Robert Arnold's Book The Conspiracy Between John Wilkes Booth and the Union Army

[RJNorton]

(08-15-2018 04:04 PM)mikegriffith1 Wrote:  Arnold seems to make a very compelling case that the assassination was a carefully planned event that, among other things, required the help of someone inside Ford's Theater at least hours before the event, and that Stanton was involved in the plot.

Arnold writes that even the furniture in the State Box was purposely placed in certain spots to facilitate the assassination. He writes that the sofa was purposely placed as it was to provide "an empty space where Booth could easily reach the rail without having to jump over someone in a chair." The special rocking chair for the President was placed where it was "meant that the seating would not be random but that Lincoln would be lined up with the hole in the door." All of the other private boxes at Ford's were purposely kept empty "meant that Booth would be able to enter the box without being seen. The construction of the box and the placement of the bunting made it impossible to see the rear of the box from anywhere in the theater except from the box that was directly across from the presidential box."

Dr. Arnold concludes:

"The best proof that the assassination was meticulously planned in advance, not a spontaneous act, is the theater preparation itself and the details of the assassination, as these are factual and not opinion or speculation. When Lincoln entered Ford's Theatre that night, he was being led like a lamb to slaughter."

Harry Clay Ford was in charge of how the furniture was placed in the State Box. I guess my questions are for Mike as he is such a fan of Dr. Arnold's book and says he (Dr. Arnold) makes a compelling case. How did Stanton alert Ford that Booth was going to assassinate Lincoln that night? Did Stanton order Ford to make sure the furniture was properly placed to aid the assassin? Or did Booth himself alert Ford that he was going to assassinate the President that night and to arrange the State Box to make things as easy for him as possible?

Mike, do you really, sincerely believe what Dr. Arnold writes about this?

To my way of thinking this furniture business is a bunch of nonsense.