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Gaston Bullock Means (July 11, 1879 – December 12, 1938) was an American private detective, salesman, bootlegger,
forger Forgery is a white-collar crime that generally consists of the false making or material alteration of a legal instrument with the specific intent to defraud. Tampering with a certain legal instrument may be forbidden by law in some jurisdict ...
, swindler, murder suspect,
blackmailer Blackmail is a criminal act of coercion using a threat. As a criminal offense, blackmail is defined in various ways in common law jurisdictions. In the United States, blackmail is generally defined as a crime of information, involving a th ...
, and
con artist A scam, or a confidence trick, is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using a combination of the victim's credulity, naivety, compassion, vanity, confidence, irresponsibi ...
. While not involved in the
Teapot Dome scandal The Teapot Dome scandal was a political corruption scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Warren G. Harding. It centered on Interior Secretary Albert B. Fall, who had leased Navy petroleum reserves at Teapot Do ...
, Means was associated with other members of the so-called
Ohio Gang The Ohio Gang was a gang of politicians and industry leaders closely surrounding Warren G. Harding, the 29th president of the United States. Many of these individuals came into Harding's personal orbit during his tenure as a state-level politici ...
that gathered around the administration of President
Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he was one of the most ...
. Means also tried to pull a con associated with the
Lindbergh kidnapping On March 1, 1932, Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. (born June 22, 1930), the 20-month-old son of Col. Charles Lindbergh and his wife, aviator and author Anne Morrow Lindbergh, was murdered after being abducted from his crib in the upper floor of t ...
, and died in prison following his criminal conviction.


Biography

Gaston Bullock Means was born in
Concord, North Carolina Concord ( ) is the most populous city in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 105,240 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Concord is the second-most populous city in the Cha ...
, the son of William Means, a reputable lawyer. He was also a great-nephew of Confederate General
Rufus Barringer Rufus Clay Barringer (December 2, 1821 – February 3, 1895) was an American lawyer, politician, and Confederate brigadier general during the American Civil War. Early life Barringer was born in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, the ninth of ...
. He was in the first graduating class of Concord High School in 1896, graduated from the
University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...
in 1903, became a schoolteacher, then a travelling salesman. His life
avocation An avocation is an activity that someone engages in as a hobby outside their main occupation. There are many examples of people whose professions were the ways that they made their livings, but for whom their activities outside their workplaces w ...
, however, was that of a confidence trickster.
J. Edgar Hoover John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was an American attorney and law enforcement administrator who served as the fifth and final director of the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) and the first director of the Federal Bureau o ...
once called him "the most amazing figure in contemporary criminal history" because of his ability to weave a believable, albeit fraudulent, story. In 1911, he talked himself into a job with a New York detective firm where he created reports that contained so many clues that they must either be investigated further (at a substantial cost) or denounced utterly. His reputation spread. On the eve of World War I, he was asked to further Germany's interests in the neutral United States. He "uncovered" plots and counterplots rife with secret documents and skulking spies, all of which required investigation at his usual rate of $100 (gold standard dollars) per day. After America declared war on Germany, Means returned to being a private detective. There, he was given a case involving Maude King, the widow of a wealthy lumberman, who had fallen into the clutches of a swindler in Europe. King had been left $100,000 by her late husband, with the remainder of his $3 million estate intended for charity. She sued for more and settled for $600,000 plus the interest on $400,000. Means ingratiated himself into King's life and assisted her with her business affairs. Under the guise of investing her money, Means deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars to his own credit in New York and Chicago, invested in cotton and the stock market and lost heavily. Claiming to find a new will which required "investigation", Means plundered the remainder of the woman's finances until they were nearly all gone. On August 29, 1917, the widow went with Means to a firing range. Means returned with her body, claiming she had killed herself, perhaps accidentally while handling his gun."The Amazing Mr. Means" by J. Edgar Hoover, ''The American Magazine'' December 1936 reprinted in ''Reader's Digest'' March 1937 p. 30. Means' account was disputed by the coroner; no powder marks were found near the wound in her head, discounting a self-inflicted wound. Maude was fearful of pistols and she was planning to remarry. Means was indicted for murder and after deliberating for only 15 minutes, a jury in his home town acquitted him, after defense counsel cleverly whipped up local jury resentment against New York lawyers who were assisting the prosecution. The will was declared a forgery and Means was prosecuted. Testimony showed that the witnesses to the purported will were out of town on the day it was signed, the typewriter used to type the document had not yet been manufactured when the will was purportedly written and King's signature and those of other witnesses were not genuine. The trial was going badly for Means when he declared that he knew the location of a trunk filled with secret documents obtained from German spies. In exchange for a letter to the judge attesting to his good character from the United States Army, he said, he would hand over that trunk. An Army Intelligence officer was assigned to accompany Means to locate the trunk, which he did, handing it over on the condition that it be sent to Washington intact. Then, baggage claim in hand, he hurried to Washington, declared he had kept his end of the bargain and demanded the promised letter attesting to his good service. Alas, the trunk arrived and it was found to contain no documents. Declaring he knew who had done this "despicable thing", Means promised to find the scoundrels and recover the lost papers. The army investigated and discovered the weight of the trunk when sent was identical to its weight when opened. In later years, Means boasted to friends that he had been accused of every felony in the criminal law books, up to and including murder. Although he had a shady reputation as a detective, in October 1921, Means was hired by the
Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. An agency of the United States Department of Justice, the FBI is a member of ...
and he moved to Washington, D.C. The FBI was then led by
William J. Burns William John Burns (October 19, 1861 – April 14, 1932) was an American private investigator and law enforcement official. He was known as "America's Sherlock Holmes" and earned fame for having conducted private investigations into a number of ...
, famous ex-Secret Service man, private detective and friend of Harry M. Daugherty,
Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...
in the Harding administration. Burns had employed Means as a detective and thought Means had great skill as an investigator and an
extortionist Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit (e.g., money or goods) through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, although making unfounded t ...
. Despite the protection of his patron, Means was later suspended from the FBI at the insistence of Daugherty, who had become increasingly aware that Means was a loose cannon.


