One more post, on one broken leg.

[Eva Elisabeth]

(09-12-2013 09:53 AM)L Verge Wrote:  I questioned that in 2005 when I first read it in Brutus. I already knew his theory, but was very surprised to see him use the "about a dozen" number. I tried to put together a list of even a dozen known people that Booth came in contact with over the days of his escape. I got just about a dozen, but I would question how many of those were told how he broke his leg -- people like Swann, Rollins, Thornton, Miss Peyton, and others had no need to know HOW he broke his leg.

Of course, about half a dozen Garretts were under one roof, but did any of them speak about his horse falling on him? Is it mentioned in any of the statements made by people like Samuel Cox? I'm not sure that Mike would do this, but one way to make a point is to exaggerate your statement and pray that others don't call you on it.

May I ask - as Laurie's post indicates, Mr. Kauffman does not say whether JWB told any of those dozen people in detail how and where the riding accident had happened, does he? (Anyway, regarding there was no eyewitness - does it make such a difference how often he allegedly told it? )
And - did JWB tell the "horse story" to anyone after he had read the newspaper reports and started writing his diary?

Finally - even if JWB indeed told this, wouldn't it make more sense he lied towards even a dozen others than that he lied in his diary (both can't be true), especially at the beginning of his escape and possibly rooting in his personality and a "professional" ego? My personal experience with people of that business is that some actors' egos wouldn't easily allow them to admit (even not towards their spouses) they had failed on stage - and breaking his leg wasn't part of JWB's "superman" role and his original script, and was probably a "no-go" for his greatest performance ever. (Plus as an actor, he stood in his father's and brother's shadow.) To me it makes sense he probably wanted the audience (thus the whole world) to remember his performance as a perfect one - until he learned the world saw his deed differently to what he had expected.

So, my next question is: What do you think was his paramount reason to write his diary? Did he write it just for himself to cope with his thoughts and emotions - like Lincoln wrote letters he finally never sent? Did he intend it to be read after his possible death? (Anyway, if at all, at what point in time would he have considered his escape wouldn't be sucessful or he wouln't even survive? Did he consider this when he started the diary?) I personally can't see a convincing reason why he should have lied in his diary. Maybe you can?

Thanks for any comment.