Through Five Administrations

[L Verge]

When I used to deal with the school tours here at Surratt House, I would ask the students, "Who guards the President today?" Once I got the Secret Service answer out of them (and it wasn't always easy), my next thing was to have one of them pretend to be a Secret Service agent. I would then announce to them that Brad Pitt (or Michael Jordan or Will Smith) was entering the presidential box. What would they do. Every one of them said they would pat the man down -- and quite a few of them would then say, "And I'd ask him for an autograph!"

Charles Forbes obviously did not see Booth as a threat that night. Would Parker have sensed danger? I personally doubt it. I don't condone his actions, but I don't think he would have turned Booth away either.