Closed Circuit TV: Keeping Presidents, Politicians, And The Public Safe
We all know the story. The date was April 14, 1865. Four people were in the presidential box of Ford’s theater, enjoying “Our American Cousin,” a comedy play about a rugged American and his noble English relatives. They included Major Henry Rathbone, Civil War veteran; and his fianc Clara Harris, daughter of a U.S. Senator. Also seated in the box were President Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Marry Todd Lincoln. Lincoln was shot while watching the performance. He died the next day. His assassin was John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate supporter. But how did Booth access the location of the President of the United States? Booth had performed several times at Ford’s theater, so he was very familiar with the building’s design. He arrived at the theater’s back door, at around 9:00 in the evening. Then, Booth walked down a tight hallway between the theater’s balcony, and Lincoln’s box. Booth entered the box’s door, secured it, and then murdered one of America’s most popular presidents ever. Could Lincoln’s assassination have been prevented if a...