Editor’s note: This story was originally published on Sept. 8, 2024.

A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.

On Sept. 8, 1935, Louisiana Sen. Huey P. Long was doing what Huey P. Long did in his heyday — running the state — when a gunshot rang out, followed by a volley of shots. When the dust settled, the controversial Democratic power boss of the South known as the “Kingfish,” was mortally wounded, while the man who shot him was dead on the floor of the Louisiana State Capitol building.

Long was 42. He had been elected governor at age 35 and became popular for abolishing the state’s poll tax. He was a political rival of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He distributed free textbooks to students and pushed for a tax on petroleum products to help fund socia

See Full Page