9 minute read
Shannon Wagers
8 March 2021
The Rise And Fall Of Albert Fall
Advertisement
By Shannon Wagers
Like most New Mexicans, I felt a bit of patriotic pride when President Joe Biden appointed one of our own, U.S. Representative Deb Haaland, to be secretary of the Interior Department. By long-standing tradition, the individual named to head the Interior is usually a westerner, since most of the public lands and resources administered by the department lie west of the Mississippi River. Nevertheless, Haaland is only the third New Mexican to hold the post in the department’s 172-year history. The second was the late Manuel Luján Jr., who served under President George H.W. Bush. The first was a larger-than-life character named Albert Bacon Fall, who took office 100 years ago this month, appointed by President Warren G. Harding. He resigned in disgrace two years later, enmeshed in a scandal that ended his political career and ultimately landed him in prison. A Kentuckian by birth, Fall came to the Southwest in 1880 at the age of 19. He punched cattle in Texas, worked as a hard-rock miner in Mexico, and later in the Kingston mining district in New Mexico’s Black Range. It was there that he first met another itinerant miner named Edward L. Doheny. Both were dirt-poor at the time, but Doheny went on to become a multi-millionaire oil man, while Fall embarked on a successful career in law and politics. Their paths would cross again decades later.
Fall studied law sporadically for several years and was admitted to the bar in 1889. Opening a law office in Las Cruces that year, he quickly made a name for himself representing clients in a number of high-profile cases. He entered the political arena at around the same time, winning a seat in the Territorial Legislature in 1890 as a Democrat. In 1907, he switched parties and became a Republican. During his long political career, Fall also served as Territorial Attorney General and as an associate justice of the Territorial Supreme Court. He lobbied hard for statehood, and was one of the chief architects of the 1910 state constitution. After statehood was achieved in 1912, he was elected to the United States Senate, where he served until joining Harding’s cabinet in 1921.
Despite his impressive résumé, there was another side to Albert Fall. He could be quick-tempered and
The power to lift lives every day
We can all agree - being in our home is where we are happy, safe and best of all - independent. We provide an unmatched level of care that includes help with medications, meals, transportation and so much more, in the comfort of your own home. Our commitment to excellence has earned us awards.
Call us today for a free in-home assessment.
Serving Albuquerque, Corrales, Bernalillo, Placitas and Rio Rancho Areas since 2001
505-232-7070
ComfortKeepersABQ.com
8204-B Louisiana Blvd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87113
unpredictable, occasionally even violent. He was widely suspected of complicity in the murder of a political rival, Albert Jennings Fountain, although he was never charged. He lost his seat on the Supreme Court as a result of allegations that his rulings were flagrantly partisan, and that he had abused his authority by interfering in local elections. During a visit to New Mexico by President William Howard Taft in 1909, Fall berated the president for his inaction on the statehood question at a banquet held in his honor at Albuquerque’s Alvarado Hotel. Both the president and the other guests were shocked at Fall’s effrontery, but Taft eventually signed the bill admitting New Mexico to the Union anyway.
In the Senate, Fall’s colleagues were impressed by his intellect but put off by his brusque personal style. With his walrus mustache, broadbrimmed Stetson hat, and everpresent cigar, he seemed to embody the truculent spirit of the Old West. He kept a six-shooter in his Senate desk and sometimes wore one under his coat. He admired Theodore Roosevelt but disagreed with most of TR’s progressive platform, particularly his conservationist ethic. In Fall’s view, the nation’s natural resources ought to be turned over to private enterprise to be exploited and developed with minimal government interference. That put him at odds with the progressive wing of the Republican Party but made him a good fit for the pro-business Harding administration.
Teapot Dome was an untapped oil reservoir on federal land in eastern Wyoming, named for an eroded sandstone outcrop that resembled a teapot. Along with two other oilfields in California, it had been withdrawn from the public domain and turned over to the Navy as a strategic reserve to fuel its ships, should a war or other national emergency cut off access to regular sources of oil. Early in his administration, Harding issued an executive order transferring control back to the Interior Department. The following year, Fall quietly leased the Teapot Dome reserve to an oilman named Harry Sinclair and awarded a permit to drill on the Elk Hills reserve in California to his former co-worker, Edward Doheny.
The entire story of Teapot Dome is far too complicated to relate here. Suffice it to say that while there was some justification for Fall’s actions, there were irregularities in the bidding process, and some regulations were sidestepped. Several newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, picked up the story. A Senate investigation followed, during which it was revealed that Sinclair and Doheny had made secret payments to Fall totaling $404,000, including $100,000 in cash, delivered by Doheny in a black leather bag. Fall was forced to resign.
Doheny claimed that the money was simply a loan to an old friend, but federal prosecutors thought otherwise. Fall went on trial for accepting a bribe in 1929, was convicted, sentenced to a year in federal prison, and fined $100,000. Doheny and Sinclair, tried separately for proffering the bribe, were acquitted.
