Henry Rathbone: Difference between revisions

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John Parker, a constable in the Washington Metropolitan Police Force, was detailed to sit on the chair outside the presidential box. During the third act Parker left to get a drink. Soon afterwards, John Wilkes Booth, entered Lincoln's box and shot the president in the back of the head. Rathbone grabbed Booth but he was slashed with a hunting knife. Despite a bad wound in his left arm, Rathbone continued to struggle with Booth and as a result he was unable to jump cleanly from the State Box. Booth landed on the stage eleven feet below at an awkward angle and as a result fractured his ankle. However, he was able to hobble out and get on his horse and escape.

~~In 1867~~ Rathbone ~~married Clara Harris and~~ over the ~~next few years~~ the couple had three children. ~~When [[Grover Cleveland]] became president he appointed Rathbone as his consul to Germany~~.

Although Rathbone's physical wounds healed, his mental state deteriorated in the years following Lincoln's death as he anguished over his perceived inability to thwart the assassination attempt. He married Harris on July 11, 1867, and the couple had three children: Henry Riggs (born February 12, 1870, who later became a U.S. Congressman), Gerald Lawrence (born August 26, 1871), and Clara Pauline (born September 15, 1872).

Rathbone~~'s behaviour~~ became ~~more erratic~~ and ~~he appeared~~ to ~~become jealous of~~ his ~~wife~~'s ~~attentions~~ to ~~the children~~. On ~~23rd~~ December, 1883, Rathbone ~~murdered~~ his wife, ~~tried~~ to ~~murder his~~ children~~, and~~ then attempted ~~to commit~~ suicide. ~~He survived and~~ after ~~being found guilty of~~ murder was committed to an asylum for the criminally insane. ~~Henry~~ Rathbone ~~died~~ in the asylum in ~~1911~~.

Rathbone resigned from the Army in 1870, having risen to the rank of brevet colonel. After his resignation, he struggled to find and keep a job due to his mental instability. He became convinced that Harris was unfaithful. He also resented the attention Harris paid their children and reportedly threatened his wife on several occasions after suspecting that she was going to divorce him and take the children.

Rathbone made multiple attempts to obtain a position as a U.S. Consul to a European city, but was always refuted. Rumors exist that Rathbone was appointed the U.S. Consul to Hanover, Germany. This is incorrect as the U.S. never established diplomatic relations with Hanover and seems to have stemmed from a mix-up between Henry and his brother Jared Lawrence Rathbone, who was the U.S. Consul to Paris in 1887 during [[Grover Cleveland]]'s administration. The family relocated to Germany, where Rathbone's mental health continued to decline.

On December 23, 1883, Rathbone attacked his children in a fit of madness. Rathbone fatally shot and stabbed his wife, who was attempting to protect the children. He then stabbed himself five times in the chest in an attempted suicide. He was charged with murder but was declared insane by doctors after blaming the murder on an intruder. He was convicted and committed to an asylum for the criminally insane in Hildesheim, Germany. The couple's children were sent to live with their uncle, William Harris, in the United States. Rathbone spent the rest of his life in the asylum. He died on August 14, 1911, and was buried next to his wife in the city cemetery at Engesohde.

[[Category:Early Modern Villains]]

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 John Parker, a constable in the Washington Metropolitan Police Force, was detailed to sit on the chair outside the presidential box. During the third act Parker left to get a drink. Soon afterwards, John Wilkes Booth, entered Lincoln's box and shot the president in the back of the head. Rathbone grabbed Booth but he was slashed with a hunting knife. Despite a bad wound in his left arm, Rathbone continued to struggle with Booth and as a result he was unable to jump cleanly from the State Box. Booth landed on the stage eleven feet below at an awkward angle and as a result fractured his ankle. However, he was able to hobble out and get on his horse and escape.
-In 1867 Rathbone married Clara Harris and over the next few years the couple had three children. When [[Grover Cleveland]] became president he appointed Rathbone as his consul to Germany.
+Although Rathbone's physical wounds healed, his mental state deteriorated in the years following Lincoln's death as he anguished over his perceived inability to thwart the assassination attempt. He married Harris on July 11, 1867, and the couple had three children: Henry Riggs (born February 12, 1870, who later became a U.S. Congressman), Gerald Lawrence (born August 26, 1871), and Clara Pauline (born September 15, 1872).
-Rathbone's behaviour became more erratic and he appeared to become jealous of his wife's attentions to the children. On 23rd December, 1883, Rathbone murdered his wife, tried to murder his children, and then attempted to commit suicide. He survived and after being found guilty of murder was committed to an asylum for the criminally insane. Henry Rathbone died in the asylum in 1911.
+Rathbone resigned from the Army in 1870, having risen to the rank of brevet colonel. After his resignation, he struggled to find and keep a job due to his mental instability. He became convinced that Harris was unfaithful. He also resented the attention Harris paid their children and reportedly threatened his wife on several occasions after suspecting that she was going to divorce him and take the children.
+Rathbone made multiple attempts to obtain a position as a U.S. Consul to a European city, but was always refuted. Rumors exist that Rathbone was appointed the U.S. Consul to Hanover, Germany. This is incorrect as the U.S. never established diplomatic relations with Hanover and seems to have stemmed from a mix-up between Henry and his brother Jared Lawrence Rathbone, who was the U.S. Consul to Paris in 1887 during [[Grover Cleveland]]'s administration. The family relocated to Germany, where Rathbone's mental health continued to decline.
+On December 23, 1883, Rathbone attacked his children in a fit of madness. Rathbone fatally shot and stabbed his wife, who was attempting to protect the children. He then stabbed himself five times in the chest in an attempted suicide. He was charged with murder but was declared insane by doctors after blaming the murder on an intruder. He was convicted and committed to an asylum for the criminally insane in Hildesheim, Germany. The couple's children were sent to live with their uncle, William Harris, in the United States. Rathbone spent the rest of his life in the asylum. He died on August 14, 1911, and was buried next to his wife in the city cemetery at Engesohde.
 [[Category:Early Modern Villains]]