Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2016 September 14

= September 14 =

Information on famous one-legged trick cyclist?
Hi people. About 10 years back I asked here whether anyone had any information on a Charles G. Kilpatrick, a one-legged trick cyclist who was internationally famous in the early 20th century. To show that I am nothing if not tenacious, I'm still looking. What I would love is an obituary on Kilpatrick, who I think died on 30 September 1927, that comes from behind a paywall, as I am confident I've found everything freely available on Kilpatrick.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated: note that Charles Kilpatrick (athlete) is a different person, who had one more leg than the Charles Kilpatrick I am researching. Thanks! --Roisterer (talk) 09:54, 14 September 2016 (UTC)
 * Typing "one legged cyclist kilpatrick" into Google was rather fruitful. These were the first four book results:    .  Maybe following this strand you can find more.  -- Jayron 32 12:45, 14 September 2016 (UTC)
 * Thanks but already found them. As mentioned, I'm confident I've found everything freely available on the net on Kilpatrick. Surely though there's got to be an obit somewhere behind a paywall ... --Roisterer (talk) 14:02, 14 September 2016 (UTC)
 * On ancestry.com, a pay site, I'm seeing this from the Illinois deaths list:
 * Name: Charles G. Kilpatrick
 * Father: James D. Kilpatrick
 * Mother: Mary E. Cole
 * Birth: 11 Sep 1869 - Danville, Vermilion, Illinois
 * Death: 30 Sep 1927 - Danville, Vermilion, Illinois
 * Occupation: Insurance salesman
 * Does this mesh with what you know? ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 01:32, 15 September 2016 (UTC)


 * However, I also found this Charles G. Kilpatrick, complete with a circus poster depicting him riding a bicycle with his one good leg (the other being a stump above the knee). Parents are the same as above, so it must be the same guy with a birthdate discrepancy (not at all uncommon in that era):
 * Birth: 17 Aug 1867 - Danville, Vermilion, Illinois, USA
 * Death: 30 Sep 1927 - Danville, Vermilion, Illinois, USA
 * This one also has a minimalistic Findagrave entry. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 01:41, 15 September 2016 (UTC)


 * Thanks: Yes, I've got 11 September 1869 - 30 September 1927 with Danville as place of birth and death, and while insurance salesman was by far the most boring job he ever had, he specialized in selling insurance to circus people and the like. It's odd that I find papers following his career up to almost his death but nothing resembling an obituary. --Roisterer (talk) 23:34, 15 September 2016 (UTC)
 * With a known death date and place, you might want to contact the Danville library and see if they have archives of their local newspapers. And given how long ago it was, you might be able to obtain a death certificate. I also recommend that you contact the cemetery and see if they have more details than what the Findagrave user posted. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 23:53, 15 September 2016 (UTC)


 * I've searched through the couple of newspaper archives I have access to and came up the same. Quite a few articles on him from the 1890s and 1900s but nothing past 1908. Maybe he used a different name later in life? You could also ask at WikiProject Resource Exchange/Resource Request. clpo13(talk) 00:01, 16 September 2016 (UTC)
 * Thanks. I've got a reference from an Australian newspaper in 1926 that refers to him as Charles Kilpatrick (he declared that in 1927 he was going to travel around the world "for the purpose of securing data for a special story"). Of course he died in the US in 1927 so presumably his health went down hill but, as mentioned, I can't find anything referring to illness or death. --Roisterer (talk) 00:15, 16 September 2016 (UTC)
 * If you're in Australia, that kind of precludes your paying a visit to Danville, IL. However, you could still try sending an email to the local library. They might be able to find something. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 01:54, 16 September 2016 (UTC)
 * One can contact the library or historical society there and ask for a photocopy of the paperwork or other info, however. No harm comes from asking.  -- Jayron 32 13:33, 16 September 2016 (UTC)