Who is John Barr

[Dennis Urban]

The June 2 testimony was by Matthew J. Pope. By Pope's testimony, Barr was known to Pope, who worked at the nearby Navy Yard, but it does not seem that Atzerodt was known to Pope. Seems like the contact between Barr and Atzerodt was incidental except for the fact that Barr took Atzerodt home for supper. Stranger things have happened between folks who meet up at the bar. At his trial testimony, Barr refers to seeing Atzerodt "once before" and "I did not know him at the time." I believe we have to take Barr at his word. The curious issue is why Atzerodt was trying to sell a horse used in the escape two days before the assassination. Booth, Herold, and Powell all needed horses to make their getaway.