Evening star., 1945-11-05
Rites Set for Oliver K. Bovord,
Crusoding St. Louis Editor
Woeed Campaign
For Reopening Of
Teapot Dome Probe
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ST. LOUIS, Nov. 5.-Funeral serv-
ices for Oliver K. Bovard, former
managing editor OF the st. Louis
Post Dispatch, who died Saturday
night, will be held tomorrow after
non, with burial in Belief -Fontaine
Cemetery here.
The 73-year-old editor had been
Ill two weeks with virus pneumonia
but was believed to be improving
until sudden relapse shortly be-
fore his death In st. Mary's Hos
pital.
Two years after Mr.. Bovard joined
the staff of the Post-Dispatch In
1898, he was appointed city editor
and in 1908 he was made managing
editor. He resigned August Is, 1888
at the age OF 66 because of irrecon-
cilable differences of opinion" with
the owner over the general conduct
of the paper"
One of Mr.. Bovard's feats was the
inducing of the Senate to reopen the
Teapot Dome investigation and as
certain what became of approx
mately $4,000, 900 of "hot" bonds af-
ter it had been proved $3.50, 900 from
the same batch had been used to
bribe Secretary of the Interior Fall.
Sensed National Scandal.
The Post-Dispatch, starting in
1872. conducted a six-year campaign
on this. Mr.. Bovard sensed a pos
sible national scandal when the first
intimations of the Teapot Dome
affair leaked out. He hammered
steadily until it was cleaned up.
One of his later exposes, which
started as local story and quickly
made front pages throughout the
Nation, was the 1885 Gift of God
baby hoax
Mrs. Nellie Upton Muench, 43-
year-old wife of a st. Louis physician
and sister of a Missouri supreme
court judge. announced the birth OF
son she called a gift of God in
my time OF distress" The red
headed Mrs. Muench, childless in
20 years of married life until the
birth announcement" at that time
faced charges of kidnap conspiracy
in connection with the ransom ab-
duction of DR.. Isaac Dee Kelly, a
prominent st. Louis physician.
The Post-Dispatch started an in
tensive investigation. Mrs. Muench
was acquitted when tried on the kid
nap charge but it was proved the
child was not hers but that of ar
unwed servant girl Mrs. Muench
her husband and two others later
were imprisoned for misuse of the
mails in an attempt to extort money
from another st. Louis doctor-s
bachelor-by claiming he was the
father of the child.
From hospital bed Mr.. Bovare
in 1926 gave the order for an in.
Ivestigation of United States District
Judge George w. English of Illinois
which caused his impeachment ane
resignation on the eve of his tria
before the United States Senate.
New York Assignment.
In 1909. the year after he becam.
managing editor of the Post Dis
patch, Mr.. Bovard was sent to New
York for an indefinite assignment
on the World, of which JOSEPH
Pulitzer, the elder, was directin,
head as he was of the Post-Dispatch
At the end Of 10 months Mr.. Bovars
was given his choice of remainin,
with the World as assistant manag
ing editor or returning to the Post
Dispatch as managing editor. II,
chose st. Louis.
| Mr.. Bovard was born May ~, 1872
in Jacksonville, Ill. In 1902 he mar
ried Miss Suzanne Thompson of Sal
Antonio, Tex, who survives.