USA > Missouri > Cole County > Jefferson City > The Bench and bar of St. Louis, Kansas City, Jefferson City, and other Missouri cities : biographical sketches > Part 19
USA > Missouri > St Louis County > St Louis City > The Bench and bar of St. Louis, Kansas City, Jefferson City, and other Missouri cities : biographical sketches > Part 19
USA > Missouri > Jackson County > Kansas City > The Bench and bar of St. Louis, Kansas City, Jefferson City, and other Missouri cities : biographical sketches > Part 19
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December 12, 1865, Mr. Bacon was licensed, at Hannibal, to practice in the
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courts of Missouri, and May 7, 1875, he was licensed, at Saint Louis, to practice in the United States circuit court. He is the author of a monograph on the town- ship bonds of Missouri, published in 1877
Mr. Bacon votes the democratic ticket, but gives very little time to politics. He does everything with great care, and it is doubtful if any man in the state takes more pains with his briefs. So thorough has been their preparation, that the supreme court of the state has seen fit to step aside from its usual course and compliment him on this class of his legal work. His practice has been from the start confined to civil cases, and his business in law only.
November 30, 1876, Mr. Bacon was united in wedlock with Miss Jennie Wal- ters, of McVeytown, Pennsylvania, and they have one daughter. Mr. and Mrs Bacon are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and are interested in the religious enterprises of the day.
JOHN F. WIELANDY. SAINT LOUIS.
A' MONG the substantial members of the legal profession, we are pleased to record the name of John F. Wielandy, a native of Switzerland. He was born in Geneva, in 1831; received a fine education in the best schools in Ger- many, and immigrated to America in 1849. He purchased a farm in Madison county, Illinois, on which he lived for a number of years, but his health failing, he abandoned that occupation, went to Elmira, New York, and studied law. Ile was admitted to the bar by the supreme court at Springfield, Illinois, and com- menced the practice of the law in that state, which he followed up to 1859, when he opened a law office in Saint Louis. In 1861 he entered the Union army as adjutant of the 2d Missouri infantry, serving under the brave and gallant General I you, through the memorable campaign in the Southwest, culminating in the battle of Wilson's Creek. He left the service in 1862, and removed to Jefferson City, where he resided until 1874, when he returned to Saint Louis. Here he has assiduously applied himself to the practice of the law. Under the administra- tion of President Johnson he was appointed register of the government land office, at Boonville, but the senate failing to confirm the appointment, he held the position only a few months.
He was a member of the State Board of Agriculture a number of years, and acted as its secretary for three years. He was also appointed a curator of the State University, by Governor Brown, in 1871. He was elected a member of the twenty-sixth general assembly in 1870, as a democrat, by a majority of over three hundred votes over all opposing candidates. During the war he was a consistent Unionist, and is now a republican.
Mr. Wielandy has a literary turn of mind, and has heretofore contributed quite extensively to the newspapers and magazines. He speaks and writes with
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equal case and fluency French, German and English. While in the legislature he distinguished himself by strict attention to business, and carefully looking after the interests of his constituency. He was placed on important committees, and was chairman of one or more.
Mr. Wielandy is a thorough lawyer. He possesses a comprehensive mind, has an extensive practice, and enjoys the patronage of some of the best men in the city.
CALVIN R. J. MOINTURFF.
T' HIS lawyer was born January 15, 1850, in Carter county, east Tennessee. He is the son of Rev. Daniel MeInturfi and Harriett (Jones) MeInturff. His father is a well known preacher, of the Christian denomination. Calvin was educated at Buffalo Institute, Carter county, Tennessee, and at North Missouri Normal School. He came to Missouri in August, 1871, taught school ten years and studied law with I. A. Chapman and James I. Davis. He was elected school commissioner of Livingston county in rap9, and reflected in 1881, holding that office four years, to the entire satisfaction of all. In May, 1880, he was admitted to the bar, and has been in practice at Chillicothe ever since, and enjoys a fair share of patronage. He devotes his attention principally to abstracts of title and real-estate law.
Mr. MeInturff is well read in his profession, and is a hard-working, diligent, upright man, and he may look forward with hopes of realizing his fondest antici- pations of success at the bar. He was married, March 6, 1877, to Melinda Perren, a lady of rare accomplishments and beauty She died, October 5, 1882, leaving one child, Earle. He was again married, October to, 1883, to Miss Lucy Turner.
