Louis Weichmann

[L Verge]

Thank you, Gene, for bringing that avenue to a stop (I hope). We old-timers have been down that road before with theorists, and it was all conjecture. Not all of history revolves around one's sexual orientation.

As for the reasons that Surratt and Weichmann left school at the same time, I believe that John C. Brennan and Msgr. Robert Keesler (the latter of whom went to St. Charles in the early-1900s) looked into that and determined that they left in the summer of 1862 when that semester ended. Surratt's leaving coincided with the death of his father, so he knew that he could not return to school. Weichmann evidently ran out of money.

Mulcahy (whom we judge based on Conroy's statements only) does seem over the top in his dislike of Weichmann - very unusual for a priest to be so vocal (if indeed he was). However, I suspect that his comments were born out of frustration over Weichmann's actions against fellow Catholics and his obvious desertion of the Church until he needed last rites. And then, even those got screwed up, thanks to Weichmann's brother.

BTW, there is a statement somewhere that Fr. Fred Weichmann had some discipline problems himself while in school. The school teacher in me would love to know how strict their German father was with his children's upbringing. Also the role that their behavior had based on their mother's insistence that they go to the priesthood. Weichmann previously wanted to be a pharmacist. A child's acting out in school is often rebellion against what is going on at home.

Finally, I hope John Fazio is reading this and will rethink (and research further) the question as to whether or not Weichmann was actually a state's witness. I'm pretty sure that James O. Hall told me he was. Mr. Hall knew law also, having been trained in military investigations during WWII and then rising to the top of the investigation division of the U.S. Department of Labor here in D.C. I do remember that John Lloyd was said to have received pay for being a witness. I think it was $60???