Huey Long's Great Kidnapping Caper
Event Threatened Long's Election to U.S. Senate
Political campaigns of the early Twentieth Century Deep South were often quite colorful and just as often included a bombshell event just prior to election day that would significantly impact election results. Few, if any, such incidents compare with Huey Long’s kidnapping adventure on the eve of his election to the U.S. Senate in1930.
A week prior to the election, Sam Irby, a former Highway Commission employee, contacted incumbent Joseph Ransdell’s campaign headquarters offering damaging information on the state agency and Governor Long, Louisiana's self-proclaimed Kingfish. Ransdell’s people were greatly interested in Irby due to an unusual relationship that he had with Long. Irby’s wife was an aunt of Huey’s private secretary and reported mistress. Consequently, the Irbys were seen socially with Long on occasion.
Irby was advised to travel to Shreveport, Long’s legal residence, to file a $50,000 slander suit against the Governor based on allegations that Long had approached Irby’s wife to inform her that a drunken Irby had recently been in the company of two prostitutes and had assaulted them.
Governor's Infidelities to be Exposed
Long became concerned when Jimmie Terrell, his mistress’ ex-husband, reportedly appeared in Shreveport with Irby. Huey feared that Irby, a heavy drinker, would reveal Long’s infidelities with the former Mrs. Terrell and ruin his campaign at the eleventh hour.
The Governor sent six state policemen to Shreveport to apprehend the pair and whisk them to a hideaway on the Gulf Coast. The pair’s disappearance was soon reported in the press around the state and no doubt became the dominant issue in the final week of the campaign. Louisiana Attorney General Percy Saint was particularly interested, as Irby was his star witness in a case of corruption against the Highway Commission. As a result, federal judge Wayne Borah issued a writ charging Huey and the six policemen with abduction and ordered Long and the others to appear in court on September 10, the day after the election.
Amid speculation in the daily press of his guilt, Long’s next move outwitted his opposition and turned the perception of the entire sordid affair into his favor. Long retrieved the two men and brought them to his hotel suite in New Orleans on Sunday evening, September 7, only two days prior to the election. Huey, who had tipped off reporters earlier that a big story would break on radio that evening, handed Irby a written statement to read over the airwaves from the hotel suite.
The Kidnapping "Victim" Speaks
Irby dutifully read the statement, which said in part that the kidnapping was a total lie, that he had been vacationing on the coast, and that he was donating $2500 given to him as a bribe from the Ransdell camp to the Long campaign.
Whatever means Long employed to alter Irby’s story, the resulting spectacle left an indelible mark on the election and the history of Louisiana politics. In the aftermath of the event, Long defeated Ransdell by 38,000 votes and charges were dropped in federal court, due to Irby’s testimony.
Interestingly, barely three years later, Irby published a full account of the kidnapping, titled Kidnaped by the Kingfish [sic] in which he claimed that he was held at gunpoint while reading the statement on the air. Noted historian and Long biographer T. Harry Williams scoffs at such claims, as at least two newspaper reporters were present at Long’s request in the hotel room for Irby’s statement.
Sources: Williams, T.Harry (1969). Huey Long. New York: Knopf.
Long as Senator
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Long with raised fist
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