Evening star., 1927-05-23
ROBERT 7. SMALL
| CLAIMED BY DEATH
Noted Newspaper Writer
Leaves Behind Record of
+ Exceptional Achievement.

Robert L. Small, nationally hiloN IL
newspaper writer, was round deau III
his room at the Arlington Hotel yes
terdav afternoon. He was 49 years
old Death was caused by acute dila'
tstion of the heart while he slept.
Mr., SmalIs body was found by
maid at about o'clock. He had been
dead about six hours, according TO
Coroner ]. Ramsay hewitt. who per.
formed an autopsy. breakfast hai
heon served in Mr.. Small's room about
8 o'clock and he was later seen in the
lobby Of the hotel. The maid entered
his room shortly before noon. and,ne
lieving him asleep, she left, Nneh sne
returned in the afternoon he was IN
the same position, and she reported
to II. II. Cummings. manager OF the
hotel. who summoned a physician.
The body was taken to Joseph CAV
ler's Sons funeral parlors. Mr.. Small
had recently returned from Honolulu
and was staying temporarily at the
Arlington. His home was at 3lCo Ca
thedral avenue.
Wins Wide Popularity.
Few men have gained the place that
Bob Small, as he was Familiarity
known to his colleagues from coast
to coast. held not only in the esteem
but the affection of the newspaper
world. He was personally popular as
were his writings. He could write
dispatch on nation;l politics which
would command attention and he
could stir the emotions of his readers
equally by a story of a prize nght or
a foot ball game or derby. he was
adept at personality sketches ana
could write a murder trial with the
fresh touch of a young reporter ana
all the maturity of veteran hardened
to the vicissitudes of crime news.
Wherever the big story happened
to be, there Bob Small went. He had
recently Travelled from coast to coast.
He was we'll known not alone in news
paper circles, but among public men
the country over.
Joined The Stars Staff.
After his boyhood days in Atlanta,
Bob Small came here to join the staff
of The Evening Star and made such
a splendid record that when he was
drafted by the Associated Press he
was given a gold watch by his CO.
workers on The Star. His first stories
to attract attention on the "A.P."
were his dispatches on the Haywood.
Moyer-Pettibone trial at Boise, Idaho.
Then he covered the Thaw trial in
1905, giving to the newspapers of the
country a vivid account of that sen.
sational episode.
When the American fleet departed
in 1907 for its cruise around the world
Bob Small wrote descriptive story
that brought praise from man~ an
editor, and the Associated Press troke
its rule Of anonymity and ustn his
name. He covered the Ballingtr-P Pin
chot investigation during the TAFT ad-
afctr nd fraVolad
with President Taft.
Goes to France.
In 1917 he became superintendent
Of the southern division of the Asso-
ciated Press: when the war broke out
was sent to the British front IN
France.
For many months he was the only
American correspondent at the Brit
ish headquarters. He Joined Gen.
Pershing when the latter landed in
1917. Later he became Washington
correspondent of the Philadelphia
Ledger, and his dispatches were sign
ed regularly for the first time. He
was special writer also for the Wash
ington Post for a brief interval. and
then in 1920 joined the staff of the
Consolidated Press Association, in
whose service he was until his death.
+hs eersTsh ma ager9cf II Associated
Press, said of Bob Small that he was
one of the first four or five graphic
writer's in America. He had an indi-
viduahty and smoothness of style
which gave his dispatches a wide ap'
peal.
For the last several years he was
special writer for the Consolidated
Press. His last trip was one of the
longest ever taken by a newspaper
man. He wrote of the Mississippi
flood, the Kentucky Derby, the Chap
lire divorce case, the Norris murder
trial in Texas, the Chicago election,
the Snydsr-Gray trial, the Sacco-Van-
zetti case and the Canadian liquor sit.
uation.
He is survived by his father, Rev.
Sam Small, noted evangelist, who lives
in Clarendon; his widow, who was
Miss Ethel Sigsbee, daughter of Ad-
miral Sigsbee; three daughters, Eliza
beth. Marjorie and Jean, and a
brother, Sam W. Small of Pasadena,
Calf.
Mrs. Small and the daughters are
in Honolulu on vacation trip.
Funeral Is Arranged.
Funeral services will be held at 2
nm. tomorrow at the Church Of the
New Jerusalem, Sixteenth and Coch-
ran streets. conducted by Rev. Paul
Dresser.
The pallbearers will be David Law
renee. Robert B. Mclean, Fl. r.
Baukhage. James L. Bray, Horace
Epee, c. G.. Marshall, Royal D. Mead
and w. H. Atkins.
Arrangements for the funeral were
made after an exchange of cahlegrams
with Mrs. Small ir Honolulu.