Today is the anniversary of the birth of the only nonconsecutive President. Grover Cleveland was born on March 18, 1837. Here is the most famous story about him.
The most famous story of Cleveland is the one about his fathering a child while a bachelor. In the official version, Maria Halpin was a loose woman who got pregnant and claimed Cleveland was the father. It could have been Grover, or any number of other men who she had slept with. Since Grover was the only bachelor in the suspects, he did the honorable thing and admitted he was the father and paid child support. When he ran for President, the Republicans tried to damage him by reviving the story and singing “Ma, Ma, where’s my pa? Going to the White House, ha, ha, ha!” Most of the public was forgiving and Cleveland won despite the scandal. Here’s the unofficial version. Cleveland had been wooing Maria, who was a respectful woman in Buffalo, when one night she invited him home and he forced himself on her. When she learned she was pregnant a few weeks later, she signed an affidavit claiming Cleveland was the father and that he had raped her. She said he had threatened to ruin her if she talked. When the story got out, Cleveland used his powers as sheriff to have the baby placed in an orphanage and Maria committed to an insane asylum. She was quickly released for the institute after an evaluation proved she was not insane. Her reputation was ruined, however. “Grover Cleveland, a Rapist President” vice.com
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