Denhardt, Henry H., 1876-1937.

Born in Bowling Green in 1876, Henry H. Denhardt was a lawyer, soldier, and politician. After earning a law degree from Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee, Denhardt returned to Bowling Green and served as a prosecuting attorney and later as judge. In 1916, Denhardt joined General John J. Pershing's expedition into Mexico, and two years later, he fought on the western front in World War I, earning commendations for valor and a promotion to lieutenant colonel. Continuing his military career in the Kentucky National Guard, Denhardt attained the rank of brigadier general. In 1923, he entered politics and was elected as lieutenant governor, serving for four years under Governor William J. Fields. Denhardt unsuccessfully ran for governor in 1927 and returned to Bowling Green, while staying involved in local politics. On election day in 1930, a political rival shot Denhardt in the back at a polling place. After his recovery, Denhardt served a four-year term as Kentucky's Adjutant General. When his term ended in 1935, Denhardt retired to his farm in Oldham County and began a romantic relationship with Verna Taylor, a La Grange widow. In November 1936, Taylor was found on a country road, dead from a gunshot wound. Denhardt was suspected of her murder, and a trial ended in a hung jury. In the spring of 1937, on the night before the second trial was to begin, Taylor's three brothers killed Denhardt on the streets of Shelbyville. Their trial ended with an acquittal.