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Congressman Knutson Arrested On Grave Charge

Black and white photograph of Harold Knutson, head and shoulders/tiles/collection/2/26972.xml
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Reverse of photograph with maker’s information, a red stamp reading “Deceased,” and caption reading, “Congressman Knutson Arrested on Grave Charge. Representative Harold Knutson of Minnesota was arrested last night and jailed in Arlington county jail on a grave statutory charge. According to press dispatches today, Representative Knutson was arrested last night as his automobile was parked along a Virginia road, the arrest being made on observations being made when a flashlight was thrown into the automobile along the roadside. Five thousand dollars bond is asked for his release.”/tiles/collection/2/26973.xml
Download this image
Black and white photograph of Harold Knutson, head and shoulders
Reverse of photograph with maker’s information, a red stamp reading “Deceased,” and caption reading, “Congressman Knutson Arrested on Grave Charge. Representative Harold Knutson of Minnesota was arrested last night and jailed in Arlington county jail on a grave statutory charge. According to press dispatches today, Representative Knutson was arrested last night as his automobile was parked along a Virginia road, the arrest being made on observations being made when a flashlight was thrown into the automobile along the roadside. Five thousand dollars bond is asked for his release.”
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Date

1924-03-10

Maker

Underwood and Underwood

Dimensions

6 1/2 × 8 1/2 in. (16.5 × 21.6 cm)

Accession Number

PA2012.04.0034

Credit Line

Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives

Object Details

In 1924, Minnesota Congressman Harold Knutson and his companion Leroy Hull were arrested in a parked car in Arlington, Virginia. Newspapers never said exactly what the “grave charge” referred to in the photograph’s title was—although the legal charge was bribery, the underlying social transgression appeared to be that the men had a sexual relationship. Knutson was grilled by lawyers, and other Representatives took the stand to provide character testimony. Knutson was found not guilty by the jury, and the charges against Hull were dropped.

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Office of the Historian: history@mail.house.gov
Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk: art@mail.house.gov, archives@mail.house.gov