Major Rathbone's accomodation in Hannover

[Eva Elisabeth]

Sorry, Laurie, I spotted your request but now. I would try if you like.

[calebj123]

Hi Eva,
I'm new to this forum, but I came across your cemetery information on the Rathbones and I was hoping I could reference your research in a book I have coming out in November. The book is examination of Henry Rathbone, his life both before and after the assassination. I would love to include your information on the cemetary plot, as I also thought the remains were disposed of. Please let me know if this is okay. Thanks!

Also, in regard to Henry's position as US Consul, my research is similar to that of Chris'. It seems as though the newspapers of the day mixed up Henry with his brother Jared. The reference of Henry in Hanover as a US Consul doesn't show up until later reports of his death. The initial reports of Clara's murder only note that the family was there for Henry's health. Henry attempted to visit the Carlsbad hot springs for their healing properties. Unfortunately, his dyspepsia was most likely a result of his Post Traumatic Stress. He may also have had anxiety and paranoia issues stemming from events even earlier than the assassination.

I hope to solidify the answer to his US consul position next week. The National Archives in College Park has the following document, "Records of the Foreign Service Posts of the Department of State" It lists all posts from 1790-1963. So hopefully I'll find the answer to this question once and for all.

Thanks,
Caleb

[L Verge]

Caleb - When your book is published, please let the Surratt House Museum consider it for sale in our gift shop. laurie.verge@pgparks.com

[calebj123]

(06-27-2013 04:53 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Caleb - When your book is published, please let the Surratt House Museum consider it for sale in our gift shop. laurie.verge@pgparks.com

I definitely will. Thanks!

[Eva Elisabeth]

Caleb,
sure, this "public information", everyone has access to it. But please note the precondition that you mention the "Stadtarchiv Hannover" as the source for the plot number since I got this information from the interment register books filed there. It's only allowed to publish this info if the Stadtarchiv is mentioned, I had to sign this.
BTW, the court transcripts and the patient records were all burnt in the war. But the very nice vice director of the succeding Hospital, Dr Esser, and the also very nice Minister of St. Michael, Ms Tergau-Harms sent me some material from 1927 wherein the living conditions, treatment methods etc. in the Hospital from the foundation on are pretty well described, just in case you are interested in.

[Eva Elisabeth]

(06-17-2013 02:50 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  After returning from Hannover I emailed the "Niedersãchsisches Landesarchiv" again, casting my doubts on their former statement and asking for documented evidence. By now I just got the formal answer they will double-check.

Today I received a letter from the director of the “Niedersächsisches Landesarchiv”, Dr. Rügge, saying:
”According to your additional request, I must, much to my regret, revise my staff’s previous statement and inform you that in 1882/1883 no US Consul is recorded in the ‘printed register of foreign consuls in the German Empire, record Hannover 122a, Nr.235.’ I can neither verify nor deny Mr Rathbone had already obtained such a title in the US before.”

To summarize:
-Rathbone is not mentioned in the records of the “Niedersächsisches Landesarchiv”
-in the records of 'assigned consuls to Hannover' filed in the “Stadtarchiv Hannover” the decisive pages (years 1882/1883) are completely missing
-in both, Clara’s and Henry’s, death reports and internment register entries Rathbone’s recorded profession is “Oberst a. D.” (=Major off duty).

I wonder what made him choose Hannover if he didn’t go there for duty. Carlsbad is far away (and Europe’s most interesting places, too). Did he know someone in Hannover?

[calebj123]

(05-31-2013 10:47 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Laurie, do you know Dr. Rosenbach's first name?

Eva,
Dr. Rosenbach's full name was Doctor Anton Julius Friedrich Rosenbach. He was the prussian city physician for Hildesheim. He completed the paperwork and reported Henry's state in order for Henry to keep receiving pension benefits.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Dr. Julius Friedrich Rosenbach was director and professor of the surgery department of the University Hospital Göttingen (not far away) from 1870 until his death in 1923. But he specialized in microbiology and wound infection, not in psychology. He was quite famous.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Today I received the attached article printed in the "Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung" on Nov 29, 1979. It is about a journalist from Nebraska researching for Rathbone. On the left there's a clipping of an article from a former newspaper, "Hannoverscher Courier". Obviously two articles were published therein on Dec.24+25, 1883. From what I can see this contains some really interesting details. I'm a bit busy and just about leaving for a vacation, but I'll translate some details when I'm back. (And I know some of you speak German, too.) Maybe I'll also get the entire two original articles till then, they are filed in the University Library Bremen.


