Louis Weichmann

[RJNorton]

Thanks, Susan. I was asking about this because in his book Weichmann says Father Menu came to court during the John Surratt trial. Weichmann says Father Menu ignored him and sided with Surratt. Weichmann calls Father Menu his "former father confessor," but not once did Father Menu shake Weichmann's hand during the Surratt trial. He did shake John Surratt's hand in the courtroom and in the presence of the jury. Weichmann writes, "Father Menu sat in the courtroom during the entire day, right by the side of Surratt as much to say: "Gentlemen of the jury, I am a Catholic priest, you can see where my sympathies are."

During John Surratt's lecture he said, "I proclaim it here and before the world that Louis J. Weichmann was a party to the plan to abduct President Lincoln. He had been told all about it, and was constantly importuning me to let him become an active member. I refused, for the simple reason that I told him that he could neither ride a horse nor shoot a pistol, which was a fact. These were two necessary accomplishments for us."

Thus, I was curious about the correspondence with Father Menu, Weichmann's "father confessor." I was wondering if Weichmann had hinted to Menu that he was actually wanting to be part of the party planning to kidnap Lincoln.

As far as I can tell we only have John Surratt's word that Weichmann wanted to be part of Booth's "group."

As I recall Father Menu's letter was found in Booth's papers.