USA > Indiana > Vermillion County > Biographical and historical record of Vermillion County, Indiana : containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States from Washington to Cleveland, with accompanying biographies of each; a condensed history of the state of Indiana; portraits and biographies of some of the prominent men of the state; engravings of prominent citizens in Vermillion county, with personal histories of many of the leading families, and a concise history of the county and its villages > Part 26
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Pratt returned to Ohio. Hood, who was brought up in this county, left here for the West. Vaul moved to La Fayette, continu- ing in the newspaper business. Washburn died in 1871 (see sketch of him in the history of Clinton). Cheadle, Congressman elect, is now editing the Frankfort Banner.
The number of the Hoosier for Jannary 17, 1863, for an example of the straightness of the times, had only four columns to the page, was but little larger than a sheet of foolscap, and was filled with war news. In the winter and spring of 1875, " Buffalo Bill " wrote for the Hoosier State a history entitled " Three Years in Utah," which was published serially.
SAMUEL BRENTON DAVIS, editor and pro- prietor of the Hoosier State, was born June 3, 1842, in Parke County, Indiana, and named after a Methodist minister, a favorite of his parents. The latter are Robert and Melvina (Taylor) Davis, natives of Virginia, who reside in IIelt Township, this county, which was also the the home of Samuel Brenton from 1856 to 1861.
Mr. Davis was brought up on the farm, educated in the common schools and at Bloomingdale Academy. In July, 1861, he enlisted in Company C, Eighteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, participated in the battle of Pea Ridge, and the siege of Vicksburg, besides a number of skirmishes, and, after a service of one and a half years, he suffered
an attack of the measles, when on a force march, and he took cold, which settled in his right arm and leg, crippling him for life. Ile is obliged to use crutches. After his return from the army, he was clerk for a time in a store at Clinton. In 1866 he was first elected connty treasurer, and in 1868 re- elected to the office. While he held the office the treasury was robbed of about $36,- 000 (see full account elsewhere), by experts who wedged the vault doors open during the night; over $21,000 of the money was re- covered from the Wabash River, in which stream the robbers had dropped it when hard chased by citizens. In 1868, Mr. Davis pur- eliased the office of the Hoosier State. On the close of his term as treasurer, October, 1870, he devoted his whole attention to this paper. In 1870, Joe B. Cheadle purchased it, but nine months subsequently Mr. Davis bought it again, and lias ever since been the editor and proprietor. He raised the eiren- lation from 216 on the credit system to 912 on the cash system.
As an editor, Davis is enterprising, fearless and witty. The file of the Hoosier State, exhibits to the historian an extraordinary amount of lively local correspondence, and of editorial patience and liberality. While Mr. Davis has ever been a staunch Republican, he can aeknowledge a victory gained by the opposite party with better grace than any other editor known to the writer. Besides the office above referred to, Mr. Davis has also been chosen trustee of Vermillion Town- ship, being elected in April, 1886, by ten majority in a Democratic township. Is a a member of the order of United Workmen.
The subject of our sketch married Sarah C. Canady, daughter of Lewis and Elizabeth Canady,-parents now deceased. She is a native of this township. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Davis are -Bird II., a well edu-
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HISTORY OF VERMILLION COUNTY.
eated young man ; Ora DeLos, a lad exhibiting considerable talent as a draftsman and meehanie; Fred, Ren M., Robert Enoch, who died at the age of one and a half years, and Melvina.
About 1871-'72 an attempt was made to start an opposition paper in Newport, Dem- ocratie in polities, under the name of the Vermillion Transcript, by Ilarrison Jump, who ran it some fifteen months, sinking $1,900, an 1 sold the office to other parties, who took it away. Mr. Jump returned to Ohio, where he entered the grocery business.
But we are not yet done with the Hoosier State. It has been a remarkable paper for loeal correspondenee and terse editorials, and we cannot refrain from giving two or three of the most innocent'but amnsing specimens :
" We learn through the medium of a pot- bellied gander from the jungles of Browntown that G. W. Rodenbaugh intended to demand onr name for charging him with getting drunk and flogging his wife. We never made any sneh charge, and appeal to the columns of the Hoosier State to prove it. A few meddlers are trying to make a fool of Rodenbaugh by telling him that every per- sonal item in the Hoosier is directed at him. We will make him 'a present of a pair of heavy boots if he will agree to wear them out in kieking the -- coat-tail of every meddling sneak who mentions such things to him in- eluding Mr. Brown[town], who will merit and receive onr sincere thanks by simply minding his own business."
