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John Fazio · (This post was last modified: 11-04-2016 01:12 AM by John Fazio.)

(11-02-2016 06:09 AM)loetar44 Wrote:
(11-01-2016 06:46 PM)John Fazio Wrote:
(11-01-2016 02:15 PM)RJNorton Wrote: Thank you, John. As I've stated before, of all those on trial, I have a tougher time getting a grasp on O'Laughlen than any of the others.

Roger:

I think we can summarize the matter by saying that O'Laughlen was still in the conspiracy on the 13th and 14th. That explains why Booth went to Baltimore to fetch him and why he dutifully came to Washington that evening. He didn't come to collect the $500 Booth owed him; he had already done that on March 31 with Arnold. Note that Booth did not run off to Old Point Comfort, Virginia, to fetch Arnold. Arnold was, by this time, truly out of it. Further evidence re O'Laughlen is that he not only came to Washington, but also met with Booth that evening at the National and most probably met with him again at the same place the following morning. Inasmuch as three credible witnesses and Atzerodt have him at Stanton's home on Thursday night, it seems probable that the purpose of the meetings with Booth related to that assignment. It is possible that he followed through with that assignment with an actual attempt on Stanton's life on the 14th, but there is no evidence for that. I think it more likely that he was with his friends, as they said he was, and that the would-be assassin or assassins who were at or about Stanton's home on the 14th were among the "others" with whom Booth was in contact for such a purpose, another of whom he used to trail Grant on the train to Burlington. Recall Arnold's statement in his Memoirs that "There were occasions before I had become acquainted with the fact that others than Surratt and ourselves, already spoken of, were connected in the enterprise."

The foregoing is the most likely scenario, in my opinion, of what happened on the 13th and 14th that involved O'Laughlen.

There was enough evidence tying O'Laughlen to Booth's conspiracy to send him to the gallows. Only the alibis provided by his friends and observers saved him from that fate. But it was a short-lived salvation, because what had begun over wine and cigars in Booth's room in Barnum's in early August, 1864, ended, almost exactly three years later, in a stinking, slimy dungeon, with black vomit, delirium and vermin.

John

John, Roger and others.

