What Was The Role of David Herold

[John Fazio]

John,
I agree with you. I'm just speculating on whether the man on the porch was an unknown conspirator or someone trying to inform Stanton of the assassination. He had to be either friend or foe.

Jerry:

He had to be foe, because the evidence is that he took off upon the approach of messengers (variously described) who were coming from Ford's to apprise the Secretary of what had happened there. There is also evidence that another man was seen behind a tree box on Stanton's property. He too left abruptly when an attempt was made to apprehend him. These items of evidence, together with other evidence, including the fact that Stanton was named as an intended victim in conversations between Confederate operatives in Canada, as well as in Thomas A. Jones's 1893 book, J. Wilkes Booth, make it quite certain that Stanton was targeted on April 14. That should not surprise us.

John