USA > Indiana > History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916 > Part 150
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Since attaining his majority he has worked faithfully and loyally in the ranks of the Democratic party, serving during two campaigns as precinct committeeman, and at other times as delegate to county and district conventions.
In October, 1908, was solemnized his marriage to Miss Hallie Suter, also of Morgan county. His parents, B. F. and Tamar Roberts, are, happily, both- living. Fraternally, he is allied with the Odd Fellows Lodge of Mooresville.
WILLIAM B. ROBINSON
William B. Robinson, a pioneer of Knox county, has been closely identified with the growth of the Democratic party since he cast his first vote for Stephen A. Douglas in 1860. He was born on September 9, 1839, near Wheatland, attended the county schools and New Lebanon Academy, and was graduated from the State University in 1867, receiving the degree of LL. B.
Upon his return from the university Mr. Robinson engaged in the practice of law and presently was appointed deputy prosecuting attorney. Two years later he was elected mayor of the city of Vincennes and served in this capacity for two terms, or until 1873. From 1876 to 1884 he discharged the duties of clerk of the circuit court. He also acted as president of a bank for some years. His later years have been spent in farming, and six hundred acres of grain, fifty acres of fruit
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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
and a fine herd of stock evidence his success. He has voted the Democratic ticket at every election, and has attended conventions for nearly forty years, being a delegate to the national convention at Denver in 1908.
Mrs. Robinson, his able second, was Miss Margaret LaHue, daughter of ex-Sheriff James C. LaHue.
GILES W. ROBERTSON
Giles W. Robertson was born near Christiansburg, Montgomery county, Virginia, May 20, 1852. His paternal ancestors were Scotch and his mater- nal ancestors came from England. Being left an orphan by the death of both of his parents at the age of fourteen, he brought his two younger sisters to Union county, Indiana, where he worked on a farm in the summer and at- tended district school during the winter, completing his education at the State Normal School at Terre Haute. He was an industrious and apt stu- dent, and at the age of nineteen became a teacher. He now holds a life state license and has taught in the counties of Wayne, Fayette and Union. In 1891 he was elected county superintendent of Fayette county and re-elected in 1893. In 1878 he was married to Mary E. Heider of Lyons Station, Ind., and they made their home in Liberty. Mr. Robertson was nominated for auditor of Union county in 1902 and was defeated with the rest of his ticket, owing to the then large Republican majority in the county. He is now the secre- tary of the Union county Democratic central committee and has ever taken an active interest in the welfare of the party and the political affairs of his county, state and na- tion, holding this to be the duty of every citizen, since a free and enlightened republic like the United States can only be governed through and by means of political parties.
RICHARD M. ROBINSON
The present postmaster of the city of Vincennes, Richard M. Robinson, is a true product of Knox county, and is honored in his home community as an efficient and trusted public official.
He was born in this county on the 6th day of July, 1864, and attended the country schools of his district. From his boyhood he has taken an active interest in the pursuit of agriculture and breeding of fine live stock, and now operates extensively along these lines.
On the 11th day of February, 1891, he was united in marriage to Miss Anna Donahue, and she has proven a worthy second in his various under- takings.
In the year 1888 he was elected township trustee for a term of four years, the term being extended for a further year of service, and in 1904 assumed the duties of county treasurer. In this capacity he served for four years. In 1910 he became Democratic county chairman, and this position he held until February 18, 1914, at which time he resigned to assume the duties of postmaster of the city, a position to which he was appointed by President Wilson in January.
He is a stockholder and director in the Second National Bank of Vincennes and president of the Citizens' National Bank of Bicknell since its organization in 1896. He is also a stockholder in the German Bank of Vincennes, and president of the Vincennes Mississippi Land Co., an organization of Knox county farmers owning eight thousand acres of land in the Yazoo valley on which cotton is largely cultivated. He also holds numerous other interests throughout the states of Indiana and Texas.
He is an active member of the Vincennes board of trade and the Pastime club and is affiliated with the B. P. O. Elks.
