Illegitimate children

At President Roosevelt’s request, Minister to Denmark Egan visited Vigo Peterson, a former sailor on the Mayflower, in the hospital. Peterson is in good spirits, although he will be crippled for life. Egan discusses the political situation in Denmark and Norway, where democratic ideas are gaining ground. However, socialism is also gaining ground in Norway. Egan also takes note of the social conditions, and has spoken with religious leaders about issues like suicide and illegitimate births.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-16

Creator(s)

Egan, Maurice Francis, 1852-1924

Tweed Roosevelt recounts a murder trial that centered on the granddaughter of Robert Barnwell Roosevelt, the uncle of Theodore Roosevelt known as RBR. Roosevelt examines the secret, scandalous life of RBR, who fathered three illegitimate children, and he shows how one of these children, Granville Fortescue, carried on the scandalous life of his father. Fortescue’s daughter, Thalia Massie, would inherit the dissolute traits of her family and would be at the center of high profile rape and murder cases in Hawaii. Roosevelt describes the racial atmosphere of 1930s Hawaii, and he chronicles the two trials, the participation of famed lawyer Clarence Darrow, and the political maneuvering resulting from the verdicts.

The feature is populated with seven photographs, a political cartoon, an illustration, and an arrest document.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

2014