Why making O’Laughlen’s role in the assassination more important than it really was? KEES: WE DON'T KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT REALLY WAS. THAT IS WHY WE ARE DISCUSSING THE ISSUE. The witness statements at the trial don’t show that he had an important role. HE WAS UNEQUIVOCALLY TIED TO BOOTH'S CONSPIRACY BY WITNESSES WHO TESTIFIED AT THE TRIAL. HOW "IMPORTANT" THAT WAS IS A MATTER OF INTERPRETATION. Booth had told O’Laughlen on March 31 that he had "abandoned his project". AN OBVIOUS PLOY DESIGNED TO PACIFY HIM, IN MY JUDGMENT, BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT O'LAUGHLEN AND ARNOLD HAD LOST MUCH OF THEIR ENTHUSIASM FOR THE PROJECT AFTER THE GAUTIER'S RESTAURANT MEETING. AFTER THIS MEETING, HE WENT TO NEW YORK. SURELY THAT DOES NOT SIGNAL AN ABANDONMENT OF HIS RESPONSIBILITY AS A CONFEDERATE AGENT, BUT A FURTHERANCE OF IT. His “group of confidants” was falling apart. Why he travelled to Baltimore on April 13 is not exactly known. THE FACT THAT HE MET WITH O'LAUGHEN THERE AND ASKED (OR ORDERED) HIM TO RETURN TO WASHINGTON, WHICH HE DID, SUGGESTS THE LIKELY PURPOSE OF HIS TRIP Maybe he tried to get O’Laughlen back in the group. THE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT HE HADN'T COMPLETELY LEFT THE GROUP, BUT THAT HIS ENTHUSIASM WAS WANING. REMEMBER THAT O'LAUGHLEN WAS BOOTH'S FRIEND FROM CHILDHOOD. REMEMBER, TOO, THAT BOOTH HAD NOT HAD AN ACRIMONIOUS EXCHANGE WITH O'LAUGHLEN AS HE HAD HAD WITH ARNOLD. REMEMBER THAT BOOTH'S RELATIONSHIP WITH O'LAUGHLEN WAS SO SPECIAL TO HIM AND SO SENSITIVE THAT HE FORBADE HIS SISTER, ASIA, TO DISCUSS HIM. It’s speculation. O’Laughlen wasn’t a murderer and maybe he said that “the great struggle” was over. The New York Times had written “The history of blood is brought to a close. The last shot has been fired.” NOT FOR BOOTH Maybe a depressed Booth told O’Laughlen that the night of April 13, 1865 would be one of the most radiant any one in Washington would remember, with the city celebrating peace by draping itself in lights. BOOTH WASN'T INTERESTED IN RADIANCE AND LIGHTS. THESE DEPRESSED AND ANGERED HIM Booth felt crushed and humiliated and left O’Laughlen, feeling his world and everything he held dear was forever gone. O’Laughlen wanted to see that most beautiful, joyful night in Washington D.C. with his own eyes and went with three friends to DC with the afternoon train of 3:30 pm, arriving 5:30 pm. He went in the evening of April 13 to the National Hotel to meet Booth, most likely he wanted to see how he was doing now. O’Laughlin did not see Booth HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS? I DON'T BELIEVE IT FOR A MINUTE he was no more than 5 minutes at the desk in the lobby of the hotel, to hear that Booth was out. THIS IS NOT IN THE TRIAL TESTIMONY. HE WOULD NOT HAVE GONE TO THE NATIONAL UNLESS HE KNEW HE WOULD SEE BOOTH. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRE-ARRANGED IN BALTIMORE That night, John Wilkes Booth walked among the revelers in a haze of resentment and alcohol. He heard the taunts against General Lee and the Confederate army. He saw the Union soldiers in their uniforms marching up and down the streets, celebrating. He, still crushed and humiliated, had to witness it all. He maybe went to Ellen Starr for an overnight visit and wrote his mother a note, the note Roger mentioned. He was at that moment a man with little hope, a man without prospects. When O’Laughlen tried to visit Booth again in the morning of April 14, he still had not returned. YOU DON'T KNOW THIS AND I DO NOT BELIEVE IT. O'LAUGHLEN WOULD NOT HAVE GONE TO THE NATIONAL IN THE MORNING UNLESS HE KNEW HE COULD MEET WITH BOOTH. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRE-ARRANGED EITHER IN BALTIMORE OR AT THEIR MEETING THE PREVIOUS EVENING O'Laughlen was also not at Stanton’s home, it was a lookalike. HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS? TALK ABOUT SPECULATION!!!! THREE CREDIBLE WITNESSES PUT HIM THERE, TESTIFYING THAT THEY LOOKED DIRECTLY AT HIS FACE AT CLOSE RANGE UNDER A BRIGHT LIGHT At the moment suspected figures were seen at Stanton’s home on April 14th, O'Laughlen was (as Dave said) recovering from a hangover. PROBABLY TRUE On Saturday April 15, O’Laughlen returned to Baltimore with the 3:00 pm train. He had never seen Booth during his short stay at the city NONSENSE and was also no part of a conspiracy against Stanton. NONSENSE

KEES:

YOUR SCENARIO IS POSSIBLE, ONLY IN THE SENSE THAT ALMOST ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, BUT IT IS UNLIKELY. THE SCENARIO I HAVE LAID OUT SEEMS TO ME TO BE MORE LIKELY, INDEED MUCH MORE LIKELY.

JOHN

(11-02-2016 06:48 PM)L Verge Wrote: I'm trying to get back in the swing of things after being off-duty for awhile, and I have not had the strength to wade through all of these detailed postings. Keeping up with just John and Kees may send me back to the hospital, but I thought I would throw a curve ball into the discussion.

I believe that it was David Keehn, in researching his wonderful book on the Knights of the Golden Circle, that found out William O'Laughlen (Mike's older brother) was the childhood friend of Booth - with little Mikey tagging along. William was also a member of the KGC and very well may have been the brother that Booth turned to first. However, at the time of the assassination, William was soon to become a father for the first time, so there is speculation that Michael filled in for him in the final few months. Could William have continued to keep up with the plan with the idea that he would not be in on the final action?

Personally, I think the idea that it was Michael at Stanton's door is pure speculation - even at that time when the U.S. government was trying to pin anything and everything on the Confederacy.

Laurie:

Welcome back. Everyone was pleased to hear that the episode was not more serious.

I agree about O'Laughlen at the door. I have already said that I believe that it is quite unlikely that either of the men seen at or about Stanton's home on the night of the 14th was O'Laughlen. The greater likelihood is that he was with his friends, as they said he was.

John