In December, 1874, an amusing ineident oeeurred in Newport, thus wittily reported by the Hoosier State:
" Somnambulism, or One Night in Walter Place's Bar Room. A young trump eard from Clinton, named Jaques, eame up to attend the big dance at the hotel Place; and after he had exereised nature about all she
was able to bear, he concluded to rest his weary bones on a bench in the bar-room. In a short time he was in the arms of Morpheus, and soon afterward he arose, as usual in his somnambulistic fits, walked around the room, then took a seat on the bench, and, in the presence of several persons divested himself of most of the clothing, preparatory to lying down again, supposing the bench was a bed. At this juneture he was aroused from his sleep by the deafening roars of laughter by those present. On coming to, he looked worse than a defeated candidate, and proposed to ' set up' the cigars if the boys wonld keep "num.' Of course the boys accepted of the treat, ' pledging their saered honor ' never to hint it to Bren Davis of the Hoosier State, or to any one else!"
Another extraet is given in the history of Helt Township, on a preceding page.
REMARKABLE CASES OF ROBBERY.
The three following accounts are also from the famous Hoosier State:
On Monday night, April 18, 1870, over $35,000 was stolen from the county treasury vault, which had been faithfully closed and locked. The treasurer was S. B. Davis, then and now the editor of the Hoosier State. The doors were forced open by steel wedges, which were driven by a sledge. Neighbors heard the noise but not distinctly enough to have their suspicions aronsed.
The next day Orville White, who had just learned of the burglary, saw two men carry- ing a sachel across the farms about three miles north of Clinton. Calling two railroad hands to his assistance, they gave chase, eall- ing upon the suspected fugitives to halt. They struek for the river, and leaving a por- tion of their elothing npon the bank, began to swim aeross. Mr. White and his com- panions arriving, saw a farmer on the op-
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posite bank whom they knew, and halloed to him to kill the rascals as they came out. The man approached, but the rascals, getting into shallow water, drew their revolvers and fired at him. Mr. White then requested his assistant to watch the thieves until he could raise a posse to take them. Discovering a wallet in the river, Mr. White waded in and obtained it, and found it contained 816,354.
He then went home, mounted a horse and started for Clinton to raise a posse; but in the meantime the scoundrels reached the op- posite shore, about a mile below where they entered the stream, soon found two railroad hands, and drew their revolvers upon them, commanding them to give up their elothing in great haste, as they "had got into a row and had to swim the river to save their lives." Returning to the river they got into a skiff and floated down past Clinton under the cover of the night, and thus succeeded in getting away.
The event created a great sensation throughout the country. It seems that, from the elaborate and systematic execution of the burglary, very skillful operators were en- gaged in it.
It turned out the very next day after Mr. White's discovery of the fugitive criminals, that one of the assistants, whom he hastily pieked out from a company of railroad hands near by, was the receiver of a large amount of money at that time, in a mysterious man- ner, but was not present at the robbery.
May 13, $5,210 more of the money was found in a sachel lodged on the roots of a cottonwood a mile and a half below, where the thieves commenced to swim the river; $15,320 were never recovered.
During the latter part of the night of Oc- tober 12, 1883, a most brutal outrage was committed by a band of robbers upon Elias Lamb and his family at their residence near
Newport. In the house were Mr. Lamb and wife and a married daughter from Wayne County visiting them. Between three and four o'clock the dog made considerable noise. Mrs. Lamb went to the window to see what was the matter, and hist the dog, which would only plunge out into the darkness and then retreat. Not discovering anything, she returned to bed. But the dog kept up a howling, and acted as if some one was en- croaching upon the premises. In a few min- utes Mr. Lamb went out to see whether he could discover anything wrong. Returning to his room he had scareely lain down when the door to an adjoining room, against which stood a large bureau, was burst open, and the bureau fell to the floor with a terrible crash, breaking everything that was upon it. Be- fore the two could get out of bed they were seized by two burglars and a demand made for their money. Mr. Lamb gave them all he had, $25. The demand being repeated to his wife she said she had $1.75 up stairs. The villiains made her get it without light- ing a lamp, at the point of her life. They then declared that there was more money in the house, and that they would kill them if they did not give it up. Mr. Lamb an- swered that they might kill thein, but could not get any more money, for there was no more in the house. Then they assaulted him and threatened to kill them both if they did not pay over more money. They first pom- meled him awhile and then fired two shots, one of them grazing Mrs. Lamb's head, split- ting open her ear. Mr. Lamb, although bodly bruised and one eye closed, managed to get out of doors, where he pulled the bell- rope, which frightened the burglars away.
