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Politicians in Trouble or Disgrace

Politicians in Trouble or Disgrace: Kentucky

in chronological order

  John Rowan (1773-1843) — of Louisville, Jefferson County, Ky. Born near York, York County, Pa., July 12, 1773. Democrat. Lawyer; delegate to Kentucky state constitutional convention, 1799; secretary of state of Kentucky, 1804-08; U.S. Representative from Kentucky 3rd District, 1807-09; member of Kentucky state house of representatives, 1813-17, 1822-24; Judge, Kentucky Court of Appeals, 1819-21; U.S. Senator from Kentucky, 1825-31. Built the mansion "Federal Hill", later made famous by his cousin, the songwriter Stephen Foster, in the song "My Old Kentucky Home." Fought a duel about 1801 with an acquaintance, James Chambers, in which the latter was killed; arrested and tried on murder charges, but acquitted. Slaveowner. Died in Louisville, Jefferson County, Ky., July 13, 1843 (age 70 years, 1 days). Interment at Bardstown Cemetery, Bardstown, Ky.
  Relatives: Married to Agnes Anne Lytle; father of John Rowan Jr.; uncle of Robert Todd Lytle.
  Political family: Rowan-Lytle family of Kentucky.
  Cross-reference: Joseph Hamilton Daviess
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
  Joseph Hamilton Daviess (1774-1811) — also known as Joe Daviess — of Danville, Boyle County, Ky.; Lexington, Fayette County, Ky. Born in Bedford County, Va., March 4, 1774. Lawyer; U.S. Attorney for Kentucky, 1800-06; major in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812. Welsh ancestry. Member, Freemasons. Around 1801, he served as a second to John Rowan in his duel with James Chambers; after Chambers was killed, he fled to avoid prosecution as accomplice to murder, and became a fugitive, but when Rowan was arrested, he returned to act as Rowan's legal counsel. Shot and killed in the Battle of Tippecanoe, in what is now Tippecanoe County, Ind., November 7, 1811 (age 37 years, 248 days). Interment at Tippecanoe Battlefield Park, Battle Ground, Ind.
  Relatives: Brother-in-law of John Marshall.
  Political families: Harrison-Randolph-Marshall-Cabell family of Virginia; Lee-Randolph family; Biddle-Randolph family of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Anderson-Marshall family of Ohio and West Virginia; Pendleton-Lee family of Maryland (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  Daviess counties in Ind., Ky. and Mo., and Jo Daviess County, Ill., are named for him.
  Benjamin Sebastian — of Kentucky. Judge, Kentucky Court of Appeals, 1792-1806. Accused of being a paid agent of Spain; the charge was investigated by the Kentucky legislature, and he resigned in disgrace. Burial location unknown.
Cassius M. Clay Cassius Marcellus Clay (1810-1903) — also known as Cassius M. Clay; "The Lion of White Hall" — of Madison County, Ky. Born in Madison County, Ky., October 19, 1810. Probably the best-known Southern emancipationist; freed his own slaves in 1844 and edited the only Southern antislavery newspaper in 1845-47; member of Kentucky state house of representatives, 1835-37, 1840; delegate to Whig National Convention from Kentucky, 1839 (speaker); shot point-blank during a speech in 1843, he used a Bowie knife to cut off the attacker's ear and nose and cut out one eye; tried for mayhem and found not guilty; served in the U.S. Army during the Mexican War; candidate for Republican nomination for Vice President, 1860; U.S. Minister to Russia, 1861-62, 1863-69; general in the Union Army during the Civil War. Died, of kidney failure, in Madison County, Ky., July 22, 1903 (age 92 years, 276 days). Interment at Richmond Cemetery, Richmond, Ky.
  Relatives: Son of Green Clay and Sally (Lewis) Clay; brother of Brutus Junius Clay (1808-1878); married to Mary Jane Warfield; father of Brutus Junius Clay (1847-1932) and Laura Clay; nephew of Matthew Clay (1754-1815); uncle of William Cassius Goodloe; first cousin of Matthew Clay (c.1795-1827); second cousin of Henry Clay (1777-1852) and Porter Clay; second cousin once removed of Thomas Hart Clay, Henry Clay Jr. and James Brown Clay; second cousin twice removed of Henry Clay (1849-1884); second cousin thrice removed of Oliver Carroll Clay; second cousin four times removed of Archer Woodford; third cousin of Clement Comer Clay; third cousin once removed of Clement Claiborne Clay Jr..
