The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1921-06-10
Suddenly Stricken While
There To Attend Com .
mittee Meeting.
NATIONAL CHARACTER
Advance In Business And Political
World Rapid; Much Dcvot-
ed To Friends.
by Everett c. Watkins.

by Everett Z. Watkins
Washington. June Col. A. T..
Hert, a man loved and honored by
thousands of friends is dead. His
death comes as a great shock TO
friends thruout the United States as
well as in his home state Of Ken
lucky.
Death came with such suddenness
that several friends who were with
him were still chuckling over one of
his good-natured jests when they
were startled to see him in the throes
of death. He turned pale, his eyes
closed, he breathed deeply, gasped
two or three times for breath and
was gone. Apoplexy was the cause.
The hour was AIS o'clock this after
noon.
At the time OF his death Colonel
Hert was reclining on bed in his
suite of rooms at the New Willard
Hotel. He had been indisposed but
there was no thought that death was
near. He was lying on his bed talk.
ing politics and matters relating to
tomorrow meeting of the Republic
can National Committee when he
died a gasp was the first warning
TO those with him, who included +.
T. Franks, former postmaster Of Ow-
ensboro. Ky; Gait Chiffon, of Louis
Vile. who made the trip here with
him, and two Kentucky congress
men, J. W Langley and J. NJ Robi-
son.
"As he gasped he rolled over on
the bed" said Mr.. Chiffon, land we
rushed to his assistance. There
was another gasp, and then he was
gone"
Death instantaneous.
DIR. Lyman Hexton, who had been
summoned to attend Mr.. Hert by Sen
ator Watson, of Indiana, earlier in
the day when the committeeman
complained of indigestion, arrived a
minute later for a second call. He
made an examination and stated that
death had been virtually instantan-
eous, tho he could make no positive
diagnosis of the cause. DR.. Sections
opinion was that it was either APP
poxley or pressure on the heart re-
sulting from acute Indigestion.
DR.. Sexton CHANGED to return to
the hotel after death had come. Ev-
en- had he been present, he said, at
the beginning of the stroke he would
have been helpless to save him.
Mrs. Hert was at once notified at
her home in Louisville, where she
was awaiting his return from the
colitical meeting. News Of the Re-
publican leaders death practically
halted all political conferences. The
President sent his secretary, George
b. Christian Jr,, to the Hert suite in
the New willard.
Cabinet members, senator's and
representatives, all of whom were
counted among "Tobe" Hert's friends
rushed to the hotel.
Body Arrives Tonight.
President Harding, Secretary of
Labor Davis, Attorney General
Daugherty, Postmaster General Hays,
Senator Ernst, Senator Watson of
Indiana, and scores of other Wash
ington friends of Colonel Hert to-
night sent messages of coincidence to
Mrs Hert. Mr.. Hert's body is being
conveyed TO Louisville in a special
car attached to the train leaving here
at 1925 a. m. The train will reach
Louisville at 1885 o'clock Wednes-
day night. Mr.. Chiffon and other
friends are accompanying the body.
Colonel Hert, who had come here
TO attend the meeting of the Repub-
lican National Committee tomorrow
and to vote for the election of John
T. Adams, of Iowa, as national chair
man to succeed Will Hays, was TAX
en- i'll on the train while EN- route
here from Louisville. He remained
In his berth, attended by his faith
full valet, George Lund, until short
Iy before the train reached here at
4:3O O'Clock yesterday afternoon.
Colonel Hert, however did not re-