Louis Weichmann

[Pamela]

Herb, at first I dismissed your idea, but I've been giving it some thought and I think you have a really good point. It's very possible that on some level Weichmann was always keeping his eye on the Surratts, once he realized how strong their rebel sympathies were. I don't think he fully understood how involved they were until after the assassination, of course. Whether he had a talk with some official (beyond Gleason) at his work, who told him to watch the Surratts and the people who came to their house, or he just decided on his own to keep track of their activities, I don't know. At the same time I think he thought he could encourage John to act like a "sensible man", p.102, Weichmann, while he lived at the boarding house, but the extraordinary event of Booth entering their lives occurred and everything went to ruin from that point. John had gotten a job with the Adams Express Company, in part because of the positive attitude he showed the agent of the company in his letter of application when he wrote that he had, " a willing hand and ready heart" and that he would be faithful in any position given him.--p31-32, Weichmann. Louis said he always believed that a major reason for the Surratts to move to Washington, "...was that of rescuing her son from the baleful influences and temptations of his country life in those war times, and enabling his to secure some remunerative employment." Surratt got the job on Dec 30 1864, and by January 13 1865 he left without even applying for his last two weeks of pay, so that he could begin his role in the conspiracy. Nearly two years afterwords, a clerk in the National Hotel found a card in Booth's clothing, written in John's handwriting, "I tried to secure leave but failed. J. Harrison Surratt" p.70-71, Weichmann.