{"id":2147,"date":"2013-01-11T11:01:00","date_gmt":"2013-01-11T11:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/?p=2147"},"modified":"2015-01-08T17:30:59","modified_gmt":"2015-01-08T22:30:59","slug":"may-2-1932-the-trial-of-pittsburgh-mayor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/01\/11\/may-2-1932-the-trial-of-pittsburgh-mayor\/","title":{"rendered":"The trial of Pittsburgh Mayor Charles Kline"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"(Photo <\/a>
(Photo credit: Unknown) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

May 2, 1932:\u00a0<\/strong>The date stamped on the back of this picture suggests it was made during the first day of former Mayor Charles Kline\u2019s trial on charges of malfeasance. After his conviction, The Pittsburgh Press editorialized, \u201cThe little machine henchmen with their knowing smiles \u2026. now know that no political machine is all powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles Kline (he\u2019s the one smoking the cigarette) can be remembered for many things: He was a dapper dresser, and during his administration the skyline grew to include the Gulf Oil Tower, the Grant Building and the Koppers Building. He loved greeting famous people who visited the city. One day we\u2019ll post a collection of pictures of Kline welcoming notable folks \u2014 among them President Calvin Coolidge, Charles Lindbergh, Mary Astor, Richard Byrd and Gene Tunney. Kline also was the last Republican elected mayor of the city.<\/p>\n

But perhaps Kline is known best as the city\u2019s most corrupt politician. His trouble began with the purchase of a $1,350 rug he said would \u201cdignify the mayor\u2019s office.\u201d That purchase fueled a controversy that led to Kline\u2019s indictment in a purchasing scandal. Kline was sentenced to jail, but never served because of ill health. He died a few months after his conviction.<\/p>\n

The infamous Kline rug remained in the mayor\u2019s office, becoming threadbare over the years, until Sophie Masloff ordered it removed in 1992.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Charles Kline (he\u2019s the one smoking the cigarette) can be remembered for many things.<\/p>\n

Look at the picturesThe trial of Pittsburgh Mayor Charles Kline<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[947],"tags":[959,1275,1036,1037],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Screen-Shot-2014-12-17-at-12.04.12-AM.png?fit=1350%2C642&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1130,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/12\/16\/czar-of-pittsburgh-police\/","url_meta":{"origin":2147,"position":0},"title":"Czar of Pittsburgh Police","date":"December 16, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Nate Harper? No. Things used to be worse. Much worse.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/tumblr_mxtc1fPIB21rr5swxo2_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C930&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1237,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/11\/06\/the-last-republican-mayor-of-pittsburgh\/","url_meta":{"origin":2147,"position":1},"title":"The last Republican mayor of Pittsburgh","date":"November 6, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"The last time Pittsburgh had a Republican mayor was in 1933 and he served for only one year.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/tumblr_mvt8qqNVbe1rr5swxo4_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C1003&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":722,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2014\/04\/28\/pittsburghs-great-voting-scandal\/","url_meta":{"origin":2147,"position":2},"title":"Pittsburgh\u2019s great voting scandal","date":"April 28, 2014","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Padding of voter lists in the early 1930s was so widespread as to be laughable.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/tumblr_n4llqx6h3K1rr5swxo1_1280.jpg?fit=1080%2C844&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7293,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2017\/03\/15\/a-near-disaster-ends-in-a-moment-of-joy\/","url_meta":{"origin":2147,"position":3},"title":"A near disaster ends in a moment of joy","date":"March 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Ellen Kline was pregnant when a bank roof collapsed around her.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Digs.PNBRoofCollapse003.jpg?fit=1200%2C671&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6952,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2016\/09\/07\/a-short-history-of-the-liberty-bridge\/","url_meta":{"origin":2147,"position":4},"title":"A short history of the Liberty Bridge","date":"September 7, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"From the moment it opened to fireworks and a parade in 1928, the span has been a vital link for many motorists","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Web_LibertyBridge002.jpg?fit=1200%2C748&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9691,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2020\/01\/13\/9691\/","url_meta":{"origin":2147,"position":5},"title":"The life and death of Pittsburgh’s political brawler","date":"January 13, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"John J. 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