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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
JOHN L. ROBLYER
The present postmaster of the town of Flora has been an active Democratic worker since his boyhood. This gentleman, John L. Roblyer, was born May 6, 1874, on a farm in Carroll county, where he remained until he reached the age of eighteen years, attending the common schools of his district and the high school of Delphi. On the 3d day of July, 1898, he was married to Miss Grace Bowser, and to their home have come two daughters.
After leaving school Mr. Roblyer entered mercantile life, in the year 1893, as a clerk, and continued with the same firm until 1905, when he engaged in the general mercantile business for himself, being the junior member of the firm of Koonsman & Roblyer.
He comes of an old-line Democratic family, his grandfather having served Carroll county as sheriff for two terms when this county was comparatively new, being elected both times on the Democratic ticket, and has himself been a delegate to county, district and state conventions of the party. In June, 1913, he assumed the duties of postmaster of Flora, which position he still holds. He is affiliated with the orders of Masons and Knights of Pythias, by whom he is well known and highly esteemed.
JUDGE JOHN J. ROCHFORD
Nothing ever pleased Judge John J. Rochford so much as a good squared-away fight. It was sort of "born in him" and he never did anything to discourage or lessen the instinct. He never bragged about it and probably never fully realized it, but it "just came natural-like," and ad- vancing age never kept him from "wading in."
He was born a Democrat, never changed, and, most natural to expect, he was a fighting Dem- ocrat all the time and always. He explained that he came by his belligerency and his Democracy in perfectly honest fashion, for while he was born on a farm in St. Lawrence county, New York State, both his father and his mother were natives of county Cork, Ireland. His mother came over in 1846 and his father three years later, and they were married in New York, making their first settlement on the Lawrence county farm on which Judge Rochford was born January 13, 1863.
The parents never moved from the farm, but John J., who was the youngest of the family, spent most of his time away at school until he graduated at Lawrence College in his twentieth year and at once "went on the road" as a traveling salesman for a Dayton, Ohio, house.
Young Rochford, even before becoming of voting age, took a live interest in politics, and his ambition was to become a lawyer; so he spent but two years traveling, but began reading law with Judge William H. Martin at Greenfield, Ind., beginning his practice of law in 1888 in Hancock county. Three years afterward Mr. Rochford removed to Indianapolis, and three years after his ar- rival he was the candidate of the Democratic party for prosecuting attorney, being defeated by Charles S. Wiltsie.
He became county chairman for Marion county in 1896, in the first Bryan campaign, and never after was he divorced from the Democratic party's organized activities, being for the first time elected to the bench in 1910, his first term continuing to 1919 as judge of the Marion county superior court.
In a political campaign, if Judge Rochford had been given the field as a candidate with no oppo- sition, for the sake of a good campaign contest-if he knew he would lose-he would probably have called a convention of some sort to insure opposition.
CORNELIUS RODEMACKER
Cornelius Rodemacker is a native of the Hoosier state, born on the 22nd day of June, 1862, in Decatur, Adams county, Indiana, where his education was received in the public and Catholic schools. While a young man he married Miss Lena Ardner.
In June, 1914, Mr. Rodemacker removed to Ft. Wayne, Indiana, where he still resides and is engaged in business on Calhoun street. Throughout his life Mr. Rodemacker has been a consistent Democrat, having imbibed these principles from his father, who was also prominent in the councils of the party and served as district committeeman at Decatur. The son, Cornelius, has also at- tended county and state conventions of the party and taken an active part in each campaign for the furtherance of its principles.
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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
GEORGE ROGERS
Closely identified with the business and municipal life of Knox, George Rogers is well known throughout Starke county as one of its representative citizens.
Mr. Rogers was born in Wayne county, Indiana, on the 6th day of November, 1861. He attended the schools of Marshall county, and in 1880 entered the high school of Plymouth.
On December 23, 1888, he was united in marriage to Miss Laura Stull, and their home was established in Knox. Here they gathered about them a circle of friends, his business career was started and his interests have since centered.
In the year 1892 he engaged in the lumber business in this city, and he is at pres- ent the sole proprietor.
