Harry S. Truman
Assassination Attempts
There were two assassination attempts on U.S. President Truman. The first attempt was in 1947. After being alerted by British Intelligence, Secret Service arranged to intercept and defuse some letter bombs addressed to Truman and his top staff. The British Intelligence discovered similar letters sent to high-ranking British officials by the Zionist Stern Gang. This was all during the period when the United Nations was reviewing the British Mandate in Palestine. Truman supported recognition of independent Israel. The mail room of the White House intercepted all the letters and the Secret Service defused them. But at this time this incident was not publicized. The public finally found out when Margaret, Truman's daughter, confirmed it in her biography of her father which was published in 1972. It was also told by Ira R.T. Smith, who worked in the mail room.
The second attempt took place on November 1, 1950. Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola were the two Puerto Rican Pro-independence activists who tried to carry this out. These two men were in the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party Revolts. This party protested for independence by the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party against the U.S. Government rule over Puerto Rico. The two men went to New York City and developed a plan of attack in order to demonstrate the October 30 revolution had not been a mere "incident between Puerto Ricans" as Truman thought, but rather a war between the two countries. The two had learned that Truman was at the Blair House since the White house was being renovated. Although they knew the attempt was near-suicidal, and they would likely be killed they still proceeded. There whole reason of attacking was to bring world attention to the government killings of rebels and associates in Puerto Rico, and the need for Puerto Rican independence.
Torresola approached along Pennsylvania Avenue from the west side while Oscar walked up to the Capitol Police officer,Donald Birdzell, who was standing on the steps to the Blair House. Once behind the Officer Oscar shot at Donald but failed to Chamber a round in it and the gun did not fire. After messing with the gun the officer turned around right as Oscar shot him in the right knee. Oscar then shot a White House officer at the guard house and began walking up the steps. Secret Service then ran through a casement corridor and opened fire on Oscar. The agent killed Oscar with a bullet to the chest. Torresola then approached a guard booth at the west corner and took four shot at officer Leslie Coffelt by surprise. Three went through the chest and abdomen and one through the tunic. He then shot officer Joseph Downs in the hip and as Downs turned Torresola shot him in the back and neck. He then shot Birdzell in the knee for killing his partner.
President Truman then woke and looked out the second floor window. Torresola was only 31 feet away from Truman's window. But while Torresola was trying to reload Coffelt left the guard booth, propped against it, and fired at Torresola. He hit Torresola two inches above the ear killing him instantly. Coffelt then died four hours later. The gunfight with Torresola lasted about 20 seconds and the gunfight with Collazo lasted about 38.5 seconds. Torresola did most of the shooting since he was more skilled the Collazo who only shot one guy. President Truman was unharmed!!
Gun that killed Torresola.
Scandals
In 1950, the Senate investigated many charges of corruption among senior administration officials, some of whom received fur coats and deep freezers in exchange for favors. Large numbers of employees of the IRS were accepting bribes. This cause 166 employees to either resigned or be fired in 1950 with many facing indictment. Truman fired McGrath after Attorney General J. Howard McGrath fired the special prosecutor in early 1952 for being too zealous(great energy in pursuit of a cause). Truman then tried to reorganize the IRB. Congress passed it, but the corruption was a major issue in 1953 Presidential election.
On December 6, 1950, Paul Hume wrote a critical review of a concert by Margaret Truman saying:
"Miss Truman is a unique American phenomenon with a pleasant voice of little size and fair quality ... [she] cannot sing very well ... is flat a good deal of the time—more last night than at any time we have heard her in past years ... has not improved in the years we have heard her ... [and] still cannot sing with anything approaching professional finish."
When Truman red this he was very upset so he responded with a letter saying:
"I've just read your lousy review of Margaret's concert. I've come to the conclusion that you are an 'eight ulcer man on four ulcer pay.' It seems to me that you are a frustrated old man who wishes he could have been successful. When you write such poppy-cock as was in the back section of the paper you work for it shows conclusively that you're off the beam and at least four of your ulcers are at work. Some day I hope to meet you. When that happens you'll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below! Pegler, a gutter snipe, is a gentleman alongside you. I hope you'll accept that statement as a worse insult than a reflection on your ancestry."
After the public heard about this letter they were angry and many criticized him for it. He then pointed out to them that he wrote it as a loving father not as the president.
Harry Truman sounds like a great man! Why would you say something like that about his daughter though I mean he is the big man and could have you arrested or something. And that is what is scary about being a president as well is that there will always people that won't agree with you but some will go as far as killing you. I could not live with the fear of knowing that people are always going to try to hurt you in some way.
Comments
Great job Teresa!