Breaking a leg

[Rsmyth]

Wasanto, good points. Is it possible that they were told Booth broke his leg in the jump to the stage and they were also informed that he suffered a fall from his horse. They decided his injury was due to the jump.

[wsanto]

... Is it possible that they were told Booth broke his leg in the jump to the stage and they were also informed that he suffered a fall from his horse. They decided his injury was due to the jump.

Yes, I agree that these telegrams indicate that both theories were being considered prior to Booth's diary coming into evidence.

But how did the investigators in Bryantown come up with the stage jump theory prior to reading it in the diary? Booth and Herold were seemingly consistent in their story that the injury happened in a horse fall on the night of the assassination (a reasonable cover story) until Booth's diary claimed otherwise.

If this theory was based on speculation by the investigators, it seems to me that Booth would have had to learn of this theory and decide to falsly validate it in his diary if it were not in fact true.

[Laurie Verge]

By the time Wood was at Mudd's, the theater had been thoroughly searched. Is it possible that the torn flag and the chipped frame of Washington's lithograph was being used as possible evidence of Booth having some type of mishap in leaping to the stage?

Also, is there the slightest possibility that someone in the cast or audience mentioned his limping or being off balance to the authorities and that record has disappeared?

[wsanto]

By the time Wood was at Mudd's, the theater had been thoroughly searched. Is it possible that the torn flag and the chipped frame of Washington's lithograph was being used as possible evidence of Booth having some type of mishap in leaping to the stage?

Also, is there the slightest possibility that someone in the cast or audience mentioned his limping or being off balance to the authorities and that record has disappeared?

It must be something stronger than that.

Investigators apparently learn of Booth's broken leg upon questioning Lloyd and Mudd. Both of these men relate the "cover" story told to them by Booth and/or Herold that Booth broke his leg in a horse fall.

Yet somehow these investigators discount this cover story for another theory, seemingly out of the blue, that Booth broke his leg leaping to the stage. These telegrams indicate that, whatever they learned, whatever the evidence was that supported this theory, they were convinced by it. So much so that they discount the cover story despite the statements of Lloyd, Mudd, and Mudd's farmhand.

Then, the kicker---Booth validates that theory with his diary entry.

Until someone can explain how these investigators formed that theory and then how Booth learned of this theory prior to his diary entry in order to falsely validate it, I will remain somewhat convinced that there must be some truth to it: and that there must be some lost evidence that supports it so well that these investigors were convinced of it early in their investigation.

[Laurie Verge]

Thank you. Your last sentence supported my last question in the above post. We are too trained for modern investigations (mainly as shown on TV and in movies) to dare suspect that important evidence might have been just plain lost over the days, weeks, and years.

[JB Banning]

Couldn't it be possible that Booth read in the papers that Jones brought him, that he broke his leg at the theater and deciding that was a more dramatic scenario then break from a horse fall wrote that in his diary instead?

[HerbS]

Very interesting-JB Banning!

[wsanto]

Couldn't it be possible that Booth read in the papers that Jones brought him, that he broke his leg at the theater and deciding that was a more dramatic scenario then break from a horse fall wrote that in his diary instead?

That is a very real possibility, but... Was the broken leg theory published in any of the newspapers that Jones brought Booth prior to Booth's diary entry? Or was the "broken leg from the leap" story published after the discovery of Booth's diary?

[JB Banning]

Couldn't it be possible that Booth read in the papers that Jones brought him, that he broke his leg at the theater and deciding that was a more dramatic scenario then break from a horse fall wrote that in his diary instead?

That is a very real possibility, but... Was the broken leg theory published in any of the newspapers that Jones brought Booth prior to Booth's diary entry? Or was the "broken leg from the leap" story published after the discovery of Booth's diary?

That is a very good question and I am afraid I don't know the answer.

[wsanto]

In another thread--"Thomas Jones" there is a link to Jone's autobiographical account of his effort to aid Booth.

Jones speaks of Booth's broken leg a few times. First he mentions, as a matter of fact, that Booth broke his leg leaping to the stage. Later, when describing Booth's decision to go to Mudd's for tratment he mentions the cover story Booth gave Mudd about the horse fall. It is clear from his book he believes Booth broke his leg in the leap.

Now this is a man who probably knew a lot more details of the assassination than most anyone else that was not a direct conspirator. He spent a week taking daily supplies and newspapers to Booth. I am sure Booth was completely honest with this man as he was highly trusted by Booth. I feel fairly confident he got the complete story.

He truly believed Booth broke his leg in the leap.

Of course his book was based on twenty year-old recollections but I don't believe he would confuse this fact.

[HerbS]

WSanto---I agree with you 100&!!!!!!!

[J. Beckert]

You're making good points Bill, but I'm wondering what kind of pain he'd be in when he spoke to Cobb. Would Booth be able to compose himself by then to appear as unassuming as he did? If he did break his leg in the jump, he managed to run on it for a short distance, mount his horse and get to the bridge, but I think the swelling inside the boot would start immediately and may have been throbbing by the time he got to the Navy Yard. Am I medically off base?

[Laurie Verge]

Just a thought, but hadn't Booth continued on in some plays after being injured on stage?

[Linda Anderson]

In another thread--"Thomas Jones" there is a link to Jone's autobiographical account of his effort to aid Booth.

Jones speaks of Booth's broken leg a few times. First he mentions, as a matter of fact, that Booth broke his leg leaping to the stage. Later, when describing Booth's decision to go to Mudd's for tratment he mentions the cover story Booth gave Mudd about the horse fall. it is clear he believes booth broke his leg in the leap.

Now this is a man who probably knew a lot more details of the assassination than most anyone else that was not a direct conspirator. He spent a week taking daily supplies and newspapers to Booth. I am sure Booth was completely honest with this man as he was highly trusted by Booth. I feel fairly confident he got the complete story.

He truly believed Booth broke his leg in the leap.

Of course his book was based on twenty year-old recollections but I don't believe he would confuse this fact.

Perhaps Booth told Jones that he broke his leg when his horse fell but he wanted Jones to spread the same story of him breaking it in the jump from the stage that he (Booth) wrote in his diary.

[Hess1865]

That also makes sense, after all, he was actor!