  Political families: Clay family of Kentucky; Wilson-Dunn family of Kentucky (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  Other politicians named for him: Cassius M. C. TwitchellCassius C. PillsburyCassius C. Dowell
  See also Wikipedia article — U.S. State Dept career summary — NNDB dossier — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Image source: The South in the Building of the Nation (1909)
  John Louis Hargis (1802-1886) — also known as "Bally John" — of Jackson, Breathitt County, Ky.; Morehead, Rowan County, Ky. Born in Washington County, Va., March 4, 1802. Lawyer; Breathitt County Court Clerk; removed from office as Court Clerk, 1846, over unspecified charges against him; delegate to Kentucky state constitutional convention, 1849; member of Kentucky state house of representatives, 1855-57. Died in Morehead, Rowan County, Ky., April 2, 1886 (age 84 years, 29 days). Interment somewhere in Morehead, Ky.
  Relatives: Father-in-law of Archibald Calloway Cope; father of Thomas Frazier Hargis; uncle of John Seldon Hargis; granduncle of Alexander Hamilton Hargis and James Henderson Hargis.
  Political family: Cockrell-South family of Kentucky.
  John Milton Elliott (1820-1879) — also known as John M. Elliott — of Prestonsburg, Floyd County, Ky. Born in Scott County, Va., May 20, 1820. Democrat. Member of Kentucky state house of representatives, 1847, 1860-61; U.S. Representative from Kentucky 6th District, 1853-59; Delegate from Kentucky to the Confederate Provisional Congress, 1861-62; Representative from Kentucky in the Confederate Congress, 1862-65; circuit judge in Kentucky, 1868-74; Judge, Kentucky Court of Appeals, 1876-79; died in office 1879. Expelled from the Kentucky legislature in 1861 for supporting the Confederacy. Slaveowner. Shot and killed by Col. Thomas Buford, in front of the ladies' entrance to the Capitol Hotel, in Frankfort, Franklin County, Ky., March 26, 1879 (age 58 years, 310 days). Interment at Frankfort Cemetery, Frankfort, Ky.; statue at Boyd County Courthouse Grounds, Catlettsburg, Ky.
  Relatives: Son of John Elliott and Jane Elliott.
  Elliott County, Ky. is named for him.
  Epitaph: "Assassinated, for having done his duty as a Judge."
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial
  John Cabell Breckinridge (1821-1875) — also known as John C. Breckinridge — of Lexington, Fayette County, Ky. Born near Lexington, Fayette County, Ky., January 16, 1821. Democrat. Lawyer; major in the U.S. Army during the Mexican War; member of Kentucky state house of representatives, 1849-51; U.S. Representative from Kentucky 8th District, 1851-55; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1856; Vice President of the United States, 1857-61; Southern Democratic candidate for President of the United States, 1860; U.S. Senator from Kentucky, 1861; general in the Confederate Army during the Civil War; Confederate Secretary of War, 1865. Presbyterian. Member, Freemasons. Expelled from the U.S. Senate on December 4, 1861 for his participation in the Confederate military. Fled to Cuba at the end of the war, and lived in England and Canada until 1869. Slaveowner. Died, from lung disease and liver cirrhosis, in Lexington, Fayette County, Ky., May 17, 1875 (age 54 years, 121 days). Interment at Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, Ky.
  Relatives: Son of Mary Clay (Smith) Breckinridge and Joseph Cabell Breckinridge; married 1840 to Elizabeth Lucas; married, December 12, 1843, to Mary Cyrene Burch; father of Clifton Rodes Breckinridge; nephew of Robert Jefferson Breckinridge; grandson of John Breckinridge; great-grandson of John Witherspoon; great-grandnephew of William Preston and William Cabell; first cousin of Peter Augustus Porter (1827-1864), Robert Jefferson Breckinridge Jr. and William Campbell Preston Breckinridge; first cousin once removed of James Douglas Breckinridge, Benjamin William Sheridan Cabell, Peter Augustus Porter (1853-1925), Levin Irving Handy, Desha Breckinridge and Henry Skillman Breckinridge; first cousin twice removed of William Cabell Jr., Francis Smith Preston, William Henry Cabell and James Patton Preston; second cousin of Carter Henry Harrison, William Lewis Cabell and George Craighead Cabell; second cousin once removed of William Campbell Preston, James McDowell, Frederick Mortimer Cabell, John Buchanan Floyd, John Smith Preston, George Rogers Clark Floyd, Edward Carrington Cabell, Benjamin Earl Cabell and Carter Henry Harrison II; second cousin twice removed of Earle Cabell; third cousin of John William Leftwich.
