What hideous crime did Rathbone commit? Why?

What hideous crime did Rathbone commit? Why?

• A. He killed his wife in a political plot
• B. He killed his wife in a fit of jealousy
• C. He killed his wife after a long trial
• D. He killed his wife, and it was noted he was insane

Answer: (D)

The situation focuses on Major Henry Rathbone’s life after the Lincoln assassination and the nature of his later crime. Rathbone did not act out of jealousy or political scheming in the event at Ford’s Theatre. In 1883, years after the assassination, he killed his wife, Clara Harris, with a knife. This act was attributed to severe mental illness, and Rathbone was deemed insane and confined to an asylum. So the best answer is that he killed his wife, and it was noted he was insane, because it accurately reflects both the act and the diagnosed mental state surrounding it.

The situation focuses on Major Henry Rathbone’s life after the Lincoln assassination and the nature of his later crime. Rathbone did not act out of jealousy or political scheming in the event at Ford’s Theatre. In 1883, years after the assassination, he killed his wife, Clara Harris, with a knife. This act was attributed to severe mental illness, and Rathbone was deemed insane and confined to an asylum. So the best answer is that he killed his wife, and it was noted he was insane, because it accurately reflects both the act and the diagnosed mental state surrounding it.