Mary's Reputation

[RJNorton]

(07-21-2018 12:53 AM)kerry Wrote:  Williamson gave several interesting interviews, but somehow I never questioned his story of being present at the assassination. Now that it's called my attention, it does seem suspicious. But he later helped an artist reconstruct the scene and he sounded credible. Accounts of that time do have an unfortunate habit of failing to note the existence of people of lower social status, as Williamson would have been perceived by those present. Several accounts mentioned a crying "servant," and I was never sure who that was. He didn't say his son was with Tad, but that he was at the theater. I guess it was probably made up - that disappoints me. I enjoy Williamson's accounts, and now I'm not sure if I can trust them

Kerry, I based what I said on that fact that he is not mentioned as being at the Petersen House in W. Emerson Reck's book or in Kathy Canavan's book. Plus he is not included in Alonzo Chappel's "rubber room" depiction of 47 people at the deathbed. I think Chappel included everyone known to have come to the Petersen House that night. Of course many of them were not actually in Willie Clark's room when Lincoln died. I tend to think Williamson was not present at the deathbed, but I could be wrong.