The
Quote - "Huey Long" - Unquote
Inquest
Officially Not About Huey
If you've read about Huey Long, you'll have read about the coroner's inquest which began September 9, 1935, a day after he was shot. But the little known fact is on that day, Huey was still alive. So how can you have an coroner's inquest when the victim has yet to succumb?
Instead the inquest in 1935 was an investigation into the death of Carl Weiss, the young Louisiana physician who (allegedly) shot Huey. Since no one - then or now - really doubted that Carl was killed by members of Huey's protective detail, one of the purposes of the inquest was to determine if the guards had acted properly and within the scope of the law.
The most accessible source for the transcript is the Congressional Record of September 10, 1985. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Huey's death, Congressman Russell Long, Huey's oldest son, requested unanimous approval to insert the transcript into the Record. The motion carried and the Record is the source of the account below.
As far as an inquest into Huey's death, that didn't happen until 1992 - just 58 years later. But that, as they say, is another story.
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Transcript of Testimony taken before the Coroner's Inquest held over the Body of Dr. Carl Austin Weiss, Jr., and conducted by Dr. Thomas B. Bird, Coroner of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, on September 9 and 16, 1935, in the City of Baton Rouge, LA STATE OF LOUISIANA, PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE.
Before me, the undersigned authority, Lemuel C. Parker, a Notary Public, duly commissioned and qualified in and for the Parish and State aforesaid, personally came and appeared: Glenn S. Darsey, well and personally known to me, who, after being duly sworn, did depose and say:
That his name is Glenn S. Darsey; that he is a duly licensed and practicing attorney of the Bar of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a Notary Public in and for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, duly commissioned and qualified; that on the dates of September 9 and 16, 1935, he was the duly appointed and qualified Deputy Clerk of Court of the Nineteenth Judicial District Court of the State of Louisiana, in and for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, and official Court Reporter of said Court; that, on the dates aforesaid, he reported the testimony taken before the Coroner's Inquest held over the body of Dr. Carl Austin Weiss, Jr., and conducted by Dr. Thomas B. Bird, Coroner of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, on September 9 and 16, 1935, in the City of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and that he does now, hereby and herewith, certify that the foregoing seventy-two (72) pages represent a true and correct transcript of said testimony.
GLENN S. DARSEY. Sworn to and subscribed before me, aforesaid Notary Public, at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on this 5th day of May, A.D., 1949.
LEMUEL C. PARKER, Notary Public.
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Dr. BIRD: The body of C.A. Weiss was examined by the Coroner and Jury. We found thirty bullet openings on the front of the body and twenty-nine on the back and two of the head, one penetrating the left eye and making its exit through the left ear; and other going through the tip of the nose and grazing the face. The body wounds, it was impossible to tell which were wounds of entrance and which wounds of exit there were so many in every direction. Two bullets were recovered, one a .38 caliber and one a .45 caliber; they were just found under the skin.
Mr. E. Frampton called as a witness, being first duly sworn by the Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr. Odom:
Q. Just narrate exactly what you saw immediately preceding the shooting at the Capitol last night. Describe in detail everything you did see.
A. Just immediately preceding the shooting I talked with Senator Long, first, on the floor of the House. Then I went in the Governor's office and called my office in New Orleans; in response to questions that they asked me I telephoned Senator Long in the sergeant-at-arms office in the House. He was called to the telephone and I talked with him again. Within a minute or two he left the House and walked down the corridor to the Governor's office. I started from the Governor's office through the anteroom; just as I reached for the doorknob was when I heard the sound of a shot. As I opened the door I saw Senator Long walking down the hall clasping his side with his hands.
By Dr. Bird:
Q. A good many people said they heard two shots.
A. I heard only one at that time.
Q. I mean that first.
A. Yes. As I opened the door I saw two men struggling. One I recognized as Murphy Roden, as a State Highway policeman, and the other man, who was later identified as Dr. Carl Weiss. Murphy had his back towards the door.
By Mr. Odom:
Q. Towards the Governor's door?
A. Yes, and was in a stooping position as though he had fallen in struggling with the man. He backed away, firing as he backed away. As he backed away half a dozen or more started shooting. He pitched forward with his head in the corner near the marble pillar with his face down. He lay there and nobody touched him until the Coroner ordered the body moved.
Q. The corridor you speak of was the north side of the building on the second floor leading from the House down by the Governor's office?
A. And connected with the Senate along with other offices of State officials including that of the Governor.
Q. As I understand your testimony, you had not come into the hall when the first shot was fired?
A. No, sir.
Q. And didn't see him fire that shot?
A. I did not.
Q. Had you gotten out into the hall before the other shots were fired?
A. I was standing in the doorway. I naturally didn't step out in the hallway.
Q. Have you any way of approximating the lapse of time from the first shot to the firing of the succeeding shots?
A. It required the time for me to turn the doorknob and open the door and look out. I would say three or four seconds.
Q. The man whom you identify as firing the first shots after you looked out in the hallway, what is his name?
A. Roden, Murphy Roden.
Q. Was his fire returned by the the man who was subsequently identified as Dr. Weiss?
A. I didn't see him fire any shots.
Q. Was Dr. Weiss in plain view of you?
A. He was.
Q. As far as you could see, did he make any effort or any overt attack on the man who shot him?
A. When I opened the door he was struggling with Roden. He had a pistol in his hand.
Q. Could you tell from the nature of the struggle if Roden took it away from him?
A. They seemed to be struggling over the pistol or just quitting struggling over the pistol.
Q. When they separated could you tell whether Roden jerked away and backed off or whether the other man jerked away? How did the break take place?
A. Roden evidently jerked away. He was still in a crouching position, firing as he backed away.
Q. When he backed away, what did the other man do, Dr. Weiss?
A. Fell on the floor.
Q. Prior to the time he backed away, did Dr. Weiss make any effort to shoot Roden?
A. I don't think he had time to do it.
Q. Was there any motion of his you could construe as an overt act toward Roden?
A. I would say my first impression was Dr. Weiss with a pistol in his hand trying to either wrest it away or get it away from Roden or get in a position where he might use it. I don't know what his intentions were.
Q. You gained that Roden had the weapon and was wresting it from him?
A. No, the other man had it.
Q. The man had the weapon and Roden was trying to wrest it away from him?
A. Yes.
Q. Could you tell whether he wrested it away or turned loose and backed off?
A. I couldn't say. Murphy showed us his thumb that had evidently caught in the jam of the pistol, it evidently caught in the barrel of the pistol.
Q. Could you approximate how many shots Roden fired into Dr. Weiss?
A. I couldn't say, several times.
Q. What was the posture of Dr. Weiss at the time Roden opened fire, was he standing upright or crouching?
A. Crouching. As Roden backed away he shoved Weiss or the man away from him. He backed up and fired as he backed away.
Q. Dr. Weiss was then in a stooping position?
A. Yes, near the floor: he sank down.
Q. Prior to the shooting?
A. They were both in a stooping position.
Q. Which was nearer the floor, Roden or Weiss?
A. Weiss, I believe.
Q. You heard only one shot up until that time?
A. Yes.
Q. I appreciate it is almost impossible to space time. Have you any way of determining or estimating or approximating the time they were engaged in that struggle, hooked up together, the officer and Dr. Weiss?
A. It would be impossible to approximate or estimate it because I didn't see the beginning of it.
Q. Can you estimate or approximate the time that they were hooked up after you saw them?
A. It was practically a continuous action. The minute I opened the door the men I saw were struggling. Roden shoved the other man away and backed away and fired. As he did that he crouched and backed farther away and fired some more.
Q. As Roden fired the man fell?
A. That's right.
Q. You said some other people opened fire after that?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you know who they were?
A. No. There was a group of them there: six, I would say.
Q. Do you know any of them?
A. I am not positive; I saw so many people I am not positive.
Q. Were they what is commonly known as Senator Long's bodyguards?
A. I recognized half a dozen or more whom I knew and recognized to members of the State police.
Q. Can you say you recognized any other man who shot Dr. Weiss besides Mr. Roden?
A. It would be only a guess. Every one had a gun out. I don't know which ones.
Q. Can you tell who had guns out?
A. Paul Votier and, I believe, was firing; I think Joe Messina was, I am not positive.
Q. He was there?
A. He was there.
Q. Was that all or any one else?
A. I don't recall.
Q. Was Mr. McQuiston there?
A. He was there. I don't know whether he did any firing or not.
Q. Did he have his gun out?
A. I think he did.
Q. Was Louis Heard there?
A. I don't know him.
Q. Was Joe Bates there?
A. I don't recall seeing him.
Q. Did any one put his hands on Dr. Weiss besides Roden?
A. I couldn't say.
Q. Can you state the time between the time that Roden did the shooting and the others joined it?
A. They joined in almost simultaneously. It was almost a miracle that Roden was not hit by some of them.
Q. They were around him?
A. On all sides.
Q. Had Dr. Weiss fallen to the floor before the others opened fire?
A. Yes.
Q. The other people opened fire and shot after he was down?
A. Yes, the pistol was in his hand.
Q. He fell down?
A. Yes.
Q. On the north or the south side of the corridor?
A. At the southeast corner of the corridor, as regards the four pillars outside of the Governor's office.
Q. Was his face down flush with the floor?
A. It was partially on his arm.
Q. Was his face towards the north or south?
A. I don't recall. I couldn't see his face.
Dr. BIRD: His face was down; when I found him he had not been touched.
