Lincoln's Revelance Questioned by National Park Service

[AussieMick]

Veronica,

( interesting to read of Michael De Ruyter ... being British born I was only taught about Brit heroes ... fascinating life)


The date of the Julius Caesar performance was Nov 25 1864

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_Gar..._York_City
(note that the initial reference to the performance has Nov 26 but that must be wrong)

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/25/nyreg...zzled.html

https://www.abouttheartists.com/producti...-1867-1864

I have been thinking recently about the assassination and the course of events in the box. In particular, how much room was there behind Mary Lincoln and Clara Harris ... how did Rathbone manage to spring up and move around the 2 ladies so that he could lunge at Booth forcing Booth to draw the dagger and slash at Rathbone. It would all have required Booth to fire the shot, perhaps put one foot up on the railing (or whatever), Rathbone to move around behind the ladies and grab at Booth, Booth to withdraw the dagger (unless he had it ready in his other hand ... which would seems implausible unless he was ambidextrous) and turn to strike Rathbone and then turn again and leap onto the stage.

I can only imagine that Booth paused for a second or two in his "performance" and gloried in the moment as he stared at his audience.

Adding to this, that dagger must have been extremely sharp to have sliced through Rathbone's winter-Spring clothing and cause considerable bleeding.

the dagger ...

update ... Dave Taylor has a great comment here
https://lincolnconspirators.com/2019/06/...ths-knife/

https://www.fords.org/blog/post/which-kn...on-knives/
This has a 1940 press release by NPS describing the knife as a stiletto-type. This to my mind is nothing like the photographs of the knife on display at Fords Theatre. The knife apparently located in the barn when Booth was shot is described as a Bowie which has a distinct curve.


Ive tried searching but cannot find out what happened to the dagger/knife after Rathbone was stabbed/slashed .