The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-06-15
CONGRESSMAN WICKLIFFE ACCl-
DENTALLY KILLED.

| WILL oOl lo" ~
records deplorable and shocking
tragedy that has snuffed out the
life of one of Louisiana's most gilt
cd and promising young citizens,
Last Tuesday morning Hon. Robert
C. Wickliffe, member of congress
from this district, was run down
and instantly killed by the locomotive
! Of a freight train on the Southern
railway near the Potomac river III
the city Of Washington. After
breakfasting with his wife and Sis
ter Mr.. Wickliffe had walked through
Potomac Park to the river, .presuma-
bly, to ascertain the condition OF the
water with view of spending
part of the day fishing for BASS
sport of which he was very tono.
AS he climbed the steep railroad en-
bankment on the way back, a north
bound freight train was passing ana
he did not see or hear another tram
approaching from the opposite Oh
rection on the other track. Stepping
in front of the locomotive OF the
southbound train, he was struck ana
thrown with great violence against
signal apparatus box beside tne
track. The train was stopped as
. quickly as possible and the crew
picked I'D the lifeless body, finding
deep cash across the right SIDE
of the head, the right arm ana
right leg apparently broken and lie
extinct. The force OF the shock had
. .orn both the low-quarter shoes from
, the feet.
The news of the terrible accident
cast a pail of sadness and gloom
: ever the Capitol, where the talent
, cd and handsome young congress
man was universal faVorlte. IN
, ltne house of representatives his
> Gesk was draped with mourning en-
f bIems and his colleague, Gen. Albert
t Estopinal, was in the act OF offer.
: ing the customary resolution citing
: the death and calling for adjourn
S lnent in respect to the memory OF
e the departed member, when 1t was
d discovered that Mrs. Wickliffe, the
n victims lovely and devoted wife, had
d entered the gallery above, chattlns
a gaily with a friend and all uncon
G scious of the awful calamity tha'
e thad overtaken her. sympathetic
e friends fastened to impart the IN
Il formation as gently as possible ant
d did all in their power to soften the
NJ effects of the cruel blow.
J. The remains of. Mr.. Wickliffe, &C
i companied by the bereaVed family
rel we're taken to Louisville, KY. unde
f. the escort Of a congressional com
d 1nittee and laid to rest in Cave al
S Cemetery Thursday forenoon.
q. Robert Crepps Wickliffe was bor1
81 il Bardstown, KY, May /, 1874, Will
OIL his parents We're on a visit to rela
i tiyes. The home of the family wa
D. in West Feliciana parish, La, Wher
IS lie spent the most OF his lite, fe
10 |ceiving his earlier education in tn
s. public schools of St. FrancisVllie
I'd lie graduated from Centre College
a. Danville, KY, in 1895, entered IL
or lane law school and received his d
IN ploma as a lawyer IN 1897. He wa
49, elected to the constitutional CONVEX
no ton of 1898, being the youngest men
lis Der of that body; served in Compan
fl e, First Louisiana Regiment, durin
20 the Spanish-American war; was cleo
on ed district attorney OF the Fellclan
er district in 1900 and filled the otfic
IN with distinction four years; was elec
at ed to congress from the sixth LOUIS
ne ana district in 1908, reelected
nit 1910 and would doubtless have bee
Ter chosen for a third term this yea
an had he lived His father, the la'
Robert c. Wickliffe, Sr., was go
ial ernor of Louisiana i'll 1886, and
ho the same time his grandfather W.
ed governor of Kentucky. The co
he gressman's surviving wife was Mi;
rt. Lydia w. Cook of Louisville, Ky
ca whom he met in 1903 while servil
lis as best man at the wedding Of h
OF ikinsman, Gov. John Crepps WIG
MT life Beckham A little daughte
ing Brent Wickliffe, aged 4 years, is le
les with her mother, all unconscious
a ahe sad fate of the dcting father WI
md was the central figure Of the hapl
ing little family circle row SO cruel
inc 5ereft.
ty, In Ascension, as wherever else
he was known, Bob Wickliffe leaves