WILLIAM W. RAMSAY.
W ILLIAM WHITTINGTON RAMSAY is a prominent lawyer of fine abil- ities. He is a descendant of an old Virginia family. His great-great- grandfather, Josiah Ramsay, was captured by the Indians in the colonial days, and remained in captivity for a period of seven years. On his release he returned to the settlements of the then Virginia colony, and was married to a lady by the name of Patterson. In the month of November, 1775, Jonathan Ramsay was born of such marriage, and in 1788, Josiah Ramsay and family, consisting of wife and young Jonathan, moved from Virginia to Robertson county, Tennessee, where May 2, 1793. Jonathan Ramsay was married to Hannah Lambkin, a native of North Carolina. Sometime during the year 1791, Josiah Ramsay, Jr., was born of this latter marriage, and in 1790 or 1797, Jonathan Ramsay, with his wife and
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infant son, moved to Kentucky, where he resided for several years. During the war of 1812 14, Jonathan Ramsay was commissioned brigadier general of Ken- Lucky militia, and commanded a division of men under General Samuel Hopkins in the northern campaigns. General Ramsay was a member of the Kentucky legislature in 1813, as will be seen by inspection of Collin's History of Kentucky. He removed from Kentucky to Callaway county, Missouri, about 1817, and there resided until near the time of his demise, which occurred June 1, 1860, at the res- idence of his daughter, Jane Ewing, near Jefferson City.
Josiah Ramsay, Jr., was in the southern campaigns during the war of 1812-14, and engaged in the battle of New Orleans, January 8, 1815. He was married soon after the close of the war to Martha W. Lockwood, daughter of Captain Lock- wood, then commanding the garrison at Belle Fountain (a garrison in Saint Louis county, Missouri). Of this marriage, Lycurgus Lock wood Ramsay was born, May 10, 1818, in the city of Saint Louis. In Saint Louis and Cole counties he grew to manhood, and was married February 8, 1838, at Columbia, Boone county, to Eliz- abeth Jane Fenton, a native of Missouri, and then a resident of Columbia. They settled in Andrew county, and had seven children, five sons and two daughters, the youngest of whom is the subject of this biography.
William W. Ramsay is a native of Andrew county, his birth occuring April 6, 1850. The excitement over the discovery of gold in California was then at its height, and although his father was comfortably situated on his fine farm, he so longed to behold the gold fields of the new Eldorado, that he put a heavy mert- gage on his farm to procure funds with which to perform his journey to Califor- nia. Thus our subject was left when less than two months old, to the sole control of his mother, with his little brothers and sisters. He attended the schools in the neighborhood of his home, and with the assistance of his mother, he mastered such elementary studies as were then taught in the common schools, at the age of ten years. It was the earnest desire of his mother to continue his education, but the old homestead was wrested from her under the mortgage, and she was obliged to rent and move from place to place annually, and his older brothers were forced to work out to support and maintain the family. It was then that James M. Ewing, principal of the North Prairie Farmers' Institute, offered to take young Ramsay into the school without charge, and teach him all the branches therein taught. This favorable opportunity for acquiring a thorough education was im- proved, as the family decided that his labors on the farm could be dispensed with. He accordingly entered that institute, where he continued during the following winter and spring. Here he made a thorough review of the elementary studies; advanced in the higher branches, and was favorably situated to pursue his studies farther, when the breaking out of the civil war suspended the institute. His school days ended for several years. He went to Nebraska City in 1864, and in the spring of 1866, concluding to try his fortunes in the West, he hired out as a teamster for $15 per month, and drove an ox team to Pike's Peak, and returned that summer.
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In company with his mother and one brother, in the autumn of 1866, he went to Texas, where he spent one year. In the summer of 1867 he returned, and on his journey his mother died of cholera, July 23, 1867, at North Fork, Indian terri- tory. He went to Hamburgh, lowa, where he attended the public school under Professor Beard, in the winters of 1567 and 1868. He came to Nodaway county in the fall of #869, and commenced teaching school, in which vocation he con- tinued, reading law at intervals, until the spring of 1875, when he removed to Maryville, entering the law office of Dawson and Edwards. He was admitted to the bar in July, 1875, and two months later formed a partnership with Judge Andrew Royal, which was dissolved in about one year, by the removal of Judge Royal to Saint Joseph. Mr. Ramsay practiced by himself until January 1, 1878, when he formed another partnership with his present associate, John Edwards.