After exhausting his appeals, Fall finally entered prison in July of 1931. Because of his failing health he was allowed to serve his time at the New Mexico State Penitentiary at Santa Fe. He was released after 9 ½ months, having spent the entire time as a patient in the prison hospital.
The Teapot Dome affair left Fall broken financially, physically, and spiritually. He was forced to sell his majestic 750,000-acre Three Rivers Ranch, near Tularosa and lived quietly in El Paso, Texas, for the rest of his life. He died there in 1944 at the age of 83.
For more information please contact us at: Phone: 505-848-3773
101 Hospital Loop N.E., Suite 209, Albuqueruqe, NM 87109 Email: albneuro@albneuro.com Website: www.albneuro.com
FREE MEMORY ASSESSMENT
Classifieds
HANDYMAN/YARD/ LANDSCAPE
Electrician
30 years’ experience. Licensed, Bonded, Insured. Senior rates apply. LIC # 350669 Call Peter @ 505 688-8520 Visit us at: currentsecurityandelectric.com
Handyman - Swamp cooler, winterized, electrical, plumbing, Water Heaters, carpentry. Affordable door and window replacement, bath and kitchen remodels. Free estimates. Call 463-4744.
PR Landscaping
Lawn care – Tree Trimming – Yard Work Reliable – Honest Call 319-8430 Please leave a message.
L’s Repair and Maintenance
Electrical/Plumbing/Swamp Coolers, Etc. 35 years experience JM License/Handyman
HELP WANTED
HOME INSTEAD needs you! We are hiring for all shifts and would love to add you to our team of amazing CAREGivers. We serve Albuquerque and surrounding areas. You can go online at homeinstead. com/144 or call 884-0353, ask for Kathy. We look forward to meeting you!
WEIGHT LOSS
Drop A Dress Size Now! No Gimmicks! ABQ LIPOLIGHT treatments are non-invasive, targeted fat reduction and body sculpting. We use the ONLY authorized and verified system in NM. AbqLipoLight.com Call Judy 505-710-5377
VOLUNTEERS
The City of Albuquerque Department of Senior Affairs RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) is recruiting volunteers 55 years of age and older for the following opportunities. For more information call 767-5225.
Senior Transportation Ride Coordinator
Answer phones, confirm ride requests and match rider and driver. (Coordinate rides). Enter information into the data base, complete rider intakes over the phone and mail packets. Volunteer must have good phone etiquette, patient, and be familiar with data entry. You must take an Abuse Awareness training class. 2-3 volunteers are needed 2.5 hours per day, 5 days per week. For more information call 767-5225.
CASA (City of Albuquerque Senior Affairs) Kitchen
Looking for volunteers to support a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen that prepares food for seniors in the community. Hours are anytime between 4:00a.m. – 12p.m, Monday through Friday. Participate in preparation and distribution of food. Follow proper procedures in handling of food, portion control, sanitation, nutritional requirements and safety procedures. Some food handling experience is preferable; however volunteers will be trained for areas of help where are needed. Most volunteer activities will involve food prep (slicing, dicing, serving, and packaging) and kitchen sanitation (wiping, sweeping, mopping and dish washing). Call the RSVP office at 505-767-5225 for more information.
The Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) Advisory Council
Needs members to join its efforts in promoting awareness and educating the community about FGP and senior issues. Council members advocate on behalf of FGP volunteers, evaluate the Program’s effectiveness, and assist in the recognition of Foster Grandparents by raising funds and in-kind resources. The Council currently meets once a month at the Barelas Senior Center. For more information call 767-6412.
Foster Grandparent
Program (FGP) is looking for volunteers age 55 and older who are interested in making a difference in a child’s life. Foster Grandparent volunteers must be willing to serve an average of 20 hours per week and must be able to pass a background check, physical, and tuberculosis test. Foster Grandparent volunteers serve one-on-one with children, working with them to build their social and emotional development as well as help improve their literacy skills. Volunteers receive mileage reimbursement, supplemental liability insurance, meals while on duty, pre-service and monthly trainings, and recognition throughout the year. Volunteers can also receive a small stipend if they meet the income guidelines. Call 7646412 for more information and to apply today.
Department of Senior Affairs
Home Services is looking for volunteers to assist with yard work, minor home repairs, painting, building of wheel chair ramps and modified steps. Experience in minor home repairs and yard cleaning the use of yard tools, shovels, rakes and painting preferred but not required. Days/hours are open depending on volunteer. Time commitment: M-F 7:30-3:00. On the job training will be provided.
Mileage reimbursement is available to RSVP volunteers.
RSVP is part of Senior Corps and is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). The purpose of RSVP is to recruit senior volunteers into public, government and non-profit organizations to meet community needs. For information on these and more volunteer opportunities call 767-5225.
