The “rubber box” or did Laura Keene indeed held Lincoln’s head?

[STS Lincolnite]

(09-14-2014 07:39 PM)L Verge Wrote:  This may be a stupid question, but how did Lincoln get from the rocking chair to the floor? Did Leale examine him first in the chair before Taft could arrive? Was Leale able to extract him from the chair to the floor before Taft arrived? Was Lincoln placed on the floor with his feet near the supports to the railing, or "horizontally" to the railing in the space between the two doors? Where was the rocking chair shoved so that its rockers wouldn't be in the way (yes, I have a thing against rocking chairs thanks to lots of bruised ankles as a child!)?

I am continually struggling with the visual aspects of too many people and objects in too little space. I even want to know where Lincoln's overcoat and shawl ended up...what about Mrs. Lincoln's and Clara Harris's cloaks? If Henry Rathbone's wound was gushing like a fountain, was blood found on any or all of the furniture or draperies or walls - or was it confined just to his clothing?

From Dr. Leale's 1867 statement:
"With the assistance of two gentlemen I immediately placed him in a recumbent position..."

I would assume this meant they took him out of the chair and laid him down. Assuming one of the gentlemen was Rathbone, that means at least one other man was in the room along with Leale, Mary, Clara and Rathbone at the time. If it was not Rathbone (who may not have been in a condition to help at that time, that would mean 2 additional men were already in the room at the time Leale performed his initial examination.

He goes on to say:
"I asked a gentleman near me to cut his coat and shirt off..."

Not sure if that was the same man (or one of the men) that helped lower AL to the floor or another man all together.