Warren G Hardings Mysterious Death Essay Research
Warren G. Hardings Mysterious Death Essay, Research Paper
Warren G. Harding was born on November 2, 1865, on a farm near Blooming grove,
Ohio. Harding wasn? T ever into political relations. He started in learning and selling insurance before
going a attorney. In 1884 Harding borrowed three hundred dollars to purchase a struggling
newspaper, the Marion Ohio Star. ( Anthony, Carl. American Heritage pg. 2 ) He was editor
and concern director. Under his counsel the paper began to thrive. Harding got to cognize
local community leaders and political foremans. Harding? s life took a dramatic alteration when he
met Florence Kling DeWolfe.
In 1891, Harding married her. Since Florence Harding was the girl of the richest
adult male in Marion, she was able to draw some strings doing him an of import figure in the
community. Because of his married womans pressing he decided to ship upon a political calling. He was
shortly elected to the province senate in 1900 and besides became lieutenant governor in 1903. ( Anthony,
Carl. American Heritage pg. 4 ) After he lost an election for governor in 1910 he was shortly
traveling to run into the following of import individual in his life.
He shortly met Harry M. Daughterty, a lobbyist and political strategian. Along with Mrs.
Harding, the two worked as a squad to tout Harding? s political calling. Finally in 1914 with
Daughterty as his run director, Harding successfully ran for a place in the United Sates
Senate. ( Groiler Online & # 8211 ; American Presidency pg. 3 )
Although he was against high revenue enhancements and federal ordinance of concern, Harding made no
memorable addresss in the senate nor did he patronize any of import statute law. He spent a
good trade of his clip seeking authorities occupations for his friends, shortly known as the? Ohio Gang? .
Early on in 1920, when Republicans began to seek a presidential campaigner Harding? s name was
brought up a twosome of times. Harding didn? T want such acknowledgment. All he wanted was to
remain in the senate, where he was basking himself. But, like earlier, his ambitious married woman
convinced him that he should hold higher ends for himself. ( Sullivan, George. Unsolved! II pg.
54 )
Harding was shortly nominated to be the Republican Party? s presidential campaigner. Then in
November of that twelvemonth, Harding easy defeated James Cox, the Democrats candidate. All was
traveling good for the new president, he cut high revenue enhancements and removed controls that had been topographic point on
some concern that had been in consequence since World War I. ( Ferrell, Robert H. The Strange
Deaths pg. 36 ) His run headed by his? Back to Normalcy? motto was shortly in danger
after some of his? Ohio Gang? betrayed the president in their pursuit for money and place.
Fear and intuition spread like an epidemic.
Two words will be everlastingly linked to Harding? s disposal: Teapot Dome, the name
of the Wyoming naval oil modesty that secretary of Interior Albert Fall in secret leased to the oil
barons Edward Doheny and Harry Sinclair in return for more than 400,000 $ in payoff. When
Harding learned of the influence vending, bootlegging, and other villainous activities of Jess
Smith the Attorney General and Harry Daugherty, he instantly removed Smith from his inner
circle. The most detrimental dirt of all, though a less colourful one, involved the exorbitant,
profiteering of Charlie Forbes, the caput of the Veterans Bureau. He had resold medical supplies
and infirmary edifice site contracts. ( Ferrell, Robert H. The Strange Deaths pg. 78 )
Fearing that word of these dirts would acquire out, he started out on the? Ocean trip of
Understanding? ( ) , where he would go across the United States, into Canada, and to the
district of Alaska. He stopped to speak to them for support and about seeking to derive a new province,
Alaska. His theory was why would they impeach person who had all of them back uping him.
About a hebdomad after his visit to Alaska he all of a sudden died. ? shot of stroke? was given as the
cause of decease. The Newspapers called it a? Death Stroke? .
The Final Moments of Warren G. Harding? s life started to travel downhill two months
before his decease. On June 20, 1923, the President, his married woman, and some 63 functionaries, AIDSs, and
newsmans boarded the train that would take his accorded the continent on his? Ocean trip of
Understanding? . ( ) After get oning the U.S.S. Henderson, a navy conveyance, the presidential party
sailed for Metlakahla, Alaska. While there he gave a address to the Alaskan district stating that
? One Day you excessively will be able to name yourself portion of the United States. ? ( Sullivan, George.
