Assassination Trivia

[Anita]

(10-13-2015 03:26 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  That's OK, Anita!! You still win best wishes for a wonderful day! The reason I asked this question is that I was thumbing through Tony Pitch's book earlier today, and I noticed he included the commission vote on Spangler. I had never before seen what the vote was on Spangler (or had forgotten if I had), and I thought I'd use it as a trivia question. I have always been interested in Spangler as I am one of those who leans to him being innocent of wrongdoing.

Thanks Roger. Nothing beats a wonderful day. I too lean on the side of Spangler's innocence. I'm reading Holzer's book "President Lincoln Assassinated" and on page 128 in Bingham's closing statement for the prosecution, he states that Spangler's bar was in place and Booth placed it in the mortise to block the passage door after he entered.

What was the prosecution's evidence that it was Spangler who placed the bar there to aid Booth? That would take the charge from abetting Booth's escape to a participant in the dirty deed.

After Spangler's death, Dr. Samuel Mudd found a handwritten statement in Spangler's tool chest presumably written by Spangler while he was in prison. It concludes with the following "I never heard Booth express himself in favor of the rebellion, or opposed to the Government, or converse upon political subjects; and I have no recollection of his mentioning the name of President Lincoln in any connection whatever. I know nothing of the mortise hole said to be in the wall behind the door of the President's box, or of any wooden bar to fasten or hold the door being there, or of the lock being out of order. I did not notice any hole in the door. Gifford usually attended to the carpentering in the front part of the theater, while I did the work about the stage. Mr. Gifford was the boss carpenter, and I was under him."
http://rogerjnorton.com/Lincoln24.html