  Political families: Harrison-Randolph-Marshall-Cabell family of Virginia; Breckinridge-Preston-Cabell-Floyd family of Virginia; Kellogg-Adams-Seymour-Chapin family of Connecticut and New York; Walker-Randolph family of Huntsville, Alabama (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  The city of Breckenridge, Missouri, is named for him.  — The city of Breckenridge, Colorado, is named for him.  — The World War II Liberty ship SS John C. Breckinridge (built 1943 at Savannah, Georgia; scrapped 1960) was named for him.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier — Find-A-Grave memorial — BillionGraves burial record — OurCampaigns candidate detail
  Books about John C. Breckinridge: William C. Davis, An Honorable Defeat: The Last Days of the Confederate Government — Frank Hopkins Heck, Proud Kentuckian, John C. Breckinridge, 1821-1875 — William C. Davis, Breckinridge : Statesman, Soldier, Symbol
  William T. Casto (1824-1862) — Born January 24, 1824. Lawyer; mayor of Maysville, Ky., 1850; arrested in 1861 and imprisoned for allegedly aiding the Confederacy; released in 1862. Blamed Col. Leonidas Metcalfe (son of Gov. Thomas Metcalfe) for his imprisonment; challenged him to a duel; the weapons were Colt rifles at 60 yards; Casto was shot and killed on the first fire, in Bracken County, Ky., May 8, 1862 (age 38 years, 104 days). Interment at Maysville Cemetery, Maysville, Ky.
  Relatives: Son of Abijah Casto.
  Epitaph: "A Patriot, his Country's firm unwavering friend, he was willing to die for his Principles and as a man of Honor nobly fell a Veteran of the sacred and invincible right of personal liberty."
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Richard Taylor Jacob (1825-1903) — of Kentucky. Born in Oldham County, Ky., 1825. Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, 1863-64. Arrested for alleged disloyalty, removed from office, and banished from Kentucky, November 11, 1864; later allowed to return to the state under direct orders from President Abraham Lincoln. Died in 1903 (age about 78 years). Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Brother of Charles Donald Jacob.
  Political family: Clay family of Kentucky (subset of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  Lovell Harrison Rousseau (1818-1869) — also known as Lovell H. Rousseau — of Bloomfield, Greene County, Ind.; Louisville, Jefferson County, Ky. Born near Stanford, Lincoln County, Ky., August 4, 1818. Republican. Lawyer; member of Indiana state house of representatives, 1844-45; served in the U.S. Army during the Mexican War; member of Indiana state senate, 1847-49; member of Kentucky state senate, 1860-61; general in the Union Army during the Civil War; U.S. Representative from Kentucky 5th District, 1865-66, 1866-67; resigned 1866; on June 14, 1866, he assaulted Iowa Rep. Josiah B. Grinnell with the iron handle of his cane; reprimanded by the House of Representatives, and resigned, but was elected to fill his own vacancy. Slaveowner. Died in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, La., January 7, 1869 (age 50 years, 156 days). Original interment and cenotaph at Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, Ky.; reinterment in 1892 at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.
  Relatives: Son of David Rousseau; married 1843 to Marie Antoinette Dozier.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Elijah Hise (1802-1867) — of Russellville, Logan County, Ky. Born in Allegheny County, Pa., July 4, 1802. Democrat. Lawyer; member of Kentucky state house of representatives, 1829; candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, 1836; U.S. Charge d'Affaires to Guatemala, 1848-49; U.S. Representative from Kentucky 3rd District, 1866-67; died in office 1867. German ancestry. Slaveowner. Died by a self-inflicted pistol shot, in Russellville, Logan County, Ky., May 8, 1867 (age 64 years, 308 days). He left a note declaring that he had "lost all hope of … saving the country from the impending disasters and ruin in which despotic and unconstitutional rule has involved her." However, later news reports disclosed that he had been about to be indicted for perjury and tax evasion, based on his statements as a candidate. Interment at Maple Grove Cemetery, Russellville, Ky.; cenotaph at Congressional Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
  Relatives: Son of Frederick Hise and Nancy (Eckstein) Hise.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article — U.S. State Dept career summary
  James William Tate (b. 1831) — also known as James W. Tate; "Honest Dick" — of Frankfort, Franklin County, Ky. Born in Franklin County, Ky., January 2, 1831. Democrat. Kentucky state treasurer, 1867-88; absconded from the state treasurer's office in March, 1888; Gov. Simon Buckner said Tate had embezzled almost $250,000 from the state; impeached in absentia by the Kentucky House; convicted and removed from office by the Senate. He never returned, and his fate is unknown.
  Relatives: Son of Thomas L. Tate and Nancy (Taylor) Tate; married, June 3, 1856, to Lucy J. Hawkins.
  See also Wikipedia article
  William Cassius Goodloe (1841-1889) — also known as W. Cassius Goodloe — of Lexington, Fayette County, Ky. Born in Madison County, Ky., June 27, 1841. Republican. Lawyer; newspaper publisher; delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 1868, 1872 (delegation chair), 1884, 1888; member of Kentucky state house of representatives, 1871; defeated, 1867; member of Republican National Committee from Kentucky, 1872-; member of Kentucky state senate, 1873; candidate for Kentucky state attorney general, 1875; U.S. Minister to Belgium, 1878-80. Episcopalian. Member, Loyal Legion. During a violent encounter in the lobby of the Lexington Post Office, he repeatedly stabbed and ultimately killed a political enemy, Col. Armistead Swope, who meanwhile shot and badly wounded him; before any prosecution could ensue, he died of his own wounds two days later, in the Phoenix Hotel, Lexington, Fayette County, Ky., November 8, 1889 (age 48 years, 134 days). Interment at Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, Ky.