By Mr. Odom:
Q. Was there much of a crowd there?
A. The customary legislative crowd was there, in and out of the hall.
Q. Did you see Judge Fournet as you came out?
A. No, sir; if I did, I didn't recognize him.
Q. Did you recognize any one other than the bodyguards and Dr. Weiss and Senator Long?
A. I wouldn't remember because my attention was concentrated on the shooting and the victim of the shooting.
Q. Among these people whom you saw shooting - the crowd from whence the shots were being fired - could you see any one of the bodyguards in his entourage?
A. I didn't know the bodyguards. I think they were all officers of the State police force. Some may have been on guard duty.
Q. In other words, you don't recall seeing any one except State police?
A. Yes.
Q. They were not in uniform?
A. They were not.
Q. Were any of them in uniform?
A. No, sir.
Witness excused.
J. E. Dearmond, called as a witness, being first duly sworn by the Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr. Odom:
Q. What is your occupation?
A. Hotelman.
Q. Were you at the Capitol last night?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What was your business there?
A. Just visiting.
Q. Are you located in Baton Rouge or New Orleans?
A. New Orleans.
Q. Did you have any business at the Capitol?
A. No, sir.
Q. How did you happen to be there?
A. Just walking around meeting friends.
Q. Have you held any commission under the State or under the City of New Orleans?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What was it?
A. A special commission from the Bureau.
Q. When was that?
A. Before this law was passed when they recalled all of them.
Q. Have you held any since then?
A. No, sir.
Q. Where were you when the shooting took place?
A. In the secretary to the Governor's office.
Q. Who was in there?
A. Mrs. McGuffey and some other gentleman was up there; I don't know who he was.
Q. What was the first thing that attracted your attention?
A. Senator Long walked in the office in a big hurry. He walked in and said, "We have to get all our men here tomorrow."
Q. Who said that?
A. Senator Long.
Q. Who was he addressing?
A. Nobody in particular.
Q. Who could he have been addressing?
A. He walked in and struck his head in Mrs. McGuffey was there - he said, "We have to get all our men here tomorrow." He turned around and walked in the hall and repeated the same statement as he stepped in the corridor. Just about that time I heard one shot followed by others. I was not going to stick my head out.
Q. The first shot, you just heard one shot?
A. The way it was, one shot was not so loud.
Q. Have you any way of approximating or spacing the time between the first shot and the others?
A. Very rapidly, four or five seconds.
Q. Can you approximate how many shots there were?
A. Estimated twenty-five or thirty; that was my guess.
Q. Where the body lay, how far was that to the Governor's door?
A. From the Governor's or the Secretary's door?
Q. The secretary's door. That's the door Senator Long went out?
A. Yes, sir. I would say twenty-feet.
Q. When Senator Long came in, who accompanied him?
A. He came in and turned around the way he came and I only saw Murphy Roden.
Q.Were there others with him?
A. I imagine so.
Q. You recognized Murphy Roden?
A. Yes, sir, also Paul Voitier.
Q. They followed him out?
A. He turned around and went out the door, they naturally followed.
Q. What did Senator Long say?
A. "We will have to have all our men here tomorrow."
Q. Is that all he said?
A. Every word. He made the same statement twice. Once in the office and then I heard it as he was going out the door.
Q. Did you know Dr. Weiss?
A. No, sir, I never saw him before to know him.
Q. What was your business in the Governor's office, social or otherwise?
A. I just dropped in socially for a few minutes. I saw Mr. A.P. White, the Governor's secretary, and Bertram Barnett, the publisher of the Bienville Democrat in Arcadia.
Q. You are presently employed by the DeSota Hotel?
A. The National Hotel Company.
Q. Are you still there?
A. I was up until three - two days ago.
Q. You don't know who did the shooting?
A. No, sir, the shooting was so close to the door. Witness excused.
The following testimony was heard September 16, 1935.
John B. Fournet, called as a witness, being first duly sworn by Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr. Odom:
Q. You are Judge John B. Fournet of the Supreme Court of Louisiana?
A. Yes.
Q. You are an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court?
A. Yes.
Q. Were you present at the Capitol on last Sunday night, say, about 20 [as written in the transcript]?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you witness the shooting as a result of which Dr. Carl A. Weiss and Senator Huey P. Long lost their lives?
A. I did.
Q. Will you please relate in your own words just exactly what you saw and what you heard immediately preceding the occurrence and what happened immediately afterwards?
A. Well, I was in the House. I knew Huey was in the House and I wanted to see him and talk to him about something I wanted to impart to him before he left Baton Rouge. I had been in the House a good portion of the evening trying to talk to Huey; he had been there. That's the reason I was there. When he left the House I started out behind him to follow him and get any opportunity to have a conversation with him.
As usual, he walks very fast; it is almost hopeless to follow him. But I wanted to talk to him especially, there were two or three things I wanted to talk to him about. When I got into the corridor I didn't see him but I asked a couple of people standing there which way the Senator had gone - when I got there, I couldn't see him - I was told that he entered the Governor's office. I walked leisurely in that direction. I met Joe Messina and we walked together. He knew where Huey was. As we approached the Governor's office, the Senator walked out and walked towards our direction. About the time he reached this big circle in the middle of the corridor --
Q. Let me interrupt you a moment. That was going back towards the House?
A. He was facing the House of Representatives, east, I think, if I have my directions correct. About that time he made some statement as to getting everybody on hand early tomorrow morning. I think. Some one answered him, came and said that has been attended to, but I don't know who answered.
Quite a few people were there. Some of the Bureau men were there and there were several others up there. I didn't pay much attention to those because Huey was the man I wanted to talk to. My plan was to go talk to him in his room. Just about the time he was answered that was over and there was a little pause, not another word was said, when a man of small stature, a man dressed in a white suit - he was a slender man flashed among us. He moved hurriedly, wedged in with him, flashed a gun and shot almost simultaneously. I was right next to me. I put my hands on the man's arm and tried to deflect the bullet. I had my hat in my left hand, but I dropped it or lost it in all the excitement. As I put my hands on his arm he shot almost simultaneously. Of course, there was quite a bit of confusion. One of the boys grabbed him at the same time almost that I did; others wedged in. I shoved him as hard as I knew how. When I shoved him somebody else grabbed him who, I learned afterwards, was Murphy Roden. He went to the floor. I shoved him and they went down in one continuous movement; there was no cessation; they both went down. The doctor, who I learned since was a doctor, did not go all the way to the floor, as I saw it. He jerked the gun loose and the other boy, who I have learned since was Murphy Roden, grabbed it with both hands when he was trying to shoot again; he was trying to keep him from doing this. All about that time there was no cessation. I made no effort to grab the gun. When the shooting started the gun was between me and the boy who was on the floor. The boy was in this position (indicating), he was almost over him. I, naturally, stepped back a few steps, two or three; the shooting kept on without cessation. I immediately started to look for Senator Long. I ran down the stairs and found him in the arms of Jimmy O'Connor and somebody else - I don't know who it was. He said that he was shot. We asked him where he wanted us to take him and he said to the sanitarium, of course. We walked with him to the car. My hat stayed right there where it all happened, whether I lost it when I shoved him or not, I don't know; I know it stayed right there.
Q. Judge, at the time you saw Mr. Roden grappling with the man whom you subsequently learned to be Dr. Weiss, you say he was attempting to fire his gun again?
A. Yes.
Q. Could you tell who he was trying to shoot?
A. At the time it looked like he was trying to shoot Murphy, the boy on the floor.
Q. They were grappling?
A. No, Murphy was loose at that time.
Q. I understood you to say that simultaneously with the firing of the gun that you struck the man?
A. Yes, I shoved him hard enough that he went down with the boy that was grappling with him on the floor; he was almost under him up to the wall. I shoved him completely away.
Q. Do you remember just what portion of the body the weapon - what portion of the Senator's body the weapon was pressed against?
A. That's very hard to say. It was at his front with an upward trend. The gun came from his right hip. What he drew the gun from, where it came from on him, I did not see. I had not noticed him or seen him before he fired. He drew it from the hip and straight up and straight out; the man made one step and fired.
Q. It was you who shoved him away?
A. Whether the shoving was sufficient to deflect the bullet would be only conjectural or problematical.
Q. I didn't mean that. At the time you shoved him the force of your shoving forced him to the floor?
A. He didn't go to the floor completely.
Q. Did he go to his knees?
A. He stayed in a crouching position. He always stayed that way, attempting to shoot that other way.
Q. He still had the pistol?
A. In his right hand trying to shoot it with both hands.
Q. Did Roden ever grab him?
A. Yes, Roden held on to the gun.
Q. Were you attempting to get your hands on Dr. Weiss?
A. Yes, for the second time; after I shoved him I was making an effort to grab him when they began to shoot pretty lively around there.
Q. Judge, can you tell us who fired the first shot?
A. No sir. The shooting was from my right and left. All the shooting was done almost directly to my right and left a little behind me. None of them were close to me. I did not see Murphy draw his gun from a reclining position as he got up.
Q. How did he get on the floor?
A. That's pretty hard to say; I was not watching Murphy Roden as I was afraid of the other fellow until it started generally.
