Why was Booth admitted into the presidential box?

[HerbS]

Booth did enjoy his alcohol!

[Sally]

(04-04-2015 12:26 PM)L Verge Wrote:  If Forbes had kept the card, what became of it? Did he forget to turn it over to the investigators?

In his JWB bio, Terry Alford indicates the mysterious card was never officially put forth as evidence. It just sort of vanished.

[L Verge]

Which would certainly seem logical if it had a prominent name on it - like a Senator who was soon to head up a delegation to Spain and whose very popular daughter did not want to come under suspicion.

[RJNorton]

Here is the way Theodore Roscoe put it in The Web of Conspiracy:

"Arrest an English actress who had been on the stage with Booth, yes. Arrest a young lady who had chatted with Booth in the parlor of a boardinghouse. Arrest and imprison a backwoods farmer's wife who had served a dish of tea to a caller who might have been Booth. Arrest and imprison a scullery maid who had cried, "Hoo-ray for Booth." But do not arrest the society woman who had consorted with him in Washington drawing-rooms. Do not impound this amourette who seated the killer near Lincoln at the Inaugural. Never breathe the name of Booth's betrothed. She is privileged, beyond the law, sacrosanct. She is the daughter of a United States Senator!"

[HerbS]

A wealthy person of prominance is seldom arrested in this country!

[LincolnToddFan]

(04-05-2015 05:07 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Here is the way Theodore Roscoe put it in The Web of Conspiracy:

"Arrest an English actress who had been on the stage with Booth, yes. Arrest a young lady who had chatted with Booth in the parlor of a boardinghouse. Arrest and imprison a backwoods farmer's wife who had served a dish of tea to a caller who might have been Booth. Arrest and imprison a scullery maid who had cried, "Hoo-ray for Booth." But do not arrest the society woman who had consorted with him in Washington drawing-rooms. Do not impound this amourette who seated the killer near Lincoln at the Inaugural. Never breathe the name of Booth's betrothed. She is privileged, beyond the law, sacrosanct. She is the daughter of a United States Senator!"

Thanks Roger. I must put that on my To Read list!

[Anita]

Thanks Roger and Toia for the information on witnesses that saw Booth hand Forbes a card. I've been reading and re-reading material related to this topic and now believe that whether or not Forbes took a drink with Booth that night, he was back after intermission. Evidently Mary Lincoln didn't believe Forbes guilty of any involvement because she gave him Lincoln's frock coat and other personal items belonging to Lincoln.

I'm still a bit confused about the card. I thought the purpose of a calling card was to give it to a messenger who would take the card into the President to announce the person who wished to see him, while the caller waited outside.

Since Forbes knew who Booth was why not give Forbes his own card? If Booth used his own card perhaps Forbes, wishing to distance himself from having let Booth pass, threw it away not wanting the assassin's card on him. Since Booth was in love with Lucy Hale would he have wanted to involve her by using her father's card?

[L Verge]

I'm not convinced that Booth was in love with Lucy. And, he had already placed her in a difficult situation on Inauguration Day, if he had decided to do something drastic at that time. Any means to an end.

[Gene C]

(04-06-2015 04:48 PM)L Verge Wrote:  I'm not convinced that Booth was in love with Lucy. And, he had already placed her in a difficult situation on Inauguration Day, if he had decided to do something drastic at that time. Any means to an end.

There goes the premis of my new book where Booth escapes from the Garrett's farm, goes to Spain to win Lucy's hand, get's rejected and ends up as a rejected, love stricken, retired house painter in Enid, OKlahoma, where he then joins the circus.

[RJNorton]

(04-06-2015 05:17 PM)Gene C Wrote:  Booth escapes from the Garrett's farm, goes to Spain to win Lucy's hand

I guess this didn't happen then...

("Say the words out loud and you'll know the truth at last. Booth was repeating his lover's name. He said, "Lucy -- Lucy." He moved his dry cracked lips as if to kiss the ring a final time -- and died.")

[Anita]

(04-06-2015 05:17 PM)Gene C Wrote:  

(04-06-2015 04:48 PM)L Verge Wrote:  I'm not convinced that Booth was in love with Lucy. And, he had already placed her in a difficult situation on Inauguration Day, if he had decided to do something drastic at that time. Any means to an end.

There goes the premis of my new book where Booth escapes from the Garrett's farm, goes to Spain to win Lucy's hand, get's rejected and ends up as a rejected, love stricken, retired house painter in Enid, OKlahoma, where he then joins the circus.

I leave for Spain in a few days. I will check for any trail Booth might have left on his visit there.

[HerbS]

Laurie,I agree with you 100%.I think that Booth used Lucy to get to Lincoln.

[Jim Garrett]

JWB was completely narcissistic, but he had such an engaging personality that most did not realize it. Probably the only woman that JWB loved was his mother.

[HerbS]

I agree with you Jim 100%.

[LincolnToddFan]

(04-06-2015 05:26 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(04-06-2015 05:17 PM)Gene C Wrote:  Booth escapes from the Garrett's farm, goes to Spain to win Lucy's hand

I guess this didn't happen then...

("Say the words out loud and you'll know the truth at last. Booth was repeating his lover's name. He said, "Lucy -- Lucy." He moved his dry cracked lips as if to kiss the ring a final time -- and died.")

Hmmm..."useless, useless" vs. "Lucy, Lucy".. I vote for useless. He was bemoaning the paralyzed, non-working condition of his hands that was caused by the bullet through the neck.

---

(04-08-2015 01:19 PM)Jim Garrett Wrote:  JWB was completely narcissistic, but he had such an engaging personality that most did not realize it. Probably the only woman that JWB loved was his mother.

I agree 100%, with everything. And yes, most narcissists could charm the skin off a snake. I've come into contact with enough of them to know whereof I speak, sadly.