  Relatives: Son of David Short Goodloe and Sally Anne Lewis Clay (Smith) Goodloe; brother of Green Clay Goodloe (son-in-law of James Burnie Beck); married 1865 to Mary Elizabeth Mann; nephew of Cassius Marcellus Clay; grandfather of William Cassius Goodloe III.
  Political family: Wilson-Dunn family of Kentucky (subset of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  See also U.S. State Dept career summary — Find-A-Grave memorial
  William Campbell Preston Breckinridge (1837-1904) — also known as William C. P. Breckinridge — of Lexington, Fayette County, Ky. Born in Baltimore, Md., August 28, 1837. Democrat. Colonel in the Confederate Army during the Civil War; lawyer; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1876, 1880; U.S. Representative from Kentucky 7th District, 1885-95; defeated (Gold Democratic), 1896. Member, Freemasons; Knights Templar. In 1894, he was successfully sued for breach of promise by a former mistress; he acknowledged the affair, affair, but the scandal ended his political career. Slaveowner. Died, of apoplexy, in Lexington, Fayette County, Ky., November 18, 1904 (age 67 years, 82 days). Interment at Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, Ky.
  Relatives: Son of Robert Jefferson Breckinridge and Ann Sophonisba (Preston) Breckinridge; brother of Robert Jefferson Breckinridge Jr.; married, March 17, 1859, to Lucretia Hart Clay (daughter of Thomas Hart Clay); married, September 19, 1861, to Issa Desha (granddaughter of Joseph Desha); married to Louisa Rucks (Scott) Wing; father of Desha Breckinridge; nephew of Joseph Cabell Breckinridge, William Campbell Preston and John Smith Preston; uncle of Levin Irving Handy and Henry Skillman Breckinridge; grandson of John Breckinridge and Francis Smith Preston; grandnephew of James Patton Preston; granduncle of John Bayne Breckinridge; great-grandson of William Preston and William Campbell; great-grandnephew of William Cabell and Patrick Henry; first cousin of John Cabell Breckinridge and Peter Augustus Porter (1827-1864); first cousin once removed of James Douglas Breckinridge, Benjamin William Sheridan Cabell, James McDowell, John Buchanan Floyd, George Rogers Clark Floyd, Clifton Rodes Breckinridge and Peter Augustus Porter (1853-1925); first cousin twice removed of William Cabell Jr. and William Henry Cabell; second cousin of Carter Henry Harrison, William Lewis Cabell and George Craighead Cabell; second cousin once removed of Valentine Wood Southall, Frederick Mortimer Cabell, Samuel Meredith Garland (1802-1880), Edward Carrington Cabell, Benjamin Earl Cabell and Carter Henry Harrison II; second cousin twice removed of Earle Cabell; third cousin of John William Leftwich and Stephen Valentine Southall; third cousin once removed of Samuel Meredith Garland (1861-1945).
  Political families: Harrison-Randolph-Marshall-Cabell family of Virginia; Breckinridge-Preston-Cabell-Floyd family of Virginia; Kellogg-Adams-Seymour-Chapin family of Connecticut and New York; Walker-Randolph family of Huntsville, Alabama (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Charles Finley (1865-1941) — of Williamsburg, Whitley County, Ky. Born in Williamsburg, Whitley County, Ky., March 26, 1865. Republican. Member of Kentucky state house of representatives, 1894; secretary of state of Kentucky, 1896-1900; U.S. Representative from Kentucky 11th District, 1930-33. Member, Junior Order; Rotary; Freemasons; Shriners. Among those charged in 1900 with the murder of Gov. William J. Goebel; pardoned in 1909. Died in Williamsburg, Whitley County, Ky., March 18, 1941 (age 75 years, 357 days). Interment at Highland Cemetery, Williamsburg, Ky.
  Relatives: Son of Hugh Franklin Finley and Jennie Renfro (Moss) Finley.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
William S. Taylor William Sylvester Taylor (1853-1928) — also known as William S. Taylor; W. S. Taylor; "Hogjaw" — of Morgantown, Butler County, Ky. Born in Butler County, Ky., October 10, 1853. Republican. Lawyer; state court judge in Kentucky, 1886; delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 1888, 1900; Kentucky state attorney general, 1896-99; Governor of Kentucky, 1899-1900. Indicted in 1900 as a conspirator in the assassination of William J. Goebel; fled to Indiana; never extradited; pardoned in 1909 by Gov. Augustus E. Willson. Died August 2, 1928 (age 74 years, 297 days). Interment at Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Ind.
