Olivia Jenkins

[RJNorton]

So, with Smoot, the dinner time visitor, and the man with papers taken by the servant, that was 3. Is there corroboration for Smoot's visit as there was for the dinner visitor? Because Mary did not admit, when questioned, to a dinner time visitor, it suggests she had something to hide, like another Booth visit.

Pam, I am replying without researching, so I am not totally sure, but as far as I know the only source for Smoot's visit is his own account. It is online here.

[Susan Higginbotham]

So, with Smoot, the dinner time visitor, and the man with papers taken by the servant, that was 3. Is there corroboration for Smoot's visit as there was for the dinner visitor? Because Mary did not admit, when questioned, to a dinner time visitor, it suggests she had something to hide, like another Booth visit.

Mary had every reason to hide a Smoot visit, given his stated purpose in visiting her.

[Pamela]

Smoot couldn't have been the dinner time visitor because he didn't ring the doorbell and there was a bonneted lady on the steps who apparently was Mary. If Smoot is truthful, the only the only timing that makes sense to me is that he caught Mary just as she returned from Surrattsville, while Weichmann was taking the carriage back.

Thanks, Roger, I hadn't read Smoot's story before.

[Susan Higginbotham]

Smoot couldn't have been the dinner time visitor because he didn't ring the doorbell and there was a bonneted lady on the steps who apparently was Mary. If Smoot is truthful, the only the only timing that makes sense to me is that he caught Mary just as she returned from Surrattsville, while Weichmann was taking the carriage back.

Thanks, Roger, I hadn't read Smoot's story before.

According to Smoot, the bonneted lady brought Smoot's name into Mrs. Surratt (whom Smoot had met previously). Since Mrs. Holohan testified that she and Mary had started out for church but had turned back because of the rain, I would guess that the bonneted lady was Mrs. Holohan, either on her way back from that church trip or getting ready to start out.

I get the impression from the testimony that Mary, Anna, the servants, and some of the boarders all answered the door at various times, without any set protocol, so I'm not surprised that different people gave differing statements as to whom answered the door on what occasion.

[L Verge]

I agree with Susan that the bonneted lady was very likely Eliza Holohan. BTW: That "bonnet" was probably something called an "ugly" or a "skuttle" bonnet. It was a head covering designed for cold and inclement weather and was not very becoming to most women. The nickname "skuttle" refers to its shape looking much like a coal skuttle (bucket) of the period.

[BettyO]

I agree with Susan that the bonneted lady was very likely Eliza Holohan. BTW: That "bonnet" was probably something called an "ugly" or a "skuttle" bonnet. It was a head covering designed for cold and inclement weather and was not very becoming to most women. The nickname "skuttle" refers to its shape looking much like a coal skuttle (bucket) of the period.

Agreed. Here is a 19th Century bonnet called an "Ugly" -

   

Here is another variation which was worn under or over a standard "dress bonnet" -

       

"Uglies" date from the 18th Century and were commonly called a "Calash"

Susan, I haven't had time to read my Courier yet (just came the other day!) but I can't wait to read the article on Olivia!

[Gene C]

I haven't had time to read the article yet. Did Eliza Holohan end up in Texas?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXa83iTOcdE

[Pamela]

I totally forgot about the aborted church trip on good Friday the 14th. I agree.

[Pamela]

I agree with Susan that the bonneted lady was very likely Eliza Holohan. BTW: That "bonnet" was probably something called an "ugly" or a "skuttle" bonnet. It was a head covering designed for cold and inclement weather and was not very becoming to most women. The nickname "skuttle" refers to its shape looking much like a coal skuttle (bucket) of the period.

Agreed. Here is a 19th Century bonnet called an "Ugly" -



Here is another variation which was worn under or over a standard "dress bonnet" -



"Uglies" date from the 18th Century and were commonly called a "Calash"

Susan, I haven't had time to read my Courier yet (just came the other day!) but I can't wait to read the article on Olivia!

I can see where the inspiration for the prisoners' hoods came from.

[L Verge]

I still think there's a good chance Booth came that night. Here is my thinking:

1. Booth asked Mary to tell Lloyd to have the guns ready. He also asked her to take his field glasses to Lloyd. To me it would be logical for Booth to stop at the boardinghouse on his way to Ford's to see if Mary had successfully completed her "errand." Booth may have also asked her to check to see if the road to Surrattsville were guarded; Mary was able to tell him the pickets would be gone by the time he would go by.

2. During the ride back from Surrattsville Weichmann reported that Mary told him she was expecting a visitor about 9:00 P.M. She wouldn't tell Weichmann who the visitor was. Weichmann said she told him Booth was through with acting and would be leaving Washington for New York "never to return."

3. According to Weichmann Mary got extremely nervous after the visitor left and asked him to pray for her intentions. If the visitor were Scott why would Mary get so nervous? Smoot, who also visited that night (after Booth IMO) also reported Mary was very agitated.

4. In his book Weichmann supports his contention that Booth was the visitor 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."

Is it possible Scott, Kirby, Smoot, and Booth ALL stopped by the boardinghouse that night?

I think Kirby can probably be ruled out as a visitor--I don't recollect anyone specifically naming him as stopping by on Friday night (unless I'm just forgetting something).

If Mary knew from Booth's afternoon visit that Booth had something planned for that evening, that would be enough to account for her nervousness even without an extra visit by Booth around 9 p.m. I don't think Booth can be ruled out as an evening visitor, although it's odd to me that Weichmann with his detailed testimony didn't recall any of the evidence mentioned above until after he had been on the stand.

Smoot recalled that he approached the house, saw a woman with a large sunbonnet standing on the stairs, and gave her his name, so he wouldn't have had to ring the doorbell for all of the occupants to hear.

So for me it's Scott probable, Smoot probable, Kirby unlikely, and Booth maybe. What we can say for certain is that anyone stopping by the boardinghouse that night had to have five letters in his surname.

Back to William Wallace Kirby: I had occasion today to pull out Mrs. Surratt's statements from the War Department Files on another matter. In questioning at the Carroll Annex of the Old Capitol on April 28, when asked "who were there Saturday or Saturday night besides the detective police?" she replied, "I do not remember anyone but the detectives. Then, "Who came there Saturday night?" "I do not know anyone but Mr. Kirby."

Kirby visited them on Saturday night, not the night of the assassination. Mrs. Surratt goes on to explain that Kirby "married a connection" and that he generally "calls upon us."

Just previous to that, she describes the Friday night visit by "A gentleman I do not know called to leave some newspapers for a niece of mine [Olivia]. He didn't come in, & I don't think I saw him. The little servant girl took the papers."

In her initial statement taken on April 17, she had also named Kirby as having visited on Saturday and also mentioned that Father Wiget was probably there also when Kirby arrived.

There is one other thought. Joan Chaconas spoke at our conference a few years ago on the history of the Old Capitol Prison and its superintendent, William Wood. He was a fascinating character in his own right, and if I remember correctly, he was friends with Olivia's father, John Zadoc Jenkins. That might account for why Olivia was not pressured during the investigation and the 1865 trial.

[BettyO]

I've finally got a chance to sit down and relax -- and the first thing I picked up was Susan's article on Olivia...phenominal research!! Susan, I can't wait to read your book!

[Susan Higginbotham]

I've finally got a chance to sit down and relax -- and the first thing I picked up was Susan's article on Olivia...phenominal research!! Susan, I can't wait to read your book!

Thank you!

[Jenny]

I just received my Courier a few days ago - loved your article about Olivia!