Assassination of Huey P. Long
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Shorelander
N 30° 27.414 W 091° 11.244
15R E 674028 N 3370811
Where Louisiana Senator Huey P. Long was murdered by Dr. Carl A. Weiss.
Waymark Code: WM3NFH
Location: Louisiana, United States
Date Posted: 04/24/2008
Views: 137
Huey P. Long was the controversial governor (from 1928-1932) and senator (from 1932 to 1935, until his death) of Louisiana. Usually having enormously popular support from the populace, his brash style, political apparatus, and strong opinions made him a polarizing figure, and one that was hated by many.
On September 9, 1935, while in the hallway in front of the governor's office, Senator Long was confronted by Dr. Carl A. Weiss. Weiss was one of those who disliked Long - some of his friends and relatives had been put out of a job by Long's machine, and Long had gerrymandered his father-in-law's judicial district out of existence. Dr. Weiss attacked Mr. Long, and soon after Long lay bleeding on the floor, with Dr. Weiss dead.
How that course of events came to be is somewhat controversial. Prevailing wisdom holds that Dr. Weiss pulled a gun on Mr. Long and shot him. The doctor indeed had a gun on him, which could hold seven bullets (five were left in the gun, with an empty shell lodged in the ejector mechanism).
Complicating matters, however, is the fact that Long's bodyguards reacted quickly with a hailstorm of bullets. No one contests this killed Dr. Weiss. Some, however, believe that Dr. Weiss never pulled his gun on Mr. Long, instead only punching him in the face, and that Senator Long's wounds were the result of a stray bullet from one of his bodyguards.
Whatever the cause, Huey Long would live for over thirty hours as doctors attempted to save his life. The care he received was of little use, and he died at 4:06 AM on September 10th. The Kingfish was dead. People would later criticize the lack of rigor in inquiries into the incident, so the truth may never be known. Long is buried near the state capitol building the gardens nearby.
Date of crime: 09/08/1935
Public access allowed: yes
Fee required: no
Web site: [Web Link]
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