  Cross-reference: Charles E. Sapp
  See also National Governors Association biography
  Image source: New York Public Library
David G. Colson David Grant Colson (1861-1904) — also known as David G. Colson — of Pineville, Bell County, Ky.; Middlesboro, Bell County, Ky. Born in Yellow Creek, Knox County (now Middlesboro, Bell County), Ky., April 1, 1861. Republican. Member of Kentucky state house of representatives, 1887-88; alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 1888; candidate for Kentucky state treasurer, 1889; mayor of Middlesboro, Ky., 1893; U.S. Representative from Kentucky 11th District, 1895-99; served in the U.S. Army during the Spanish-American War; in January, 1900, he shot and killed a political rival, Ethelbert Scott, and two bystanders, in the lobby of the Capitol Hotel, Frankfort, Ky.; indicted for murder, and tried in April 1900; the jury returned a verdict of "not guilty" in 18 minutes. Died in Middlesboro, Bell County, Ky., September 27, 1904 (age 43 years, 179 days). Interment at Colson Cemetery, Middlesboro, Ky.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
  Image source: Detroit Free Press, January 18, 1900
  Caleb Powers (1869-1932) — of Barbourville, Knox County, Ky. Born in Whitley County, Ky., February 1, 1869. Republican. Lawyer; secretary of state of Kentucky, 1900; U.S. Representative from Kentucky 11th District, 1911-19; delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 1916. Prosecuted and thrice convicted for the murder of Gov. William J. Goebel and spent eight years in prison; pardoned in 1908 by Gov. Augustus E. Willson. Died July 25, 1932 (age 63 years, 175 days). Interment at City Cemetery, Barbourville, Ky.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
  James Henderson Hargis (1862-1908) — also known as James H. Hargis; "Big Jim" — of Jackson, Breathitt County, Ky. Born in Jackson, Breathitt County, Ky., October 13, 1862. Democrat. County judge in Kentucky, 1890; member of Kentucky Democratic State Central Committee, 1899-1907. Tried and acquitted for the 1902-03 murders of J. B. Marcum and two others, but found liable for plotting the killings in a 1904 civil suit for money damages by surviving family members. Shot and killed by his son, Beech Hargis, in the Hargis Brothers general store, Jackson, Breathitt County, Ky., February 6, 1908 (age 45 years, 116 days). Interment at Hargis Family Cemetery, Jackson, Ky.
  Relatives: Son of John Seldon Hargis; brother of Alexander Hamilton Hargis; grandnephew of John Louis Hargis; first cousin of Thomas Frazier Hargis.
  Political family: Cockrell-South family of Kentucky.
Charles E. Sapp Charles Earl Sapp (1859-1912) — also known as Charles E. Sapp — of Crescent Hill, Jefferson County, Ky.; Louisville, Jefferson County, Ky. Born in Missouri, February 15, 1859. Republican. Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 1896, 1900; U.S. Collector of Internal Revenue for the 5th Kentucky District, 1899-1901. Republican boss of Louisville, allied with William S. Taylor; indicted, with two others, in March 1902, on federal charges of extorting payments from federal employees for political contributions; pleaded guilty in March 1903, and fined $500 plus costs. Died, from double pneumonia, in St. Louis, Mo., March 10, 1912 (age 53 years, 24 days). Interment at Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, Ky.
  Relatives: Married to Nellie Williamson.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Image source: Louisville Courier-Journal, March 11, 1912
  Shirley M. Crawford (1872-1917) — of Louisville, Jefferson County, Ky.; Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Calif.; San Francisco, Calif. Born in Louisville, Jefferson County, Ky., August 5, 1872. Republican. Actor; newspaper writer; served in the U.S. Army during the Spanish-American War; lawyer; law partner of Augustus E. Willson; Honorary Consul for Guatemala in Louisville, Ky., 1901-07; in February 1905, amidst a controversy over the appointment of a new Colonel, a military court of inquiry was convened to investigate the officers of the First Kentucky regiment, including a Major and six Captains, for willful disobedience; all were releived of duty, but Capt. Crawford was singled out as "an agitator and fomenter of strife, disloyal and insubordinate to his superior officers," and ordered court-martialed; secretary-treasurer and director, Kentucky-Arizona Copper Company (engaged in mining and smelting). Hit by a car while crossing a street, suffered a fractured leg and pneumonia, and died two weeks later, in German Hospital, San Francisco, Calif., September 6, 1917 (age 45 years, 32 days). Cremated; ashes interred at San Francisco National Cemetery, San Francisco, Calif.
  Relatives: Married, September 20, 1902, to Reina Melcher.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Paul Charles Barth (1858-1907) — also known as Paul C. Barth — of Louisville, Jefferson County, Ky. Born in Germany, December, 1858. Mayor of Louisville, Ky., 1905-07; removed from office over alleged vote fraud, 1907. Killed himself by gunshot, in the lavatory of his office, Louisville, Jefferson County, Ky., August 21, 1907 (age 48 years, 0 days). Interment at St. Louis Cemetery, Louisville, Ky.
