The hole In the door

[John Fazio]

[i][i][i]Everyone:

The subject is covered in some detail in Chapter 18 of "Decapitating the Union". The Brace and Mortise are covered in Chapter 17 and the Door Locks and Booth's Entry to the Box are covered in Chapter 19. Quick summary: Booth made the peephole; fashioned the brace from a music stand and placed it alongside the wall just inside the outer door, for later use; and had no trouble accessing the presidential box because the door locks were not operable, apart from the fact that the door to Box No. 8 (the door most likely used by Booth) was left at least partially ajar by someone, perhaps Booth himself after he made his dry run. My conclusions.

John

[L Verge]

Don't faint, John, but I agree with your conclusions.

[Thomas Kearney]

(09-21-2015 09:50 AM)Gene C Wrote:  I doubt Booth would use a knife to sharpen his pencil when he could easliy afford one of these
http://www.happymall.com/washington-dc/DC-AS07230.htm

Gene, cut to the 8 minute. mark in this video to see how my theory could be possible. Watch it and weep:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN0nfzOH35E

[Gene C]

Your write, it is possible.

[John Fazio]

(09-21-2015 12:55 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Don't faint, John, but I agree with your conclusions.

Laurie:

Someone please pass the smelling salts!!!

John

[L Verge]

(09-21-2015 03:32 PM)John Fazio Wrote:  

(09-21-2015 12:55 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Don't faint, John, but I agree with your conclusions.

Laurie:

Someone please pass the smelling salts!!!

John

I think you should mark this date and event on your calendar!

[LincolnMan]

Glancing through the book Murdering Mr. Lincoln by Charles Higham- I read on page 209 that one Mr. Rhodes at the Surratt trial claimed it was John Surratt who was responsible for the hole in the door and the plank of pine used to block the door. I don't think I've heard that one before.

[RJNorton]

You are absolutely correct, Bill. That is what Theodore Benjamin Rhodes claimed at the John Surratt trial. Here is his testimony:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Q. State where you live.

A. I am living at the present time east of the capitol.

Q In this city?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. How long have you been living here?

A. Since 1862. I was away a very short time.

Q. What is your occupation?

A. Repairing of clocks and watches, and working in the garden that I have adjoining my house.

Q. State whether you were in the city of Washington on the day of the assassination of President Lincoln.

A. I was.

Q. Do you know this building on Tenth street, between E and F, called
Ford's theatre?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. State, if on the day of the assassination you were in that neighborhood.

A. I was in Ford's theatre on the day of the assassination.

Q. State as near as you can what time in the day.

A. As near as I can impress it upon my mind it was within half an hour of twelve o'clock, when I entered the building.

Q. After entering the theatre, state if your attention was directed by anything you saw going on in one of the private boxes.

A. I went in merely to look at the theatre. I went up the steps to the second floor; went down in front where the circle was, to look upon the stage; whilst there I saw one of the box doors open a little and shut. I was anxious to see from that point of view, and supposing some one was in there, having heard some one stepping about, I went down to the box and looked out from that point. As I approached the box whoever was in there walked away out of the box, and I entered and looked from that point on the stage. I had been looking there about a minute or two when the same person, I suppose, who went out of the box returned and spoke to me. He said he was connected with the theatre. We then had a few words together, when my attention was again drawn to the scenery on the stage. They had a curtain down that had recently been painted, I believe, and I stood there looking at that. Then I heard this man behind me doing something. In turning around to see what it was he was doing — I supposed he was looking down as I was — I noticed that the had a piece of wood; whether he had it put in under his coat or was taking it out I cannot say. The piece of wood was about three feet long and about as wide as my two fingers - maybe a little more in the center - slanting a little towards each end from the center.

As I turned around he said, "The President is going to be here to-night." That was the first intimation I had of the expected presence of the President that night. I said, "He is?" He then said, "We are going to fix up the box for his reception. I suppose there is going to be a big crowd here, and we are going to endeavor to arrange it so that he won't be disturbed."

He then fixed this piece of wood into a small hole in the wall there as large as my thumb. I should think the hole to be an inch or an inch and a half long, and about three-quarters of an inch wide. He placed one end of this stick in the bole and it being a little too large took a knife and whittled it down a little. He also gouged out the hole a little for the purpose of making it fit. Then he placed it against the panel of the door across to the wall, forming an angle. He says, "The crowd may be so immense as to push the door open, and we want to fasten it so that this cannot be the case." He asked me if I thought that would hold it sufficiently tight. I told him I should judge that it would bold against a great pressure; that a hole would be punched through the panel of the door before it would give way. The wood was either oak or of North Carolina pine. I am not acquainted with that kind of wood, but I am rather of the impression it was North Carolina pine, which is a very tough wood, I believe. After he had fitted that to suit him we had a few words more together. I then heard some one come across the stage, back of the curtain.

The District Attorney. You have spoken of this interview with a person. I will ask the prisoner to stand up here. [The prisoner did so]

Q. State if that is the man, (pointing to the prisoner), and whether you saw him there?

A. I should judge that was the man.

Q. Have you any doubt about it?

A. No, sir.

[L Verge]

I wonder if anyone has ever done a study on the amount of perjurers that testified at John, Jr's trial...?

[LincolnMan]

Thanks Roger. Wasn't it very substantiated that JS was in New York? Am I wrong on that?

[RJNorton]

(10-08-2015 03:36 PM)LincolnMan Wrote:  Thanks Roger. Wasn't it very substantiated that JS was in New York? Am I wrong on that?

Surratt's whereabouts on April 14th have (has? help, Laurie) been the subject of historical debate. At Surratt's trial there was conflicting testimony regarding whether he was in Elmira or Washington. The majority of assassination books say New York.

[L Verge]

Roger - "Have..."

The majority of the good researchers in the field say New York also. That's why I asked about how many perjurers testified at his trial. If the prosecutors used perjurers in 1865, you can bet they used perjurers in 1867 when the son's trial pretty much mirrored that of the conspirators. They needed to make John just as culpable as his mother, imo.

[LincolnMan]

I am assuming JS never admitted to being at Ford's that fateful day?

[Gene C]

What a mystery.
The truth is out there somewhere.

That reminds me of a song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkMKzdTBEOc

[L Verge]

(10-08-2015 05:20 PM)LincolnMan Wrote:  I am assuming JS never admitted to being at Ford's that fateful day?

Your assumption is correct, Bill; and every time I read his Rockville Lecture, his description of where, when, and how he was involved and his sojourns up north seem more truthful to me.