Thomas David Harp (1824–1900) was a California State senator representing Merced, Tuolumne and Stanislaus counties in the late 19th century.

Biography

Born on August 29, 1824, in Overton County, Tennessee, Harp was the son of Sampson Harp and Deborah Grace, who had ten children. The family moved from Johnson County, Arkansas, to San Joaquin County by 1860, and he became a pioneer farmer of the Modesto area, probably at Ceres. When he died on May 23, 1900, he left a widow, Elizabeth Henderson, and six children. He earlier was married to Margaret Jane Kittrelle. Harp was a member of the Masonic Stanislaus Lodge No. 206 in Modesto.[1][2][3][4]

Political career

Harp was nominated on August 28, 1890, by the Democratic convention of the 30th Senate District to represent Merced, Tuolumne and Stanislaus counties.[5]

The next year he came under suspicion of taking a bribe for his vote in "the division of Colusa County" and the creation of Glenn County. When the time came for him to testify before a San Francisco-based grand jury, "it was found that he was absent." Other witnesses, though, spoke against him, and he was indicted for malfeasance on October 30, 1891, but he quickly left the state for Missouri, and a bench warrant could not be served.[6][7][8]

Later it was reported that Harp was indicted by the grand jury "for bribery in connection with the bill for reassessment of the railroad company's property for the several years in which it escaped taxation by the decision declaring the assessment illegal." Senator W. H. Williams of San Francisco was also indicted.[9] The outcome of these indictments is not available. Harp did return from Missouri and was taking part in Senate activities in 1893.

References

  1. ↑ Genealogy Connections
  2. ↑ "Members of Stanislaus County 1882 [Free and Accepted Masons]". SFgenealogy.org. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  3. ↑ "Death of a Stanislaus Pioneer," San Francisco Chronicle, May 24, 1900, page 4 Library card required
  4. ↑ Evelyn Flood at RootsWeb.com
  5. ↑ "Senatorial Nomination," Los Angeles Times, August 29, 1890, page 4Library card required
  6. ↑ "The Grand Jury: A Democratic Senator Is Missing," San Francisco Chronicle, October 28, 1891 Library card required
  7. ↑ "The Grand Jury: Senator Harp Indicted for Malfeasance," San Francisco Chronicle, October 31, 1891, page 2 Library card required
  8. ↑ "The Missing Harp," San Francisco Chronicle, November 8, 1891, page 17 Library card required
  9. ↑ "Senator Harp: He Breaks His Bargain With His Partners," San Francisco Chronicle, November 12, 1891, page 4 Library card required
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