Surratt Conference presentations

[Rhatkinson]

I congratulate Laurie and all her staff for what sounds like a great conference. Were it not for having already booked a much anticipated Booth Tour on April 20th, I would have been there. I most certainly will not miss next year.

I wonder if it would be possible if Dave (and others, but I know Dave is a member here) could post their PowerPoint presentations here? When booking my Tour and deciding whether to scratch my Tour and attend the conference instead (which I couldn't do because my brother is attending the Tour with me but could not attend this weekend, and I hated to do that to him) Joan Chaconas (who is a very sweet lady) told me none of the conference presentations would be videotaped. While disappointed, I understood (although I might suggest to the "boss" [Laurie] that for next year they be taped so that Surratt Society members who could not attend the conference may still be able to hear the presentations ((or better, just to preserve them for history!))

That being said, I would love to hear Dave's presentation and view his PowerPoint. Knowing how good his site it (bothiebarn.com), I am sure it was awesome.

My best to all,
Heath

[L Verge]

Over the years, we have debated taping the presentations and selling them in the gift shop. At first, the cost was prohibitive. We then thought of having each speaker submit their talk to us for publication afterwards. I caught it with that suggestion - most of the speakers do not have their thoughts written out in true script form - just notes - and had no inclination to change that style.

Finally, we discussed the taping issue once again and decided not to again. Our biggest fear is that people will pay the lesser amount of purchasing the tape and forego the naturally larger expense of attending the conference. We're actually into maintaining the camaraderie of our historical neighborhood as much as the presentations themselves. The interaction between events, at meals, at day's end, etc. is remarkable.

Of course, we have no objections to the speakers relaying their presentations on their own. Word of caution: Just be sure to include copyright restrictions if you forward them on. Don't do the work and then let someone steal it word for word. And, yes, that happens. I have seen it quite a few times and have been a victim of it myself.

[Rhatkinson]

Laurie,

I certainly understand your reasons for not wanting to record the lectures and did not mean to imply otherwise. My profound apologies if it sounded so.

I only meant to suggest that Dave, who is a regular poster here, may be so kind as to favor us with his lecture. I would be more than happy to pay him for it as we'll if that were an option.

Suffice it to say that I will most certainly not miss the conference next year. It just seems a shame for such great historical information to not be preserved for the future. Perhaps you could not offer it for sale until months after the conference to encourage attendance? Just a thought.

I am looking forward to 4/20 (insert joke here) and hope I will be able to meet you then.

Heath

[Jim Garrett]

To be honest, I was very disappointed in Dave's presentation. NO SOCK PUPPETS!!!!!!

[BettyO]

Yeah....that's right! I feel cheated now - where were the sock puppets?!?

[JMadonna]

One question that I had after the medical presentation was - Would Mary Surratt have been executed if the judges and Johnson had known she would soon die of cancer?

[Dave Taylor]

Heath,

While I'm honored that you would like a copy of my Powerpoint, I afraid it wouldn't do you much good as there are no words to it. It really was just a slideshow of pictures that highlighted the stories I was telling. I posted the image of my first slide on BoothieBarn if that helps.

To be honest, I received a lot of encouragement on Saturday to write a book about Booth at Garretts. It was an idea I always had in the back of my mind, but I never knew if it would be something that would interest anyone else. With the wonderful support I was given this weekend, I'm going to do my best to make a book a reality.

So while I can't give you a copy of my speech now, hopefully in a few years I could have a book for you! We'll see.

Dave

[Dawn E Foster]

Heath,

While I'm honored that you would like a copy of my Powerpoint, I afraid it wouldn't do you much good as there are no words to it. It really was just a slideshow of pictures that highlighted the stories I was telling. I posted the image of my first slide on BoothieBarn if that helps.

To be honest, I received a lot of encouragement on Saturday to write a book about Booth at Garretts. It was an idea I always had in the back of my mind, but I never knew if it would be something that would interest anyone else. With the wonderful support I was given this weekend, I'm going to do my best to make a book a reality.

