William P. Taulbee

William Preston Taulbee (October 22, 1851 – March 11, 1890) was a U.S. representative from Kentucky.

Early life and education

Taulbee was a son of William Harrison Taulbee (1824–1905) and his wife, Mary Ann Wilson (1831–1916). Born near Mount Sterling, in Morgan County, Kentucky, Taulbee attended the common schools and was tutored by his father. He was ordained for the ministry and admitted to the Kentucky conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. He studied law and was elected clerk of the Magoffin County Court in 1878 and reelected in 1882.

Congress In 1884, Taulbee ran for a seat in the United States House of Representatives. He was elected as a Democrat and served two terms, winning re-election in 1886.

During his tenure, he became embroiled in a long-running dispute with a Kentucky journalist, Charles Kincaid, who wrote a series of articles accusing Taulbee of profiting from his congressional service. The relationship between the two men hit a breaking point in December 1887, when Kincaid published in the Louisville Times newspaper a salacious account of an affair the congressman was alleged to be having with a young government employee. The ensuing scandal led to Taulbee's decision not to seek another term. He left office in March 1889 and became a lobbyist, frequently visiting former colleagues in the Capitol Building. He was interred in the family burying ground near Mount Sterling, Kentucky. Blood stains from his wounds are still visible on the staircase in the Capitol Building where he was shot.