Q. Can you tell whether or not Mr. Roden fired the first shot at Dr. Weiss?
Q. If it was Roden, you couldn't recognize anybody. In other words if Dr. Weiss had escaped, I could not have identified him.
[Answer apparently omitted.]
Q. The man who fired at Dr. Weiss, did he fire first?
A. The man on the floor did not shoot the first shot. I don't think he was because he was shooting before that while Murphy Roden who was on the floor was attempting to get the gun.
Q. When you say the man who shot first, you are not confusing that with the first shot?
A. No, sir, that was after that.
Q. Have you any way of approximating how many shots were fired?
A. I served in the World War and I was a machine gunner. A machine gun would fire 300 to 600 bullets a minute. I would say after the shooting started it was as fast as a machine gun. In other words, there were two or three or four shooting at one time but to say how many shots were fired, would be a pure guess.
Q. Do you know what sort of weapons were used?
A. It sounded like an automatic. There may have been a single action sandwiched in between.
Q. Were any machine guns used?
A. No, sir. If there were I did not see them. They were shooting from my left and right, practically to the rear.
Q. As a matter of fact, I understand it to be your testimony that while Dr. Weiss was on the floor with the gun in his hand and while he was attempting to use it that he was shot by some one to the rear of you who it was you don't know, but it was not Mr. Roden?
A. No, sir, that's my firm belief. I know he was on his feet. I didn't see the gun drawn from him; I saw him make the move. The other man rolled over. He went around and down. He went down slowly when the first bullet struck him; he just had a quiver of the body. While he was still doing that the shots were pouring into him from both sides.
Q. Can you describe or denote the spacing of the shots? The first shot from the next shot?
A. Yes. Very close, so close that I thought Senator Long was shot with the first two shots, until the Coroner's verdict and other people, I was of the opinion he was shot twice. The Senator was of that opinion because he said, "You kept him from hitting me the second time."
Q. Can you approximate--?
A. In fact, it was so fast, you could just guess for yourself. Any attempt to give any definite time, would have to be an expert on shots and the time of the shots. I can give you what happened and you can figure it for yourself. There was never any cessation of action, it was one continuous action. The man came straight up to Senator Long and fired. I grabbed his hand and my next move was to shove him as hard as I could; my next effort was to grab him. In the meantime, he and Murphy Roden were mixed up; then I stepped back two steps. The firing was ceasing about that time. You can figure for yourself about how fast that was. I figure they shot forty or fifty times. As fast as you could shoot three or four automatics or revolvers one after the other, whichever way you want to put it, that would be the time. In other words, I have heard worlds of people not to express an opinion, say they thought it was a machine gun, those who heard it and didn't see it.
Q. Judge, was he shot after he was down?
A. The shots were continuous; there never was a cessation. Naturally, some of the shots hit him after he hit the floor. I am convinced of that.
Q . After the continuous firing was over were there any other shots?
A. No, sir. The last shooting that was done was done by an automatic also. It was continuous, there never was any cessation at all. There seemed to be more than one shooting at one time, two or three. When it was finished it was an end to everything. There was never a complete cessation of shooting until it actually stopped. There never was such a thing.
By Mr. Porterie:
Q. There was no conversation between Senator Long and Dr. Weiss at all?
A. He never uttered a word, he never gave any warning. He walked right among us. I was close to the Senator. As Dr. Weiss made one step he shot. There was no outcry at all except by Huey, the usual scream of a man injured or shot. He grabbed his side and that was all I saw of him until I saw him downstairs. When I stepped back I started looking for him. I opened the Governor's office and looked in there for him. I thought he might have gone in there. He was not there so I came back in the corridor, and was told that he ran down the corridor
And down the stairs. I ran down and caught him as he was going out the east door.
By Mr. Odom:
Q. Do you recall who was there at the time he was shot?
A. It would be hard to say; there were a bunch of us. Strange to say, I know the boys who go out with Senator Long, but I know the names of only a few. I remembered after that I saw three or four; Joe Messina, Murphy Roden, the young fellow, the man they call George, I couldn't give his name, a big man; Mr. Coleman, a bald-headed fellow, I saw him. I saw this man Louis Lesage, a Standard Oil man; he was sitting in the window. I remember seeing Mr. White after it was over; I don't remember seeing him before that. I also remember seeing Dr. Smith before. There were several boys like that, I saw Joe Bates right after. By that time a great crowd was coming in. Men were running in and peeping out from the House and other directions.
Q. You didn't see any others?
A. No, sir; I made no effort to find out, to be frank with you.
Witness excused. Rev. Gerald L. K. Smith, called as a witness, being first duly sworn, made the following statement: I want to say I respect your court, but I do not respect this investigation, and I brand the District Attorney of this court as one of [words omitted] I worshiped my hero. I will say nothing here and I will not harass these boys who are here in any way.
Witness excused.
Mr. Odom. I might add in view of this charge by this person, that I care nothing of his opinion of me or my actions. When he says I entered into a plot to kill Huey Long, he is a willful, vicious and deliberate liar.
[Note: A word is in order to explain Gerald's refusal to testify and his remarks at John Odom and John's reply.
In the transcript in the Congressional Record there is a gap as we indicated above. But from the Chicago Tribune of September 17, 1935, Gerald was quoted as saying: "I respect your court, Mr. Coroner, but I brand the district attorney as one of the plotters of this assassination. I refuse to answer his questions. I worshiped Long as my hero. I propose to say nothing that will harass these boys (the bodyguards) who gave themselves unreservedly in his defense."
What prompted Gerald's tirade was that John Odom had attended an "anti-Huey" meeting in the Hotel DeSoto in New Orleans that some people maintained included a plot to kill Huey.]
R. William H. Cook, called as a witness, being first duly sworn by the Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr. Odom:
Q. Dr. Cook, you are a physician and surgeon practicing your profession in the City of Baton Rouge?
A. Yes.
Q. Were you present at the operation performed on Senator Huey P. Long on last Sunday night a week ago?
A. Yes.
Q. After the operation had been performed did you have occasion to notice his mouth?
A. Yes.
Q. Will you describe to the Coroner and Jury what you found?
A. Dr. Henry McKowen, who was giving the anesthetic, called the attention of all of us, that were present to an abrasion or brushburn on the lower lip of the Senator, and asked that someone put iodine on it which I did.
Q. Was it bleeding?
A. It was not bleeding until Dr. Henry McKowen wiped it off with a moist sponge. Then it did bleed just a little.
Q. It oozed blood?
A. That is correct.
Q. Was it a fresh abrasion?
A. It appeared to be.
Q. Of course, you have no way of telling how that was caused?
A. No, sir.
By Mr. Porterie:
Q. Doctor, an injury of that kind could readily occur to any person after a person was shot who would have to take the steps from the first floor of the Capitol down a step of four flights of stairs to the basement and might strike any sharp angles or the marble in the Capitol after being wounded as he was?
A. Any contusion or trauma could cause that abrasion.
Q. By trauma you mean a lick against a hard surface?
A. Yes.
Witness excused.
Dr. J. Webb McGehee, called as a witness, being first duly sworn by the Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr.Odom:
Q. Doctor, you are a practicing physician in the City of Baton Rouge?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you have an engagement with Dr. C.A. Weiss for an operation in which you were to administer the anesthetic on last Monday, a week ago today?
A. I did.
Q. When was the last conversation you had with him about that operation?
A. About Friday, when I talked to him personally.
Q. Did you have a telephone message from him?
A. I had a telephone message from him Sunday night about 8:15. My wife talked to him; he wanted to know if I knew that the operation had been changed from our Lady of the Lake Hospital to the Baton Rouge General Hospital.
Q. That was 8:15 Sunday night?
A. Yes, about that.
Witness excused.
C. Sidney Frederick, called as a witness, being first duly sworn by the Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr. Odom:
Q. Mr. Frederick, you are a practicing attorney, are you not?
A. Yes.
Q. You are the District Attorney of the St. Tammany - Washington District, are you not?
A. Yes.
Q. Were you in the Capitol on Sunday night, a week ago?
A. I was.
Q. Were you there at the time of the shooting?
A. Yes.
Q. Just where were you in the building at that time?
A. I was leaving the Governor's office and had taken perhaps two steps in the reception room when the first shot was fired; that was followed by a second shot and then by a regular fusillade of shots in rapid succession.
About that time I had gotten to the small entrance to the secretary's office. The shots had not ceased at that time. I looked out of the door for just a moment because I withdrew myself from exposure at the door immediately. I saw a number of men down the corridor in some confusion. As I say, I withdrew; I waited until the shots had subsided.
Q. Did you see any of the shooting?
A. I couldn't say that I saw any particular person fire any particular shot.
Q. Did you see any person fire any shot?
A. Yes.
Q. Who did you see?
A. I am not in a position to say who fired the shot.
Q. You mean you don't know the person?
A. No, I don't mean that. I mean that I didn't look long enough to determine who fired the shot. In other words, the shooting was going on while I looked down the corridor momentarily.