Bootleggers' helper

Although the United States was officially "dry" during the Harding years as a result of
Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...
, illegal alcohol was common. In the late fall of 1922, Means began selling his services to local Washington
bootleggers A bootleg is the upper part (or shaft) of a boot. Bootleg, bootlegging or bootlegger(s) may also refer to: Common meanings * Rum-running, the illegal business of transporting and trading in alcoholic beverages * Moonshine, illicitly made an ...
, with the offer that he could use his connections to "fix" their legal problems with the government. In 1924, following Harding's death, Congress held hearings on the
Justice Department A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
's role in failing to oversee their Prohibition duties under the
Volstead Act The National Prohibition Act, known informally as the Volstead Act, was an act of the 66th United States Congress designed to execute the 18th Amendment (ratified January 1919) which established the prohibition of alcoholic drinks. The Anti- ...
. Means testified against former Attorney General Daugherty. Means "confessed" to handling bribes for senior officials in the former Harding Administration. He declared the country was being despoiled and that he had the documents to prove it. When asked to produce them, Means readily agreed but returned with a story that "two sergeants-at-arms" had appeared at his home, produced an order signed by the head of the committee and had taken the documents away with them. The committee head examined the "order" and declared his signature a forgery. Means leaped from his chair. "Forgery!" he said. "I've been tricked by my enemies. I'll run them down if it's the last thing I do!" After testifying before the Brookhart-Wheeler committee, Gaston Means signed an affidavit stating that his entire testimony was false and that he had only given it because senator Burton Wheeler had promised to get the then current charges against him dismissed. Means further admitted in his affidavit that he had coached the other witness in the case, Roxie Stinson. The congressional investigation also revealed evidence of Means's role in the illegal issuance of Prohibition-era liquor permits. Means was indicted for
perjury Perjury (also known as forswearing) is the intentional act of swearing a false oath or falsifying an affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to an official proceeding."Perjury The act or an insta ...
and tried before a jury. In intentionally sensational testimony, Means implicated both Harding and Secretary of the Treasury
Andrew Mellon Andrew William Mellon (; March 24, 1855 – August 26, 1937), known also as A. W. Mellon, was an American banker, businessman, industrialist, philanthropist, art collector, and politician. The son of Mellon family patriarch Thomas Mellon ...
as being part of the cover-up. Unable to support his own counter-charges and unable to convince the jury of his innocence, Means was found guilty of perjury and sentenced to two years in federal prison.


