Who is this lady?

[Steve Whitlock]

In Manhunt it says:

"The room was empty of all visitors now, save one. Edwin Stanton and the president were alone. The morning light streaming through the back windows raked across Lincoln’s still face. Stanton closed the blinds and approached the president’s body. He took from his pocket a small knife or pair of scissors and bent over Lincoln’s head. Gently he cut a generous lock of hair—more than one hundred strands—and sealed it in a plain, white envelope."

Stanton left no statement about doing this that I know of. So how are these details known (given Stanton is alone)? I really wonder why Stanton might have had a pair of scissors in his pocket. Ouch. Whoever wrote this (i.e. Mr. Swanson's source) apparently didn't know how Stanton might have clipped the lock of hair, but the person somehow did know "the morning light streaming through the back windows raked across Lincoln’s still face." Pretty strange, IMO.

Don't make me have to ruin the moment I was having envisioning myself standing there with the morning light streaming through the back window and raking across my President, and friend, streams running down my sobbing face, trembling with the draining awful moment, as I saved a lock of his hair for posterity. Surely there was nothing more profound to do.

Really, I imagined myself in Stanton's place, without a thought of reality, just incredibly powerful feeling, and I was tearing up!! Well, that's gone. Thanks! Back to my grumpy old self. Somebody else can disprove Swanson.