On November 1, 1950, Puerto Rican pro-independence activists attempted to assassinate Harry Truman at the Blair House.

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A new spiked fence goes up in the White House compound before election day.

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105,114 views Premiered 12 hours ago THE WHITE HOUSE
Running around a bit today and to show you more election prepartions underway in Washington today, including a new heavily spiked fence going up in the White House complex, surrounding the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (where the President and Vice President's staff have offices). We also see Marine One depart, but barely saw Biden as he seemed to be in a hurry.

Attempted assassination of Harry S. Truman


Harry S. Truman

Location: Blair House, Washington, D.C., United States
Date: November 1, 1950; 74 years ago
Target: Harry S. Truman
Attack type: Attempted assassination, murder, shooting
Weapons: Walther P38, Luger pistol
Deaths: Leslie Coffelt, Griselio Torresola
Injured: Donald Birdzell, Oscar Collazo, Joseph Downs
Perpetrators: Oscar Collazo, Griselio Torresola
Motive: Discontent over the political status of Puerto Rico
Verdict: Collazo: Guilty on all counts
Convictions: Collazo: First degree murder, assault with intent to kill (2 counts)
Sentence: Collazo: Death; commuted to life imprisonment by Truman (released after 29 years)

On November 1, 1950, Puerto Rican pro-independence activists Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola attempted to assassinate President Harry S. Truman at the Blair House during the renovation of the White House. Both men were stopped before gaining entry to the house. Torresola mortally wounded White House Police officer Leslie Coffelt, who killed him in return fire. Secret Service agents wounded Collazo. Truman was upstairs in the house and not harmed.

Two days before the assassination attempt, Puerto Rican nationalists had attempted to overthrow the government of Puerto Rico. Uprisings occurred in many towns, including Jayuya where the two would-be assassins were born, and where their families still lived. In response, the U.S. Air Force bombed and strafed Jayuya, destroying it, and they bombed the neighboring town of Utuado. In acknowledgement of the issues related to Puerto Rico's status, Truman supported a 1952 plebiscite in Puerto Rico. 81.9% of votes were in favor of Puerto Rico continuing as a Free Associated State of the US. Collazo was convicted in federal court and sentenced to death, which Truman commuted to life in prison. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter commuted the sentence to the time served and Collazo was released.

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White House Policeman Leslie W. Coffelt

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Aftermath

President Truman and Secretary of State Dean Acheson asked Coffelt's widow, Cressie E. Coffelt, to go to Puerto Rico, where she received condolences from various Puerto Rican leaders and crowds. Cressie Coffelt responded with a speech absolving the island's people of blame for the acts of Collazo and Torresola.

Oscar Collazo was convicted in federal court and sentenced to death, which Truman commuted to a life sentence. While in prison, he gave an interview telling of his long devotion to the Nationalist Party and cause of Puerto Rican independence. When he was a young man in 1932, he heard Pedro Albizu Campos give a speech about American imperialism, saying that American research doctor Cornelius P. Rhoads had written an outrageous letter appearing to brag about killing Puerto Ricans in experiments.[ In 1979, President Jimmy Carter commuted the sentence of Collazo to the time served, and the former revolutionary was released. He returned to live in Puerto Rico, where he died in 1994.

At the time of the assassination attempt, the FBI arrested Collazo's wife, Rosa, on suspicion of having conspired with her husband in the plan. She spent eight months in federal prison but did not go to trial. Upon her release, Rosa continued to work with the Nationalist Party. She helped gather 100,000 signatures in an effort to save her husband from execution.

Acknowledging the importance of the question of Puerto Rico's status, Truman supported a plebiscite in Puerto Rico in 1952 on the new constitution to determine its relationship to the U.S. The people voted 81.9% in favor of continuing as a Free Associated State, as established in 1950.

In memory

Inside the Blair House, a plaque was installed to commemorate White House Police officer Leslie Coffelt. The day room for the U.S. Secret Service's Uniformed Division at the Blair House is named for Coffelt as well.

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