Professional con man

During and after his term in the federal penitentiary, Means retained his reputation as the ultimate man who knew all of the secrets. He put this reputation to work in his book, ''The Strange Death of President Harding'' (1930). The exposé alleged that Harding had been consciously complicit in all of the major scandals of his administration. The book's status as a bestseller derived in considerable measure from its insinuation that the President had been murdered by his wife, First Lady
Florence Harding Florence Mabel Harding (née Kling; August 15, 1860 – November 21, 1924) was First Lady of the United States from 1921 until her husband's death in 1923 as the wife of President Warren G. Harding. Harding had initially studied to be a con ...
, with assistance from the couple's personal physician, Charles E. Sawyer. Mrs. Harding's alleged motivation was that she had become aware of her husband's corruption and marital infidelity and wanted to protect his
reputation The reputation or prestige of a social entity (a person, a social group, an organization, or a place) is an opinion about that entity – typically developed as a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria, such as behavior or performance. ...
. Means' accusations seemed to some to be true. The writer had learned many facts about Harding's sex life from the rumor mill in Washington. A 1933 counter-exposé, published in ''
Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...
'', blew the cover off of the dubious book. Part-time journalistic stringer Mae Dixon Thacker confessed that not only had she ghostwritten the book for Means but also that Means had bilked her out of her share of the profits. Mrs. Thacker further stated that Means had never provided the documents he swore he had that backed his accusations. Upon further investigation, Thacker had found the accounts Means made in the book were completely false and she stated in Liberty Magazine that the book was a "colossal hoax – a tissue of falsehood from beginning to end." Having collected his royalties, Means cheerfully repudiated his own book. He had moved on to a new set of victims, a group of New York men who were interested in subversive
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
activities. Means claimed to have the goods on two Soviets intent on wreaking havoc in the United States with $2 million earmarked for that purpose. He took on the case at his usual price of $100 per day. His investigation dragged out for three years as Means promised to bring the secret agents to justice and to capture 24 trunks and 11 suitcases full of secret orders, plans and diaries. He claimed several times that he almost got those trunks and suitcases and once did so, he said, but upon his return to New York, the secret agents stole them back again. Finally, he delivered the news that one of the Russians had murdered the other and all the documents had been burned. He told his story so convincingly that an arrest warrant was sworn out against the killer, for a murder that existed only in Means's imagination. Following the
Lindbergh kidnapping On March 1, 1932, Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. (born June 22, 1930), the 20-month-old son of Col. Charles Lindbergh and his wife, aviator and author Anne Morrow Lindbergh, was murdered after being abducted from his crib in the upper floor of t ...
of 1932, Means attempted the most audacious con job of his career. Means was contacted by the Washington socialite
Evalyn Walsh McLean Evalyn McLean ( Walsh; August 1, 1886 – April 26, 1947) was an American mining heiress and socialite, famous for reputedly being an owner of the Hope Diamond (which was bought in 1911 for US$180,000 from Pierre Cartier), as well as another f ...
(owner of the
Hope Diamond The Hope Diamond is a blue-violet diamond that has been famed for its great size since the 17th century. It was extracted in the 17th century from the Kollur Mine in Guntur, India,. The Hope Diamond is a blue diamond. Its exceptional size h ...
), who asked him to use his connections in the East Coast underworld to assist in the recovery of the Lindbergh child. Means declared that he knew the whereabouts of the victim. He offered his services as a go-between and asked for $100,000 to pass on to the kidnappers. The credulous McLean sent Means the money and Means promptly disappeared, while a confederate kept McLean apprised of Means's difficulties and the fabulous chase. Means later came to McLean at her home again and said he would need an additional $4,000 to pay the expenses of the kidnappers; she had a $6,000 check cashed at one of the banks in Washington and turned $4,000 over to him. Finally, Means met McLean in a southern resort, promising to deliver the baby. Instead, he showed up with a man he introduced as the "King of the Kidnappers", who told her how and when the baby would be delivered. Everyone was given a code, Means was No. 27, the "King" was No. 19,
Norman Tweed Whitaker Norman Tweed Whitaker (April 9, 1890 – May 20, 1975) was an American International Master of chess, a lawyer, a civil servant, and a chess author. He was convicted of several crimes, was disbarred from the practice of law, and served several ...
was "The Fox", McLean was No. 11, and the baby was "The Book". The missing baby (who was later found murdered) did not show up and the next thing that McLean heard from Means was a demand for another $35,000. Failing to raise it, the heiress demanded all the money back. Means agreed, hurried to get it – and didn't come back. Confronted about his duplicity, Means expressed astonishment. "Didn't Mrs. McLean get it?", he asked. "She must have it. Her messenger met me at the bridge outside Alexandria as I was returning to Washington. He said 'I am Number 11.' So what was I to do? I gave him the money." This time, the heiress called the police, Means was captured, found guilty of
grand larceny Larceny is a crime involving the unlawful taking or theft of the personal property of another person or business. It was an offence under the common law of England and became an offence in jurisdictions which incorporated the common law of Eng ...
, and sentenced to serve 15 years in a federal penitentiary but the money was never recovered. Means was assigned, transported, and imprisoned at the United States Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas, where he died in custody in 1938.


