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Thomas Thorne · 04-30-2015, 01:27 AM

(04-29-2015 05:11 PM)RJNorton Wrote:
(04-29-2015 04:26 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote: What would you read behind her asking Weichmann to pray for her intentions? What do you think was on her mind? Thanks for sharing your opinion!

Eva, I think this was said shortly after JWB's third visit to the Surratt boardinghouse on April 14. Due to the timing of her saying this, IMO it was related to something Booth told her on this third visit. Based on what she told Smoot (who also visited that night shortly after Booth) she knew things were about to happen and quickly. So I think it was related to her knowledge that things were going to happen that night. What she told Lloyd and her asking about the pickets on the road also indicate she knew. Just my opinion.

3 JWB trips to the boarding house? The 1 PM visit is certain as Anna Surratt even verified it. . The second visit just before Smoot is barely likely but a third? Are are we not conflating this with the second?

Please explain.

I am indebted to Laurie Verge with the insight that Mary Surratt's interrogation responses indicated she was cool as a cucumber and she had prepared her responses in advance as if she were a veteran job interviewee.

The only time she let down her guard was when she became agitated at the shocking reappearance of Louis Powell while she was being detained. That Powell would show up in such a dramatic and incriminating way was a contingency she had not prepared for. Who could? If you did not know that story were true,you would swear a writer had invented it.

Tom

RJNorton · 04-30-2015, 03:58 AM

(04-30-2015 01:27 AM)Thomas Thorne Wrote: 3 JWB trips to the boarding house? The 1 PM visit is certain as Anna Surratt even verified it. . The second visit just before Smoot is barely likely but a third? Are are we not conflating this with the second?

Please explain.

Hi Tom. I am using Art Loux's John Wilkes Booth: Day By Day. (p. 209)

1. Before noon Booth "walked to Mary Surratt's boardinghouse and learned she was going to drive to Surrattsville on business, making it unnecessary for Atzerodt to go. Booth said he would return with his binoculars before she left so that she could drop them off at the Surratt Tavern. He also asked her to tell tavern-keeper John Lloyd to take the carbines from their hiding place; they would be picked up that night."

2. "At 2:30 P.M. Booth returned to the Surratt boardinghouse with his binoculars."

3. "At 9:00 P.M., according to Weichmann, Booth visited Mary Surratt perhaps to confirm that she had seen Lloyd and delivered his binoculars."

In his book Weichmann supports his contention that a third visit took place by writing that when the detectives left on the morning of the 15th Anna Surratt cried out, "Oh, Ma! Mr. Weichmann is right; just think of that man (John W. Booth) having been here an hour before the assassination. I am afraid it will bring suspicion upon us."

One question which I think has been discussed before is how Mary planned on getting to Surrattsville. If she told Booth about her planned trip in the morning...what was her planned method of transportation? Was she going to drive alone? The reason I bring this up is, as far as I can tell, she would not have known at that time that Stanton was going to release workers on Good Friday. Weichmann had left the boardinghouse in the morning and was already at work when he learned of Stanton's circular letter to War Department employees.

L Verge · 04-30-2015, 08:57 AM

Reference the supposed 9 pm visit: It has been my understanding that Weichmann thought it was Booth, but did not actually see him.

RJNorton · 04-30-2015, 11:02 AM

(04-30-2015 08:57 AM)L Verge Wrote: Reference the supposed 9 pm visit: It has been my understanding that Weichmann thought it was Booth, but did not actually see him.

Agreed.

Rsmyth · 04-30-2015, 11:17 AM

For some reason I had not previously read any of this post until today. I started this AM and just finished (some work got in the way). I thoroughly enjoyed all the comments, research and humor. Thank you Roger for allowing me to binge.

John Fazio · 04-30-2015, 07:20 PM

Everyone:

This is a public expression of gratitude and appreciation to Herb for the wonderful review he wrote of my book for Amazon, which just came to my attention. And five stars in the bargain! Herb, you are a true mensch and a kindred spirit. No wonder we are almost always on the same page. Thanks.

John

LincolnToddFan · (This post was last modified: 05-01-2015 01:05 AM by LincolnToddFan.)

(04-29-2015 01:27 PM)Juan Marrero Wrote: As a late arrival I apologize if this has been covered, but I wonder if JWB would only have been momentarily deterred if he had not gotten into the box. Forcing an entry might have worked, but he also had the option of waiting for the play to end and then stalk the President on his way to the coach. Once the night was underway and he had parted with his co-conspirators, JWB knew that there was no going back. An attack on Seward and/or Johnson would most likely give way to revealing the full extent of the plot. So, there was nothing to lose if he tried to attack Lincoln sometime that night. I suppose, JWB could have "skedadled" once he was denied entry, but it would seem out of character to leave the others in the lurch.

Like the sinking of the Titanic exactly 47 years later, that night haunts with those twists of fate that made all the difference.

No Juan, you are right. On the night of Apr 14 1865, JWB did not have the option of re-arranging the timing of the murder once he entered Ford's Theater.. Remember what was going on at the Seward mansion at roughly the exact same time as the Presidential assassination. It was crucial that the mayhem chez Seward and the death of the President be carried out at the same time, like clockwork.

Otherwise, once Seward had been attacked word would have spread very quickly to Ford's. Hearing about the attack on his Secretary of State and close friend, Lincoln would have insisted on leaving at once. At that point the alarm would have been sounded and he would have been surrounded by U.S. cavalry for protection for the foreseeable future..

Once the conspirators set out that night, the die was cast. Booth had to act at the agreed upon time and so did Lewis Powell.

I strongly disagree that it would have been out of character for JWB to flee and leave others in the lurch.

That is exactly what he did do, after all.

HerbS · 05-01-2015, 07:37 AM

THANKS-John,Great book!

Juan Marrero · 05-01-2015, 10:25 AM

LincolnToddFan, you are absolutely right. He ran that night. That proves it beyond question.

Did the others have a half-way decent escape plan? One would have expected Mrs. Surratt's defense to argue that her staying home was evidence that she did not see herself as being knowingly implicated in a plot, just as fleeing would have implied guilt. Plausibly, she could have tried to join her son if she saw herself in legal peril.