Almarin Cooley Richards

[RJNorton]

Pam, I am sorry, but I am still missing something, and I remain in the "Ed Steers' camp"* regarding Richards' veracity on his presence at Ford's. What I am missing is how this specification against Parker proves Richards' presence. William H. Crook, another White House policeman, wrote:

"Had Parker been at his post at the back of the box - Booth still being determined to make the attempt that night - he (Parker) would have been stabbed, probably killed. The noise of the struggle - Parker could certainly have managed to make some outcry - would have given the alarm. Major Rathbone was a brave man, and the President was a brave man and of enormous muscular strength. It would have been an easy thing for the two men to have disarmed Booth, who was not a man of great physical strength. It was the suddenness of his attack on the President that made it so devilishly successful. It makes me feel rather bitter when I remember that the President had said, just a few hours before, that he knew he could trust all his guards. And to think in that one moment of test, one of us should have utterly failed him. Parker knew that he had failed in his duty. He looked like a convicted criminal the next day. He was never the same man afterward."

Is it not possible that Richards talked to Crook prior to May 1? Forbes could have signed the specification not knowing whether Richards was present or not. He was just doing what the police superintendent asked him to do.

In Forbes only known statement there is no mention of Richards being in the theater.

None of the assassination eyewitness accounts mention Richards by name as far as I can tell (other than Richards himself). If one exists and can be posted, I will stop being a skeptic.

*I should define "Ed Steers camp." John Fazio writes, "Steers believes it is 'doubtful' that Richards was even in the theater and chased Booth." John does not agree with Ed.