If you look in the O.R. the first evidence that was mentioned about Booth-Richmond connection was the day Lincoln died. I'll have to refind it-- but an officer wrote in a message that J. Wilkes Booth was the assassin and that his living quarters had been searched and in a box? trunk? was found a letter with booth's plans layed out and that he was only waiting from word from Richmond to carry it out. Here was evidence being passed about on the official wire, immediately blaming "word from Richmond".

Okay, why would Booth leave such evidence just lying about?

Trivia...The O.R. uses "J. Wilkes Booth" as the name he was most known by.

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David Upton