Unsolved! II pg. 62 )
During his stay in Alaska, Harding received a message in codification from Washington DC
about the Senate investigation into oil rentals. ( Sullivan, George. Unsolved! II pg. 70 ) The
message had a arresting consequence on him. For the remainder of the twenty-four hours, he seemed wary and stunned. He
besides had asked correspondents who where attach toing the party what a president should make
when his friends betrayed his trust. ( Ferrell, Robert H. The Strange pg. 123 ) The undermentioned twenty-four hours
in Seattle, which was really hot and humid, he had made a address to the people in Seattle. He
told them about Alaska one twenty-four hours going portion of the U.S. Several Times in his address, the
president stumbled over words and toward the terminal of his reference he appeared weak and
hesitant. ( Ferrell, Robert H. The Strange pg. 143 ) This was his last public visual aspect.
The following twenty-four hours the presidents personal doctor announced that the president had a instance
of dyspepsia and? Food Poisoning? . ( Ferrell, Robert H. The Strange pg. 152 ) The status
did non look serious and they said that the president merely needed a few yearss rest. Two of his
addresss were canceled and he stayed aboard his particular train headed for San Francisco.
When his train arrived he was checked into the Palace Hotel, General Sawyer had reported that
the presidents status had worsened, stating that he was enduring from tummy spasms and
diarrhoea and he had become hectic. The undermentioned twenty-four hours his status had become even more
serious, harmonizing to Sawyer, Harding had developed pneumonia. Besides saying that nutrient
toxic condition and pneumonia had put a strain on his bosom.
Over the following two yearss President Harding? s status had seemed to greatly better.
But after he had consumed two difficult boiled eggs he was said to hold some tummy jobs.
The president seemed to be on the route to recovery, nevertheless, that flushing the state was
shocked when the intelligence came that the president had died all of a sudden, seemingly of a? Stroke of
Apoplexy? .
Harmonizing to general Sawyer this is what happened on the dark of his decease. He was
sitting beside the president keeping his manus, non for the intent of taking his pulsation or any other
professional ground, but merely out of his fondness for him. The president was propped up in
bed, basking an article his married woman was reading, ? That? s good, read some more, ? Harding said.
Those were his last words, so all of a sudden, the presidents organic structure shook violently and so became
still, about immediately. Sawyer so said, ? The Presidents dead! ? ( Means, Gaston. The Strange
pg. 72 )
About right after his decease inquiries started coming up about the presidents decease,
those that served to intensify the enigma. For illustration, when the president foremost became sick,
General Sawyer said that he enduring from acute dyspepsia caused by eating crab meat. But it
was subsequently discovered that the president hadn? T consumed any crab meat because there was non
on the presidential bill of fare. ( Means, Gaston. The Strange pg. 86 )
The class of action of the two months before his decease seem to demo that the
presidents decease was non a natural 1. Could he hold been poisoned, or did he really decease
from a shot.
Harding? s decease looks all the more leery because of his married womans actions. An necropsy,
an review of the presidents organic structure, was suggested as agencies of finding the cause of decease.
Mrs. Harding would non allow an necropsy. Mrs. Harding besides destroyed most of her hubby? s
official documents. ( Sullivan, George. Unsolved! II pg. 98 )
There was another funny affair. It was the usage in those yearss to allow a sculpturer
to do a decease mask of the asleep, so his characteristics might be preserved. But his married woman would
non allow a decease mask to be made of the president. ( Means, Gaston. The Strange pg. 103 )
One twelvemonth after the presidents passing, General Sawyer died a decease really similar to
president Harding? s decease, about indistinguishable. There were some rumours traveling around that possibly
he died because he? cognize excessively much? and? he had to be shut up? . ( Means, Gaston. The Strange
pg. 114 ) Several hebdomads subsequently Mrs. Harding died, she fell victim to a kidney disease and bosom
failure. The New York Times had noted that of the nationally outstanding work forces and adult females who
had made the? Ocean trip of Understanding? to Alaska the twelvemonth earlier, Mrs. Harding was the fifth
to decease. ( Ferrell, Robert H. The Strange pg. 152 )
Evidence that Mrs. Harding may hold poisoned her hubby out of fright of what the
Congressional Probe might uncover was offered by Gaston Means. He was a former
research worker for the section of justness. He frequently carried out particular probes for
President Harding. He besides happened to be a member of the? Ohio Gang? . He had found no
job in indicating all of the incrimination at Mrs. Harding. He recalled what she had said on the
flushing she was interrogated about the presidents decease.