  Relatives: Son of Jacob Frederick Barth and Louisa A. (Barth) Barth; married to Jewel Small.
  See also Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier — Find-A-Grave memorial
  John Wesley Langley (1868-1932) — also known as John W. Langley — of Prestonsburg, Floyd County, Ky.; Pikeville, Pike County, Ky. Born in Floyd County, Ky., January 14, 1868. Republican. Member of Kentucky state house of representatives, 1886-90; delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 1888, 1900, 1916; U.S. Representative from Kentucky 10th District, 1907-26; defeated, 1896; resigned 1926. Convicted in 1924 of conspiracy to transport and sell liquor re-elected while his appeal was pending, but resigned from Congress in 1926; sentenced to a term in federal prison. Granted clemency by President Calvin Coolidge. Died, of pneumonia, in Pikeville, Pike County, Ky., January 17, 1932 (age 64 years, 3 days). Interment at Langley Cemetery, Middle Creek, Ky.
  Presumably named for: John Wesley
  Relatives: Married to Katherine Gudger (daughter of James Madison Gudger Jr.).
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
  Wesley Oval Moats (1891-1967) — also known as W. O. Moats — of Morgantown, Butler County, Ky.; Louisville, Jefferson County, Ky.; Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Born in Morgantown, Butler County, Ky., November 16, 1891. Republican. Butler County Court Clerk; candidate for Presidential Elector for Kentucky; candidate for U.S. Representative from Kentucky 3rd District, 1922; indicted in 1927 on federal income tax evasion charges. Died in Chicago, Cook County, Ill., January 17, 1967 (age 75 years, 62 days). Interment at Riverview Cemetery, Morgantown, Ky.
  Relatives: Son of John McHenry 'Mack' Moats and Olivia B. (Whobrey) Moats; married to Arta Pearl Enbry.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Henry Herman Denhardt (1876-1937) — also known as Henry H. Denhardt — of Bowling Green, Warren County, Ky. Born in Bowling Green, Warren County, Ky., March 8, 1876. Democrat. Served in the U.S. Army during the Spanish-American War; served in the U.S. Army during World War I; Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, 1923-27; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1924; shot and injured on Election Day 1931.; his girlfriend, Mrs. Verna Garr Taylor, was found shot to death in November 1936; he was charged with murder and tried in New Castle, Ky.; the jury could not reach a verdict. Before he could be tried a second time, he was shot and killed, at the Armstrong Hotel, Shelbyville, Shelby County, Ky., September 20, 1937 (age 61 years, 196 days). Interment at Fairview Cemetery, Bowling Green, Ky.
  Relatives: Son of Margaret (Geiger) Denhardt and William Denhardt.
  See also Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Andrew Jackson May (1875-1959) — also known as Andrew J. May — of Prestonsburg, Floyd County, Ky. Born near Langley, Floyd County, Ky., June 24, 1875. Democrat. Lawyer; Floyd County Attorney, 1901-09; U.S. Representative from Kentucky, 1931-47 (10th District 1931-33, at-large 1933-35, 7th District 1935-47); defeated, 1928 (10th District), 1946 (7th District). Baptist. Member, Freemasons. In 1943, he was briefed about the flaws in the Japanese anti-submarine munitions; he revealed this information to the press, and hence to the Japanese, who quickly improved their depth charges. After the war, this indiscretion was estimated to have cost the U.S. ten submarines and 800 men. Convicted, on July 3, 1947, on charges of accepting bribes for his influence in the award of munitions contracts during World War II; served nine months in prison; received a full pardon from President Harry S. Truman in 1952. Died in Prestonsburg, Floyd County, Ky., September 6, 1959 (age 84 years, 74 days). Interment at Mayo Cemetery, Prestonsburg, Ky.
  Presumably named for: Andrew Jackson
  Relatives: Son of Dorcus (Conley) May and John May; uncle of William Harvey May.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
E. F. Prichard, Jr. Edward Fretwell Prichard Jr. (1915-1984) — also known as E. F. Prichard, Jr.; "Prich" — of Paris, Bourbon County, Ky.; Versailles, Woodford County, Ky. Born in Paris, Bourbon County, Ky., January 21, 1915. Democrat. Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1948, 1960, 1964; in 1949, he was convicted of vote fraud in federal court, over ballot-box stuffing in Bourbon County, Kentucky; served five months in prison. Member, Americans for Democratic Action. Died in Kentucky, December 23, 1984 (age 69 years, 337 days). Interment at Paris Cemetery, Paris, Ky.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Books about Edward F. Prichard, Jr.: Tracy Campbell, Short of the Glory: The Fall and Redemption of Edward F. Prichard, Jr.
