Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1920-03-04
! H. BANKHEAD
OF ALA. DEAD
Was the Oldest Member of the
United States Senate and
Best Known.

Washington, Mar. SENATOR Joni'
Bankhead died here today after an III
ness of several weeks from la gripne:
Senator Bankhead was II years OLD
and a member of the Senate since
1907. He had been in feeble heaith
for months, and had been confined TO
his bed for nearly month. his con-
dition had not been considered serious
however, and until yesterday his pny-
sicians had reported steady improve
ment. A.,
Senator Underwood, Democrat. Ala
hama. announced to the Senate the
death of his colleague. Declaring that
Senator Bankhead had been the Tore
most figure in the senate OF Alabama
for a quarter of century" ne euiog-
| lied the dead statesman as one whose
career had been marked by sterling
character, probably and devotion TO
duty and said that his death removed
from the Senate the last member OF
that body who had served in the army
of the Confederacy. =,
The removal of Senator Bankhead,s
body to his home in Jasper, Ala, Will
be in charge of the sergeant at arms
Of the Senate, accompanied by dele
CATION of nine senators. :.
Senator Bankhead was appointed
to fill the vacancy left by the death OF
Senator J. r. Morgan, and was re-
elected in 1911 and 1918. His term
would have ended March 8, 1925.
Born at Moscow, near Sulhgent,
Ala. in 1912, Mr.. Bankhead had serv-
ed in the Alabama general assembly
during the sessions of 1865-68. Prior
to that he served four years in the
Confederate army as captain OF the
10Th Alabama volunteers and during
the war was wounded three times. He
again served in the state legislature
as a member of the Senate, 1876-77
and as a member of the House OF
Representatives 1880-81. From 1881
to 1885 he was warden of the Alaba-
ma state penitentiary.
Senator Bankhead's career in Con-
gress began in December 1887, when
he was sworn in as representative
in the fftieth Congress. He served as
a member of the national House OF
Representatives continuously for ten
years. In 1907 he was appointed
member of the inland waterways
committee.
During his long career in Washing
ton Senator Bankhead was leader
in the work of the committees on
Ipublic buildings and rivers and harbors
and was author of the law for federal
aid to post roads. The Bankhead
highway to run from Washington to
Los Angeles, Calf, is named for
him.
Senator Bankhead married Mis-
Tallulah Brockman, of Greenville, s.
c., in 1866. A son, William Brock
man Bankhead, now represents the
tenth Alabama district in Congress.
Senator Bankhead at IT was the
oldest man in the Senate. A delega-
tion of good roads enthusiasts rep
resenting several southern states
came up to visit him several weeks
ago at his invitation, to help arrange
| for the annual convention of the I'm
| tied States Good Roads Association
at Hot Springs, Ark. In spite of in
clement weather at the capital, Sen
ator Bankhead insisted upon making
series of calls to the White House
and other points in official Washing
ton helping out their mission.
A slight cold, contracted during his
journeying about, grew worse, but his
condition was not considered serious
by his family or official associates,
and he was considered well on the
road to recovery. His heart, how
ever, weakened by the strain, and age,
gave way today, and he died at p.
NJ, with unexpected weakness.