In 1901 he was elected to membership of the town board and in this capacity served for two terms. In 1904 he served as county chairman of the Democratic organization, and in 1908 was elect- ed to the position of township trustee of Center township for a term of six years. During this term the township voted to centralize; so in 1910 he built a modern centralized school building, the first centralized school in Starke county, and in 1914 was compelled to build an additional building, the immigration to Center township making it necessary to provide more room. This school is a com- missioned high school, full four-year course.
Mr. Rogers is a progressive as well as public-spirited man, and during his term of service on the town board introduced the ordinance which provided for brick streets for the town.
JUDGE FRANK B. ROSS
As judge of the probate court of Marion county Frank B. Ross acquired a reputation throughout the State of Indiana as one of the ablest judges who ever sat on the bench. He served in this position for six years, after ten years of active and successful practice in Indianapolis, and at the time he was elected he was one of the youngest judges who had ever been chosen to so important a position in the county.
His success and the splendid record which was made in this court during his incumbency he modestly ascribed to hard work and nothing more. "Any lawyer with a reasonable knowledge of the profession," he would always explain, "would give full satisfaction as a judge in this or any other court if he would sit all day hearing cases and spend the time when other men were sleeping in study of the causes at issue and trying conscientiously to reach right and equitable conclu- sions. If I ever came near establishing a good record, such as some of my enthusiastic friends have been kind enough to say, it was in my case nothing more than six years of the hardest work a man ever put in, this manual part supplying what was lacking otherwise. Other men might have got along with much less labor and accomplished far better results."
However that may be, at the end of his term of office the newspapers which had opposed Frank B. Ross on political grounds when he was a candidate were loudest in his praises when he had reached the end of the six years, and during the time he was serv- ing. When he retired from the bench to again resume his law practice he was selected a member of the faculty of the Indiana Law School, lecturing on probate law.
Aside from his service in public office Mr. Ross was always an active Democrat. He was always one of the workers in the organization whether a candidate or not. He believed in the principles of the party of Jefferson and Jackson and Woodrow Wilson. As a speaker in local state campaigns he was one of the most in demand, and during the many drives for finances for the winning of the war with Germany both as a speaker and organizer he was one of the most efficient, and so one kept most busy.
Frank B. Ross was born at Monticello, Indiana, September 24, 1875. His education was from the schools of his native city and the University of Val paraiso and University of Indianapolis. His first work after leaving school was as a teacher in the country schools in 1894 and 1895.
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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
He graduated from the Indiana Law School of the University of Indianapolis, class of 1898, and hegan the practice of law in the office of John Worth Kern. In such an association it would have been impossible to have long lacked interest in politics or in the active work of helping the Democratic party win. Aside from the time while on the bench, he was nominated for judge of the criminal court of Marion county by the Democrats in 1906; and was defeated with the rest of the ticket. It was two years later that he was nominated for judge of the probate court and elected, serving for six years. From 1902 to 1904 he was secretary of the Marion county Democratic central committee and for several years was chairman of the Democratic city committee of Indianapolis.
Frank B. Ross and Miss Gertrude Paetz were married in 1905.
HOMER L. ROGERS
The position of county superintendent of. schools is one which requires judgment and educa- tional qualifications and the man who successfully carries on the work of training the minds of the children of a county is deserving the highest esteem of his constituents and the community at large.
In the person of Homer L. Rogers we find a man who has discharged the duties of this position in a highly creditable manner for the past seven years. He was born on the 30th day of September, 1885, and received his schooling in the common and high schools of the city of Knox, Indiana. Later his studies were continued at the University of Valparaiso and the Indiana State Normal at Terre Haute. Following his graduation from this institution he entered at once into the educational field, teaching in the schools of the county. At the early age of twenty-three years he was elected county superintendent of the schools of Pulaski county, assuming the duties of the position December 26, 1908. In 1911 he was re-elected by unanimous vote; and his progressive policies and good sense have placed the schools upon a high plane of service to the children and the community.
On the 12th day of August, 1907, his marriage to Miss Grace M. Leighty was solemnized, and their home, then established in Winamac, has been a center of hospitality and culture.
