USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > 20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 56
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GENERAL SAMSON MASON AND GENERAL CHARLES ANTHONY were by far the most conspicuous members of our bar from 1824 to 1860. While both were of the same political faith, yet they were rivals in poli- ties as well as at the bar. General Mason was more aristocratie in his bearing and deportment, and more scholarly in his at- tainments, and more popular with the learned and aristocratic element of our people, while General Anthony, of fine presence and agreeable manners, was more approachable and more popular with those who scorned to belong to what they termed the "cultured aristocracy." General Mason was born in New Jersey in 1793. He was the first prosecuting at- torney of Clark County, served a number of terms in the Legislature, was eight years in the United States Congress, and during the administration of Millard Fill- more was United States attorney for Ohio and was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1852. As a lawyer he had a reputation which extended beyond the state. His professional circuit embraced the counties of Clark, Greene, Champaign, Union, Logan and Madison. He was an honest lawyer and faithful manager of all business intrusted to his care. His bear- ing was dignified, and his language that of a scholarly gentleman. He was in every sense of the term a true gentleman of the
MEMBERS IN 1852.
In 1852, a directory of the City of Springfield gave the occupation of the following persons as attorneys-at-law: old school. He died in this city, February Charles Anthony, J. R. Coverdill, John, 1,1869.
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General Anthony was born in Richmond, conquered by the intrinsic strength of his Virginia, and came to Ohio in 1811, and argument, which generally amounted to demonstration. His mind possessed many of the qualities which distinguished Mr. Lincoln." After retiring from Congress, he removed to Washington for the purpose of practicing his profession, and was en- gaged in many of the most important mat- ters of litigation that appeared in the Supreme Court of the United States. His industry and faith to duty and to his coun- try were crowning virtues ; he was as good an example as the history of our profes- sion furnishes, of an able, learned and Christian lawyer. to Springfield in 1824, and died March 31, 1862. His popular manners soon gave him a practice and a prominence at the bar that established him as a worthy rival of General Mason. He was not so fortunate in being elected to public positions, but for a number of years was a distinguished member of the General Assembly. In 1840 he was appointed by General Har- rison as United States attorney for Ohio, and held it for four years. Always active and enterprising, in all publie measures he was foremost. He gave very great at- tention to the Masonic fraternity, and was elected grand master of the state. After his death a new lodge of Masons was or- ganized in our city which bears his name.
SAMUEL, SHEILABARGER-A great lawyer who came upon the scene of action about the time that Mason and Anthony were drifting away by reason of old age, was Samuel Shellabarger. In many respects he was the most prominent and gifted of the lawyers that ever honored the bar of Clark County with his presence. He was born December 10, 1817, in Mad River Township, of this county, and died Aug- ust 7, 1896, in Washington, D. C. Ad- mitted to the bar in 1846, he came to prac- tice law in Springfield in 1848. He was elected to the General Assembly in 1852, and to the Congress of the United States in 1860, and served several terms until 1873. In the United States Congress he was recognized as among the foremost of statesmen, and it was said by Blaine that "he was distinguished for the logical and analytical character of his mind. Without the gift of oratory, paying little heed to the graces of speech, Mr. Shellabarger
GEORGE SPENCE-George Spence's name appears upon the record about the same time as Mr. Shellabarger's. He was born in Pike Township in 1828, and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1850, died February 6, 1895. He had the reputation of being the best jury lawyer that ever appeared in our court. Popular in his manner, he had a larger personal acquaintance in the days of his prime than any person in our county. Active in body, with a wonder- fully live and vigorous mind, he brought into the trial of his cases great vigor. His argument in a cause was sometimes com- pared to zigzag lightning-you never knew where it was going to strike, but it was sure to strike somewhere, and with great force. Mr. Spence had the mis- fortune of not receiving what might be termed a good education, and his environ- ments and associations in early life were not such as led him to the highest eleva- tion of a good citizen. Naturally, he had a mind which, perhaps, never was sur- passed by any member of our bar. He was active and energetic in matters per- taining to the welfare of our city. His be-
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ing a Democrat in politics, prevented his pacity by methodical study, reading and acquirement of political positions. But for many years he was acknowledged as one of the wheel-horses of that party. He was a delegate to the celebrated Charles- ton Convention, in 1860, which adjourned to Baltimore and nominated Stephen A. Douglas for the Presidency, which pre- cipitated the terrible civil conflict of 1861. Large investments and loose business hab- its caused Mr. Spence to lose his prop- erty in his declining days. He possessed many excellent traits of character, and was very faithful to the interests of clients confided to his care. In his long active professional and business career he aided many persons needing aid and as- sistance. While he was not a great jurist, he was, in his palmiest days, an exceed- ingly good trial lawyer.
