The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-16
LANKFORD
IS FOUND DEAD IN
BROOKLYN HOME
Vice President of Southern
Believed Accidentally
Asphyxiated-Suicide
Theory Discredited

New York. January 15.-Richard ID.
Lankford. n vice president and secre-
tars OF the Southern railroad, was
found dead from gas asphy xintion in
his bachelor apartments In firookIyn
today. The police and the coroner de-
cided he had committed suicide. but
later developments cast a doubt on this
theory.
Failure to establish a motive for the
suicide is mainly responsible for the EN-
2hatic assertion of his frienos, and Miss
Nellie Patterson, Brooklyn society gI
whom he was to have married Saturday
hat his death was accidental. Mr.. Lank-
ford was 46 years old
The body of Mr.. Lankford was founl
in the bathroom. a physician said life
had been extinct for several hours. A
pillow under the head. another pillow
en- the sill of the bathroom window and
a towel hanging over the doorknob are
said to have suggested suicide. Gas was
streaming from a jet and In the same
bracket an electric lamp was burning.
This has caused Mr.. Lankford frien IS
to believe the gas jet had been opened
accidentally by him while switching on
the electric light They also held that
Mr.. Lankford placed the pillow on the
window sill for the purpose of keeling out
the cold, and that the towel was hung
on the doorknob as a matter of cour. q
No note or anything was found to in
dicate Enthusiastically suicidal purpose
on MIR. Landlords part
In Best of Spirits
Mr.. Lankford called on Miss Patterson
last night Today the young swoman said
he lad been In the best of spirits. After
she had retired Mr. Landlord remained
In the house until about Ii o'clock, talk :.
ing to her brother and his wife. Miss
PATTERSON said that her fiance had CON-
med of stomach trouble and violen,
headaches. but never had given her to
understand the matter was serious. There
had been no disagreement between Mr..
Lankford and her, she said.
Mr.. Landlord was born in Princess
Anne, Md. From December l. 1892 to
May 81, 1894. he was cashier and treas
urer of the Broadway Railway company
of Brooklyn and in June of the latter
year became assistant secretary and later
secretary of the Southern railway He
was elected vice president and secre-
tary in September. 1910. He was known
as man of exemplary habits. He was
much given to keeping his own counsel
and none of his business associates an
pears to have known that he was to have.
been married Saturday.
At the coroners office tonight the opil-
ion was expressed. after careful investi-
cation into the circumstances that MIR.
Landlords death was accidental DR..
Lester D. Volk, physician to the coro.
ner. said he would so report.
The shocking news of the death in
Brooklyn of Richard ID. Lankford, vice
president of the Birmingham Terminal
company, secretary of the Alabama Great
Southern and Queen and Crescent rail-
reads and vice president and secretary
OF the Southern Railway company, was
of inexpressable regret in Birmingham
Yesterday. No details were received here
by local Southern railway men excepting
those conveyed by the Associated Press.
Mr. Lankford by reason of his official
connection with the Southern and other
interests in this city male frequent visits
here. His last was only recently, when
he came to attend the annual meeting of
the Alabama Great Southern railroad, OF
which he was secretary.
Widely Known Here
He was widely known here. His
acquaintance was not confined to
the railroad men, but in busi-
ness and social circles ne was well known
and popular. Personally he was a man of
unusual affability. and made friends cas-
fly. His approaching marriage was known
in Birmingham and plans were under way
not only to favor the couple with the Gus !.
tomary presents. but for several local Of
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