  Henry Rathbone.pdf (Size: 360.74 KB / Downloads: 17)

[Laurie Verge]

Herr Richter and Herr Beckert, where are you?

[Eva Elisabeth]

There’s some time left for me now for a closer look at and comment on the article.
Most of the 1979 main article is about Pegge Hlavacek, a journalist from the “Sun Newspaper” from Ohama, Nebraska, who came to Hannover in order to write a book about Major Rathbone (did she? Does a book by her exist?) and about two Germans who assisted with her research.
The most interesting passage therein is a quote from the “Hanoversche Courier” saying that after his atrocity Rathbone stated and was convinced someone had tried to abduct his children and that he had been injured while fighting the kidnapper.
The clipping on the left from Dec 24, 1883 tells that Rathbone came to Germany to recover from the depressions he had been suffering from since Lincoln’s assassination. He had been in a good mood during the days before the deed and had been shopping for Christmas presents for the kids toghether with Clara.
In the early morning of Christmas Eve he tried to enter his children’s bedroom, but the governess, suspicious of him due to his talking, didn’t let him in. Clara meanwhile had woken up and managed to get him into the living room. Rathbone locked the door behind them and then it happened. When the neighbours smashed the door, Clara had already been dead and the Major laid next to her, seriously wounded. In his pockets such an amount of ammunition was found that it was supposed he had intented to kill the whole family.
PS: Have a great holiday on Thursday, all of you!!

[calebj123]

(07-01-2013 06:35 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  There’s some time left for me now for a closer look at and comment on the article.
Most of the 1979 main article is about Pegge Hlavacek, a journalist from the “Sun Newspaper” from Ohama, Nebraska, who came to Hannover in order to write a book about Major Rathbone (did she? Does a book by her exist?) and about two Germans who assisted with her research.
The most interesting passage therein is a quote from the “Hanoversche Courier” saying that after his atrocity Rathbone stated and was convinced someone had tried to abduct his children and that he had been injured while fighting the kidnapper.
The clipping on the left from Dec 24, 1883 tells that Rathbone came to Germany to recover from the depressions he had been suffering from since Lincoln’s assassination. He had been in a good mood during the days before the deed and had been shopping for Christmas presents for the kids toghether with Clara.
In the early morning of Christmas Eve he tried to enter his children’s bedroom, but the governess, suspicious of him due to his talking, didn’t let him in. Clara meanwhile had woken up and managed to get him into the living room. Rathbone locked the door behind them and then it happened. When the neighbours smashed the door, Clara had already been dead and the Major laid next to her, seriously wounded. In his pockets such an amount of ammunition was found that it was supposed he had intented to kill the whole family.
PS: Have a great holiday on Thursday, all of you!!

Eva, thanks so much for translating this. I've done searches for Rathbone books through the Library of Congress, Archives and all other normal search sources. There are no books about the couple, other than Thomas Mallon's "Henry and Clara" which we all know takes a lot of liberties and must fill in the holes with fiction. It seems as though my book about the couple will be the first non-fiction book.

This is a great article and there are even more details of the murder that are both shocking and gruesome. It was a very bloody and prolonged ordeal. The whole early morning of Christmas Eve in 1883 when Henry killed Clara is very sad and moving.

[My Name Is Kate]

Strange how someone can plan a murder in advance, even stocking up on ammunition, then deny any responsibility for it and claim to have no memory of it.

[RJNorton]

Caleb, prior to your joining the forum, I suggested the possibility that Rathbone actually caught a glimpse of Booth as he entered the box and headed toward Lincoln. In truth I agree with the other folks who posted that this was unlikely. Rathbone himself said his back was to the door when he heard the discharge of a pistol. Yet, at that moment in time, if Rathbone just happened to be looking somewhat to his left, and Booth entered through Box 8 and not Box 7, I would think Rathbone could have seen movement in the corner of his eye. I am just curious if you have an opinion on this possibility, however remote.

[BettyO]

Information on Caleb's book is listed online here:

http://www.prlog.org/12167720-new-lincol...arter.html