Presidential security

[L Verge]

Welcome aboard, Anne. Let me make a quick response to the question about restrooms. In the 1963 Restoration of Ford's Theatre booklet cited above, page 51, cites the following under "South Addition:" 'The south addition was a three-story brick building built by Ford in 1863 as an extension of his theatre. A combined restaurant and bar, known as Peter Taltavul's "Star Saloon" occupied the first floor. The second floor, which was used as a cloakroom and lounge of the dress circle was connected to the theatre by a double doorway. Larger windows o this floor of the building provided additional light and ventilation for what was considered to be a spacious lounge. Rest rooms were most probably at the rear for the convenience of dress circle patrons...'"

As for any more specifics on John Parker's assignment that night, may I wish you all the luck in the world trying to pin that down. Frankly, if two of the greatest Lincoln assassination researchers in the world (James O. Hall and Michael W. Kauffman) couldn't pin it down, I fear they are lost - or so far underground that it will take a miracle to get them released.

Now, before someone goes off on a tangent and decides that my last sentence must indicate a great conspiracy, let me say that the records were supposedly still with the Metro Police until sometime in the 1960s, at which time some tidy supervisor suggested that the files needed to be cleaned out. I have been told by two separate sources that they ended up in the circular file. However, one source (who was then serving as the department's historian) told me that the Parker file and others supposedly were seen in the trash by someone who saved them for his own collection. When I last spoke with the historian (who now has another job), the "owner" was still alive. He did not know - or would not divulge - who the owner was.