Louis Weichmann

[L Verge]

(08-30-2015 12:17 PM)Gene C Wrote:  I believe part of Weichmann's decision to apply for the War Department clerkship was also financial.

Quite right, Gene. I had understood that his reason for dropping out of college was financial. His teaching stint at St. Matthews Institute for Boys was $35/month, and the clerkship in the Commissary General's Office was $80/month. Many sources will also tell you that he parlayed that job - and his trial testimony - into more government positions until the Democrats took over.

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His time in Little Texas, when he accompanied John Surratt and then decided to stay awhile, ended up costing the U.S. some money. It was while here that he introduced Surratt to Henri B. Ste. Marie, who would later become a "bounty hunter" in search of Surratt on the continent. That gentleman then applied for the reward later, and I think the government settled with him for about $10,000(?). That wasn't enough, so he sued again. The case became some kind of example for contract law issues. That's as far as my anti-legal brain could go before I started feeling nauseous -- with my apologies to our lawyers.

There is a great article about this in a Fordham Law Review. I loved reading it because it goes into great detail, giving mounds of material on the whole assassination issue before it even comes to the Ste. Marie legal issues.