Q. Did you see more than one person shooting?
A. I saw revolvers in the hands of more than one person.
Q. Did you recognize any of them?
A. No.
Q. Did you know any of them?
A. I can only answer that question by hearsay. I learned the names of two gentleman afterwards.
Q. In other words, you learned the names of two men you saw firing?
A. I won't say that. I learned the names of two persons I recognized in the hallway.
Q. Were they contiguous to where the shooting took place?
A. Yes.
Q. How long after the shooting was it before you saw them?
A. Momentarily.
Q. Do you mind telling us the names of these two persons?
A. Murphy Roden and Elliot Coleman.
Q. Did you see revolvers in the hands of those men?
A. I would not swear I saw a revolver in the hands of Mr. Coleman. Mr. Roden, I did.
Q. Did you see the revolver in the hands of Mr. Roden firing?
A. I couldn't answer that truthfully.
Q. Can you approximate - did you see the body of Dr. Weiss at the time of the firing?
A. I was one of the first persons to get it.
Q. Did you see the body before the firing ceased?
A. Yes.
Q. What was - just describe where the body was.
A. The body was lying in a position just across the narrow corridor that leads to the Governor's office just a few feet to the west of the double doors that entered in the Governor's office by the large marble pillar.
Q. Did you see the body when it crumpled to the floor?
A. No.
Q. When you first saw the body it was down, is that correct?
A. I would say that is approximately correct. You must understand this happened so quickly. I didn't keep my head out in that corridor any great length of time.
Q. After you saw the body on the floor did you see who was shooting?
A. I will answer that question this way: There were shots fired after the body was on the floor.
Q. Did you say the only men you identified fired after the body was on the floor to your knowledge?
A. I couldn't say.
Q. I don't remember whether you stated you saw the body when it fell to the floor?
A. No, I would say the body was on the floor.
Q. Could you approximate how many shots were fired after you saw the body on the floor?
A. Perhaps five.
Q. Could you space the shots for us, the time elapsing?
A. Very little time had elapsed between shots.
Q. Would you say more time elapsed between the second and the subsequent shots?
A. I would say that more time elapsed between the firing of the first two shots and then the firing of the shots that followed after they started to fire.
Q. After the second shot was there a continuation of the shooting?
A. It sounded very much to me like a machine gun in action.
Q. Have you heard a machine gun in action or seen one?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you see a machine gun there, Mr. Frederick?
A.No.
Q. Of course, I know it is almost impossible for one to tell under the circumstances such as that the lapse of time between shots, but could you give us any approximate idea of the time between the first and second shots?
A. I would say it was a very short space of time, almost instantly.
Q. Was there a longer space of time between the first and second shots than the second shot and the subsequent shots?
A. I think there was a longer space of time between the second and third shots than between the first two.
Witness excused.
J. T. Cockerham, called as a witness, being first duly sworn, by the Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr. Odom:
Q. You live at Denham Springs, do you not?
A. Yes.
Q. Were you in the State Capitol last night a week ago?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you witness the shooting there as a result of which Dr. C. A. Weiss and Senator Long lost their lives?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you hear the shooting, Mr. Cockerham?
A. Yes, I heard it.
Q. Where were you ?
A. Right close to the doors at the front entrance.
Q. You mean out in Memorial Hall?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Did you see anything at all?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you see any of the participants?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you see anybody going to or coming from the scene of the shooting?
A. No, sir, just the crowd rushing.
Q. You heard the shooting?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Describe what you heard.
A. I couldn't describe just what I heard. There were several shots, I don't know how many. Of course, a fellow didn't have time to count them.
Q. Was there any space of time between the first and second shots?
A. Yes.
Q. Between the second and third shots?
A. As well as I remember, there was very little space between the second and third, I don't think much. I remember when the first shot was fired there was a little space and then another.
Q. After the firing of those shots was there continuous shooting then from that time until it was over with?
A. Yes, sir, several shots fired along behind the other.
Q. Have you any way of approximating how many shots were fired?
A. No, sir, a good many. I have no idea how many. There was so much excitement and the firing was so fast I had no way of telling how many.
Witness excused.
Cooper Jean, called as a witness, being duly sworn by the Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr. Odom:
Q. Mr. Jean, you live in this parish, do you not?
A. Yes.
Q. Were you present in the Capitol last Sunday night a week ago?
A. Yes.
Q. Were you there at the time of the shooting we are investigating now?
A. I was.
Q. Were you a witness to the shooting?
A. No, sir, I was not.
Q. Where were you at the time of the shooting? At the main entrance as you go up into the Capitol? Out in Memorial Hall?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you see anybody going to or coming from the shooting?
A. I saw people, some were trying to go in and some coming out.
Q. Did you recognize any of them?
A. No, I did not.
Q. Have you any way of approximating how many shots were fired?
A. No, sir, I couldn't answer that.
Q. Was there any space of time between the first shot that was fired and the second shot?
A. Very little if any, very little.
Q. Was there any space of time between the second shot and the third shot?
A. I couldn't say anything about the third shot.
Q. When did the beginning of the continuous fusillade of shots take place?
A. As well as I remember, after the second shot.
Q. You didn't see it and didn't see any of the participants?
A. No, sir.
Witness excused.
Ed Sharp, called as a witness, being first duly sworn by the Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr. Odom:
Q. Mr. Sharp, were you present in the Capitol last night a week ago?
A. Yes.
Q. Last Sunday night?
A. Yes.
Q. Were you present at the time of the shooting which is the subject of this inquiry?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you see the shooting?
A.No.
Q. Where were you?
A. In the lobby, just coming down from the balcony.
Q. The lobby of the House of Representatives?
A. Right in front.
Q. Out in Memorial Hall?
A. Yes, I guess so.
Q. Did you see any of the participants in the shooting?
A. No, sir, not that I know of.
Q. Did you see any one going to or coming from the shooting?
A. People were trying to go in and some were coming back. Most of them were coming out.
Q. You didn't see any of the shooting yourself?
A. No, sir.
Q. Was there any appreciable space of time between the firing of the first and second shots?
A. Half a minute or something like that. Two shots came ahead of the others. [Saying the first and second shots were half a minute apart is clearly incorrect, but from a later comment - see below - this is not a transcript error. So either Ed misunderstood the question, Ed misspoke, or he had a particularly poor sense of timing.]
Q. Between the first and second shots?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And between the second and third shots?
A. About the same time, then a volley of shots.
Q. After the third shot? After the second shot? Your didn't do in there?
A. No, sir. My daughter was with me, and when it commenced she jerked me away and soon as we got away, and I got her quiet, I walked back to see what happened. Somebody said it was firecrackers; I went to find out.
Q. That's all you know about it?
A. Yes, sir.
By Mr. Porterie: Indicate by the snap of your fingers the cracking of the guns. (Snap-Snap)
Q. That's the time you call half a minute a little while ago? Is that what you mean?
A. That's as near as I could get at it.
Q. That's all I wanted to know. I have no reflection on you.
A. That's all.
Witness excused.
Earl Straughan, called as a witness, being first duly sworn by the Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr. Odom:
Q. Were you in the State Capitol last Sunday night a week ago?
A. Yes.
Q. Were you there at the time of the shooting?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you see the shooting?
A.No.
Q. Where were you?
A. About five steps before you go in the hall where the shooting had taken place.
Q. In which direction?
A. Down the hall in front of the House of Representatives.
Q. You mean in what is called the House lobby?
A. I guess that's it.
Q. Did you go out in the hallway when you heard the shooting?
A. No, sir. I was headed that way. When it started I stopped.
Q. You didn't see the shooting?
A.No, sir.
Q. Did you see any of the participants?
A. I went in there after it was over.
Q. Describe what you saw when you went in.
A. When the shooting was over I walked down there and got almost to where the shooting occurred to see what happened. One fellow was laying on the floor in a white suit. About that time they run us all out. I didn't get up but about fifteen feet to the fellow on the floor.
Q. What did you say?
A. I say I got within about fifteen feet of the fellow laying on the floor and then they made us go out.
Q. Did you see any one there at that time?
A. Yes, several of them.
Q. Do you know who some of them were?
A. I didn't look at the faces; I probably would have but I was looking at the guns.
Q. Were they strangers to you?
A. I know some of them when I see them.
Q. Do you know any of them?
A. Not personally.
Q. Do you know who any of them are?
A. Not that I seen in there; I didn't recognize them.
Q. Have you had any of them pointed out since?
A. From what the papers say, I know several of them by their names.
Q. Who was it you saw there with guns in their hands that you knew?
A. I didn't see them, I couldn't tell.
Q. What sort of guns were they?
A. Not automatics, six-shooters, like the City Police carry here.
Q. About how many men would you say you saw with guns in their hands?
A. Four or five.
Q. You cannot identify any of them for us?
A. No, sir.
Q. Who was with you?
A. Nobody was with me. There was a crowd of people but nobody with me.
Q. Was Lloyd Straughan there?
A. Yes, sir, he is my brother.
Q. Was he there?
A. When the shooting occurred, he ran back in the balcony.
Q. Were you together when it started?
A. We were when it started.
Q. When it started he went the other way?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Can you give us any idea how many shots were fired?
A. A couple of shots were fired and then a couple of seconds and then twenty-five or thirty; that's my version of it.
Q. Have you any way of approximating how many shots were fired?
A. No way, only guessing.
Witness excused.
