When The Press Was Murder – William Taulbee The Congressman Killed In The Capitol

Politicians complaining about the Press is nothing new. Reporters occasionally loathe the people they write about. But violence between politicians and reporters is, thankfully, rare. When Greg Gianforte, a 2016 Republican candidate for Congress, physically assaulted a reporter and then lied about it to police, it made national news. (The investigating sheriff, who had donated to Gianforte’s campaign, declined to prosecute him under a more serious charge. The Republican Party stood behind him, and the candidate was elected and seated.) However, in 1890, the hostility between a former Congressman, William Taulbee, and a reporter from Kentucky became so heated that the reporter shot and killed the Congressman. The murder occurred on the steps of the Capitol!

A Killing In The Capitol

William Taulbee, a large, strong congressman from Kentucky who was known as “The Mountain Orator,” was a popular and ambitious Democrat who had been a lawyer, a politician, and a businessman. His star seemed on the rise; he would likely have been reelected as often as he chose to run. However, Taulbee’s ambition got the better of him, and a reporter broke the story. A Louisville-based journalist, Charles Kincaid, reported that Congressman William Taulbee engaged in unethical acts and profited from his position. More shocking was his revelation that Taulbee was having an extramarital affair with a young woman employed by the Federal Government! Taulbee’s wife of over 17 years promptly left him. The voters and newspapers were united at the revelation that an important politician had cheated on his wife. William Taulbee decided not to seek reelection. Instead, he followed a practice all too familiar today: he stayed in Washington, DC, and became a lobbyist!

Former Congressman William Taulbee accepted no responsibility for his personal choices. He blamed the reporter Charles Kincaid for the loss of his marriage and political career. His anger became an obsession.

The two often crossed paths in D.C. The 6’2 Taulbee repeatedly berated the sickly 5’3 reporter. Sometimes, Taulbee would intentionally lay in wait for Kincaid, tripped him, hit him, and bullied him. As his hatred grew, Taulbee once threw Kincaid into a wall. Like Gianforte, his political friends helped him avoid any serious repercussions. Kincaid later said in a statement: “I am almost ashamed to acknowledge it, but he has assaulted me six times.” Taulbee again assaulted Kincaid on  Friday, February 28, 1890. A short time later, there was yet another confrontation. This time, Kincaid brought a gun. He shot former Congressman William Taulbee, who died on March 11.

A Verdict And A Stain

The shooting shocked the nation. Charles Kincaid was tried a year later for the murder. An excellent account of the trial can be found here. Several witnesses, including reporters and members of Congress, testified regarding Taulbee’s violence, threats, obsession, and bullying against Kincaid.

A jury deliberated for just a couple of hours and found Kincaid not guilty. They accepted his self-defense argument. Kincaid returned to Kentucky, earning praise for his excellence as a reporter. He held a position in state government and even served in the diplomatic corps. However, his health remained poor, and he died at age 51. Today, the ghost of former Congressman William Taulbee is reported to still haunt the U.S. Capitol building where he was shot. Although I do not believe in ghosts, William Taulbee’s presence is still visible in the Capitol. When he fell on the steps, bleeding profusely, his blood seeped into the marble. Despite the best efforts of the custodians, the marble was permanently stained! If you know where to look, you can still see the gruesome reminders of when anger between politicians and reporters (literally) spilled over.