A little-known person

[Steve Whitlock]

(07-23-2021 12:20 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(07-22-2021 05:55 PM)Steve Wrote:  and not someone we would guess.

How about Daniel Gleason as a real longshot possibility? Gleason worked at the War Department with Louis Weichmann who lived at Mary Surratt's boardinghouse. It is known that several weeks prior to the assassination Weichmann confided his suspicions to Gleason about John Surratt and his buddies acting strangely in the boardinghouse. Some sources indicate Gleason took Weichmann's wariness to Stanton but it apparently didn't go anywhere from there. Weichmann retracted his statement to Gleason a few days later, but the fears may still have stuck in Gleason's mind.

Is it conceivable Gleason was out taking a walk the night of the assassination? Could Gleason have crossed paths with detective McDevitt? Could McDevitt have mistaken Gleason for an actor? Did Gleason look anything like McCullough?

Way too many ifs here - do not put any money on it...

Roger,

Good information. And let me also say that I think McDevitt is covering for the informant. Whoever the informant was should have been in serious trouble, with the possibility of being held as a co-conspirator for the knowledge of who was involved in Lincoln's assassination, which would also be a life threatening position from Lincoln admirers in a high state of emotion.

McDevitt was reputed to be a good detective, and a good detective does not run off on a serious search for those involved in the assassination without knowing, absolutely, who was giving the information. I need a bigger can of bs spray for the idea that some actor may, or may not have been his informant. He would have made pertinent notes of the information given to him and who the informant was for followup. The statement of John H. Surratt to a group of people indicated they felt detectives had gotten wind of their plans and were closing in, so he thought they had dropped their plans.

If detectives were closing in perhaps one of those detectives had tipped McDevitt, but didn't want the notoriety and pressure that would have ensued for why they hadn't rounded up JWB and others before the attacks on Lincoln and Seward.

We should see whether there is more information available for Gleason. Was he at Ford's Theatre on the fateful night?