C. A. Riddle, called as a witness, being first duly sworn, by the Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr.Odom:
Q. You are a member of the House of Representatives from the Parish of Avoyelles?
A. Yes.
Q. Were you in the Capitol on the night of the shooting?
A. I was.
Q. Did you witness the shooting?
A. I think I did.
Q. Relate just what you saw, what you heard, and what you observed of the proceedings.
A. When the House adjourned, I came out the right door and turned into the first door to the right into the corridor, which is the east end. I proceeded down the corridor and noticed Senator Long come out of what I thought was the secretary's door.
Q. The secretary to the Governor?
A. Yes. He was coming up the corridor towards the east end facing me. He stopped about six feet from the set-off or setback from the column in the corridor, about the center of the square or circle in the floor of the corridor. I thought that was a good time to approach him and ask him to speak at a barbecue we were going to have in Marksville. When I reached within five or six feet of the Senator, a gun fired - it all happened about the same time. There was a young fellow holding a pistol in his hand pointed directly at Senator Long. I saw four or five inches - three or six inches - I would say, of the barrel which was very bright. Then somebody grabbed him, I think. Then it was just like touching off a bunch of firecrackers. My mind was first centered on Senator Long to invite him to speak. Then when the shot fired and I saw the gun pointed right at Senator Long's abdomen, then my mind was centered on him. Then I centered on myself.
Q. Were you looking at Senator Long at the time the shot was fired?
A. Right at him.
Q. Were you looking at the man who fired it?
A. I was looking directly at Senator Long. When the shot was fired I saw the man.
Q. Prior to that time you had not observed the man who fired the shot?
A. There were five or six men around Senator Long, none of whom I recognized because I was thinking of the Senator and inviting him to speak to us. About that time the gun fired and a body seemed to move from the right in the direction of Senator Long.
Q. Was the man who fired the shot between you and Senator Long?
A. No, he came more from a diagonal direction.
Q. You were facing Senator Long?
A. Yes.
Q. You were meeting him?
A. Yes.
Q. Some one came from the side and shot Senator Long?
A. Yes, somewhat in this direction (indicating). A body moved forward about the time the gun was pointed right at him with both hands, if I remember correctly.
Q. Did you hear any conversation or remark between Senator Long and this man?
A. None whatever. Of course, there were five or six people there. I heard nothing whatsoever. As the gun fired, Senator Long did this (indicating) and turned immediately. After he turned and marched down the corridor, then it was just like firecrackers. I couldn't describe it better than that.
Q. Did you see who did that firing?
A. You mean this fusillade?
Q. Yes.
A. No, sir, I didn't recognize any man, my attention was not on them. I thought it was a bunch of bandits or racketeers in there.
Q. When you last saw the man who shot Senator Long, was he standing up?
A. Yes, bent forward a little.
Q. Did any one put their hands on him at that time?
A. No.
Q. Did you see Judge Fournet there?
A. No, sir, I really didn't. I heard him testify and he must have been there, but I didn't see him if he was there.
Q. Did you recognize anyone who was there?
A. None whatever. My mind was centered on Senator Long. He was in a very good humor that night. I was looking at him. I loved him very much. I was thinking it would be a good time to invite him to speak at Avoyelles.
Q. Did you see this man put his hands on Senator Long, the man who did the shooting?
A. No, sir, I just saw him go forward with the gun.
Q. Did you see Senator Long put his hands on the man?
A. No, sir, I don't think they got that close. I would say they were about five or six feet away.
Witness excused.
Mrs. O. P. Kennedy, called as a witness, being first duly sworn by the Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr. Odom:
Q. Mrs. Kennedy, you were subpoenaed as a witness and I have understood since that you said you didn't see the shooting and didn't know anything about it.
A. No, sir.
Q. Did your husband see the shooting?
A. No, sir.
Q. You don't know anything about it?
A. We were in the Capitol and did hear the shots.
Q. You were subpoenaed by mistake. I am sorry.
Witness excused.
Gordon Latham, called as a witness, being duly sworn by the Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr. Odom:
Q. Mr. Latham, you live in Baton Rouge, do you not?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Where are you employed?
A. The Louisiana Creamery.
Q. Were you in the Capitol last Sunday night a week ago?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you witness the shooting?
A. No, sir.
Q. Where were you at the time of the shooting?
A. In Memorial Hall in front of the elevators.
Q. Describe the shooting as you heard it.
A. There were two shots right close together,
A little lull and then the whole volley.
Q. Did you observe anybody going to or from where the shooting was?
A. I saw Joe Messina go around the side and get in the elevator running.
Q. Was he walking or running?
A. Running.
Q. Do you know whether he went up or down?
A. No, sir, I don't.
Q. Did you go around where the shooting had taken place?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you see Mr. Messina subsequent to that?
A. No, sir.
Witness excused.
Dr. C.A. Weiss, called as a witness, being duly sworn by the Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr. Odom:
Q. Doctor, you are the father of the late Carl A. Weiss?
A. Yes.
Q. Were you with him on Sunday, the day he was killed, the day of that night?
A. Practically the entire day until 7:30 that night.
Q. Will you describe to the Coroner and Jury just what your son did during that day and night up until he [words apparently omitted] sat on [words apparently omitted].
A. He and his wife and baby came to the house there left the baby with my wife and I so they could go to church. They went to mass at St. Joseph's Catholic Church. After mass his wife returned to our home, he stopped in Scheinuk's florial establishment to see about [words apparently omitted] had treated the day before. In a little while he came in with a bouquet of flowers sent to his wife in honor of the child's birth. He came in very proud, and handed the flowers to his wife saying, "Look what Mr. Scheinuk sent to the baby" Mr. Scheinuk had told him that he had not sent the baby anything when it was born, and had done it at this time. Then they went to their own home, and took the child with them. He was to take dinner with us that day. Between the time they left and returned my wife had occasion to telephone his house twice; one time his wife answered, and the next time he answered. About one o'clock, they came in the house for dinner. We had a very enjoyable meal; he ate heartily and joked and laughed during the meal. After the meal, he asked me if we cared to go to my camp on the Amite River. I told him that I had expected to go, and had already requested my younger son to go ahead and prepare the camp and open it up. So he and his wife and baby and my wife and I took the car and went out to the camp. When we arrived there my wife and I took care of the baby while he and his wife went in swimming. They were in the water about an hour and when they came out we closed up the camp and came home. We sat on the front seat and he and his wife and baby sat on the back seat; we arrived home about 7:30. Then he left there he and his wife and the baby went to their home.
Q. That was about 7:30?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you communicate with him or his wife subsequently?
A. His wife phoned me about ten o'clock - about ten minutes to ten - and asked me if Carl was there. I told her no and she said that he had gone out to make a call.
Q. The last time you saw him was about 7:30?
A. Yes.
Q. Dr. Weiss, can you tell us whether or not your son carried a pistol when he went out at night?
A. Occasionally, he did.
Q. Did he have any reason for it?
A. Recently, we have had at least three intruders in our garage; one he had to run out and I had to run one out; one my younger son called to one night.
Q. How old a man was your son?
A. Twenty-nine.
Q. Was he of robust or slight stature?
A. Very slight. I remarked to my wife that afternoon at the camp while they were in swimming that the boy was just skin and bones. She said, "Yes, he had been working so hard. We will have to get him to take a rest." He weighed about 132 pounds; he was quite a small man.
Q. Your son was a doctor, was he not?
A. Yes.
Q. Twenty-nine years of age?
A. Yes.
Q. Would you care to sketch for the jury a history of his education?
A. He graduated from the Catholic High School when he was fifteen. He then started in the premedical school at L.S.U., and then went to Tulane. In between every year's regular session, he attended summer school. At the age of twenty-one, he graduated with his degree.
Q. He was a doctor of medicine?
A. Yes. He had already taken his Bachelor of Science degree after his second year as a medical student. After he graduated he served an internship at the Touro for two years. He then secured an appointment to the American Hosptial in Paris. In between times he spent a year in Vienna studying under the Masters. Then he completed his internship in Paris. After that he obtained a two-year internship at Bellevue Hospital in New York; the last six months at Bellevue, he was the chief interne at the clinic for ear, nose and throat.
Q. Subsequently, he came to Baton Rouge?
A. And went in private practice with me.
Q. He was a specialist?
A. Ear, Nose, and throat specialist.
Witness excused.
Murphy Roden, called as a witness, being first duly sworn by the Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr. Odom:
Q. There has been some suggestion in the testimony here that you were one of the participants in the shooting that took place at the Capitol. If you were and for that reason or for any other reason, it is your desire not to talk, not to testify, you have that right. You have the right to refuse to testify and the right to stand on your constitutional grounds that your testimony might incriminate yourself. If you care to testify, we will be glad to hear you.
A. I have no objection to testifying.
Q. Mr. Roden, where are you from?
A. Arcadia, Louisiana.
Q. Are you a native of Arcadia?
A. I am a native of Bienville Parish.
Q. Arcadia is in Bienville Parish?
A. Yes, that is the Parish seat.
Q. Were you present or, rather, were you employed last Sunday night a week ago by the Bureau of Criminal Identification?
A. Yes.
Q. Were you discharging your duties as such?
Q. Yes, sir.
Q. Who had assigned you your duties?
A. General Guerre, Superintendent of the Bureau.
Q. Tell us what your duties were?
A. For some time my assignment was to stay with Senator Long and see that no one harmed him.
Q. When did that begin?
A. I have been with him constantly since the 15th of January.
Q. Were you with him in Washington too?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were you employed by the State Bureau of Criminal Identification?
