ON TV Right NOW

[jonathan]

I'm not sure of Rathbone's exact positioning, but I imagine it would have been unlikely for him to notice Booth stepping into the box unless he had by chance been looking in that direction. When I think about how Booth might have entered the box, two possibilities come to mind. One, he eased the door open slowly and quietly, or two he just opened it quickly, pointed and fired. In either scenario, it's unrealistic to expect that Rathbone had any serious chance to prevent the assassination. At best he might have prevented Booth's escape from the theater. I assume that most of the theater was dimly lit, though I suppose the Presidential box might have been a little more well lit because it was practically part of the stage. Regardless, I think the chances that Rathbone could have stopped the shooting were extremely slim. And I believe that he was haunted by the fact he couldn't prevent it. It's just another sad part of a sad but fascinating story.