Louis Weichmann

[Pamela]

Thanks again, Roger. Betty, should Joan check her family tree??

First, I think I have nailed down some info on Chris Ritter, the Anderson butcher from Bavaria with the Booth neck carbuncle who dogged Weichmann in his last years. He lived with his wife Mary and some young kids in Philadelphia when Lou lived there. His occupation was baker. His age listed as 26. In 1880 he lived in Aurora with his family and was a butcher, his age listed as 34. I didn't find 1890, but in the 1900 census there was an inmate in Wayne Indiana, Christopher Ritter, the name if the facility not on the census form. The birth date is 1842 (same as Weichmann's), birthplace Germany, same for his parents. This Chris Ritter died in Wayne at age 58 one year later, presumably while still incarcerated. Is it likely that there was another Chris Ritter, born in Germany, parents born in Germany, living in Indiana around his age? If it was the same CR he might have had time at last to work on his book, depending on how long he was incarcerated before his death.

Ewald left that out of his article, just an oversight I'm sure. Did he ever answer the tabloidesque question he posed about Chris's possible connection to the Surratts/John Surratt?