A new governor was going to be sworn in. The House chamber was filled with state officials. Spectators had jammed the gallery. Each man was in his place and the ceremony was due to start. But it didn’t. There was a flurry at the activity at the front of the chamber and then everybody just sat. It would turn out to be the longest ceremony on record to inaugurate a governor. As it turned out, this governor would serve the shortest term on record in Missouri.
Trusten Polk was to be sworn in that day. But just as the ceremony was to begin somebody realized there was no Bible to be used for taking the oath. While spectators sat a search was going on. But there didn’t seem to be a single Bible in the entire capitol!

AOWM – May 29