Fraternally, Mr. Rogers is allied with the Winamac Lodge No. 262, Free and Accepted Masons; the North Judson Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; North Judson Council, Eastern Star; Tippecanoe Chapter, I. O. O. F., and Rebekah Lodge No. 122. He is also an active member of the Methodist church.
He is very active in boys' and girls' club work and has accompanied five classes to Purdue, three to Chicago Stock Show and one class to Washington, D. C.
He has been a delegate to the last two state Democratic conventions and an active member of these bodies.
JOHN F. RUSSELL
John F. Russell was born in Indiana on February 14, 1870. On November 22, 1891, he was married to Ella E. Doles.
Mr. Russell graduated from the Greensburg High School in the class of 1888. During the whole of his active life he has been closely identified with the business, political and social life of the city and.county.
He has been connected with the Democratic city and county organizations in various capacities for twenty years. For eight years he was secretary of the county organization and he is now serving his eighth year as treasurer. In 1911 he was elected to the city board of education by the common council. In 1914 he was re- elected. He was secretary of the board until late in 1914. It was while he was a member of the school board that Greensburg's handsome new high school building, the finest in the state, was built.
Mr. Russell represented the fourth congressional district on the resolutions committee in the Democratic state convention of 1914. On September 1, 1914, he resigned from the school board to accept the appointment by Governor Ralston as a member of the board of trustees of the South- western Hospital for the Insane, at Madison. He is secretary of the board.
Mr. Russell is president and manager of the Garland Milling Company, has been a trustee of the Greensburg lodge of Elks nine years, and served two terms as president of the Indiana Millers' Association. He is a director of the local charities and was president two terms. He was also president for two terms of the local commercial club.
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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
JULIUS C. SACHS
An active member of the Marion county organization and a loyal worker for the success of the party is Julius C. Sachs of Indianapolis.
Mr. Sachs is a native Hoosier, born in Indianapolis on the 12th day of Septem- ber, 1873. He attended the Sixth Ward school and later became engaged in the liquor business, for some time conducting a saloon on South Meridian street. He married Miss Minnie Hoffman, also of Indianapolis, who has ably assisted him in his various affairs.
Mr. Sachs has labored zealously at all times for the success of the Democratic party, and has served as precinct committeeman during a number of campaigns. He has also acted as delegate to county and state conventions and is an active member of the 13th Ward Democratic Club.
Fraternally, he is allied with the Eagle and Druid lodges.
JAMES RUSSELL SAGE
The present postmaster of Milroy, James Russell Sage, has been for a number of years an active party worker and is known as a leader among the younger element of the party, which forms so great a factor of its fighting strength.
Mr. Sage was born in Dubois county, Indiana. In childhood, however, he accompanied his par- ents to Rush county, and in Milroy his schooling was received. Following his graduation from the Milroy high school he entered Winona Technical Institute for further study in the higher branches. His father, Horace Sage, was an active Democratic worker, and the son has followed in his foot- steps. He is a member of the Methodist church of Milroy and is affiliated with the order of Ma- sons.
On September 14, 1910, Mr. Sage was united in marriage to Miss Mary L. Root.
ALBERT SAHM
"He never won his way by treading upon the prostrate form of a competitor," is the comment of one writer in discussing Albert Sahm's career of success. "He has occupied the position of a good and worth-while American citizen," was the testimony of still another writer.
"Our glorious victory was only accomplished by the unselfish and patriotic devotion of men like you, who made sacrifices for the great cause of Democracy and the ideal of true American- ism," was wired by Vance McCormick, chairman of the Democratic national committee, to this same Indiana Democrat following the election of Woodrow Wilson in 1916.
The compliments to Albert Sahm were all deserved. His fight for Democracy and American- ism as a member of the personal advisory committee to Woodrow Wilson in the campaign which merited the McCormick appreciation, was followed by a greater sacrifice for Democracy and true Americanism a few months later when Albert Sahm sent a son and son-in-law to France as mem- bers of Uncle Sam's army. Too young to fight in the Civil war, being but two years of age, his two brothers went to the front. Too old himself to go in 1917, he contributed two boys-a son and a son-in-law, who both left their wives, babies, business and all future prospects-waiving all and any claims to exemption. In other ways Albert Sahm served the people well and was himself a successful man of business.