A. Yes, sir, by the State.
Q. And paid by them?
A. Yes.
Q. You were assigned by General Guerre to accompany Senator Long, and see that no one did any harm to him?
A. Yes, I also held a commission through the Metropolitan Police Force in Washington for that purpose.
Q. You were acting for what is commonly known as a bodyguard for Senator Long?
A. I suppose so.
Q. How long have you been employed by the Bureau?
A. Since the second day of January, 1928, when I was a member of the Highway Patrol under Governor Simpson. I was transferred to the Bureau on the first day of November of last year.
Q. 1934?
A. Yes.
Q. You have been continuously in the employ of the State since that time?
A. With the exception of three months in 1930 when I resigned to accept an appointment to the air corps technical school in Illinois.
Q. Tell us everything you know about the shooting of Dr. Weiss.
A. We were in the House of Representatives just as it adjourned and Senator Long was talking to Representative Mason Spencer, and then he walked out of the House and down the corridor to the Governor's office. I was walking right behind him. He walked in and I stopped at the door; I was standing right in the door. He was in there for a second or two and turned around and walked out facing me. I backed right out. He walked out to about the left side of the circle on the floor in front of the main door. At that instant he had called to someone to have everybody there in the morning at 9:30; someone told him that had been attended to. At that minute someone brushed through; at that time I was standing directly in front of Senator Long - he brushed right through; at that moment, he pulled a gun and fired at Senator Long. When he went to thrust it into Senator Long, I grabbed him with my left hand over the gun; then there was a struggle and he fell to the floor and was trying to get up again. Guns were shooting around me and my eyes were full of smoke. I received powder burns on my hands and face. I thought at that time that it was a free-for-all; I knew I had the man that shot Senator Long; I was concerned over that. Finally, I fell to the floor with him. Then I jerked loose, got up, pulled my gun and commenced firing.
Q. Had he been fired at at that time?
A. Guns were shooting; I couldn't say whether he had been hit. Evidently, they were shooting at him. I couldn't see at the time they were shooting. My eyes were full of powder and smoke.
Q. You testified you were both down on the floor?
A. Yes, sir, I stumbled; that floor is very slippery and hard to stand up on.
Q. You mean you were off balance?
A. Yes, sir, in the struggle.
Q. Did either one of you fall to your knees that you recall?
A. Probable one knee.
Q. Did you ever get the gun?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did he say anything?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did he say anything at the time he shot Senator Long?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did Senator Long say anything?
A. No, sir.
Q. Except immediately preceding the shooting?
A. He kind of let out a yell of some kind.
Q. That was after the shooting?
A. Yes, sir, the minute the bullet hit him.
Q. Did the man act as if he had been shot before you broke away from him?
A. No, sir, if he had I couldn't tell it. You understand my position. Guns were shooting and I had smoke and powder burns in my eyes and couldn't see to tell just what was going on.
Q. Could you see well enough to see if he still had the gun in his hand?
A. Yes, I knew he had because I couldn't get it away from him and he kept trying to shoot it.
Q. Who was he trying to shoot?
A. Me. He was trying to work it around to me so it would be pointed at me.
Q. How far away from him were you when you opened fire?
A. I didn't get the question?
Q. I understand that you broke away and opened fire?
A. Yes.
Q. How far away did you get before you opened fire?
A. I was right on him; as far from here to the center of the table (indicating).
Q. How many times did you shoot?
A. Ten times.
Q. What kind of gun did you have?
A. A .38 Colt Super-automatic.
Q. As close as you were to him at that time you could not have missed him?
A. I don't know if my shots were effective or not.
Q. Just why did you shoot him?
A. Just why?
Q. Yes.
A. I shot him to keep from being shot.
Q. When you were trying to wrest the gun away from him what was your purpose?
A. To stop the fire. I have been a member of the National Guard for a good many years and that's the first thing they teach you, to put the enemy's gun out of commission.
Q. You didn't succeed?
A. No, sir.
Q. Why didn't you continue to try to get his gun?
A. I gave it up; I knew I couldn't do it.
Q. How old are you?
A. Thirty.
Q. What is your weight?
A. One hundred and fifty, a little less or a little more.
Q. What is your height?
A. Five feet seven and a half inches.
Q. Do you know whether or not you hit Dr. Weiss at all?
A. I wouldn't swear any one of my bullets hit him.
Q. How close were you to him when you opened fire?
A. Right close for the first shots and I continued to back away.
Q. Did you see him when his body crumpled?
A. After my gun went empty,
Q. Were any shots fired after you ceased firing?
A. I don't know; I can't answer that question. It all stopped about the same time. The whole thing was not over six seconds.
Q. Can you identify anybody who was doing any shooting?
A. I never saw a soul shooting a gun.
Q. Were the others in front of you or behind you?
A. Behind us but I was tussling with this fellow that I was trying to get the gun from.
Q. I don't suppose you have any way of estimating how many shots were fired.
A. No, sir; it would just be a guess.
Q. Were any machine guns used?
A. No, sir; there were not any machine guns there.
Q. How many shots did Dr. Weiss fire?
A. I couldn't exactly answer that. I am of the opinion that only one shot was fired.
Q. Mr. Roden, do you mind telling us what other employees of the Criminal Bureau were present?
A. George McQuiston and Joe Messina; that's all I could absolutely testify were there.
Q. At the time he was in the House were
Any others of the bodyguards there besides those you mentioned?
A. I couldn't say; we were hanging around the door; I had just walked in and saw he was fixing to come out. They were going to adjourn. As I walked in the door he was standing with his arm around Mason Spencer.
As he came past I walked behind him ..
Q. Did you see Mr. Riddle?
A. No, sir, I don't recall seeing him.
Q. Did you see Judge Fournet?
A. Yes.
Q. Was he walking with Senator Long?
A. Yes, walking down the hall with him.
Q. Did you see what he did?
A. At the time he shoved us? I would say he shoved us at the same time I grabbed the gun, or about that time.
Q. Mr. Roden, you mentioned Joe Messina and who else?
A. George McQuiston was there.
Witness excused.
Joe Messina, called as a witness, being first duly sworn by the Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr. Odom:
Q. Mr. Messina, do you understand your constitutional rights?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were you present at the shooting of Senator Long in the Capitol last Sunday night a week ago?
A. I would like to make a little statement, please, before, I answer any questions.
Q. Yes, you can make a statement.
A. In the first place, Senator Long is a very close friend of mine, and, in the next place, with a plot that conspired before my friend Sidney Songy came to me and begged me to take him to Senator Long's room, that he wanted to confess a crime they wanted him to pull off. He said he couldn't do it. We got him up to Senator Long's room and he told about it. A lot of stuff was captured in that plot, bullets, guns and hand grenades. In a cowardly way Senator Long was shot. I am ready to answer any questions you want to ask.
[Sidney Songy was a former prohibition agent who said he had been present at the Hotel De Soto with John Odom at the infamous meeting the previous July. Joe seems to believe along with Gerald that there was a real plot.
We see Joe seemed to be having trouble giving his statement, and a story in the Chicago Tribune of September 17, mentioned that Joe was "rather incoherent" in his testimony. It should also be noted that few historians believe there was a real large scale conspiracy to kill Huey although there's no doubt there had been an anti-Huey meeting at the Hotel DeSoto the previous July.]
Q. Tell what you know about the shooting.
A. It is nothing I know much until the time the shots were fired. When Dr. Weiss fired the shot I saw the Senator jump back and I knew he was killed. I immediately run up, pulled my gun out and unloaded it in Dr. Weiss.
Q. At the time you did that was he being held by Mr. Roden?
A. Two men were scuffling and I looked up to see who they were. I shot the man that shot Senator Long. I saw the pistol in his hand.
Q. Did you recognize the other man scuffling with him as Mr. Murphy Roden?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were they grappling at the time you fired?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you see Mr. Roden have hold of the pistol at that time?
A. No, sir, this man was free with it at that time; he jerked loose.
Q. What did he do?
A. I immediately fired?
Q. Why did you shoot him?
A. To keep him from shooting Roden or myself or any one else that might be there.
Q. Did he make any effort to shoot you?
A. That, I don't know. He had a pistol and would have shot any one there.
Q. Was the pistol pointed towards you?
A. I don't know; I don't remember much about that.
Q. Was it pointed towards Roden?
A. I don't know.
Q. Did you shoot him to keep him from shooting you or did you shoot him because he shot Senator Long?
A. One reason was he shot Senator Long; the next reason was to keep him from killing me or any one else.
Q. Which one of those reasons did you shoot him for? Because he shot Senator Long or to keep him from shooting you?
A. I thought he would kill any one in there.
Q. What was the primary reasons?
A. He had shot Senator Long and would shoot me and Roden and any one else in there.
Q. How close were you to him?
A. About the distance to this gentleman sitting right there
Q. What did you do when you had emptied your gun?
A. I went downstairs to look for Senator Long.
Q. One witness has testified that you went in the elevator.
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you get in the elevator?