So while I can't give you a copy of my speech now, hopefully in a few years I could have a book for you! We'll see.

Dave

I know I would buy anything you would write, Dave!

[Jim Garrett]

Dave, Will the book feature sock puppets?

[RJNorton]

Will the book clear up, once and for all, whether or not the man who died at Garrett's had red hair?

[BettyO]

I know I would buy anything you would write, Dave!

Agreed! Same here!! Dave is a WONDERFUL speaker - and I'm dead serious about this - wonderful speaking voice, commanding presence and very enthusiastic. It's a joy to listen to him!

Yes - Dave, I'm gonna be behind you as well! Write, write, write!! Please!

[Laurie Verge]

Dave,

I agree that you need to write that book, and I pledge to you that we will sell it in the gift shop. However, you better write quickly 'cause this old lady is already working past her retirement years!

We have a hard core base now of young scholars - Dave, Lindsey, Julie (on my staff), Matt Macoubrie of this forum, and even my grandson who are the future of our field of interest. Let's keep the torch lit by encouraging their efforts.

[Dave Taylor]

Dave, Will the book feature sock puppets?

Will the book clear up, once and for all, whether or not the man who died at Garrett's had red hair?

So as not to alienate any potential reader, Jim and Roger, I'll make sure to include a sock puppet JWB wearing a red wig on the cover just for you two.

[BettyO]

I'll second that, Laurie!

I was 25 when I joined the Surratt Society (I won't say how many YEARS ago!!) I learned at the knee of the best - Messrs. Hall, Brennan, General Tidwell and Father Keesler.... these younguns' are our future torch bearers!

OK - here are some "highlights" of the Conference -

Please excuse the poor quality of some of the photos! I have a new Canon SLR Camera and I'm just getting the hang of attempting to use it! It's got more buttons than I know what to do with! Thanks to Matt, Barry Cauchon and Christine and Blaine Houmes for assisting me with the BETTER photos!!

Early on Friday morning, Linda Anderson, her husband Phil, Nancy Griffith, Art Candenquist and myself went to Fort McNair Quarters 20. They had never seen the trial room.



The rooms look great! We are in the process of making benches for the prisoner's dock (No chairs were in the dock) and more or less "set dressing" the courtroom -






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Linda seated in the Prisoner's Dock



Afterwards we had lunch at the Wok N' Roll - (Surratt Boarding House) in downtown DC and were lucky enough to get parallel parking on the street in front of the restaurant!





We stopped by Surratt House before the reception and caught up with Dr. Blaine Houmes and Joe Beckett. Here is Blaine, Laurie and Tom, the Surratt Treasurer (sorry, but I can't remember his last name!!)





We sat and talked in the motel lobby while waiting to attend the Friday night Reception at the James O. Hall Study Center - Linda and Tom Thorne

[Lincoln Wonk]

I want to thank Laurie and all the volunteers and staff at the Surratt Society. It so much fun to attend a conference with people who are truly interested in the curlicues of the Lincoln assassination and care enough to get every detail as correct as possible.
Erik Jendresen was amazing.
Betty Ownsbey keeps turning up new information that hasn't been written about in 150 years -- and Betty's so kind about sharing her knowledge and her methods.
I wish there were a way to Xerox Wes Harris and Dr. Blaine Houmes because they are such solid resource persons for anyone studying the assassination.
David Taylor not only told us things we didn't know about the Garrett family -- he brought a family member along. Looking forward to his book on the Garretts.
Tom Bogar's scrupulous research and his ability to look at the assassination through a theater lens is sure to yield an amazing book in November when "Backstage at the Lincoln Assasination" is published.
And I'm grateful for Jim Garrett and Rich Smyth's guide to graves, "The Lincoln Assassination: Where Are They Now?"
The best part was meeting other people who get excited by a tiny discovered fact or a found photo like Betty Ownsbey's shot of the Branson Boarding House.
Thank you all.