

"Former Police Chief Richards provided more details about his involvement with the historic event during a 1900 talk at Clifford Hall, according to a letter written in 1958 by former Eustis resident M.B. Gault. The letter now is in the hands of the Lake County Historical Society.

Gault wrote: ''At one of the entertainments given by some group, a Col. Richards came on the stage and told how he had been posted behind the box in which President Lincoln sat when he was shot. He said he jumped through the front of the box to get Booth, who got away, but he found on the stage a Bowie knife that Booth was supposed to have lost. And he Richards showed us the knife.''

I don't know if Clifford's Hall still stands, but it was used for a variety of activities:

https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/139928

and

https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/2771

I don't know if he's still alive, but Gary Planck (who used to write reviews, updates, etc. for the old Lincoln Herald) was the only person I know who researched A.C. Richards. He wrote a small booklet on the gentleman that we have in our research center. I'll have Colleen pull it and see if Gary made any comments about Richards in his later years. If this description of his talk is accurate, it certainly sounds like Richards had "lost it" at some point in later years.

However, there is one story in that newspaper article that Roger posted that sounds worth a follow-up, if possible: -- Alfred Richardson Story of Eustis claimed to have been a special agent for Confederate forces and said he knew of John Wilkes Booth's plot to kill the president -- but never told anyone until 35 years later. Story moved to the Eustis area in 1870, and kept his war experiences as a spy a secret until 1900. He died in 1923.

Betty, check it out because the article also mentions contacts with Powell.

I'm familiar with Storey's "story".....I even have a photo of him - but have hit a brick wall in regards to any papers; etc. regarding him as the majority are in private hands and have emailed to no evail....

   
Alfred Storey

   
Storey and wife, Pinky Ann Goff Storey

   
Storey's Pension record

That was fast. Very impressive BettyO

(06-30-2016 09:59 AM)BettyO Wrote:  I'm familiar with Storey's "story".....I even have a photo of him - but have hit a brick wall in regards to any papers; etc. regarding him as the majority are in private hands and have emailed to no evail....


Alfred Storey


Storey and wife, Pinky Ann Goff Storey


Storey's Pension record

Would it help for the email to come from a museum?

Laurie, that would be great! I've got to dig out the email address (it's been over 3 years since I last attempted to contact them) - I have to work tonight, but I can get it to you in the morning -

Thanx, This shows you that I went to the right place to ask for help. Your knowledge has saved me lots of time. There are still questions at to whether or not, Hogan ever delivered a message at all, I'll keep that in mind, but on the back burner, THANX , again .

(06-30-2016 04:00 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  John, there is a 1987 Orlando Sentinel article that discusses this:

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1987...kes-eustis

According to that article Richards gave his talk at Clifford (or Clifford's) Hall in Eustis, Florida.

Several names are mentioned in that article, and I don't know the veracity of of their revelations. But I do wonder about Richards' mental state at that time if this report of what he said is accurate:

"Former Police Chief Richards provided more details about his involvement with the historic event during a 1900 talk at Clifford Hall, according to a letter written in 1958 by former Eustis resident M.B. Gault. The letter now is in the hands of the Lake County Historical Society.

Gault wrote: ''At one of the entertainments given by some group, a Col. Richards came on the stage and told how he had been posted behind the box in which President Lincoln sat when he was shot. He said he jumped through the front of the box to get Booth, who got away, but he found on the stage a Bowie knife that Booth was supposed to have lost. And he Richards showed us the knife.''

I don't know if Clifford's Hall still stands, but it was used for a variety of activities:

https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/139928

and

https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/2771

In my opinion, Richards is telling Lies or he is misquoted. If he was posted at the Presidential Box - why didn't he stop Booth from going in? Then, if Booth barricaded the door with the brace in the notches, how did he manage to go in and jump after Booth? Sorry, but it's all hog wash!

A.C. Richards was corresponding with Weichmann from May 7, 1898 to Nov. 17, 1901 and sounded very sane. He said he was seated in the dress circle, in the company of Capt. Reed, Inspector of Police. He ran down the steps, through the crowd in the orchestra circle and onto the stage. After exiting into the alley and making observations and asking questions he returned to the stage and then was called to the President's box. While in the box he was given the pistol and "one or two other articles picked up from the floor of the box." p418-419, Weichmann. Richards said he still had the receipt for the pistol from when he turned it over to the military authorities, in a letter dated June 10, 1898. Richards described those events because of what he had read in chapter 15 of Weichmann's book, and said that Stewart's account of events and testimony were largely imagined and not accurate.

(06-30-2016 11:20 PM)Pamela Wrote:  Richards described those events because of what he had read in chapter 15 of Weichmann's book, and said that Stewart's account of events and testimony were largely imagined and not accurate.

I also wonder about the validity of Richards' account. Personally I do not know of any contemporary evidence that he was present at Ford's Theatre when the President was shot (other than Richards' own word that he was).

Richards says he was there, but was he?

According to Good's book, Richards' "revelation" that he was there came on April 17, 1885, which is 20 years after the event. Captain Reed, who could have verified Richards' presence, is deceased. So is Stewart dead by this time. Richards also says in his account that Peanut John was a black boy. In other discussions we've had, it seems the evidence is quite conclusive that Peanut John was white. Richards claims Mary Lincoln yelled "guerillas" after the shot; as far as I know, no one else made this claim. Richards said he thought Booth yelled "Sic semper tyrannis" twice while on the stage; I think the vast majority of other accounts have Booth yelling this once.

If anyone can provide contemporary evidence that Richards really was in the theater when Lincoln was shot then I will stand corrected in my suspicions.

I'm with John Stanton on this one:
In my opinion, Richards is telling Lies or he is misquoted. If he was posted at the Presidential Box - why didn't he stop Booth from going in? Then, if Booth barricaded the door with the brace in the notches, how did he manage to go in and jump after Booth? Sorry, but it's all hog wash!

(07-02-2016 01:52 PM)Wild Bill Wrote:  I'm with John Stanton on this one:
In my opinion, Richards is telling Lies or he is misquoted.

I second John and Bill. This is part of the reason why I question whether Richards told the truth in 1885 (and in his correspondence with Weichmann). I have not been able to find any contemporary account that verifies the police chief was in the audience watching the play.

Isn't there an account that he was called down from Police Hdqtrs. to help with the crowd?