The daughter referred to, who was sleeping in another room, erawled under the feather bed and thus escaped discovery. Their son John, who was sleeping in a house a hundred
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HISTORY OF VERMILLION COUNTY.
yards distant, upon hearing the bell, ran over to his parents' house; and, finding that they were suffering for want of medical treatment, proposed to go immediately for a physician, but they, fearing the rascals might return and do further mischief, begged him to re- main with them until daylight.
During the morning the tracks of the rob- bers were traced both ways between their residence and town, but no further clew was ever obtained for their discovery.
May 5, 1884, the postoffice was robbed of $350 during the night. The safe was blown open. The burglars were frightened away by the passing of a young man in the vicinity before they obtained all that they had intended to. The thieves were never caught.
ATTORNEYS OF NEWPORT.
. Daniel M. Jones, a native of this county, attended Wabash College, not quite finishing the course, was admitted to the bar in 1852 or -'53, a member of the Legislature abont 1861, as a Republican, was an active partisan, a natural orator, and a shrewd lawyer, and died in the fall of 1865, leaving a widow and three children. She is a sister of Stephen S. Collett, and resides in Newport. The son, Frank, is studying medicine. Mr. Jones' father, Lewis Jones, was a prominent citizen of Eugene Township.
Henry D. Washburn, one of the most prominent men of Vermillion County, prac- ticed law here awhile before the war. See history of Clinton, on a previous page, for a full sketch.
L. C. Allen, born near Highland, this county, studied law under the preceptorship of M. G. Rhoads, Esq., of Newport, and was admitted to the bar; was justice of the peace 1868-'72, when he occasionally had a little case. He was a man of firm principles, but sometimes a little rough. At one time, when
the attorneys in a suit before him got to wrangling and using profane language, he " stood" it as long as he thought he ought to, when he blurted out, " I'll be G-d d-d if you don't quit swearing I'll fine you!" Mr. Allen left Newport abont ten years ago, and is now deputy clerk at Covington, Indiana.
Nathan Harvey was born and raised in Parke County, this State, and educated at the Bloomingdale school, a Quaker institution, under the teaching of Barnabas IIobbs, for- merly State Superintendent of Public In- struction. He was a young man of fair mind and scholarship. On coming to Newport, he taught school in the seminary during the war, a couple of years, and then married a dangh- ter of John C. Johnson. In the practice of law he became a partner of William Eggles- ton, but did not practice more than two or three years when he died, during a session of court. His widow, with three children, lives near Newport. Mr. Harvey was an honorable man and would have become a solid prac- titioner had he lived.
Robert A. Parrett, a native of this State, was young when his parents settled with him in Newport. His father was a traveling Methodist minister. Robert was brought up here. Commencing a course at the Asbury University, he had reached a point in the freshman or sophomore year when, on account of delicate health, he had to desist. IIe then read law in the office of Judge Jump, was admitted to the bar and practiced his profes- sion for a time. In the fall of 1875 he was admitted as a partner of B. E. & M. G. Rhoads, in which relation he remained until January, 1880. Since then he has been en- gaged in farming, near Newport. He was a good office lawyer, a good bookkeeper and attentive to business; but, on account of delicate health, his father and friends advised him to quit the practice of law and adopt
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some mode of life requiring more physical and less mental activity.
Professor B. E. Rhoads was born in Penn- sylvania, May 1, 1834. In 1836 the family came to Richmond, Indiana, in a one-horse wagon; next they came to Haneoek County, near Indianapolis; in 1837, to Parke County; then to Waveland, Montgomery County, where the subject attended Waveland Acade- my (Presbyterian). Entering Wabash College in the junior year, he graduated there in 1859. Next, he came to Clinton, this county, and taught in the Farmers' College part of a year. Then he studied law in the office of Judge Maxwell, at Roekville, Parke County, was admitted to the bar, eame to Newport in 1861, and commeneed the practice of his pro- fession. Was in partnership with his brother M. G., 1865-'79. In 1865-66, he was a member of the Legislature. In 1878 he moved to Terre Haute, where he has since ยท been a resident; but that year he erossed the ocean with his family, and spent thirteen months in England and on the continent of Europe.
Early in the spring of 1881 he was ap- pointed judge of the Superior Court of Vigo County, serving until November, 1882. For five years he was one of the trustees of the State University at Bloomington, where he was also professor of law for a time. In Terre Haute he owns a niee property. In his religion he is a Presbyterian, being for a time an elder in the Moffatt Street Church, in that eity.
In 1876 Professor Rhoads married Miss Ida, daughter of Robert D. Moffatt, of Perrys- ville. Their children are Sarah, born in 1877, and Daniel Moffatt, born in 1880.