Mr. Ramsay is a democrat, and takes an active part in political work He was chairman of the democratic central committee of Nodaway county from 1876 to 1878. In 1878 he was elected on the democratic ticket to the office of prosecut- ing attorney, and in 1880 was reelected to the same office, and held the same until January 1, 1883, performing its duties ably, and to the utinost satisfaction of all. He took the stump in the campaigns preceding the elections of 1876, 1878, 1880 and 1882. He is upright, honorable and just in all matters concerning his politi- cal action, as well as in matters of private life. Although he loves debate, and is always found anxious to meet his opponent in joint debate, he has never allowed his time or attention to be diverted from his professional duties. He is thor- oughly devoted to his profession, and is never happier than when engaged in its most arduous labors. He loves the law as a science, never tiring in his research of authorities; he traces principles to their source, and seeing a point clearly can express himself in a lucid manner. He is a cogent reasoner, is graceful in his delivery, and the propriety of his diction is unsurpassed. He has measured lances with some of the ablest lawyers of the West, and among the many important cases in which he has been victorious and gained renown may be mentioned two cases where indictments for murder in the first degree were found, being the cel- ebrated cases of State as. Otto Sharp, and State 25. Tabbotts. During the four years Mr. Ramsay held the office of prosecuting attorney no indictment drawn by him was ever quashed for intormality.
The business of this firm extends into several counties, and they have business to considerable extent in all of the courts, both state and federal. Mr. Ramsay periodically corresponds with the "Central Law Journal." He compiled the political history of his own county, and is a literary gentleman of considerable merit. His articles on legal subjects have received high encomiums from the pro- fession, and as a political writer he has probably no superior in northwest Mis- souri. Energy and perseverance have raised him from the lowest levels of poverty to his present enviable standing among his fellow men, and though his life work has been a constant struggle, no man has said that he ever dealt unfairly, or sought to advance his own interests at the expense of disadvantage of others.
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Being eminently fair and just in all his purposes, he detests hypocrisy and decep- tion in man, and despises above all things the arts and intrigues of the traitor. February 22, 1874, he was married to Madora A Lamar, only daughter of Charles J. and Kasiah Lamar. He has but one child, a son, Charles A. Ramsay, born November 1, 1876.
MILTON R. DOWNS. KANSAS CITY.
M ILTON ROBERT DOWNS was born June 1, 1857, in Pettis county, Mis- souri; son of James A. J. Downs and Caroline (Sandridge) Downs. Ilis father was a farmer, and young Downs worked on the farm until fifteen years of age; he then attended the normal school and graduated at Warrensburgh in 1877. He taught school one year at California, Missouri, reading law in his spare time during that period, and was admitted to the bar at that place in 1878. He came to Kansas City the same year and entered the office of Colonel J. W. Wofford, where he remained one year. He then opened an office for himself, and entered upon the practice of the law. June 4, 1839, he married Miss Mary U. Smith, an accomplished lady of California, Missouri. She received her musical and literary education at Christian College, Columbia
Mr. Downs has continued in the practice of the law at Kansas City up to the present time, and he enjoys more than an average amount of patronage, which is steadily increasing. Considering the length of time Mr. Downs has been in practice, he has probably succeeded in his profession as well as any young lawyer in Kansas City. He has a good class of clients and many friends, who prize him for his moral and intellectual worth. He is well read in his profession, is a dili- gent student and a discriminating practitioner He tries his cases with a good deal of aptness, and is a fluent, easy and logical speaker, and an honorable gen- tleman in all of his dealings and intercourse with mankind. He is urbane in his manners and a worthy citizen.
WILLIAM E. FISSE.
SAINT LOUIS.
T HE young man who starts out in life with one end in view, and only one end; who keeps his eye steadily on the mark, and presses straight forward, is very likely to reach the goal of his ambition. The subject of this sketch seems to belong to that class. He early made up his mind to be a lawyer, and with that end in view, laid a broad foundation, on which he is building slowly and steadily, with no cessation of manly endeavor.
