The Day Huey Long Was Shot

by David Zinman

Book by Zinman, David

Genres: Crime, History, Nonfiction

361 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1993

About the author

Born October 6, 1930 in NYC to Meyer and Florence Zinman. David received a BA and Masters in Journalism from Columbia. He served as a Lieutenant in the Navy during the Korean War, and met the love of his life, Sara, while stationed in Norfolk, VA. In 1969, David won a fellowship for science writing at Columbia and spent his career as a medical and science journalist for Newsday. David wrote several books including "The Day Huey Long Was Shot" and "50 Classic Motion Pictures." An avid runner, David ran marathons and road races late into his life. He spent his retirement writing feature pieces for the Horry Independent, creating plays, and teaching film history.

Reviews

[David Allen Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Senator and former Governor Huey Long was one of the best known and most powerful politicians in America when he was assassinated in 1935. He certainly had made enemies both nationally and in his home state of Louisiana. His programs of taxing the wealthy and corporations to fund programs to help the poor, improve roads and bridges and provide for public schools, universities and hospitals, threatened the established political class both at home and in Washington, DC. Even President Franklin D. Roosevelt, weathering a rocky first term, had proposed a "Second New Deal" to counter Long's programs when it became clear Long was seeking the presidency. Then one night it all ended in gunfire. What we do know is this: Long had gone home to preside over a special session of the state legislature his rubber stamp governor had called. After the state house session ended, he stopped briefly at the governor's office, then in a hurry, rushed ahead of his bodyguards into the hallway. From behind a statute a small young man in a white suit emerged and shot Long at point blank range in the stomach before he died in a hail of gunfire unleashed by the bodyguards.

Long grabbed his side, ran down a flight of steps, where he staggered out near the back of the state capitol. With an aide's help he was driven in a car to a nearby hospital where it was clear he needed emergency surgery. In a surreal operation where doctors had to deal with armed guards and aides walking in and out of the operating room, doctors cleaned the wound and repaired damage to his intestines. But in the bustle they apparently missed a damaged kidney that was bleeding. Long never really revived from the surgery, and clearly continued to bleed internally. Despite multiple transfusions, his vital signs did not stabilize and in a time before respirators and other life support devices, he would died on the operating table had they tried again. Regardless, he died about 30 hours after being shot. He was buried on the grounds of the new skyscraper state capitol he had built as governor. FDR cruised to re-election free of Long's threat.

What has never been clear is why the assassin--Dr Carl Weiss-- did it. Weiss was a quiet, well-respected doctor who had no history of political activity, and had never been cited as a violent man. He told no one what he was going to do and left no note of explanation. He had spent the day at church and enjoying his family. Just before the shooting he had even called another doctor to let him know the location of their operation the next day had been changed. He had apparently never been in the state capitol before the shooting and had never talked to Long.

While it is true his father in law judge was anti-Long and Long indeed was having his district changed in this special session to run him out of office, the judge himself had laughed about it and his wife hoped his judicial career would end so he could make money as a lawyer in his son's firm. Another speculation was that Long had said there was black blood in Weiss' family, real fighting words in 1930s southern politics, but there has never been any proof of this. Put bluntly, there is no motive to explain Weiss' actions.

Strange also is the fact that while the grounds of the capitol were packed due to the special session, Weiss apparently found a parking spot right out front. Having never been in the capitol, he was able to almost immediately locate Long. While under emergency treatment, Long was asked how his lip was split open, and he said, "That's where he hit me" yet no eye witnesses said Weiss punched Long.

With Weiss killed on the scene, and doctors not really wanting their miss of the damaged kidney proven, when Long's widow spoke out against an autopsy, none was done. Rumors still pop up that Weiss didn't shoot Long just punched him and that a bodyguard accidentally shot Long. But it just doesn't seem likely. Weiss' gun was found on the scene with one shot fired. Long had been pushed around before and his guards didn't unleash gunfire in response. The reality is Carl Weiss for reasons that will never be known, shot Long, and the wound proved fatal.

This book while 50 years old, is very well written. The author was able to talk to witnesses and players who were still alive and the events had only happened a dozen years before. To my view this book remains the best on the Long shooting.

[Andrew Epperson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems every time I pick up a Huey Long book, I become transfixed by the life, death, and legacy all over again. Each work adds a new wrinkle, and this certainly did just that for me.
Unlike the other Long books I’ve read, this one primarily deals with the controversial circumstances surrounding the Kingfish’s death. The matter-of-fact descriptions and firsthand accounts brought it to life, and I found myself even feeling a bit disturbed. The shooting seems now like a mythical event, but it really happened. The reactions really happened. The impact on Weiss’ and Long’s family was real. This was a true assassination, and when the myth making elements are stripped away, the true story gave me chills, particularly the parts about Long’s final hours.
I will not try to formulate an “opinion” on the details of this assassination, because nearly 100 years after the fact, people significantly more qualified have already given their thoughts, and there still seems to be no consensus. I only find the details we definitively know to be incredibly important for the country’s history and interesting to pore through as an appreciator of Louisiana history.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a well written book - it was originally written in 1963 and it has an update on data, but most important, it really captures the individuals and the times. It reaches in to the strangeness of Louisiana Politics and the events of both Huey Long and Carl Weiss.

Even knowing what happens it still feels suspenseful and at the end I continue to have a question about the actual events and who really killed Huey Long.

It can be read as both a history and a murder thriller.

[Boisy Pitre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book back when I was taking Louisiana History at UL. It's still a great read and I highly recommend it if you're interested in the mystery surrounding the Kingfish's death.