A. No, sir, I went downstairs.
Q. Do you know any one else that was shooting?
A. I was too busy watching my gun to look.
Q. Who else was in the party?
A. In what way do you mean?
Q. What bodyguards?
A. George McQuiston, Murphy Roden and myself.
Q. Did you see the man at the time he fired on Senator Long?
A. I saw him a moment after the shot was fired.
Q. Did you see him before the shot was fired?
A. I didn't notice him at that time.
Q. You didn't see him approach Senator Long?
A. I didn't see him until he fired.
Q. How far were you from Senator Long
At that time?
A. Not more than eight feet, probably a little closed in the back.
Q. You were behind Senator Long?
A. I run up to see who it was. I saw them in a scuffle and recognized Murphy and began to fire on Dr. Weiss.
Q. You recognized Dr. Weiss at that time?
A. I never did know the Doctor.
Q. How close were you to him when you began to fire?
A. I must have been six or eight feet.
Q. What position was he in, standing up or down on the floor?
A. Standing up, yes, sir.
Q. Straight?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What was he doing with his gun? In which hand was it?
A. I don't remember.
Q. Mr. Roden testified that several shots were fired before he broke loose from Dr. Weiss?
A. That's Murphy's statement.
Q. Did you fire any shots before he broke loose?
A. I didn't fire until he broke loose. When I saw who it was then I went to firing when he broke loose from Murphy with the pistol in his hand.
Q. You are employed by the State Bureau of Criminal Identification?
A. Yes.
Q. How long have you been so employed?
A. In my present position?
Q. Yes.
A. I have been with the Criminal Bureau since February.
Q. Were you detailed to go with Senator Long?
A. In Louisiana, yes.
Q. You didn't go to Washington?
A. I never did.
Q. Were you under the orders of General Guerre?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What were your orders?
A. To stop any violence that might occur or anything.
Q. To Senator Long or any one else?
A. To Senator Long or any one else.
Witness excused.
George McQuiston, called as a witness, being first duly sworn by the Coroner, made the following statement: I don't care to make any statements whatsoever.
Witness excused.
Louis C. Lesage, called as a witness, being first duly sworn by the coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr. Odom:
Q. Mr. Lesage, were you present in the Capitol last Sunday night a week ago?
A. Yes.
Q. Were you present at the time of the shooting?
A. Yes.
Q. Where were you?
A. In the east end window of the corridor leading up to the Governor's office.
Q. In the alleyway between the House and the Senate?
A. I was sitting in the east end corridor window.
Q. You were sitting there?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you see the shooting?
A. No, sir, I did not.
Q. Describe to the gentlemen what you saw.
A. I was talking to Roy Heidelberg at the time Senator Long passed by going down the corridor. I didn't pay any further attention until the first shot was fired. I just had a second to realize or come to the conclusion that probably it was a firecracker. This shooting started almost instantly; it was not over two seconds from the time I heard the first shot. I jumped out of the window and ran into the restroom of the House.
Q. Going away or towards the shooting?
A. I had to take two or three steps towards it to get in there.
Q. When did you go in the restroom?
A. When the riot of shooting started after the first shot.
Q. Were you looking in that direction?
A. Yes.
Q. Could you see what happened?
A. No, sir, I couldn't. My eyesight is not so very good. I could see a crowd of people congregated down there; I judged it to be about opposite the Governor's office.
Q. How far would you say that was from where you were sitting?
A. Probably sixty or sixty-five feet.
Q. Can you approximate about how many shots were fired?
A. No, sir, I have no idea.
Q. Can you space the time between the first and second shots?
A. Not over two seconds.
Q. Between the second and third?
A. I didn't hear the second shot; the only one I heard was the first shot and then a riot of shooting started after that.
Q. Did you recognize any of the participants?
A. No, sir, not a soul. I didn't see a shot fired.
Q. As Senator Long passed you did you recognize anybody with him?
A. The only person I remember seeing was Joe Bates. He was a considerable little distance back of the Senator. Whether he was accompanying Senator Long or not, I don't know.
Witness excused.
Elliott D. Coleman, called as a witness, being first duly sworn by the Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr.Odom:
Q. Where do you reside?
A. Tensas Parish near Waterproof.
Q. What is your occupation?
A. I am connected with the Bureau.
Q. How long have you been so connected?
A. Since November 15, 1934.
Q. What duties were assigned to you?
A. General criminal work. Most of my work had been in the illicit whiskey traffic and other work.
Q. Were you present in the Capitol the night of the shooting?
A. Yes.
Q. Your name has been mentioned as having been present. Were you present?
A. Yes.
Q. In what capacity?
A. I was ordered to the Capitol by General Guerre to keep down any disturbance or lawlessness that might take place.
Q. Were you attached to the personnel of the man accompanying Senator Long?
A. No, sir, no such instructions were given.
Q. Did you go down the corridor with him?
A. When he came out of the House of Representatives he appeared to be alone. I turned and walked down the corridor with him to the Secretary's office. A couple of other men came on behind a little bit; maybe one was along with me or maybe a little bit behind. Senator Long went in the Governor's office and stayed a few seconds and came out and walked towards the House. When he got nearly opposite the private entrance to the Governor's office he met a bunch coming from the other direction and stopped there. He stopped there and said something about everybody being there the next morning. About that time a party off to the side stepped right up to Senator Long, pulled a gun and fired directly at Senator Long. I ran up and struck at the man that had the pistol but in the confusion my blow landed on some one else. I struck at him again and the blow carried him back because of the impact of the blow and the man who was grappling with him. Murphy Roden had grabbed him and they fell towards the marble wall and the pillar there. The man still had the gun at that time. I jerked out my gun and fired three shots. I thought probably it was a mass attack and I wheeled around and began looking things over holding my gun like this (indicating). Senator Long grabbed his stomach and said, "I am shot."
Q. Was anything said by the man who approached Senator Long that you heard?
A. Not a word, he never said anything.
Q. Was Judge Fournet with Senator Long?
A. If he was he had just walked up; I couldn't say about that.
Q. Did any one attempt to disarm this man besides you?
A. I couldn't say positively about that. I don't think any one would have had time to do it. When the second shot was fired, I thought his gun had fired.
Q. Did you grapple with him?
A. No, sir, I had hit him a blow on the jaw and followed it up to hit him again.
Q. Do you know Murphy Roden?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Was he grappling with the man who shot Senator Long?
A. Just after I hit him and he was down; Roden was there. I think he was the man; I am satisfied he was.
Q. You said you fired three shots. Was that before or after they broke loose?
A. Just as they broke loose. As far as doing it while he was on the floor, I know he was shot while he was up because he fell up against the marble post there and there was blood on that post high up.
Q. Was that at the time?
A. Roden was just out of line.
Q. Had they been grappling with the gun?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. He shot after they broke loose or before?
A. Afterwards.
Q. Did you see Mr. Roden shoot at all?
A. No, sir, because after I shot three shots I turned around and stood looking in the other direction. Shots passed me to my right at that time.
Q. When you turned around who did you recognize if any one, Mr. Coleman?
A. You mean when I looked back?
Q. Yes.
A. I don't think I could say I recognized anybody. I think Mr. Heard was there and Mr. George McQuiston.
Q. Did you see either one of those men firing?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you see any one with a gun in his hand?
A. I saw Mr. Heard with a gun in his hand after the shooting was over.
Q. You say you thought it was a mass attack?
A. Yes, sir. I noticed some of our men.
Q. Did any have guns?
A. As I say, two of them. The others were off to my right.
Q. Mr. Coleman, could you say who fired the second shot?
A. No, sir, I thought his gun did.
Q. They were in rapid succession, were they?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Was there any appreciable delay between
Any of the shots?
A. No, sir, they were all together right good and then it was all over.
Witness excused.
Joe Bates, called as a witness, being first duly sworn by the coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr. Odom:
Q. Mr. Bates, did you view the shooting we are investigating?
A. Yes, sir, I did.
Q. Will you kindly tell us what you saw?
A. From the time the House adjourned?
Q. Yes.
A. Just before the House adjourned Senator Long told me to be sure and have everyone of our friends notified to be at a caucus the next morning at 9:30. That's one of my duties, to always notify our men when there is to be a caucus. I notified them. Senator Long had gone on out. The House adjourned and I left the House and came in the hall; I remember seeing Mr. Lesage there in the hall; I think Mr. Lesage was talking to some man whom I thought was Mr. Heidleberg. I might be mistaken about that. I walked on down the hall and as I got by Mr. Ellender's office I heard Senator Long say something about the meeting tomorrow morning. I answered and told him they had all been notified. He came moving fastly on up.
Q. Going on towards the Governor's office?
A. Yes, sir, he was talking to Mr. Fournet.
Q. He was going towards the Governor's office?
A. No, sir, he was out in the middle of the hall. Just about then a young man whom I did not know - dressed in white - I thought he was going to shake hands with Senator Long. He was moving out and as he did he pulled a gun, went in and shot the Senator. The Senator screamed and hollered, "He shot me" and turned and moved fastly away in a crouching position holding his stomach. I knew there were enough men there to take care of everything for what might come up. My only thought was to see where the Senator was. I thought the senator might have opened the door and gone in the Governor's office because I did not see where he went. I ran in there and hollored, "Senator Long has been shot. Tell the Governor." He was not there and I came out. All that time shooting was going on. I then thought that Senator Long might have gone farther down the hall and stumbled in the Senate lounge room; I went down there but he was not there and as I came back the shooting was over and I found out that Senator Long had gone downstairs. I came back with the idea of trying to find out who shot the Senator. He was lying there with his face down and I never did see him. I went on in the Governor's office; he wanted to go to the Senator. I came on out and went downstairs and went over to the sanitarium. I got upstairs and hung around a few minutes in the hall near the Senator's room. Joe Messina came out and said that the Senator wanted to know who shot him. I said, "I don't know." And Joe said, "He wants to know." I ran down the stairs and got in my car but I had a terrible time with the traffic.