He was hut twenty-five when he was elected as a Democrat to the responsible position of county commissioner of Marion county. He made such an excellent record as a stickler for economy and square dealing that he was elected to a second term by an increased majority. He resigned because of the press of personal business demands upon his time-being engaged for a number of years in the manufacture of furniture; for over thirty years he was a merchant and manufacturer.
As a good Democrat and as a business man of marked distinction and sterling qualities, he was selected and appointed postmaster at Indianapolis. After four years he retired, in 1898, to attend to his personal business.
In 1900 he was again serving the people as chairman of the Indianapolis Board of Public Works. Here, as elsewhere, he made a record that will be of permanent value to the people of Indianapolis.
It was in 1908 that he became auditor of Marion county, and it was here that his efficiency was
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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916
demonstrated to a marked degree through his introduction of many reforms in all the more im- portant county auditing offices of Indiana.
He retired from this office to take the position of secretary and treasurer of the State Life Insur- ance Company of Indianapolis and was entitled to a full share of the responsibility for the building up of this splendid institution.
His belief in the principles of Democracy was sufficiently sincere to always place his services and resources at the disposal of his party with an enthusiasm that carried conviction to others.
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Starting with an education that ended, so far as schools were concerned, at fourteen, he was one of the best educated of men in all the things that count for success. While he did not count or measure success by the dollar mark, he at the same time gained a competency.
HUME L. SAMMONS
The name of Hume L. Sammons is familiar to the citizens of Newton county, being that of a leading attorney and business man of the town of Kentland.
Mr. Sammons was born at Morocco, Indiana, on the second day of April, 1871. He attended the public schools of Newton county, and graduated from the high school of Milford, Illinois, with the class of 1889.
On the fourth day of July, 1897, his marriage to Miss Elizabeth Fenwick of Kankakee, Illinois, was solemnized, and their home was established in Kentland, where his interests have since centered.
He has served in the capacity of trustee of the town of Kentland for two terms, and on the first day of July, 1913, he assumed the duties of postmaster of this place, having received his appoint- ment from President Wilson in June.
Throughout his life he has been a stanch adherent to the principles of Democracy, and has given freely of his time and energy for the furtherance of the cause.
WORDEN J. SANDERSON
The Democratic party has been well represented in Carroll county, and to the efforts of its country chairman, Worden J. Sanderson, its success has been largely due. Mr. Sanderson was born on the 9th day of March, 1888, in Michigan, accompanying his parents to Carroll county when eight years of age; and here he attended school, graduating from the high school at Flora. During the years 1909 to 1912, inclusive, he acted as deputy treasurer, assisting his father, prior to which he was engaged in the life and fire insurance business. His wife was Miss Edythe L. Clawson of Car- roll county. He is a member of the Blue Council, Royal Arch Masons; the I. O. O. F. Encamp- ment; the Uniform Rank, Knights of Pythias; also a trustee of the Presbyterian church, in the Sab- bath school of which he has taught since the age of seventeen years.
GEORGE W. SANDS
George W. Sands is a young lawyer who has not only risen to the front rank among the at- torneys of northern Indiana, but is known all over the state as a legislator and an orator of force and power.
He was born in Ohio, February 22, 1889, took both his literary and law courses at Notre Dame, and was graduated with the degree of LL. B. in 1910. In June of that year he was admitted to the bar, and immediately began the practice of his profession in South Bend. In the years that have elapsed since his majority he has been very active in the Democratic party; has been the chairman of his ward; delegate to the state convention, and sat in the state legislature during the year 1913. He takes an active part in campaigns and is always in demand as a speaker in St. Jo- seph county. Mr. Sands is a member of the B. P. O. E., the Woodmen of the World, Loyal Order of Moose, the Knights of Columbus and the A. O. H.
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