  Image source: Life Magazine, July 25, 1949
Anne Braden Anne McCarty Braden (1924-2006) — also known as Anne Braden; Anne McCarty — of Louisville, Jefferson County, Ky. Born in Louisville, Jefferson County, Ky., July 28, 1924. Newspaper reporter; labor organizer; civil rights activist starting in the 1940s; in May 1954, to fight segregation, she and her husband bought a house in a white neighborhood on behalf of a Black family; this sparked furious and violent opposition and the bombing of the house; she and others were charged with sedition; her husband was the first to be convicted, but then, in 1956, all state sedition laws were struck down; candidate for Presidential Elector for Kentucky. Female. Episcopalian. Died in Louisville, Jefferson County, Ky., March 6, 2006 (age 81 years, 221 days). Interment at Eminence Cemetery, Eminence, Ky.
  Relatives: Married 1948 to Carl Braden.
  See also Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Image source: Kentucky Center for African-American Heritage
  Tito Carinci (1928-2006) — of Newport, Campbell County, Ky.; Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Calif. Born December 15, 1928. President and manager of the Glenn Hotel and the Tropicana bar and casino; arrested in 1961 on obstruction of justice charges; candidate in primary for mayor of Newport, Ky., 1963. Died November 12, 2006 (age 77 years, 332 days). Burial location unknown.
  John J. Peluso (b. 1923) — also known as "Johnny TV" — of Newport, Campbell County, Ky. Born June 1, 1923. Mayor of Newport, Ky., 1964-68, 1976-80; defeated, 1971, 1983. Indicted in 1973 on charges of possession of stolen bonds; later dismissed. Convicted in 1983 of promoting gambling. Indicted in 1984 on federal charges of bribery and conspiracy; pleaded guilty to perjury in 1985; sentenced to ten years in prison; released in 1989. Presumed deceased. Burial location unknown.
  William Brown Stansbury (1923-1985) — also known as William B. Stansbury — of Louisville, Jefferson County, Ky. Born in Corydon, Harrison County, Ind., March 18, 1923. Democrat. Served in the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II; lawyer; chair of Jefferson County Democratic Party, 1968-76; mayor of Louisville, Ky., 1977-81; in 1978, during a firemen's strike, he left the city, saying that he was going to a conference in Atlanta; instead, he went to New Orleans for a tryst with his administrative assistant; the scandal led to an effort to impeach him; soon after, a city official pleaded guilty to extorting $16,000 from local businessmen; when questioned by a federal grand jury as to whether this money came to his campaign or to him personally, Stansbury refused to answer, claiming the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Member, Delta Upsilon; American Bar Association. While crossing Bardstown Road to enter St. Francis of Assisi Church, he was hit by a car, and died soon after, in Humana Hospital-University, Louisville, Jefferson County, Ky., April 4, 1985 (age 62 years, 17 days); His mother was killed in the same accident, and his wife was injured. Interment at Calvary Cemetery, Louisville, Ky.
  Relatives: Son of James Bernard Stansbury and Alliene (Brown) Stansbury; married 1983 to Mary Ellen Farmer.
  William B. Stansbury Park (established 1900, received current name 1985), in Louisville, Kentucky, is named for him.
  See also Wikipedia article
  Alben W. Barkley II (born c.1945) — of Marion, Crittenden County, Ky. Born about 1945. Democrat. Kentucky commissioner of agriculture, 1980-83; convicted in 1981 by the Kentucky Personnel Board of sexual harassing his secretary, but the board had no authority to punish him; candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, 1983. Still living as of 1983.
  Relatives: Son of David Murrell Barkley and Dorothy (Graves) Barkley; grandson of Alben William Barkley.
  Political family: Barkley-MacArthur family (subset of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  See also OurCampaigns candidate detail
  Marvin Lee Worthington (1940-2000) — also known as Marvin L. Worthington; Pete Worthington — of Washington, Mason County, Ky. Born December 5, 1940. Engineer; farmer; member of Kentucky state house of representatives, 1978-2000; died in office 2000. Baptist. Member, Freemasons; Farm Bureau; Odd Fellows. Charged with drunken driving and speeding in Fayette County, Ky., in 1992; pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving. Driving on U.S. Highway 68 while intoxicated, he crossed the center line and collided with another car; both he and the other driver (Sherri Commodore Chambers) were killed, near Mayslick, Mason County, Ky., October 12, 2000 (age 59 years, 312 days). Burial location unknown.
