What Was The Role of David Herold

[wsanto]

(04-05-2013 12:43 PM)John Fazio Wrote:  

(04-05-2013 12:42 PM)Laurie Verge Wrote:  I have to disagree with you on the closeness of the various places - having walked to every one of them in my better days. We need only consider Seward's home on Lafayette Park (behind the White House so close to 16th Street), the Treasury building at 15th and F, Kirkwood House at 12th and Pennsylvania, and Ford's Theatre in mid-block of Tenth Street.

Where does the Willard even figure in except for Herold riding past it while heading to the Navy Yard Bridge? And, I don't understand your reference to Herold riding from Ford's to the Willard.

Sorry, your scenario just does not compute - but Fletcher's statement putting Herold between Seward's and the Avenue does, and it's the only written, primary evidence that I know of (and taken from a man who had a vested interest in getting the description correct since he was viewing a horse that he was responsible for).

Laurie:

I should have known better than to challenge a native of the area. You will have to give me a little time to study the geography.

John

John,

I have stayed at the Willard and walked to Ford's Theatre and been up and down Pennsylavania Ave. These are long city blocks and the walk from the Willard to Ford's is 15+ minutes. But the Willard is very close to Laffayette Park (2-min walk). The only thing between the Willard and the site of Seward's house is the Treasury Building.

If Herold's assignment was to be with Booth at Ford's on 10th Street he would have never been close to the Willard and certainly not seen riding away from the Treasury on 15th street. Even if he went to the Kirkwood on 12th from Ford's, it is still, in my opinion too far away from the Willard for him to have been seen riding past there.

In my opinion, Fletcher's testimony, if it is even close to being accurate, is evidence that Herold was riding away from Laffayette Park between 10:15 and 10:30. To where and why is up to imagination and speculation.