No sympathy for George

[L Verge]

Terry Alford and I were discussing this item this afternoon. It is commanding a very good price. Terry says that such an item generally brings about $2000. We were wondering from whose collection it was coming. We had not seen mention of Richard and Kellie Gutman.

Most people know the Gutmans for their collection of Booth photos and the subsequent book. However, they also have/had an great collection of paper ephemera. Several of us visited with them in the 1970s, and the collection was large at that time. I can only imagine what it eventually grew into.

How many of you know that Richard is also an expert and author on the history of the great American diners? Remember the Blue Plate Specials??

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Without sounding crass, I hope that history continues to portray the conspirators as all guilty as charged. The story of their varying involvements with Booth is a wonderful object lesson for teaching future generations of the perils of following the activities of a gang. Viva la "vicarious liability." We've used that technique at Surratt House for nigh onto forty years now. I once had a vice principal hug me for using that analogy with his school group.