  Carroll Hubbard Jr. (b. 1937) — of Mayfield, Graves County, Ky. Born in Murray, Calloway County, Ky., July 7, 1937. Democrat. Alternate delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1960; member of Kentucky state senate, 1968-75; U.S. Representative from Kentucky 1st District, 1975-93; candidate for Governor of Kentucky, 1979. Baptist. Pleaded guilty in 1994 to conspiring to defraud the Federal Elections Commission, and to theft of government property; sentenced to three years in prison. Still living as of 2014.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — NNDB dossier
  Carl Christopher Perkins (b. 1954) — also known as Carl C. Perkins; Chris Perkins — of Leburn, Knott County, Ky. Born in Washington, D.C., August 6, 1954. Democrat. Member of Kentucky state house of representatives, 1981-84; U.S. Representative from Kentucky 7th District, 1985-93; pleaded guilty in 1994 to bank fraud in connection with the House banking scandal; he wrote overdrafts totaling about $300,000 (covered by the House bank) and made false statements to obtain loans from commercial banks; also pleaded guilty to charges of filing false statements with the Federal Election Commission and false financial disclosure reports; sentenced to 21 months in prison; in March 2000, pleaded guilty to criminal contempt of court for lying to a federal probation officer about his income; minister. Baptist; later Presbyterian. Still living as of 2014.
  Relatives: Son of Carl Dewey Perkins.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier
  Bobby E. Crittendon — of Dayton, Campbell County, Ky. Mayor of Dayton, Ky., 1991-2000; appointed 1991; removed 2000; Impeached and removed from office, by unanimous vote of the city council, over misconduct including his attempts to intimidate the police chief on behalf of his son-in-law. Still living as of 2000.
  Wallace G. Wilkinson (1941-2002) — also known as "The Weasel" — of Lexington, Fayette County, Ky. Born in Casey County, Ky., December 12, 1941. Democrat. Governor of Kentucky, 1987-91. During bankruptcy proceedings in 2001, it was revealed that Wilkinson had been operating a Ponzi scheme, and that his liabilities exceeded his assets by $300 million; he repeatedly refused to answer questions under oath, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. However, he died before any prosecution could take place. Died, of lymphatic cancer and a stroke, in St. Joseph Hospital, Lexington, Fayette County, Ky., July 5, 2002 (age 60 years, 205 days). Entombed at Sarasota Memorial Park, Sarasota, Fla.
  See also National Governors Association biography — Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier
  John Nathan Hostettler (b. 1961) — also known as John N. Hostettler — of Blairsville, Posey County, Ind. Born in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Ind., July 19, 1961. Republican. Power plant performance engineer; U.S. Representative from Indiana 8th District, 1995-2007; defeated, 2006; in April 2004, he was detained at Louisville International Airport when he attempted to board a flight with a loaded pistol in his briefcase; pleaded guilty in August to carrying a concealed weapon; candidate for U.S. Senator from Indiana, 2010. Baptist. Still living as of 2015.
  Relatives: Father of Matthew Hostettler.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier — Encyclopedia of American Loons
  Ernest L. Fletcher (b. 1952) — also known as Ernie Fletcher; "Big Ern" — of Lexington, Fayette County, Ky. Born in Mt. Sterling, Montgomery County, Ky., November 12, 1952. Republican. Physician; pastor; member of Kentucky state house of representatives, 1994-96; U.S. Representative from Kentucky 6th District, 1999-2003; defeated, 1996; Governor of Kentucky, 2003-07; delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 2004; in 2005-06, an investigation of hiring practices in violation of the state's merit system law led to grand jury indictments of the Governor and some of his staff; Fletcher pardoned his staff members to protect them from prosecution; ultimately he admitted wrong-doing and agreed to reorganize the Kentucky Personnel Board. Baptist. Still living as of 2014.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — National Governors Association biography — Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier
  Kenneth E. Rankle (c.1961-2018) — of Dayton, Campbell County, Ky. Born about 1961. Carpenter; mayor of Dayton, Ky., 2003-14; defeated, 2014; sued in 2015 by the Dayton city government, alleging that he misappropriated funds. Died in 2018 (age about 57 years). Burial location unknown.
"Enjoy the hospitable entertainment of a political graveyard."
Henry L. Clinton, Apollo Hall, New York City, February 3, 1872
The Political Graveyard

The Political Graveyard is a web site about U.S. political history and cemeteries. Founded in 1996, it is the Internet's most comprehensive free source for American political biography, listing 320,919 politicians, living and dead.
 
  The coverage of this site includes (1) the President, Vice President, members of Congress, elected state and territorial officeholders in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories; and the chief elected official, typically the mayor, of qualifying municipalities; (2) candidates at election, including primaries, for any of the above; (3) all federal judges and all state appellate judges; (4) certain federal officials, including the federal cabinet, diplomatic chiefs of mission, consuls, U.S. district attorneys, collectors of customs and internal revenue, members of major federal commissions; and political appointee (pre-1969) postmasters of qualifying communities; (5) state and national political party officials, including delegates, alternate delegates, and other participants in national party nominating conventions; (6) Americans who served as "honorary" consuls for other nations before 1950. Note: municipalities or communities "qualify", for Political Graveyard purposes, if they have at least half a million person-years of history, inclusive of predecessor, successor, and merged entities.  
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