Spilman - Robert Bruce - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Manhattan, Kan. Nationalist: Judge Spilman died at his home in Manhattan Wednesday evening about 6 o’clock from apoplexy. He was down town in the afternoon and had a slight attack of what apparently seemed to be vertigo, falling in front of Mr. Higinbotham’s residence, but he soon recovered sufficiently to be taken home in a hack. No serious danger was feared, though the doctor was at once called to the house. Some time later, while sitting in his arm chair at his desk, and when the family was just ready to sit down to supper, he was asked if he would come too, but declined, remarking that he would, however, take one of the tablets of medicine which had been left by the doctor. As his daughter started in with the medicine Mrs. Spilman heard him gasp and as she reached his side he partially rose from his chair but tottered and fell to the floor beside her. Dr. Little, who lives just across the alley, was summoned, but death occurred before he reached the house. Other doctors were called at once, everything done to try and revive him, but to no avail, death had been instantaneous.

His sudden death comes as a terrible blow not alone to his community but to the state at large. A man widely known, honored, respected, looked up to wherever known, his death leaves empty a place never to be usurped in the hearts of his friends, a judicial vacancy which cannot easily be filled. Integrity, justice, benevolence, and ever abiding faith in all things good, a Christianity ever present, a man in fact who was a man, his character won him friends who now extend that fellowship to a bereaved and sorrowing family. Naught but good could be said of him. From first to last it was a life all might emulate; broad in its scope, high in its ideals, deep in that it delved to the bottom of all things and drew from men and life their best and purest. Among the men of his own profession he stood high. Judge Spilman and “absolute justice” were synonymous terms in his court.

Word was wired at once to the son, W. R. in Washington, who, with his wife will arrive home Saturday afternoon. - s

Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 21 October 1898