A Wonderful Find ...

[Craig Hipkins]

I have always kept an open mind about the possibility of Booth killing himself. However, I do not believe that he did. Dr. Lattimer in his book Kennedy & Lincoln Medical & Ballistic comparisons of their Assassinations sums it up rather well. In order for Booth to have shot himself with his revolver it would have been necessary for him to lower his crutch and carbine. Also, the bullet's trajectory was downward. If Booth had used his revolver (according to Lattimer) it would have been necessary for him to have repositioned the heavy weapon and use his thumb on the trigger instead of his index finger. Lattimer also describes the difference in the appearance of a suicide type wound and one inflicted from a distance. He notes that Dr. Woodward who later examined Booth's body stated that the wound was made by a "conoidal revolver bullet, fired at a distance of a few yards." Although these arguments do not prove that Booth did not shoot himself they sure do make a good case against it.

I believe that the mentally unstable, and eccentric Boston Corbett shot John Wilkes Booth.

Craig