In popular culture

Gaston Means appears in the third and fourth seasons of the TV series ''
Boardwalk Empire ''Boardwalk Empire'' is an American period crime drama television series created by Terence Winter for the premium cable channel HBO. The series is set chiefly in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era of the 1920s. The series sta ...
'', played by
Stephen Root Stephen Root (born November 17, 1951) is an American actor. He has starred as Jimmy James on the NBC sitcom ''NewsRadio'' (1995–1999), as Milton Waddams in the film ''Office Space'' (1999), and voiced Bill Dauterive and Buck Strickland on the a ...
. Means is portrayed as a kind of confidence man who sells information to people like
Nucky Thompson Enoch Malachi "Nucky" Thompson is a fictional character and the protagonist of the HBO TV series '' Boardwalk Empire'', portrayed by Steve Buscemi. Nucky is loosely based on former Atlantic City, New Jersey political figure Enoch Lewis "Nucky" ...
, or does the dirty work of politicos like Attorney General Daugherty. He agrees to murder Daugherty's friend and associate Jess Smith only to have Smith commit suicide before he can do the deed. This alludes to the historical ambiguity over whether Smith's death was murder or suicide. The fictional Means was arrested for perjury—just as in real life—in season four of the show. Means is also mentioned in the book ''
Go Set a Watchman ''Go Set a Watchman'' is a novel by Harper Lee that was published in 2015 by HarperCollins (US) and Heinemann (publisher), Heinemann (UK). Written before her only other published novel, ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' (1960), ''Go Set a Watchman'' was ...
'', by
Harper Lee Nelle Harper Lee (April 28, 1926 – February 19, 2016) was an American novelist whose 1960 novel ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize and became a classic of modern American literature. She assisted her close friend Truman ...
.


See also


My Life with Gaston B. Means: As Told by His Wife, Julie P. Means
*
Little Green House on K Street The Little Green House on K Street was a residence at 1625 K Street, NW, Washington, D.C., United States, where the notoriously corrupt deals of Harding administration are believed to have been planned between 1921 and 1923. History The Littl ...


References


Sources

* Dean, John; Schlesinger, Arthur M. ''Warren Harding'' (The American President Series), Times Books, 2004. * Ferrell, Robert H. ''The Strange Deaths of President Harding''. University of Missouri Press, 1996. * Mee, Charles L. Jr. ''The Ohio Gang: A Historical Entertainment''. M. Evans, 1991. * "The Amazing Mr. Means" by J. Edgar Hoover, ''The American Magazine'' December 1936 reprinted in ''Reader's Digest'' March 1937 p. 30. * United States of America vs. Gaston B. Means and Norman T. Whitaker, Criminal No. 53134, May 8, 1933. {{DEFAULTSORT:Means, Gaston American confidence tricksters People from Concord, North Carolina 1879 births 1938 deaths Warren G. Harding American bootleggers American people acquitted of murder American people who died in prison custody American people convicted of fraud American people convicted of perjury Prisoners who died in United States federal government detention Barringer family American private investigators