The evidence that sealed Mrs. Surratt's fate

[John E.]

Count me in with those that believe she knew JWB was going to murder the President.

If you believe she was aware of the kidnapping plot, then you have to assume she knew Booth no longer owned a buggy. --> The fact that he had to rent one for her to take his field glasses to the Surratt Tavern should have tipped her off.

Also - If she was such a pious Catholic as Father Walter made her out to be, why on Earth would she be doing any sort of errands or work on Good Friday? I think that most Catholics back in those days would have stayed in and prayed or observed Jesus' death in a more solemn manner. I could be wrong about that though..

[L Verge]

Do you want your membership money back, Jim?

[Jim Garrett]

Is there a money back guarantee? If there is, I bet you've never paid out a cent. Becoming a life member was the best money I've spent!

[L Verge]

Excellent point about the buggy, John. That's the first time I have heard that thought.

[Linda Anderson]

(05-03-2013 05:47 PM)John E. Wrote:  Count me in with those that believe she knew JWB was going to murder the President.

If you believe she was aware of the kidnapping plot, then you have to assume she knew Booth no longer owned a buggy. --> The fact that he had to rent one for her to take his field glasses to the Surratt Tavern should have tipped her off.

Also - If she was such a pious Catholic as Father Walter made her out to be, why on Earth would she be doing any sort of errands or work on Good Friday? I think that most Catholics back in those days would have stayed in and prayed or observed Jesus' death in a more solemn manner. I could be wrong about that though..

According to The True History of the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln by Louis Weichmann, both he and Mrs. Surratt attended Catholic services on Good Friday morning. Weichmann went to work afterwards and at 10:00 AM Stanton sent a letter saying that "several bureaus of the War Department who are members of religious denominations that have religious services on this day (Good Friday) are relieved from duty for the day."

When Mrs. Surratt asked Weichmann to take her to Surrattsville in the afternoon, he says he jumped at the chance to drive a horse and buggy. So we can also count Weichmann in as another pious Catholic who had no qualms about doing an errand on Good Friday.

[RJNorton]

Seems I am increasingly saying the same thing...i.e. I read something but cannot recall where. This time it has to do with Weichmann and his deathbed statement. I believe I read somewhere that Weichmann's deathbed statement may have been "contrived" and may not be valid. Does anyone know the specifics on this? Are there valid reasons that cast doubt on his deathbed statement?

[Rsmyth]

Roger. His deathbed statement has never surfaced and we only have the notarized statement by his sisters that it existed. There are those that knew Louis at that time and say he was in no condition to write or even dictate the statement.

[LincolnMan]

What did he claim in the end?

[John E.]

(05-03-2013 08:54 PM)Linda Anderson Wrote:  So we can also count Weichmann in as another pious Catholic who had no qualms about doing an errand on Good Friday.

Amen to that. If he hadn't turned State's witness, he would have probably been sitting in that prisoners' docket. The government needed witnesses and apparently Weichmann could sing too.

[L Verge]

I believe the gist of Weichmann's supposed statement was to claim to the end that he was innocent and that the Surratt family had continued to persecute him to the end of his days. There was an earlier incident, I believe, where someone named Surratt happened to move to Anderson, Indiana (Weichmann's home). Weichmann was panic-stricken that they were chasing him to the ends of the earth. This family may have been part of our Surratts generations before, but not closely related. Uncles of John Surratt, Sr. began westward migration in the mid-1700s.

Personally, I think that Weichmann was on the periphery of the plotting, BUT from the standpoint of knowing something was going on - not just what or any details. If he did report his suspicions to the officials in the Commissary General's office where he worked, that should have gone a long way in his defense. Reporting a conspiracy in order to stop it nullifies one's role in that conspiracy if I understand vicarious liability correctly.

I once asked Mr. Hall about this, and I think he believed that Weichmann did report it and the officials chose to just keep a watch on the boardinghouse to see what developed. Sounds much like the surveillance we do of suspected bomber cells - and then something happens...

On the Good Friday services issue: I am an Episcopalian, and for many moons, our church has observed Good Friday with three-hour services from 12 noon to 3 pm. A short mass is held in the morning and/or evening, for those unable to attend during work hours. This would appear to be the reason for Stanton sending workers home in time to make the long afternoon services. However, the journey with Mrs. Surratt to the country would have started near the end of those services.

Questions for theological historians: If someone attended at least one of those services, had they done their duty for the day? Could one attend the three-hour service, but leave before it ended? If only the evening service was left to attend, did you have to pay penance for not attending?

It appears to me that Mrs. Surratt - based on the timeline of her associations with Booth that day - would have had to have gone to the morning service in order to do her religious duty. The afternoon service would interfere with her hurried trip to Surrattsville; if she waited for Booth to stop by at night to pick up hat and pistols (as several of you theorize), she would not want to leave home; and, if we are to believe Richard Smoot, she and Mrs. Holohan started out probably for evening service and turned around because of the weather. That last statement has never made sense to me because it was not very severe weather that night - and it certainly would not have prevented a Catholic (or any other Christian faith) from doing religious duties.

I'll leave y'all to ponder those questions while I decide whether I want to go to church in the morning...

[RJNorton]

(05-04-2013 06:57 AM)LincolnMan Wrote:  What did he claim in the end?

Bill, the text of his alleged deathbed claim:

"This is to certify that every word I gave in evidence at the assassination trial was absolutely true; and now I am about to die and with love I recommend myself to all truth-loving people."

Louis J Weichmann


I found this on p. 232 of Lloyd Lewis' "The Assassination of Lincoln: History and Myth."

[LincolnMan]

I don't think he would have told the truth-necessarily- just because he was dying. It remains suspect, doesn't it?

[RJNorton]

Bill, my personal opinion is yes.

Lewis included an interesting note on the cause of Weichmann's death. On the death certificate he gave the cause as "extreme nervousness." That's it - that's all the doctor wrote for cause of death.

[LincolnMan]

That has to be never used cause of death on a death certificate!

[Gene C]

On the whole, Weichmann's testimony has stood the test of time.