What Was The Role of David Herold

[John Fazio]

(02-01-2013 10:34 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  What I want to know is if Johnson was ALONE in his room! I know Farwell had trouble "rousing" Johnson...hmm....

Roger:

I too have heard the suggestion made that he was not alone and even that Booth may have arranged company for him in exchange for a pass to Richmond. The story goes that they had shared a woman or women years earlier in Tennessee when Booth was playing down there (Nashville, I believe). I seriously doubt all of this. To begin with Farwell said nothing about company, though we would not expect him to, so we won't attach too much importance to that. More importantly, Johnson was such a heavy drinker, and most probably had a few that night before retiring, that I doubt that he would have been in a condition to accomodate company, physically or emotionally. Alcohol has diminishing returns where matters amorous are concerned. At 57 he was probably slowing down anyway even if he were sober. (That should kick up some dust.) Third, I doubt that he would risk scandal. He was already under a heavy cloud because of the spectacle he made of himself on Inauguration Day. Lastly, it was about 10:30, past a good hour for a 57-year old to retire, alone.

John