Security around the President was lamentable, as it was in the cases of the three other Presidents who have been assassinated.
The event, however, gave rise to the famous black joke - 'But apart from that, Mrs Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?'
In other news ...
Today in 1931 the Highway Code appeared. It was a long overdue attempt to regulate the free-for-all on Britain's roads and has been replaced recently by a much more accurate one, the first page of which I quote below:
- Never dip your headlights at night - that sort of courtesy went out with Gottleib Daimler.
- If you you approach an obstacle on your side of the road, just drive past it, forcing the vehicle coming in the other direction to brake sharply.
- If you are over 70 years of age you can travel at six miles an hour even on motorways. Six people over 80 per year are allowed to travel the wrong way up a motorway for a distance of not less than 100 miles. Watch press for vacancies.
- During the school run, all rules of the road must be ignored and the rear-view mirror is for adjusting makeup and admonishing children only.
- If you are in charge of an HGV, feel free to straddle the white line and flash your lights at other HGV drivers.
- If you are in charge of a bicycle, by all means wobble all over the road, especially going uphill because you don't understand the gears. You can of course mount the pavement whenever you like because that silly bit of plastic on your head makes you 100% invulnerable.
- If you are in charge of a horse, make sure you have no control over the animal at all; if possible be under fifteen years old and always ride two abreast on country lanes chatting to your mate. If your mate doesn't have a horse, they can ride their bicycle alongside (see point 6 above).
