Assassination Trivia

[RJNorton]

Brilliant, Anita!! There is a little information about John Deery's ability in billiards here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Fox

From Leonard Grover, "Lincoln's Interest in the Theater," Century Magazine 77, (April 1909):

"Within the last three years, I have learned this additional fact from John Deery, the then billiard champion of America, who kept a large billiard saloon directly over the front entrance to Grover's Theatre. Deery has told me that during that fatal Friday, Wilkes Booth came to his office, and pleading that he did not want to put himself under obligations to Mr. Hess, who was my associate in the management, by accepting a complimentary box, which of course would be tendered him should he offer to pay at the box office, asked Deery to go down and buy a box as though for himself, and handed him the money to pay for it. Deery said he did as he was requested, and if Mr. Lincoln had visited my theater that night, Wilkes Booth would have had the adjoining box. But some time during the day, Mrs. Lincoln learned that Laura Keene was to have a benefit and a last appearance at Ford's, and she requested Mr. Lincoln to change his destination."

I need to apologize for a couple of things regarding this question. I thought I had read Booth's request of Deery to get him tickets for the performance at Grover's came on April 13th, but Grover indicates it came on the 14th. Also, Grover is a poor source and often embellished/created stories, so I am "trusting" him on this one.

Anita, you win two free hours of playing time in John Deery's Billiards Saloon! Paige and Bill win one free hour because of their excellent guesses on a question that may possibly be apocryphal.