March 9, 1929

John Newton Tillman died in Fayetteville (Washington County). Tillman was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He represented the Third District of Arkansas, serving from 1915 to 1929. Previously, as a state senator, he was best known for his sponsorship of the Separate Coach Law of 1891, legislation that called for railroads to maintain “equal but separate and sufficient” passenger trains and waiting rooms throughout the state. In 1924, when he was running for reelection, he proclaimed himself a proud member of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).