The Columbus Dispatch, Saturday 5 Feb 1955, p3 DAUGHERTY Daugherty, Vet Newsman Dies at 69 Horace Hilbern (Doc) Daugherty, 146 Tibet R., who covered the Ohio Capitol for the Associated Press for more than three decades, died Friday in White Cross Hospital. He was 69. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Southwick funeral home, 3100 N. High St. Burial will be in Greenlawn Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home between 7 and 9 p.m. Saturday and 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Daugherty entered the hospital Jan. 22, but previously had undergone a series of operations for an abdominal ailment. His heart began to fail last Wednesday after several days of serious illness. At the time of his death, Daugherty, who retired in 1951, was public relations officer in the Ohio Attorney General's office. Once a school teacher in Jackson County, Daugherty covered every major political development in Ohio during almost 34 years with the Associated Press. He started reporting Statehouse news with the inauguration of Gov. James M. Cox in 1913. One time prior to his retirement, Jan, 10, 1951, it was estimated more than two million words on Ohio politics and government had poured from his typewriter. His enthusiasm for his work remained throughout his career, and until he retired Daugherty continued to race younger members of the State House press corps to the telephone to report fast-breaking news developments. He was well liked by a long line of state officials for his sense of humor, a quality that won him many news breaks. With his wit and salty way of talking, Doc made a good humorist and satirist. He could see through a false pretense immediately. Considered the best "cinch" or "high-low-Jack-and-the-game" player in the capitol press corps, Doc could tell by the feel of the cards how to play his hand. He always said he learned his tactics in "Whaleytown and when I say Whaleytown any- body ought to know what that means" Nobody ever found Whaleytown on the map. He was a crafty reporter who handled well any situation which arose. When he went to Marion, Ohio, after the death of Warren G. Harding, the inns were crowded and turning customers away. Doc Walked into on inn and announced with authority "my name is Daugherty." The inn keeper found him a room because he thought he was the brother of the then U.S. attorney general and the man who made Harding president, Harry Daugherty. "Doc" was called by attorneys "Judge Daugherty." As such, he was reversed only once by the Ohio Supreme Court, said the House of Representatives in a special tribute. That happened on a hot summer day when Doc walked into the Supreme Court's hal- lowed chambers without his coat. The jurists told him to excuse himself until he was properly attired with a coat. Doc's family first named him "Horace Hill-born" which was later modified to Hil- lbern. It should have remained "Hill-born." Many claimed, for he had many of the qualities of those hills in him. In 1949, when the veteran newsman was in White Cross Hospital as a result of an operation, Gov. Frank J. Lausche moved one of his usual morning press conferences from the Governor's office to Daugherty's room at the hospital. Daugherty was born on a Jackson County hill farm, Jan. 19, 1886. He attended coun- try school and for a few terms while teaching school, Rio Grande College. His entry into newspaper work was with the semi-weekly Jackson Sun. After two years with the Sun, he worked for the Ironton Star until it ceased publication. He returned to teaching for a few months, becoming principal of the Coaltown, Ohio, school, but resigned to take a job as courthouse reporter for the Ports- mouth Times. He joined the Ohio State Journal in 1911 and later became the Columbus correspon- dent for the Cleveland Leader, remaining on the job until the Leader was acquired by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Daugherty remained in Columbus as correspondent for the Cleveland News until 1917 when he joined the Associated Press. Except for a few months in 1928 when he served as head of the Columbus bureau, Daugherty covered the statehouse continuously for the Associated Press until his retirement. Daugherty often said he never figured out why he was nicknamed "Doc." He served for many years as president of the Ohio Legislative Correspondents As- sociation, an organization of newsmen who cover the Legislature. When he retired in 1951, the association made him an honorary member, and he was a frequent vis- itor to the statehouse press room to chat with "the gang." Daugherty was married to Marie Smith in 1913. they have two daughters, Mrs. James R. (Merry) Richards of Pacific Palisades, Calif., and Mrs. William Kumler of West Los Angeles, Calif., a son, Sam P. Daugherty of Columbus and four grandchildren. Active pallbearers named for Mr. Daugherty are William E. Herron, Roger Turrel, Ralph Mahaffey, Hugh Wait, Larry H. Snyder, and Everett Krueger, all of the at- torney general's office. Honorary pallbearers include: Brady Black, Hal W. Conefry, Richard A. Forster, Malcolm H. Galbraith, Burdette T. Johns, Gov. Frank J. Lausche, J. A. Meckstroth, Attorney General C. William O'Neill, Alvin Silverman, Don M. Strouse and Robert L. Vincent. Obituary transcribed by Shannon Byers shanifaye@gmail.com