and receives 148,000 votes or about 1.9 percent of the total number of votes cast in the 1904 election, which is easily won by the incumbent Roosevelt.

   
   National Prohibition Party Convention [detail, L.O.C. archives]

Swallow was a Methodist minister from Pennsylvania, a long-time Prohibitionist Party member, an abolitionist who fought in the Civil War, favored reform of the divorce laws and tougher laws against prostitution, and died in 1930 at the age of 91.  He is buried in Harrisburg.  My former colleague M-J K wanted to make sure I included these salient biographical details because of the way she thinks they "so closely tie him into that curious pattern of relationships, coincidences and correlations" revealed by my investigations in these pages.  She's also keen to see what I do with the Socialist candidate Eugene V. Debs and the Populist Tom Watson, but alas, these gentlemen will have to wait.

For meanwhile in other Pennsylvania news -- as some of you know I am a 'native son' hailing from the (less affluent) western half, although I have also done time in Ohio and other ports of call in the American Midwest -- I am indebted to my fellow bibliophile and sleuth JC for bringing to my attention recent developments in the Case of the Dead Pennsylvania Porn Producer [See my previous post for 8/27/2007 "The Return of Sherlock Holmes"].  Having read the investigative reportage in the September 20th issue of Rolling Stone and the October issue of OUT Magazine, currently on the stands, I can only say to you, Gentle Reader, pick up both and judge for yourself.  JC feels the (ostensibly) straight R.S. goes too easy on the young porn star at the vortex of the case, whereas (the openly gay publication) OUT focuses its "exclusive" look at the "much broader web of intrigue" posed by those who prowl the Internet (oh my!): 

"I met Joe on Yahoo in a chat room," (one of the accused) Harlow says (of his co-defendent, former partner and lover, Joe). "I think it was a straight chat room.  Probably talking about skateboarding.  Joe spams the room, Looking for a hook up, and I'm like, Yeah!" 

Well now, we've all been there, done that, haven't we.

As that truck stop waitress once cautioned me, refilling my coffee cup while I read from a battered edition of Valley of the Dolls -- "Look out!  Hot Stuff!" And even if she was addressing my truck driving companion, meaning me instead of my reading material [Ed. Note: you never know with the off-hand remarks of waitresses, and I have to admit I was pretty damn cute back in the Ride-My-Bike-Up-to-the-Truck-Stop Days]... in any event, this sordid tale of betrayal, greed, delusion, and porn stars is not for the faint of heart, so be forewarned.  Hot stuff indeed!

 Sean Lockhart, nom de porn Brent Corrigan, formerly exclusive performer to Cobra Video, a pornography film company founded in Dallas Township, PA by the late Bryan Kocis.  [Photo detail from the illustration accompanying the Wikipedia article on Sean/Brent, image released to the public domain.]

Some of you, including my dear friend JC who has been so generous with his insights into the criminal mind, may be interested to know that a website has been set up to raise money for the defense of one of the accused, the half-German, half-Cuban, former male escort, ex-Navy man Harlow, selling FREE HARLOW teddy bears, tote bags and thongs.  I refer you to the articles above for more details.  And please note that I can neither endore nor lend my name (nor financial assistance) to any activity, cause or individual, lest matters of money, property and prestige divert me from my primary purpose.  Much as some of you would like to divert me, alas, I know how badly these things can turn out.  So no more defense fund contributions.  No more accepting collect calls from correctional facilities.  No more using influence on jurors.  And no more paying for airline tickets to or from places outside the contiguous 48 states either.  Sorry.

There are limits to what one heart can bear.