John D. Cushman was born and reared in Perrysville, this county. His father, Thomas Cushman, being elected county anditor in the fall of 1872, moved to Newport with his
family, and here John D. studied law, was admitted to the bar, and began practice; was in partnership with Joshua Jump for a time; was in the office of Messrs. Rhoads, where he proved himself a good office hand, a fine penman, intelligent business man, etc. He was also a good public speaker, but he did not practice at the bar a great deal. In the fall of 1875 he went into the Southern States and traveled for six months. Returning, he resumed law practice, which he followed, sometimes by himself and sometimes in part- nership, until his death six or seven years ago. Ile was a young man of great prom- ise.
Thomas C. W. Sale was a lawyer here many years ago, and before the last war went to Paris, Illinois, where he received an appoint- ment as Indian agent, and he was in the far West for a long period in the fulfillment of. the duties of that office. He returned to Paris, where he is now living.
Samuel G. Malone, who also praetieed law here before the war period, removed to Decatur, Illinois, where he accumulated a fortune of 875,000 or $100,000, but lost it all. Ile is now a farmer in Helt Township, this county.
William Eggleston was born in this county, in 1833, and educated here, attending the common schools and the county seminary at Newport, after he was a grown man. He was naturally industrious and persevering. Taking to the study of law, in due time he qualified himself for practice and was admitted to the bar about 1859. Of course he worked up considerable practice, by a hard struggle, making many errors, and in the course of fifteen years' practice aequired a handsome competenee. Ile next entered upon a mer- eantile business with his brother, and they failed, losing all they had; during this mer- cantile experience, however, William pro-
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HISTORY OF VERMILLION COUNTY.
ceeded with his law practice. IIe was a successful attorney.
While here he wrote and published three works: 1., Treatise on County Commission- ers; 2., a legal work on Damages; and 3., a play entitled "The Broken-hearted Wife," being a story of woman's love and man's unfaithfulness, and consisting of facts that occurred a few years ago.
Mr. Eggleston moved to Terre Ilaute about 1877.
V. E. Witmer, probably about fifty years ago came from Ohio to Newport, and prac- tieed here five or six years, and moved to some point toward Logansport about six or seven years ago, where he has since died. IIe was a man of the "spread-eagle " style, not deeply versed, but executive, working up law- suits whether they should be worked np or not.
William L. Little, a graduate of Asbury University, became a Methodist minister, preached here a year or two; then followed farming about seven miles southwest of Newport, in which he succeeded well; next he practiced law at Newport, settled a few estates, etc., and then became a merchant, and finally moved to Hutchinson, Kansas, about 1882. Mr. Little had a fair intellect, and a good degree of information on general subjects, and was a prominent citizen of the connty. About 1862-'72 he acted as county examiner, and then for six or eight years, or more, he was county superintendent of schools.
James Blanchard, a native of this county, received a good classical edneation and was a good penman, on which account he was employed much in the stores, and county offices, as an accountant, copyist, etc. Pick- ing up a little law in the meantime, he was admitted to the bar, and in the course of his practice he had several partnerships. IIe was a good assistant in preparing papers, conduct- ing correspondence, making collections, etc.
About three or four years ago he moved to Terre Haute to assist his brother Ben, and from there he went to South Hutchinson, Kansas, where he is now engaged in real- estate business.
Ben Blanchard, though nominally a lawyer, never conducted a suit. He is now in Terre Hante, in the real-estate and abstract business.
Joseph B. Cheadle, present Congressman, elect from the Ninth District, was born in this county, read law in the office of Judge Maxwell at Rockville, admitted to the bar here about 1868, became deputy collector of inter- nal revenue, was a candidate for nomination for a number of offices, gradually drifted ont of the law into editorial work, had charge of the Hoosier State nine months in 1870, then the Rockville Republican and Roekville Tribune, and is now editor of the Frankfort Banner, Clinton County. Frank, courteous and polite, he is popular; elever and ambitions, he is a good business man; is a good story- teller, and a genial companion.
Joshua Jump, born in Ohio in 1843, stnd- ied law with R. N. Bishop, at Paris, Illinois, was admitted to the bar, and came to New- port in 1869, where his partnerships were in succession with William Eggleston, Robert B. Sears, James Blanchard, John D. Cush- man and from March, 1879, to March, 1885, C. W. Ward. He was circuit judge from March, 1885, to November, 1886. In June, 1887, he removed to Terre Haute. He is a Democrat, and has participated in politics to some extent, being a delegate to a number of conventions and member of the State Central Committee.