? I was entirely with the president & # 8230 ; merely about 10 proceedingss, ? Mrs. Harding Began. ? It was clip for
his medicine. I gave it to him ; he drank it. ?
? He lay back on the pillow. His eyes were closed. He was resting. Then all of a sudden he opened his
eyes broad and looked directly into my face. ?
? Do you believe he cognize? , means asked.
? Yes, he knew, ? Mrs. Harding replied.
? Then he sighed and turned his caput away-over-on the pillow. ?
? After a few proceedingss, I called for aid. The documents told the rest. ? ( Means, Gaston. The Strange
pg. 103 )
Her reoccurrence of that dark were really different from general Sawyers. She had a
good motivation for desiring him to decease the manner he did. She helped to acquire him into office. She didn? T
want him to throw away everything, including his self-respect. Means besides recalled a conversation
between the president and his married woman.
? Warren, I can experience it coming, ? said Mrs. Harding.
? What? ?
? Complete exposure. ? The president seemed to travel to pieces, said Means.
He said, ? Let it come! Let it come! God, I? ll be glad to hold it come and acquire it
over with! ?
? You will be impeached, ? said Mrs. Harding.
? I will state the truth. ?
? You will be disgraced. ?
? I will state the truth. ?
? You may be imprisoned. ?
? I will state the truth, the exact truth. There can be no jury of 12 American
work forces and adult females who would direct me to imprison. But even in a gaol, a prison, would be peace
compared to this. I am non a condemnable. Let them impeach me. God knows, I? m sick and
tired of it all. I? ll be glad to hold it over. ?
Mrs. Harding stared at her hubby and gasped, ? Are you brainsick? ?
? No, I am non brainsick. But that, excessively, would be a alleviation, to travel crazy. ? ( Means,
Gaston. The Strange pg. 83 )
They knew that the secretes f the dirts were shortly traveling to come up. It was merely a
affair of clip before it happened. And to salvage his good name Mrs. Harding might hold done
something to be certain that it would go on that manner.
Mrs. Harding was seeking to conceal something, but what? Possibly she was responsible for
some portion in his decease. There were excessively many leery Happening? s that were reported about
President Harding? s decease. He had gotten a instance of nutrient toxic condition. The cause was said to be
crab meat that wasn? t even on the presidential bill of fare. So what was the existent factor that had made
him sick.
Another leery event was that the President was in great form for a adult male in his age
up until the hebdomad of his decease. It is really uneven for some individual to get down acquiring violently ill from be
in great heath. He must hold consumed something foreign to his organic structure ; either drug or even a
nutrient.
The two yearss that he started droping better is the clip that seemed the most leery to
agencies. ? Person could hold tried it twice, and failed on the first attempt. The president could hold
survived the first toxic condition, started demoing marks of endurance. So the liquidator so doubled or
tripled the sum that was given the first clip to guarantee that he wouldn? T survive the following
time. ? ( Means, Gaston. The Strange pg. 196 ) Mrs. Harding could hold easy done it. She
even said that she gave the president his? medicine? merely before his decease.
The presidents decease is rebelliously an illustration of a drug over dosage. The sudden violent
shaking is a typical reaction to an overdose of types of bosom sedatives. ( Sullivan, George.
Unsolved! II pg. 122 ) When Mrs. Harding refused an necropsy, that brought up even more
leery to Means. This merely made him believe even more that his toxicant theory was
correct. ( Means, Gaston. The Strange pg. 199 )
If president Harding was poisoned, how come they did non look into on this affair
even more so they did. Possibly, possibly parts of the authorities besides knew of this to assist
maintain their friends name a good one.
Work Cited
Ferrell, Robert H. The Strange Deaths of President Harding. Columbia: University of
Missouri Pres, 1996
Sullivan, George. Unsolved! II More Celebrated Real-Life Mysteries. New York:
Scholasatic, 1995
Meanss, Gaston. The Strange Death of President Harding. New York: American Heritage
Company, 1930
Anthony, Carl. American Heritage & # 8211 ; The Most Scandalous President.
Groiler Online & # 8211 ; American Presidency.
