Clara Harris's Bloody Dress

[RJNorton]

(11-27-2013 07:32 PM)Hess1865 Wrote:  

(11-27-2013 10:10 AM)J. Beckert Wrote:  I agree, it's strange and I don't know what to make of it. At one point however, to explain all the "sorry stains" on her, she had to be in contact with Lincoln or Rathbone. It's been said Lincoln was carried out on a shutter, so someone had to support his head. Maybe she was allowed to do this for a short time and used the flag to do so?

Maybe, just maybe, Miss Keene seized on the publicity value of having Lincoln's blood on her dress and she went back to the empty theater box, put her hands in the remaining blood, and then wiped her bloody hands on her dress.
Didn't she show off her bloody dress onstage at several of her theater appearances over the next few weeks???

Mr. Hess, I read a similar account in a book one time. I cannot recall which book, though. The author made the claim that the whole thing was a publicity stunt to revive a fading stage career. Although my personal opinion is that this may be a stretch, I do find it curious that she made no public comment on her role. As Joe Banning posted (from Dr. Reck's book), "No statement from Miss Keene about the alleged occurrence has been seen." I agree with Laurie that Dr. Reck's book is excellent, and if Dr. Reck could not find a statement by Laura Keene regarding what she did that night then I really doubt one exists. I continue to lean to Clara Harris's account.