One morning in other April 1990 , rangers at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site were walk past a show at the Old Orchard Museum when they acknowledge that something was amiss . The display contained Theodore Roosevelt ’s uniform from his time with the Rough Riders in the Spanish - American War , as well as his Colt Model 1895 .38 quality double - action revolver .
Or at least , the gunshouldhave been there . But … it was n’t .
That ’s Jake Rossen , senior faculty author at Mental Floss .
This particular gun had a fascinating story , even before it landed in TR ’s deal . It was cook up in Hartford , Connecticut , in March 1895 , and was sell to the U.S. governing , after which it ended up on the battleshipMaine , as ship dimension . It was still on display board on February 15 , 1898 , when the ship exploded in Havana , Cuba . Hundreds of human beings lost their lives in the blast , which was blamed on the Spanish and helped to push America into the war .
The gun may have remained in a washy grave if not for TR ’s crony - in - law , William S. Cowles , who was one of the command officers sent to Cuba after the blowup as salvage divers bring up what they could from the wreck .
When the Spanish - American War broke out in 1898 , TR quit his job as assistant secretary of the Navy , sign up to fight , and shipped out to Cuba with his volunteer regiment . With him was the blueish - barreled Colt with the checkered Mrs. Henry Wood handgrip . Roosevelt used the arm in the Battle of San Juan Heights .
finally , the gun was inscribed . On one side , it take “ From the sunken battle ship Maine . ” and on the other , “ July 1st 1898 , San Juan , Carried and used by Col . Theodore Roosevelt . ”
Which brings us back to where we started : The empty display type at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site . I ’m your boniface , Erin McCarthy , and in this incentive episode ofHistory Vs . , we ’re survive to explore this unknown news report , which I first base out about when I visited Sagamore Hill for the podcast . I know immediately that we had to write about it , so I put Jake on the case .
In fact , as one national common employee explain it to us , “ The type could be lifted and the lock just pop open . ”
With museum employee ruled out , and a security measure system being installed in the museum , the FBI began move to gun shows and approach gun dealers to see if they had crossed itinerary with someone trying to sell the Colt . But they were n’t inevitably optimistic about finding the gun that style . The artillery was really distinctive , and therefore arduous to sell .
Which is n’t to say that the FBI did n’t get tips . They actually got atonof them . In the time before the internet , they would get phone calls . When email came about , they got emails . And sometimes , the lead-in would be deserving looking into .
But , 15 year after the gun move missing , there was finally a break in the case — one that may have been made possible by a divorcement .
We ’ll be right back .
More than 15 year after Theodore Roosevelt ’s Colt Revolver go miss from the Old Orchard Museum at Sagamore Hill , one of the park rangers start receiving phone birdcall from a man who sound out he know where the gun was .
That was n’t needfully unusual — they had gotten many similar vociferation before . Whatwasunusual was that the man kept calling . He would n’t give his name , but he enjoin he have a go at it where the gas pedal was — that he ’d seen it wrap up in a sweatshirt . He was capable to line its engravings . He sound out that he want it returned to the museum — but he did n’t want to get anyone in worry .
The gentleman who had been calling was diagnose Andy , and he lived in Florida .
The FBI approached Andy and asked him to retrieve the hit man from his lady friend .
The accelerator pedal was retrieve and authenticate , and in 2006—16 old age after it disappeared — it was returned to Sagamore Hill . Eventually , it take its position back in a subject in the museum , one that was now much more unattackable .
As for the humans who took the gun — we’ll call him Anthony T. He was charged with violation thieving , which perhaps feels like a light sentence for someone who take something that belonged to a former chairwoman .
Though the gun is back where it belong , question still mess about . No one seems to live why Anthony took the gun , although investigators have posited that it was an impulsive act .
The chairperson who sign the American Antiquities Act into law ? Theodore Roosevelt .
We ’ll be back in a couple of weeks with another bonus episode ofHistory Vs .
Credits
chronicle Vs.is hosted by me , Erin McCarthy . This episode was publish by me , with fact checking by Austin Thompson .
The executive producer are Erin McCarthy , Julie Douglas , and Tyler Klang . The supervising producer is Dylan Fagan . The show is edited by Dylan Fagan and Lowell Brillante . If you want to encounter out more about this installment , and Theodore Roosevelt , chit-chat MentalFloss.com/historyvs .
History Vs.is a production of iHeartRadio and Mental Floss .
