Horace Worth Vaughan

Horace Worth Vaughan (December 2, 1867 – November 10, 1922) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician. He represented Texas in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. In 1915, he received an appointment as assistant Attorney General in the Territory of Hawaii, where he lived the rest of his life.

Horace Worth Vaughan
U.S. District Court
In office 1916–1922
Preceded by	Sanford B. Dole
Member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas's 1st district
In office March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1915
Preceded by	John Morris Sheppard
Succeeded by	Eugene Black
Member of the Texas State Senate
In office 1910–1912
District Attorney
In office 1906–1910
City Attorney Texarkana, Texas
In office 1891–1888
Personal details
Born	December 2, 1867 Marion County, Texas, U.S.
Died	November 10, 1922 (aged 54) Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, U.S.
Resting place	Oahu Cemetery
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Pearl Lockett
Children	Robert Louis Aileen Jean

Early life

Vaughan was born to attorney George T. and Tippah Leary Vaughan, on December 2, 1867 in Marion County, Texas.[1] He was of English ancestry, descended from early Jamestown, Virginia settler John Vaughn. He married Pearl Lockett in 1888. They were the parents of Aileen, Robert Louis and Jean.[2]

Vaughn was mostly self-taught, by reading his father's books. He was admitted to the bar in 1885, and began an active practice the next year.[2]

Legislative career

Texas

From 1890 to 1898 he was city attorney for Texarkana, Texas.[3] From 1910 until 1912 he was a member of the Texas State Senate and in the United States House of Representatives from 1913 to 1915.

Hawaii

Vaughan moved to Honolulu in the Territory of Hawaii and became assistant United States district attorney on October 1, 1915. By December 22, 1915, he was promoted to United States district attorney, and after the retirement of Sanford B. Dole. He was appointed by Woodrow Wilson as judge of the territorial United States District Court for the District of Hawaii on May 15, 1916.[4]

Vaughan was a political supporter of Woodrow Wilson and advocated states to pass prohibition, which he opposed at a national level because he believed that it would violate states rights.

Personal life and death

Vaughan married Pearl Lockett on November 21, 1888. The couple had three children.

Their only son US Navy Lt. Robert Louis Vaughan (1892–1920) died in a plane crash related to his military service. Believed to be despondent over the death of his son, Horace Vaughan was found on November 10, 1922 in his Honolulu home with a bullet wound to his neck and a gun by his side, an apparent suicide.[5][6] He was buried in Oahu Cemetery.[3] Pearl Vaughan died in 1960.

Oldest daughter Aileen V. Eppler (1890–1976) was the wife of Texas financial consultant William E. Eppler. At some point, the Eppler family moved to New Jersey where Aileen died at age 85.[7]

Their daughter Jean Vaughan Gilbert (1904–1975) was one of the first women lawyers in Hawaii, and became city attorney of Honolulu. She died in 1975 in Honolulu.[8]

Fraternal memberships

• Freemasons
• Odd Fellows
• Woodmen of the World

References

1. Harper Jr., Cecil. "Horace Worth Vaughan". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
2. Siddall, John William (1917). Men of Hawaii: being a biographical reference library, complete and authentic, of the men of note and substantial achievement in the Hawaiian Islands: volume 2. Honolulu Star-Bulletin. p. 391. Retrieved January 1, 2018 – via HathiTrust.
3. Ben R. Guttery (March 2, 2008). Representing Texas. p. 153. ISBN 978-1-4196-7884-4.
4. Elizabeth H. Ryan, ed. (1918). Reports of causes determined in the United States District court for the district of Hawaii. Hawaiian Gazette company. p. iii.
5. "Former U. S. Judge Suicide in Hawaii". The Washington Herald. November 11, 1922. pp. 5, col. 5. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
6. "Federal Judge Dead". Associated Press. November 11, 1922.
7. "Aleen V. Eppier, Judge's Daughter". Bernardsville News – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . January 8, 1976. p. 6, col. 4. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
8. Bambi E. Weil (September 1992). "Jean Vaughan Gilbert". In Mari J. Matsuda (ed.). Called from within: early women lawyers of Hawaiʻi. University of Hawaii Press. pp. 86–104. ISBN 978-0-8248-1448-9.

External links

• United States Congress. "Horace Worth Vaughan (id: V000075)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Vaughan, Horace Worth from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Horace W. Vaughan at Find a Grave