New Eyewitness Account?

[Steve]

For the most part, I believe Bingham's account that he was at Ford's Theatre during the assassination. Bingham said Booth said "I have done it" just before saying "The South's avenged!" Two accounts within a day of the assassination, one by

Albert Daggett in a 15 April 1865 letter:
http://alplm-cdi.com/chroniclingillinois.../show/8120

and one by

James P. Ferguson in a 14 April 1865 statement:
https://books.google.com/books?id=Gc6BmV...65&f=false

also claim Booth said "I have done it" just as he was leaving the stage.

I looked at the Washington newspapers printed prior to the letter being written to see who Bingham was referring to as "a man seated near me, who afterwards proved an acquaintance" of Booth. My guess is that Bingham was referring to James Ferguson, and may have read another account of the assassination given by Ferguson on the first page of the 17 April 1865 edition of the Washington Evening Star. Both Bingham and Ferguson say they went specifically to see Gen. Grant and got seats with a good view of the box. I'm emailing an image of the Ferguson article for Roger to post on the thread for everybody to see.

Steve also sent an article from the April 17, 1865, New York World which cites Laura Keene's actions after the assassination. I am posting the part of the article that mentions Keene:

So why did Clara Harris state, "Laura Keene did not enter the box from first to last. She might have been with the crowd who were trying to get in at the door, but only a very few were admitted and she was not among the number."