The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-04-03
HARDING ANNOYED
BY BOGUS COUSIN;
HAS Him JAILED
Everett, Son of Chicago
Broker, Had Traded Long
on Presidents Name.
WAS WILD SCHEMER
Gave Away Postmasterships
and Planned $1,000,000
Hotels.
SPLURGE AT INAUGURAL
His White House Baby Lands
Him in Cell on Charge Of
Being q Fraud.
SPLURGE AT INAUGURAL

CHICAGO, April 2.-After masquerad-
ing for more than month as a
cousin Of President Harding and as
sistant secretary in the executive Of
fee, Everett Harding. 2S years old,
was arrested here by Secret Service
operatives to-day charged with i'm
personating a Federal official with in
tent to defraud.
President Harding became impatient
over Interviews given by Everett Har-
ding and members of his family, In
which they were quoted as saying
they were intimate with the Chief
Executive and had been invited to the
White House.
Harding was arrested following a
despatch to Chicago of James Sloan,
chief Of the Presidents bodyguard,
who was sent to Chicago upon the
direct orders Of the President himself.
Harding is the son OF Ephraim Har-
ding. real estate broker. He was ar
rested by secret service operatives Peter
Drautsberg and william Harper. They
found him conducting a candy conces-
sion In the Broadway armory. Over the
top Of the booth was a streamer bearing
the words: "Harding's famous cand les"
Enters Plea of Guilty.
Harding was taken to the Federal
Building, where he admitted the false
impersonation as assistant secretary to
the President, but said he was distantly
related to him. He waived examination.
and in default of 5000 bonds fixed
after he had pleaded guilty before
United States Commissioner Mason was
taken to the county jail in Waukegan.
He insisted while in Washington for
the Inauguration that he and Pearl
Harding. his sister. had visited Mr..
and Mrs. Harding in the White House.
One Of young Hardings possessions was
a photograph of the President, across
which was inscribed ITO Everett Har-
ding. with a kinsman's best wishes"
At his home was founo a guest regis
ter and among the names Of scores OF
leading politicians found on It was that
OF Senator New Of Indiana At the time
Of President Harding's Inauguration 1t
became known that young Harding nego-
tiated for a private car to take him, via
the Pennsylvania system. to Washing
ton. He said he was the Presidents
cousin. and had with him Pearl. his sis
ter, who he said, was to be the baby
of the White House."
Together with twenty-five friends
young Harding In the chartered car
went TO Washington. II was charged
to-day that he paid for the car with a
worthless check on the 4Etna State Bank
for s1.99s.04.
In returning to Chicago after the in
augural ceremonies Hardings private
car was directly behind that occupied
by the members OF the Hamilton Club.
the leading Republican organization of
Chicago. The club members. hearing
that>the Presidents cousin" was in the
car behind, invited him to Join them In
their gcs' lines. Young Harding was
made sorary member of the or
ganiza, cause of his supposed re-
lationsl' the President. Pearl Har-
ding. Is. was the darling of the party.
Recently Chicago newspaper published
a long article detailing her expected ex-
ploits when. as ''the baby OF the White
House." she should add to It's solemn
dignity the luster of her youthful charm
and beauty.
Girl Cause of Downfall.
1t was through Pearl that Everett
Harding came to grief. Her picture was
sent broadcast as that Of the pretty
little cousin" OF the President who had
been invited by the President to live at
the White House. A personal letter was
written by President Harding in an ef-
fort to discover who had authorized the
use of PEARLS picture.
Machinery of the Executive Office and
OF the Department OF Justice was set
In motion, and Sloan. perhaps the man
closest to and most responsible for the
safety and welfare OF the President, was
sent TO Chicago to conduct the inves-
tigation personally.
Young Harding himself told the Fed
eral agents that he promised Capt Clyde
j.. Backus the postmastership Of Chi
cago. While in Springfield interviewing
Speaker DahIberg he stopped at the best
hotel and forgot TO pay his bill The
management was chary OF presenting a
relation and personal representative"
OF the President with a bill, and has
been fondly expecting TO receive Treas-
ury Department check for the amount
due ever since young Harding left.
In Chicago. too. the Seville Hotel fell
a victim to the masquerade. Soon after
the Inauguration young Harding gave
a $1,000 banquet to his friends He paid
for II with a check. which was returned
mo funds"
Young Harding had three business en-
terprises of his own which he would
bring forth for his friends consideration.
One was publishing scheme. He said
he had rented the entire top floor OF the
new wrigiey Building, and Intended
making there the offices Of his monthly
magazine. the fnlook. President Har-
ding. he said, would write every month
a front page editorial for II. Another
scheme was that OF establishing a big
candy factory and a string of retail
stores, the whole to be known as the
Harding Candy Corporation" The
third was In the erection at Addison
street and Sheridan road Of million dol
dar hotel. to be known as the Harding
Hotel"
To Government agents In the Federal
Building Harding confessed TO passing
the bad checks. and said the other
schemes were intended TO make money
In order TO meet the checks.