List of Ford's Theatre Attendees

[jbarry]

(05-10-2026 07:23 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  "Nearly one hour before the commission of the deed the assassin came to the door of the box, and looked in to take a survey of the position of its occupants. It was supposed at the time that it was either a mistake or the exercise of an impertinent curiosity. The circumstance attracted no particular attention at the time."

The above is what Clara Harris said a short time after the assassination. I have always been skeptical of what Clara Harris said. Now that Joe is working on a list of all those in attendance at Ford's has anyone come across another eyewitness account that JWB did indeed make a trial run an hour before the assassination?

Roger, I've read the posts from 2015 on this site on this topic. I don't find Haris's account credible. It doesn't match Rathbone's official testimony and more people would have witnessed Booth entering the vestibule twice had he done so. Plus, it strains credulity Booth would risk being seen or caught by entering the box twice. He was familiar with the theater, a hole in the door enabled him to see in, so what does a dry run achieve for a man who is well-armed with a gun and a large knife--and likely a plan for the best time to strike?

Although it's possible Harris said this to cover for her husband, it's equally likely she simply conflated a thought with an actual observation. We can't forget the trauma of this event, and how it affected people's memories, even soon after the event.

I've previously read about a person (not Booth) entering the box, and another involving the delivery of a newspaper, but these also don't seem credible.