The Washington herald., 1912-06-12
ROBERT C. wICKLIFFE,
Representative from Louisiann,

Wickliffe. laughing. leant forward from
her chair in the gallery. By a mere
chance Representative Mckellar OF Ten
nessee recognized Mrs. WickIIae before
Representative Estopinal. had reached
that part OF his resolution which would,
in parliamentary phrase. have bluntly
informed Mrs. Wicklifte that she was q
widow. McKellar reached Gen. EstOp-
inal just in time to halt him in his read
ing. Mrs. wickliffo was still smiling
when, unconsciOusly, Gen. Estopinal
looked uD to where she sat
Representatives Heflin of Alabama and
Garner OF Texas hastened into the Mem
bers' gallery and quietly asked Mrs.
Wickliffe and her sister to come into
Speaker Clark's room. The request was
not unusual, as the close personal friend
ship between Speaker Clark and Repre-
sentative WicklIffe was matched by that
existing between Mrs. Wickliffe and the
Speakers wife and daughter, Miss Gene
We've Clark.
Told in Speakers Room.
In Speaker Clark's room the news was
broken to Mrs. wickliffe. Majority
Leader Oscar Underwood Of Alabama
had Joined the party, and later came
Miss Clark and Mrs. Cullop, wife OF Rep
resentative CulIop of Indiana. Mrs
Wickliffe rallied her strength and Sob
bed:
Il want to go hOme-I want to see my
baby"
She was taken to her apartment at the
Burlington. There the Speakers wife
Joined Mrs. Wickliffe. Mrs. Clark, Miss
Clark. and Mrs. Cullop remained with
Mrs. Wickliffe and Mrs. Hancock all yes
terday and till late last night
Alexander East. Representative Wick
liffe's secretary. told last night how he
thought Mr.. Wicklifte had ben killed. The
secretary said:
Mr.. Wickliffe was a great walker. He
always walked home in fine weather, gen.
orally with Representative Dupre or some
other member OF the Louisiana delega-
ton. and he often walked to his ofice
in the House Office Building, going often
through Potomac Park in a long detour
from his apartment at the Burlington.
He left his home about o'clock yes
terday morning, and 1 believe was on
his way to the ofice when he was
struck by the train. Mr.. Wickliffe was
somewhat deaf in his left ear, and
think that after he assembled the rail-
road embankment he heard the north
bound train, which was on his right.
but not the southbound, which was
bearing down upon him from his left"
Engineer Tells of Accident.
Engineman L NJ Watkins, Of South
ern train No. IS, which killed Mr..
Wickllffe, yesterday said he saw Mr.
Wicklihe on his track too late to avoid
running over him. He brought his train
to q stop on the railway bridge.
Engineman Watkins and other mem
bers Of the train crew picked UP Mr..
wicklife's body. There was a long,
deep cash in the head. and his right
arm and leg was broken.
Mr.. East was informed OF Mr.. Wick
lines death yesterday morning by Penn
sylvania. Railroad officials. They noti-
fed Mr.. East by telephone that a man
had been killed by a railway train on
whose body were telegraph franks, acci-
dent insurance cards, and other docu-
ments showing he was Mr.. wicblife.
Mr.. East, hardly able to believe his
friend and employer could have been the
victim, went to the Morgue with Ben
Prince. secretary to Representative
Henry OF Texas. They and several Con-
gressmen who had hastened thither
identified the body.
Mr.. East hurried back to the Capitol
and asked Speaker Clark to have Mrs.
Clark to break the news to Mrs. Wick
line. It was impossible, however, to
md Mrs. Wlckliffe, who had been shop
ping, and the plan set afoot by Mr.. East
had not been consummated when Rem
resentative Estopinal precipitated mat
ters by rising to offer the formal reso-
luton acquainting the House with the
loss OF the gentleman from Louisiana.
Ar. Rlckline's body will be taken from