Adam Littlepage, from West Virginia, was admitted to the bar here February 6' 1883, formed a partnership with John A. Wiltermood for two or three years, married a daughter of Stephen S. Collett, and returned to West Virginia.
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VERMILLION TOWNSHIP.
John A. Wiltermood, Postmaster at New- port, was appointed to this position Septem- ber 5, 1885, succeeding John Richardson. He was born in Vermillion Township, a son of Joseph W. Wiltermood, and brought up at farming, most of his early life being spent in Eugene Township. IIe attended the State Normal at Indianapolis in 1878-'79, tanght school three years, studied law in the office of Judge Jump, admitted to practice Febrn- ary 6, 1883, associated professionally with II. II. Conley two years, and with Adam Littlepage two or three years.
The present bar at Newport comprises M. G. Rhoads. B. S. Aikman (Rhoads & Aikman) C. W. Ward, O. B. Gibson (Ward & Gibson), H. H. Conley and J. C. Sawyer. Sketches of most of these will be found in the regular biographical department of this volume.
B. S. Aikman is a young man born in this county, a son of Barton Aikman, an early settler, graduated at the State Normal School at Terre Haute, read law in the office of M. G. Rhoads, admitted to the bar in the fall of 1886, and has been a partner of Mr. Rhoads since January 1, 1887.
In the winter of 1874-'75 Messrs. Jump and M. G. Rhoads were attorneys for a fugi- tive from Illinois, charged with stealing horses, and succeeded in releasing him from the custody of an officer. This raised con- siderable excitement among the citizens of Newport, and indignation meetings were held here, and also in other parts of the county. The officer holding the fugitive had not the proper anthority.
PHYSICIANS.
Of the past, we can mention only these: Dr. J. R. Willetts practiced here previous to the war period, and moved away. He was for a time in partnership with Dr. Griffin, who is deceased. Dr. E. T. Collett, son of spondingly a full board of teachers comprises
Josephus Collett, Sr., was a graduate of the Louisville Medical College, practiced here and in Eugene Township, and in 1878 committed siticide in Kansas, at the age of fifty-eight years. Drs. Clark and P. II. Leavitt prac- ticed lere a number of years, a portion of the time in partnership. The former moved to Danville, Illinois, in 1875, where he is now living, and the other died in Newport. Dr. E. Thompson moved to Illinois and died there. He left Newport in the fall of 1874.
The physicians now practicing in Newport are Drs. M. L. Hall, Lewis Shepard and James Wallace.
Vermillion County is comparatively a poor place for physicians to find much to do. As before stated, the country here is remark- able for a healthy and long-lived population. They have never been visited by epidemics, and even that singular disease, milk-sickness, which used to prevail here, is now entirely absent, the last case occurring ten or twelve years ago.
EDUCATION.
Newport has always had a good school. According to the provisions of the State law, a county seminary was established here in pioneer times, and flourished until the later free-school system converted it into a graded school about 1852. The building was of brick. To it additions have been made, and it is still occupied. The location is on the bluff, overlooking the broad and romantic valley of the [Little Vermillion River. The new portion, comprising two rooms was added by the town of Newport, at a cost of about 81,000, and, the muncipality having bought the township's interest in the in- stitution, all partnership between the two civil divisions was dissolved last year, 1886. The building now has four rooms, and corre-
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HISTORY OF VERMILLION COUNTY.
a principal and three assistants. The depart- ments are the high school, grammar, inter- mediate and primary. The enrollment last year was 156. The principal for the year 1887 -'88 is Edward Aikman. The school has two literally societies,-the Philadel- phians and the Sapphonians.
SOCIETIES.
Newport Lodge, No. 209, F. c& A. M., was chartered May 25, 1857; and the first officers were James A. Bell, Worshipful Master; Eldridge M. Groves, Senior Warden; James Tarrance, Junior Warden; Andrew J. Adams, Treasurer; Joseph B. Cheadle, Secretary; Seth Knight, Senior Deacon; William Black- stone, Junior Deacon; J. L. Thomas and T. J. Arrasmith, Stewards; R. H. Nixon, Tyler. The number of members was twenty-three, who met in the same hall that is still used. The present membership is thirty-one, and the officers, R. C. Sears, Worshipful Master; R. II. Nixon, Senior Warden; E. D. Wheeler, Junior Warden; Abel Sexton, Senior Deacon; J. H. Kerdolff, Junior Deacon; A. R. Hop- kins, Secretary; Charles Potts, Treasurer; Elias Pritehard and G. W. Clark, Stewards; and II. S. Cady, Tyler. Financially, the lodge is strong.
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