Evening star., 1937-02-03
PNEUMONIA FATAL
TO DICK PROBERT
c. & 0. Vice President For
mer Chief of A. P. Bureau
in Washington.

L. c. Probert, vice president OF the
Chesapeake g. Ohio Railroad, who
for many years was chief Of the
Washington Bureau Of the Associated
Press, died last night in Good
Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles.
Calf, it was learned through the
Associated Press.
Mr.. Probert was So years old. The
immediate cause of death was given
week ago with a throat infection
while on an annual business trip to
Los Angeles.
Born in Batavia, N. Y, Mr.. Probert
was employed as a day laborer, loco
motive fireman. engaged in engineer
ing and railroad construction and
then entered the newspaper business.
Returns to Railroads.
He resigned in 1927 as chief OF the
Washington Bureau of the Associated
Press to re-enter railroad activity and
was successfully vice president Of the
Erie Railroad, the Pere Marquette and
the Chesapeake g. Ohio.
There are no surviving relatives.
His wife died a year ago. H. O..
Bishop, general advertising agent for
the Chesapeake & Ohio, who accom-
panied Mr. Probert to Los Angeles,
said his body will be brought to WASH
ington for funeral services. His home
was at Homeland Farms. Olney. Nd.
He had offices here and in Cleveland.
Saw Mckinley Shot.
Mr.. Probert formerly was q reporter
on the Buffalo, N. Y. Express and
witnessed the assassination Of Presi-
dent Mckinley
known to hundreds of newspaper
men as Dick" Probert. his full name
was Lionel Charles Probert. He
married Miss Adelaide r. Tabor Of
Manlius, N. Y, in 1909.
Mr. Probert began with the Asso-
ciated Press in 1905, and was at its
New York Office before coming to
Washington. For some time after COM
ing here he covered" the Treasury
and Justice Departments and rapidly
developed a capacity as a specialist on
those runs. His unusual newspaper
ability was rapidly recognized. with
the result that in few years he was
named news editor of the Associated
Press Washington stafi.
When difficulties developed between
the United States and Mexico in 1913
IA and the United States feet was dis
patched to Mexico, Mr.. Probert was
sent there in charge Of the Associated
Press staff.
During the World War. while serving
as news editor in the Washington A.
P. office, Mr. Probert wrote many OF
the leads and principal stories on the
conflict overseas.
After the World War he was Sc
lected to 60 with President Wilson to
the Versailles Peace Conference. Dur
ing this trip he established close con-
facts with President Wilson. Also, out
of the trip grew a close personal
friendship between Mr.. Probert and
Admiral Cary T. Grayson. From 1918
to 1927 Mr.. Probert was chief Of the
Associated Press Bureau here.
Conference News.
During the Washington Armaments
Conference Mr.. Probert set up the
A. P. staff to handle the news Of the
conference. For many years he also
had served as Associated Press execu-
tive editor at the national political
conventions and improved the ef-
ficiency in the method Of handling
the news of the conventions. He wrote
many of the leads and main stories on
the conventions.
When q waiting world was watching
the returns from the Hughes Wilson
election, Mr.. Probert sat at q type
writer in an office in New York. As
the night wore on, papers all over the
country began conceding, in extra
editions. the election of Hughes. Papers
which depended on the A. P. service
began yelling for lead. Mr.. Probert,
however, sat tight. He wasn't sure,
and a lot depended on him. He did
not go ahead until he was sure. and
then he wrote the bulletin which told
the world that Wilson and not Hughes
was elected.
Mr.. Probert was member Of the
Lotus and Bankers Club Of New York,
the Union League Club Of Chicago.
the Athletic Club Of Detroit and the