William Edmund Fisse was born in the city of Saint Louis, August 20, 1557, being a son of John H. and Emma Monroe (Brison) Fisse. His father was born
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in Hanover, Germany, and was formerly a retail dry-goods merchant in this city, and was afterward in the wholesale trade, same line of merchandise. He is still living in Saint Louis, His wite died in 1866. The grandfather of William emi- grated from Germany about 1830. His mother was from Harper's Ferry, Vir- ginia. He was educated in the Saint Louis public schools; read law with Jacob Klein, one of the leading lawyers of Saint Louis, mentioned on other pages of this work, and was admitted to the bar in 1878. Not satisfied with his legal attainments, Mr. Fisse went to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and took a course of study in the law department of Harvard University. Thus equipped, he com- menced practice in 1886, in company with his preceptor, Mr. Klein, and the firm of Klein and Fisse still continues, their business being almost entirely in the civil courts.
Mr. Fisse is one of the most industrious young men of his profession in the city. Whatever he does he does well, and he is steadily rising. There is no let up to his diligence at his books, as well as his alertness and care in making out briefs.
Mr. Fisse trains in the republican ranks, but he is not so strong a partisan as to let politics interfere with the one aim of his life, - to be a good lawyer, and to attain an honorable position at the bar of his native city.
FRED W. PERKINS.
KANSAS CITY.
TI THE subject of this sketch was born April 15, 1850, at Milford, New Hamp- shire. He is the son of George II. and Harriet ( Wright) Perkins, and is eminently a self-made man. At the early age of twelve years he was left in care of his father's family, as his father and brother, Lieutenant George O. Per- kins, of the United States regular army, entered the United States service when he had arrived at that age. But he was equal to the occasion: He went to work in the United States armory at Springfield, Massachusetts, in order to help pro- vide for the family. He commenced huis education in the public schools at Springfield. In 1866 he moved to Missomi, and was employed in the clerk's office of the United States district court at Jefferson City with his uncle, Doctor Adams Peabody, clerk of that court. He was messenger of the Missouri house of repre- sentatives of the twenty-fourth general assembly in 1866 and 1868. He attended the University of Missouri at Columbia; read law with Karnes and Ess at Kan- sus City, and was admitted to the bar April 20, 1876. He commenced practice at Kansas City, and continued until 1879, when he entered Washington University at Saint Louis, and was graduated from the law department in 1880. He resumed practice at Kansas City in July of that year, and has been successful ever since.
June 20, 1881, he was appointed commissioner of the United States circuit court for the western district of Missouri, and in March, 1882, was appointed
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deputy clerk of the United States district court in charge of the office for the west division, which positions he has filled to the entire satisfaction of all up to the present time. In addition to the foregoing, Mr Perkins is a commissioner of deeds for all of the states and territories, and is a notary public. He is an exact, painstaking lawyer, systematic in all of his business attains, and well read in his profession. He is a worthy and highly respected citizen, and a prominent mem- ber of the First Baptist Church in Kansas City
Mr. Perkins married Miss Mary A. Thompson, an accomplished and estimable lady of Jefferson City. They have four children, one daughter and three sons.
BEZALLEEL WELLS.
KANSAS CITY.
T HIE subject of this sketch was born November 5, 1840, at Steubenville, Ohio, the son of James R. and Ann Eliza (Wilson) Wells. His grandfather, Bezal- lee! Wells, was one of the first settlers of eastern Ohio, and bought a thousand acres of land and laid out the town of Steubenville. Indians lived in the township. Then Fort Steuben, after which the town was named, was occupied by govern- ment troops. His great-grandfather on the maternal side was Colonel Thomas Stokely, of the revolutionary army; he was an enthusiastic patriot and a firm friend of General Washington. Colonel Stokely served throughout the war, and also responded to General Washington's order to suppress the whisky insurrec- tion, as it was called, in Pennsylvania.
