The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-02-10
COLONEL w. p. HEPBURN DIED
MONDAY.
Former Congressman From This
District Was a Prominent
Politician.

Former Congressman From This
District Was Prominent
Politician.
Colonel William P. Hepburn, form
er member of congress from this dis
trict, died at Clarinda Monday.
Colonel Hepburn was near death
last November, but after time raj
lied, and few weeks ago was so
much improved that he thought SER
iously of returning to Washington
to look after an extensive law prac-
tice which he acquired after leaving
congress.
About a week ago his condition
took a turn for the worse and since
that time he has lost ground steadily.
! Besides the widow, son and a
daughter survive him.
Colonel William p. Hepburn, al
| though twenty years in congress, be-
came best known throughout the
country during the Roosevelt admin
| istration. 1t was he who framed
what was later called the Hepburn
law, prohibiting rebate and discrim-
ination by railroads. AS chairman Of
the house committee on interstate
and foreign commerce in the first ses-
sion of the fifty-ninth congress he
was the author of three acts out Of
five, which the then president Roose-
welt afterwards declared would
cause that congress to be memorable
in history because of it's constructive
Legislation. OF the five acts, four
came from Colonel Hepburn's COM
mittee and three of them-the Hep
burn law, the pure food act and the
public health act-were framed by
Col. Hepburn himself.
Mr.. Hepburn represented the Stn
Iowa district. He was also an effici-
ent soldier and a lawyer of high repu-
tation. He was product of the
early pioneer days in Iowa and got
what little schooling he had in three
winters at an academy near Iowa
City. He was born in Columbiana
county, Ohio, November 4, 1888, re-
moving to Iowa City where his moth
er and step-father took up their resi-
dence on farm, when he was eight
years of age. After brief expert
ence in the schools the community
offorded he got employment in a
printing Office where he worked for
four years. Later he read law at
low a City and Chicago, being admit
ted to the Illinois bar in 1854. He
returned to Iowa in 1855, married
Miss Melvina A. MOrsemann, of Iowa
City and settled at Marshalltown.
When the civil war broke out Col.
Hepburn organized a company and
became it's captain. This company
went to the front in February, 1862,
as a part of the Second Iowa cavalry.
He was soon advanced to the rank of
ma jors ana In that position earned
distinction at the battle of Corinth.
Not long afterwards he was placed
on the staff of General Sheridan, and
in December of the same year be-
came lieutenant colonel and was
put in command of the Second Bri-
gade, Cavalry Division, 18th Army
Corps. He was later transferred to
other commands and served until the
close of the war.
Ir 1876, Col. Hepburn moved to
Clarinda, Iowa, which had since been
his home, except for part of the
TIME when he resided in Washington,
ID. G. He was elected to congress in
1880 and twice successfully thereaf-
ter. During the Harrison administra-
llOu AC "d0 6OAlOAIOA "a SuO tAOAouAy
department, which position he re-
signed March 4, 1898, to again enter
congress from his old district. He
was an unsuccessful candidate for
United States senator in 1888.
Col. Hepburn was thirteen times
the nominee of his party in the Sth
Iowa district, his first contest in 1880
being the most remarkable. The con-
vention was held at Council Bluffs
and Congressman Sapp had received
fifty-four votes-three less than
majority-without diminutlon 384
times. After a three days session
the convention took a recess of four
days. Its second session covered two
days and Col. Hepburn was nominat-
ed on the 3S5th ballot, receiving fif-
ty-nine votes. His twelve subsequent
nominations were practically unani-
nous. Two of them were by accla-
nation. During his career in con-
gress which ended March 4, 1909,
Col. Hepburn supported every mea
sure that became law looking to the
control of common carriers. Many
of these bills were introduced by him.