Assassination-Related Suicide?

[BettyO]

Quote:Any idea who this was and from whence the suspicion that he was connected with the assassination? I'm wondering what the facts are which were then deemed too imprudent to publish. Digging up up a body seems to be to more than a little overkill (no pun intended) if there was only a vague suspicion, due to suicide, that the unnamed individual was connected with the assassination.

This was speculation, pure and simple. Thompson boarded at the Branson Boarding House in Baltimore and was an acquaintance of Powell. He was a young newly married fellow who had lost just about all of his money in a tough business deal right before the assassination. He went into a tail spin and due to the financial fiasco, developed a deep depression, took a gun and went out behind a barn and killed himself. Of course, speculation was that he was in on the conspiracy because he boarded at the Branson House and knew Powell. Powell was on good, friendly terms with all of the Branson boarders according to recent findings and authorities seemed to think that the suicide was the result of Thompson's fear that Powell's capture would result in his singing about Thompson's "involvement." Not so. Thompson had left the boarding house right after the assassination about the time of Powell's capture and he reportedly had told other boarders that he suspected that there would be "trouble" at the Branson's establishment. He moved into cheaper lodgings with his bride and it was from that boarding house that he went out and shot himself.

Kauffman reiterates this in AB and I think Roscoe also hit on it in Web of Conspiracy.

It was all poor timing and sheer coincidence.

Glade to see you post here, Jill! Your work is VERY MUCH appreciated!