The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-04-20
HARVEY ]. SPEICHER IS
FOUND DEAD in HIS BED
Succumbs Suddenly Saturday
Morning at his Accident Home;
Death Due To Heart Attack
WAS FORMER LEGISLATOR

Harvey j. Speicher, State Sen.
ator from Garrett county from
1910 to 1922, and prominent far
mer and stockman of Accident
was found dead in his bed last
Saturday morning at his home
by his son Dwight. Death was
due to a heart attack.
Apparently he had been in his usual
health on the day previous to his
sudden death, having been in Oakland
the night previous on business. He had
been conducting weekly stock sales at
Accident for several months and had
been active in the cattle business as
well as in agricultural pursuits. His
death was thought to have occurred
about 2:30 o'clock Saturday morning
Mr.. Speicher was a son of the late
John P. and Catherine Speicher, was
born at Accident November 81, 1873
where he lived the entire sixty-five
years of his lifetime. He was one of
Garrett county's substantial taxpay-
ers. Mr.. Speicher has staged two I'M
successful comeback attempts for the
Republican nomination for the State
Senate-in 1884 and again last year,
and lost in the primary election by a
small margin both times. He was re-
Gently elected mayor of Accident.
During his term in the State Senate
he had held the balance of power dur
ing the battle for Nationwide prohibit
ton and cast the deciding vote which
made Maryland dry State. He was
an advocate of local option and a
measure sponsored by him in the SEN
ate and passed in both Houses of the
Legislature, provided for a referen-
dunn on the bill, which was adopted by
the voters prior Ito the prohibition era.
During his last eight years in the
Legislature he served as minority floor
leader, and during the life of the Gar
rett County Agricultural Fair Asso-
citation he was an interested partici-
pant and helper.
Mr.. Speicher was at one time the
second largest importer of full blooded
horses in the United States, and from
1901 to 1917 carried on thriving
business in this connection, making a
trip to Belgium in 1908 to do his buy
ing personally. He purchased many
purebred Belgian Percherons during
his sixteen years in this business.
Surviving are his widow, Mrs.
Emma (Gnagey) Speicher, Accident,
whom he married on May 9, 1897,
and five sons, Earl and Dwight, of Ac-
cident; Walter Speicher, an assistant
clerk of the Court, and DR.. Glenn
Speicher, both of Westminster; Ho-
bart Speicher, Grantsville; also by two
brothers, Henry M. Speicher, of Acct
dent, and J. Mahlon Speicher, of Nor
gantown, West Va, and seven grand
children.
Funeral services were conducted on
Monday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock from
St. PauPs Lutheran church, at Acct
dent, with the Rev. Mr. Kaufman, OF
Somerset, Pa, officiating. Interment
was in the cemetery of the Church OF
the Brethren at Accident, of which de-
nomination he was member.
Pallbearers We're Alva R. Martin,
Carl w. Frazee and Henry Smouse, of
Oakland; Mahlon Brenneman, w. ii.
Haenftling and Earl Coddington, of
Accident.
FIowerbearers and honorary pail
bearers included Newton Gies, A. j.
Richter, F. E. Spoerlein, E. H. Ault,
R. C. Turney, Walter Fratz, D. o.
King, Sherman Frazee, G. c. Goeh-
ringer, Harry Liston, F. P. Miller,
Harrison Kamp, George Weitzel, OF
Accident; Alex Frazee, Friendsville;
c. M. Railey, George Sebold, Nc
Henry; w. C. Welch, H. w. McComas,
Jr., Oakland; Clyde Shipley, Ray Tay-
Ior. Mt. Lake Park; Ed. Helbig, c. F.
Rollman, Deer Park; Ohio S. Fike,
Jesse Merrill, Avilton; John Pricharo'
Grantsville; John Dawkins, Bridge
port, W. Va; James Shoemaker, Will
liam Miller, L. C. Hawkins, Fairmont;
Ira Mahaffy, Terra Alta, W. Va.