The Congressional Darwin Awards

The Congressional Research Service publishes a mountain of very useful information about the workings of Congress - as well as on key policy areas. OPEN CRS is one website where members of the public can access these excellent resources. That website is http://www.opencrs.com/

Occasionally you will discover a report which highlight some obscure, but fascinating, information. One such is 98-735 "Members of the US Congress Who Have Died of Other Than Natural Causes While in Office".

Amongst the tragic automobile and airplane accidents you will discover that Representative Wickliffe was "killed by a train while walking on a railroad track in Washington DC" - 3 were killed in duels (one by the Chief Justice of California and another by a fellow Representative), two died in (separate) steamboat explosions - and two died "presumably from the effects of food poisoning at the National Hotel in Washington DC".