When our subject was a boy, his father, with his family, embarked on a steam- boat, went down the Ohio River to Cairo, thence on the Mississippi to Dubuque, lowa, and was one of the earliest settlers in eastern Iowa. Our subject returned to Ohio, attended Kenyon College, and was graduated in 1861. He taught school two years, then joined a military expedition under General Alfred Sully, went to Dakota to fight Indians, and had a long and arduous campaign during that sum- mer, enduring forced marches, hot weather, and subsisting on poor provisions. He resigned, and came home in December, at the end of the campaign. In Jan- uary, 1864, he was appointed to a position in the war department at Washington, District of Columbia, and was connected with the ordnance corps at that city until the close of the war. He was in Washington during the most eventful period of the war, when the city was surrounded by rebels, and was among those who responded to the call of the secretary of war, to defend the city against the expected attack of the rebels. He was also there when the city was wild with excitement over the death of President Lincoln, the surrender of General Lee, and the capture of Richmond. He was well acquainted per- sonally with Hon. E. M. Stanton. At the close of the war he was assigned by the secretary of war to the charge of the captured archives of the confederate states, and spent five years in collecting, assetting and arranging them so that
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they could be conveniently used by the United States. The archives proved to be very serviceable to the government. M. Wells made use of them in defeating fraudulent claims against the government By being thus managed they saved the government between four and five millions of dollars. Mr. Wells was jokingly called by his friends the "administrator of the confederate states." At the time when Jefferson Davis was indicted for treason at Richmond, Virginia, Mr. Wells was sent by the secretary of war to Richmond with all the original documentary evidence to sustain the charge.
He was well acquainted with all of the general officers of the army who were doing business with the war department, and Adjutant General E. D. Townsend considered him one of his mainstays in that office.
While thus engaged in the war department Mr. Wells spent his evenings in studying law in Columbia College law school. After three years' study he was graduated in 1868 in a class of one hundred and five, and took the highest prize for the best legal essay. In 1871, on account of ill health produced by over work and study, he tendered his resignation to the adjutant general, who accepted it in a very complimentary letter, expressing his regrets at Mr. Wells' wish to leave the service. He then came west, expecting to locate in the state of Kansas, but settled in Kansas City, in October, 1871. He has practiced law ever since, doing a general business in all of the courts, with a preponderance of commercial and corporation law. He has been successful in several important cases in the supreme courts of the states of Missouri and of Kansas, Mr. Wells is diligent and perse- vering, is a logical reasoner, and makes a vigorous argument before both court and jury. He is an upright gentleman and an excellent citizen.
He was married in skog, at Brooklyn, New York, to Miss Mary Clark. They have fom children.
RUDOLPH HIRZEL ..
SAINT LOUIS.
R UDOLPH HIRZEL is a native of Wurtemberg, Germany, a son of Otto and Rosa (Tritschler) Hirzel, and was born December 9, 1845. His father was a government officer; after the revolution of 1848 he became a farmer, and reared his children in habits of industry. Rudolph attended the public schools in his early youth; took a partial course in the gymnasium, and attended an agri- cultural college one year before coming to this country. He also did more or less farming, acquiring a good knowledge of that branch of industry by the time he had passed out of his teens.
In September, 1865, Mr. Hirzel came to this country, and in October, 1866, came to Missouri, and for some time was engaged in farming and teaching in Gasconade county. He entered the junior class of Central Wesleyan College, Warrenton, Missouri, and was graduated in 1871, taking the classical course. Hle read law with Lay and Belch of Jefferson City, where he was admit-
yours truly 1
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ted to the bar in December, 1872. He began practice at Hermann, Gasconade county, April 19, 1873, and on the same day was married to Miss Matilda Nasse of that place. They have three children. Mr. Hirzel had considerable criminal as well as civil practice while at Hermann, he being for four years pros- ceuting attorney for his county.
In December, 1879, Mr. Hirzel settled in this city, and here his business is, from choice, almost entirely in the civil courts. He has a good class of clients, and is very punctilious and faithful in attending to his business. "He is," says an old acquaintance of his, "a man of excellent character, accurate and reliable, of fair talents and a well trained mind, careful in preparing his cases, and true to the interests of his clients."
He was the attorney for the defense in the case of The State as. Baron Bechtolsheim, the Austrian Consul at Saint Louis, and cleared him on the ground that the state courts had no jurisdiction over foreign consuls.
In July, 1883, he was one of the attorneys for the Saloon Keepers' Association of Saint Louis, and brought the question on the Sunday law to a successful end.
Mr. Hirzel was an active politician of the republican faith while at Hermann, but since coming to Saint Louis he has given politics largely the go-by, and devoted himself very closely to legal pursuits. He is a third-degree Mason, and a member of the Legion of Honor and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is a finely educated man, with good address, and the courtesy and polish of a gentleman.
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