Allen Clegg

Allen Clegg was an American intelligence officer and spy of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Clegg was an ardent nationalist and annexationist whose activities in Canada were meant to injure the reputation of or cause the invasion of the foreign nation.
In 1898, Clegg planted a bomb on the hull of the USS Maine, causing the Spanish–American War.The Great White Moose - Paul Aitken and Graham Clegg - Murdoch Mysteries S11 E14 - CBC Television - Airdate 5 February 2018 - Retrieved 29 October 2024 Subsequently, he sought out evidence of a secret Canadian-Confederate deal to finance the south to give President William McKinley pretext to invade, in the midst of the ongoing war. His work was opposed by Ministry of Militia and Defence agent Terrence Meyers and Toronto Constabulary Detective William Murdoch.Confederate Treasure - Paul Aitken - Murdoch Mysteries S4 E07 - Citytv - Airdate 20 July 2011 - Retrieved 15 October 2024 He next appeared in Toronto in 1899, inspiring terrorist acts from members of Emma Goldman's followers and entourage to dissuade a potential visit to Canada by President McKinley. In 1900, Clegg posed as Reginald Gleason to fund inventor James Pendrick's pioneering aircraft, the Pendrick Arrow. After an industry challenge presented by an undercover Terrence Meyers led to the theft of the plane by the Canadian government, Clegg's agents stole it in turn and smuggled it into the United States. Unable to make the vehicle turn, Clegg kidnapped Pendrick. Murdoch was informed of Clegg's secret base in Lewiston, rescued Pendrick, and stole the aircraft back. Clegg was able to damage the Arrow with gunfire, but this did not prevent the two Canadians from escaping back over the border.Murdoch Air - Peter Mitchell - Murdoch Mysteries S6 E01 - CBC Television - Airdate 7 January 2013 - Retrieved 15 October 2024
In 1901, President McKinley was assassinated by Leon Czolgosz, a self-proclaimed anarchist, in Buffalo, New York.This is not outright stated by the episode, but heavily implied by the plot and ending text.The Spy Who Came Up to the Cold - Adam Barken - Murdoch Mysteries S7 E15 - CBC Television - Airdate 10 March 2014 - Retrieved 16 October 2024 In response, Emma Goldman and her entourage crossed the border into Canada. Clegg travelled to Toronto within a week and received the requisite authority from Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier to interrogate dozens of suspects rounded up by the Toronto Constabulary at the behest of Terrence Meyers. Chief Inspector Thomas Brackenreid, however, ignored the order and instructed Detective Murdoch to proceed with his own investigation. Meyers offered to cooperate with Clegg in his investigation independently of Murdoch, but Clegg refused and demanded to have Meyers' list of suspects without the latter's participation. Clegg's interrogation of Sarah Harrison revealed that Anton Woycek, an undercover operative in Goldman's entourage implanted and trained by Clegg himself, had at some point been turned and selling secrets to Meyers. He also learned that Harrison had sold the gun to Czolgosz, but had no involvement otherwise. Clegg faked Woycek's escape and had him killed, having arranged for Meyers to be present so that he could take the fall for Woycek's murder and the McKinley assassination. Clegg's plan failed when Murdoch noticed that the note had been written in an ink that only Clegg could have had access to at the time. Clegg was allowed to go free after an American government request made its way through Laurier to Station House 4. By 1903, Clegg had been appointed Ambassador to Canada. With the promise of wealth, he lured Svetlana Tsiolkovsky into creating a duplicate of James Pendrick's rocket design. While she intended to use the money that would be extorted from the Canadian government to fund Pendrick's research, Clegg plotted to launch the rocket into New York City's Irish sector and create a pretext for invasion to ensure the United States would endure a climate apocalypse predicted by Svante Arrhenius. With President Theodore Roosevelt having waived his diplomatic credentials prior to his confession, Clegg was taken into custody with the expectation of an execution.24 Hours Til Doomsday - Paul Aitken - Murdoch Mysteries S9 E05 - CBC Television - Airdate 9 November 2015 - Retrieved 29 October 2024 However, Laurier ordered Clegg be kept alive so that American intelligence secrets could be extracted from him. Clegg did not break during two years of interrogation, instead plotting his revenge. He wrote a book fictionalising his life experiences as two different individuals, including one known as El Noche, knowing that Meyers would intercept and take influence from the book in an attempt to restore his reputation. While still imprisoned, he waited for Meyers to plant the lures for President Roosevelt to travel to Crane Lake in search of a legendary moose so that he could escape from prison and kill both Meyers and the President. Once Meyers had prepared a scheme in which he would save Roosevelt's life with the help of a fake El Noche, Clegg had the agent killed so that he could claim in interrogation that there was a real El Noche. Clegg then escaped from prison to carry out his plot, but was foiled by Murdoch and Meyers. Clegg was returned by the United States Secret Service to America.
Clegg was meant to have hanged on 7 October 1906, but he faked his death with the help of the organisation Columbia. He then attempted to frame Meyers for the murder of Prime Minister Laurier, but the assassination attempt failed and Meyers proved his innocence. Clegg's involvement in the events remained undetected.The Trial of Terrence Meyers - Paul Aitken - Murdoch Mysteries S13 E15 - CBC Television - Airdate 10 February 2020 - Retrieved 30 October 2024
== Biography ==
=== Early Life ===
Clegg was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He gained a love of Necco Wafers there. (TV: 24 Hours Til Doomsday) He attended Harvard University, where he encountered Theodore Roosevelt for the first time; both were planning to publish their theses on the War of 1812, with Roosevelt noting Clegg's obsession with the American capture of Canada was already strong. (TV: The Great White Moose)
==Notes==
=== Behind the Scenes ===
* Clegg was played by Canadian actor Matthew Bennett.Matthew Bennett - IMDB - Retrieved 29 October 2024
===Trivia===
*The episode "War on Terror" heavily implies that Clegg was complicit in or at least inspired the shooting of President McKinley. "The Spy Who Came Up to the Cold" backpedals from this, showing Leon Czolgosz as the only man directly responsible for the death. Only the latter episode actually names the assassin.
*Theodore Roosevelt graduated from Harvard in 1880. It is likely that Clegg graduated around the same time, as they were both apparently working on their theses at the same time. Roosevelt's work on the War of 1812, was published in book form in 1882, "The Naval War of 1812".
==References==
Category:Humans
Category:Villains
Category:Criminals
Category:Murderers
Category:Mass Murderers
Category:Murderers by proxy
Category:Intelligence officers
Category:Spies
Category:Terrorists
Category:Military
Category:American military
Category:United States Navy
Category:Harvard University alumni
Category:Boston characters
Category:Massachusetts characters
Category:American characters
Category:Television characters
Category:Characters played by Matthew Bennett
Category:19th century births
Category:20th century deaths
Category:Kill count (over 200)
Category:Creator: Paul Aitken