Q. Did you see who shot Dr. Weiss?
A. No, I did not.
Q. Did you participate in the shooting?
A. No, sir, my gun was never pulled from my pocket.
Q. Who was present with Senator Long at the time of the shooting?
A. Mr. Fournet. I know who was assigned there.
Q. Who was that?
A. From our department, Mr. Roden, Mr. Messina and Paul Voitier; that's all I can tell you.
Q. Were you assigned there?
A. No, sir, I was in charge of the men. In other words, the Cossacks, as they are called, usually come to me for orders when they were on duty.
Q. Had you given them orders that night?
A. They had standing orders.
Q. Those orders were to accompany Senator Long and see that nothing happened to him?
A. They were assigned; I had nothing to do with them.
Q. You had nothing to do with giving them orders?
A. No, sir.
Q. Can you tell us how many shots Dr. Weiss fired?
A. I thought it was a low caliber weapon; I think it was only one shot.
Q. You testified that you don't know who shot Dr. Weiss?
A. No, sir.
Witness excused.
Louis Heard, called as a witness, being first duly sworn by the Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr. Odom:
Q. Mr. Heard, you are connected with the Bureau of Criminal Identification?
A. Yes.
Q. Were you in the Capitol the night of the shooting?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you see the shooting?
A. No, sir, I was twenty-five or thirty feet from him.
Q. Tell us what you saw?
A. I saw the Senator when he left the House; I was across on the other side. When he walked out I walked out. When I got out he was in the Governor's office.
Q. How far were you away?
A. Almost at the end of the corridor. In a couple of seconds he came back out to the Governor's office like he was coming back towards the house. I turned and walked ahead of him; then I heard a shot and wheeled around and pulled my pistol out. I saw the commotion up there near the Governor's office. I turned around to see if any one else was coming up the corridor. At that time there was a whole lot of shooting.
Q. Did you see who did the shooting?
A. No, sir, there were too many people between me and where the commotion was.
Q. You testified that you yourself did not do any shooting?
A. No, sir, I did have my pistol out in my hand.
Q. Do you know who was with Senator Long when he went down to the Governors' office?
A. When he walked out of the House coming out of the door, I saw Mr. Roden, and I think, Joe Messina. Those were the only two I saw. When I got in the hall I didn't walk any farther; people were beginning to get out in the hall and the lobby.
Q. Were you assigned to go with Senator Long's party?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were you of the party?
A. Yes.
Q. You didn't keep up with them?
A. No, sir.
Q. From whom did you get your orders?
A. General Guerre.
Q. What were your orders?
A. To keep disorders down and not let the Senator get hurt.
Q. You were just assigned to Senator Long when he was here?
A. Yes.
Q. You didn't go to Washington?
A. No, sir.
Witness excused.
Paul Voitier, called as a witness, being first duly sworn by the Coronor, testified as follows:
By Mr. Odom:
Q. Were you present at the Capitol at the time of the shooting?
A. I was.
Q. What was your business there?
A. My business was to stay with the Senator.
Q. Were you connected with the Bureau of Criminal Identification?
A. I am.
Q. Just what were your orders?
A. To see that nothing happened to Senator Long.
Q. How long had you been assigned to him?
A. The present job I have now, I think, last October, but I am in close contact with Senator Long now for four years, probably going on five years.
Q. Since October you were assigned to stay with him continuously?
A. No, sir, four years, nearly five years. When Allen ran for Governor I met Senator Long.
Q. Did you go to Washington with him?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Where were you when the shooting took place?
A. Three or four feet from Senator Long.
Q. Did you see the shooting?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you see the man who shot him?
A. Yes.
Q. Were you facing Senator Long or the man who shot him?
A. All together I was about two feet in the rear of Senator Long and about one foot from Weiss, the man who done the shooting.
Q. Just describe what you saw.
A. Senator Long walked out of the secretary's office, the Governor's secretary's office; he said that he would like to have all of his men appear tomorrow early, talking to Mr. Bates, I think. I was in about two feet of him all the time. The Senator walked towards Mr. Bates. He stopped right in front of the main door to the Governor's office, in the circle like right there. He was
About there one or two seconds when this man - I learned later he was Dr. Weiss - passed on the side of Senator Long, not saying a word. He had a gun in his right hand, if I am not mistaken, with his left hand covering it. He made two steps towards Senator Long and fired his gun. The gun must have been one or two inches from Senator Long's side when he fired the gun.
Q. What happened then?
A. Senator Long, I think, said, "I am shot." It was Judge Fournet that knocked his hand down; in the meantime, Mr. Coleman, he rushed in and punched at Weiss after Weiss fired the shot, Mr. Coleman walked in and punched at Weiss, and, I think, struck Weiss and punched again and missed Weiss. I think he hit Senator Long in the mouth right where that bruise was.
Q. Who did that?
A. Coleman, he punched Weiss, and punched -
Q. What happened after that?
A. I backed away one or two steps and kept shooting.
Q. What was Dr. Weiss doing at the time you began shooting?
A. Struggling with Murphy Roden and Judge Fournet. Dr. Weiss was in a position like this (indicating) with his two hands on the gun trying to pull it clear. He was finding it mighty hard to pull the gun away.
Q. How far were you from him?
A. About five feet.
Q. When you opened fire, did you shoot him in the rear or in the front?
A. In front.
Q. How could you do that?
A. I shot between Judge Fournet and Murphy Roden.
Q. How many times did you shoot?
A. Four times; then I backed away and made one more shot. All the time he was on his feet.
Q. Why did you shoot Dr. Weiss?
A. It looked like he wanted to shoot everybody around there.
Q. Mostly because he shot Senator Long?
A. Yes, and to protect myself and the others there.
Q. What do you mean when you say "mostly?"
A. My answer is this: I shot him because he shot Senator Long and tried to shoot me and anybody else around.
Q. Did you see anybody else firing?
A. No, sir.
Q. What sort of pistol did you have?
A. 38.
Witness excused.
L. M. Wimberly, called as a witness, being first duly sworn by the Coroner, testified as follows:
By Mr.Odom:
Q. You are a member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Wimberly?
A. Yes, from Bienville Parish.
Q. Were you present in the Capitol the night of the shooting?
A. Yes, part of the time.
Q. Kindly relate just what part you witnessed, what you saw and what you heard.
A. Immediately after the House adjourned, I walked out of the House chamber
And proceeded up the corridor towards the Governor's office. As I got part the way up there I noticed Murphy Roden back back from the door. He attracted my attention as if he were clowning, so to speak, kind of like a goose-step, marching backwards that way. Senator Long came out the door; about the time he came out and turned around he made a remark to somebody: "We have got to have all our men present in the morning." He was answered by some one who said that had been attended to. Judge Fournet had about reached Senator Long. He was proceeding in the same direction I was, from the House chamber towards the Governor's office. At that time a man approached Senator Long, passed Murphy Roden and was between Judge Fournet and Senator Long when the shot was fired. Senator Long screamed out in pain and bent over and grabbed himself in the stomach. He said, "You have shot me," and his knees sagged and he struggled out.
Q. Long's knees?
A. Yes. At that time another shot was fired and seemed to me that somebody either pushed or shoved Murphy Roden, and I since learned Dr. Weiss, backward. At that time innumerable shots were fired, more on the order of a machine gun firing. They were firing so rapidly and bullets were ricocheting down that corridor so that I turned and sought cover.
Q. How close were you to Senator Long when he was shot?
A. About the third window there (indicating).
Q. Did you hear any remarks or any conversation passed between Senator Long and the man whom you subsequently learned was Dr. Weiss?
A. I did not.
Q. Were you close enough to have heard it?
A. I did not hear any but I heard other conversation and Senator Long speaks exceptionally loud.
Q. Who did you say you saw shooting?
A. At the time several people around there; this happened very quickly, much
Quicker than it takes me to tell it. When the shots were fired I naturally realized I had to get out of the way; they were firing towards me.
Q. Did you identify any one who was firing?
A. No, sir, I couldn't say.
Q. What position was Dr. Weiss in when fire was open on him?
A. I would say during the time he and Mr. Roden were struggling and it appeared that there was somebody else in the scuffle when the firing took place.
Q. Was there any scuffling when the second shot was fired?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you see them when they broke
Away?
A. No, sir, I went out the same door I came in.
Q. More quickly?
A. More quickly but not as fast as the man behind me, and I moved rather quickly myself.
References
"The Death of Former Senator Huey Long", Congressional Record, September 10, 1985, pp 23210-23221. Russell Long, then a senator, entered into the Record the transcript of the inquest for 50 years previously. Strictly speaking, as we stated above the inquest was into Carl's death, not Huey's. Available online at the Government Printing Office Web site.