The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-04-19
How about the testimony of Lewis
!. Weichmann. Captain p"

ming to end was outrageousiy false.
He lied. lied: lied from the time he
took the witness stand until he left II.
| During the three days he was on the
stand he did not dare to look me in the
face. / never took my eyes of him for
a moment. General Merrick told me
that the newspapers were commenting
or the fact. I believe that IL | could
have caught his eye IL would have end
ed his perjury. AS | said to you at the
beginning of our talk. that man has
done more to bring disgrace and ruin
on me and my family han any one
n every one else living or dead. I
am convinced that IL he was on his
deathbed he would send for me and
ask my forgiveness for the ruin and
trouble he has caused me.
ID think that his testimony was
actuated by malice.
No. do lot Moral cowardice was
al the bottom of IL. The morning after
Lincoln's assassination. n great many
people were arrested. Weichmann
was n OF these. II became known
that he was a friend OF Booth. In or
der to get a confession from him a rope
was placed around his neck. the other
end OF IL thrown over a beam. and he
was ordered 10 tell what he knew. He
was lifted OF his feet Under such
circumstances n man will tell or say
anything to get a rope from around his
neck. Weichmann made up his story
out OF the whole cloth. and when he
was in safety he did not have the
moral courage 10 contradict ii. as any
honest man would. He was a moral
coward. He was hat way as n school
boy. At school II was forbidden to
have novels. ! had one in my desk
n Weichmann opened the desk and
took IL out. Through some chance IL
fell into a teachers hands. When |
accused Weichmann of having taken IL
out, he swore by all that was holy that
he did not do SO. although | confront
ed him with the three boys who saw
him. AS | said. the child is father to
the man. The boys at school would
not have anything TO do with him. He
was continually hanging around the
teachers n running to them with
tales.
1T would have been an easy matter
for Weichmann to have confessed that
he was frightened into a false confess
sion in the capitol prison. Many men
- cA'' RAA' aAAi AHAhSs y
Der on one occasion. when | was trav-
cling the Underground Route in
southern Maryland. in company with
a number Of confederates. one OF the
party. a nephew of Judge Roger a.
Prior, was arrested by n suQad OF union
troops. They put a rope around his
neck, threw il over a limb of a tree.
and jerked him of his feet. He con
fpGCaH avnryfhipp m thnrn Told ,hn
officer in charge who we were. and as
a consequence we were all arrested.
The evidence against us was without Il
flaw. After being liberated. this young
man. realizing what he had done, went
TO the judge and told him that he had
lied in his so called confession. that he
was so frightened that he would have
said anything. He said that he did
not even remember what he had CON
fessed. The next day we were all lib
Grated. Look at the difference between
Weicnmann and this young man. The
latter confessed the truth and took it
back, Weichmann confessed a lie and
stuck to it. When he was giving that
false testimony against me. he was
enjoying a position as teacher which
| got him. / met him on Pennsylvania
dN'Iut olc uhs uhi II hip va "ih ''
told me he was in a bad way and asked
me to help him.
THE cost of my trial about impov-
erished me. and | could not have paid
for it had not two friends in Baltimore
sent me money. ] received from them
checks for from $1,000 to $1,000 at a
time. My detectives had to follow the
government all through the north.
The latter tore n leaf out Of an Albany
hotel register, where | had signed the
day before Lincoln was murdered. But
/ was able TO secure other registers.
where | had signed on dates which
made my presence in Washington dur
ing those exciting times, impossible. |
also summoned many prominent citi-
Zens OF Elmira, all strong union men,
whom / had met there. and they testi-
fed TO my being in that city on the
dates | claimed. My counsel demand
ed that | give them the name OF the
union colonel who let me into the pris-
on. but / refused. 1t would have ruin
ed him, although it would have caused
my acquittal. Ny lawyers threatened
to throw up the case unless ! revealed
his name, but / declined.
During my trial. General Merrick
pointed out a group OF men in one cor
ner of the rom, and asked me If ! ever
saw them before. | said | had not.
He told me that they were going To
swear that they drove me into Mary
land the morning after Lincoln's death.
They were employed by the govern
ment to swear that way. General
Merrick vent to the National Intelli-
gencer, of Washington. and exposed the
entire plot. The next morning that
paper came out and stated all the
facts, and the men mysteriously dis
appeared. The government has taken
good care of Weichmann. He has held
a public office in Philadelphia from the
day of the first trial until now.
Booth lies buried in beautiful Green
mount cemetery, in this city, n IL III
the same grave with his father, moth-
- nd hrnthnT ffiA