Jesse W. Smith

"Nobody else knew what he [Smith] knew and with him dead there was nobody to tell the story – so Jesse Smith was murdered," said Senator Heflin, initially.

Smith's links with members of the Harding administration, including First Lady Florence Harding, have been documented by Carl Sferrazza Anthony, in his Florence Harding: the First Lady, the Jazz Age, and the Death of America's Most Scandalous President, New York: W. Morrow & Co., 1998

Jesse W. "Jess" Smith (1871 – May 30, 1923) was a member of President Warren G. Harding's Ohio Gang. He was born and raised in Washington Court House, Ohio, where he became a friend of Harry M. Daugherty. There, Daugherty helped him to become the successful owner of a department store. Smith became Daugherty's gofer during the 1920 campaign.

On May 30, 1923, Smith died of a gunshot wound, and was found with a pistol at his side. His death was pronounced a suicide, but Alabama Senator James Thomas Heflin alleged otherwise, first at an investigatory hearing and later from the floor of the United States Senate.

You know Secretary Mellon loaned the Republican National Committee $5,000,000 in 1920. Only $3,000,000 has been repaid. There is a deficit of $2,000,000. Jess Smith was charged with getting that money. The plan was to have the liquor men and the breweries contribute to this fund....

Smith's activities (it's said he sold bonded liquor to bootleggers, and was associated with a house at 1625 K Street, later to become notorious as the Little Green House on K Street) became an embarrassment to Harding and Daugherty as the Teapot Dome scandal focused increased scrutiny on Harding and his supporters. Before leaving for Alaska, Harding told Daugherty he wanted Smith out of Washington.