After his capture, David Herold gave a lengthy statement to authorities while imprisoned aboard the monitor Montauk. He impressively mixed fact with fiction in his attempt to dig himself out of his own grave. Reading his statement provides a valuable look into the reaction Booth had towards the reports of his actions. For example, Herold twice recalled that Booth was, “sorry from the bottom of his heart about the sons” of Secretary Seward, which he had heard were killed in the attack upon their father. Though this proved not to be true both Frederick and Augustus Seward survived their encounter with Powell, Booth seemed to feel remorse over the spilling of innocent blood.
During the interrogation, Davy was shown several photographs and asked to identify the individuals pictured. After one such photo Davy responded with the following:
“I don’t know him. (After a pause) Yes, I have seen him at Ford’s Theatre. He was the stage carpenter there, I think. Mr. Booth had a horse up at the back of Ford’s Theatre, and he loaned it to me. This carpenter & a boy up there attended to the horse.”
David Herold and Edman Spangler
Later, the questioning returns to this carpenter:
Q. Did you see the carpenter the Friday before you left town?
A. I have not seen that carpenter for I believe six weeks. I will tell you what Booth did say. He said there was a man at the theatre that held his horse that he was quite sorry for.
Q. Did he say what man it was?
A. He did not say his name, and if I were to hear it, I would know it. Booth said it might get him into difficulty.
After that, there is no more mention of the Ford’s Theatre carpenter, Edman Spangler. If Davy is to be believed and Booth actually did express these sentiments about the “difficultly” Spangler might get into for the holding his horse, it certainly places Spangler in a softer light. Could this statement be another instance of Booth lamenting the plight of the innocent? Or is it one conspirator trying to protect another? Where do you come down on Edman Spangler’s guilt or innocence?
LincolnConspirators.com 
What evidence is there that Spangler was involved? Would the person that voted “involved” please tell us why?
Hi Rich. Do you have a copy of Jerry Madonna’s “A Threat to the Republic?” If so, please see p. 135. It is Jerry’s theory that Spangler was assigned to turn off the gas lamps right after the shot was fired. But he failed to do so because his path to the meter box was blocked by Jeannie Gourlay and William Withers who were standing in front it. Thus, he failed in his assignment, and the lights stayed on
exposing Booth when he was on the stage. A person who accepts Jerry’s theory could easily have voted that Spangler was involved.
It is known that Booth only learned of the president’s plans to attend the play On the same day he struck. At the same time Booth became aware of the president’s plans the theater staff were already in the process of decorating the balcony with bunting, removing a partition, adding chairs etc. Where was Booth’s opportunity to make alterations to brace the door? Stage hands worked mere steps away. Booth had to immediately set about renting a horse, meet other conspirators, task them with their target names, location and exact time to strike. He also had to gather whatever essentials he required before departure. It was an extremely full day for Booth, He may have walked up to gauge his escape route and do a mental walk through but that’s it. I suspect Spangle, a carpenter, was at hand, and was directed to prepare the length of wood. Located the piece of a broken music stand, cut it to length to wedge the exterior door to the balcony. In addition a piece of wallpaper had also been cut and pasted to cover the section of wall that was gauged out to accommodate one end of the wood brace. Where is Booths opportunity to make any alteration to the door, the music stand,or the wall or wallpaper? Spangler would not be out of place in the midst of preparing the presidential box and had the tools, materials and the time to do it. I imagine some historians have written out the timeline of all Booths KNOWN actions on that day. Is there room for some DIY carpentry in that timeline?