SAMUEL A. BOWMAN-Purely as a law- yer-and he sought distinction in no other way, excepting that of good citizen- ship-Samuel A. Bowman had no peer at the bar of Clark County, and but few in the State of Ohio or the United States. He was born at Zanesville, January 13, 1832, graduated from our own Wittenberg College in 1852, and commenced the prac- tice of law in the City of Springfield in 1854, continuing in a large and lucrative practice until the day of his death, which occurred July 5, 1895. His early asso- ciations with General Mason gave him a large clientage in his younger days. He was purely a lawyer, and his profession was his only ambition. His practice ex- tended throughli all the courts of the United States, and he was able and worthy to meet any adversary in that broad field. He possessed a mind of great natural vigor, which was trained to its highest ca-
thoughit. Often on the street his mind was engrossed with thoughts of matters pertaining to his profession, and he would pass a friend without recognizing him. This gave the impression to many people that he was aristocratic in his ideas and selfish in his disposition. It is true he was not a good "mixer" with the popu- lace; as a politician he was not a success ; but as to all his dealings with man, he was just and generous. He had the power to grasp the salient features of his case to a wonderful degree, and could plan and for- mulate the method of action and execute a defense second to none. He was the originator of the beautiful Ferncliff Cem- etery, the Savings Bank, the Associated Charities, and other matters pertaining to the city's welfare. Three sons-Ed- mond O., Jolin E., and Border-continue in the practice and exhibit many of his distinguishing characteristics, Border giv- ing his attention chiefly to the practice of patent law, in which his noted father was an adept.
MEMBERS IN 1864.
In 1864 the names of the following per- sons are given as practicing law at our har: Aaron Cochran, A. P. Linn Cochran, David M. Cochran, John B. Hagan, D. A. Harrison, Saul S. Hinkle, Samson Ma- son. Samuel Bowman, T. J. Pringle, J. K. Mower, George C. Richardson, Joshua D. Sharon, Samuel Shellabarger, JJ. S Goode. George Spence. Jolin McGaffey, and H. Vinal. David M. Cochran, a brother of A. P. Linn Cochran, died the latter part of the sixties. He was a very brilliant lawyer, possessed of many ex- cellent traits.
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MEMBERS IN 1881.
In 1881, the following were enrolled as members of our bar: George Arthur, S. A. Bowman, A. T. Byers, M. T. Burn- ham, W. F. Bevitt. A. G. Burnett, A. P. L. Cochran, C. W. Constantine, Milton Cole, B. Chinn, E. G. Dial, W. H. Dugdale, Charles Dunlap, Graham Deuwell, A. H. Gillett, Frank C. Goode, F. M. Hagan, E. O. Hagan, W. R. Horner, James Johnson, Jr., O. B. Johnson, J. Warren Keifer, C. C. Kirkpatrick. John H. Littler, J. K. Mower, Oscar T. Martin, P. B. Martin, B. F. Martz, J. F. McGrew, J. J. Miller, Perey Norton, W. S. Newberry, James H. Piles, Thomas J. Pringle, George C. Raw- lins, J. H. Rabbitts, R. C. Rodgers, W. M. Rockel. C. B. Rockhill, D. S. Runyan, George Spence, W. A. Scott, Frank Show- ers, Joseph Tritt, E. S. Wallace, F. W. Willis, W. H. Willis, Charles R. White, Fletcher White, Amos Wolf, Walter L .. Weaver, C. F. Yakey.
SOME TIME MEMBERS.
There are other members of our bar whose names do not appear in the list above given, who died in early age or re- moved to other scenes of action. James Willis came within forty votes of being elected mayor, and died suddenly about the year 1870. He was a young lawyer of brilliant parts and promising future. Mil- ton Cole, a member of this bar, was born in 1848, elected Mayor of the city in 1875, and again in 1877; was a man of quiet demeanor, with considerable legal ability. For a number of years before his death he suffered from a paralytic stroke, which incapacitated him. He died in 1894. J. and Randolph Coleman, one time mem-
J. Hanna, a member of this bar and mayor of the city in 1870, removed from the city, and shortly thereafter died. J. F. Ogle- vee was a former member of this bar and partner of General Keifer, served as County Anditor from 1871 to 1874: there- after represented this county two terms in the Legislature, and was state anditor for a number of years, and is now a resi- dent of Columbus, engaged in manufactur- ing.
Frank C. Goode, son of Judge James S. Goode, was born in this city in 1853, ad- mitted to the bar in 1875, and died in 1887. He was a young man having many of the striking characteristics of his dis- tinguished father, and, had not death called him so soon, would no doubt have had a very distinguished legal career. Willis S. Walker, son of General Moses Walker, of Kenton, was for a short time a member of our bar. Afterward he was chief clerk in the secretary of state's of- five under General Robinson. From there he went West, and died in the prime of young manhood. He was of studious habits, and, for his age, a very good lawyer.
John D. Burnett, who died in .Jannary, 1899, was a member of our bar, but for many years was not actively engaged in the profession. Ile is remembered as a kindly old gentleman who painstakingly and carefully looked after the interests entrusted to his care. John H. Thomas was admitted to the bar in 1851, but soon thereafter went into the manufacturing Imsiness, in which he acquired great wealth. In later years he mingled some in state politics, but held no important positions. Percy Norton, James Homan
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bers of our bar, are now also engaged in the more lucrative calling of manufactur- ing. George Frey, who was a member of the bar in 1852, and is yet alive and with us, was but a short time if ever an active practitioner. The venerable Thomas F. MeGrew was for nine years an active member of the Steubenville bar, but never practiced here.
William D. Hill, later a Congressman in Northern Ohio, was at one time a mem- ber of our bar and mayor of the city in the early sixties. Charles Evans, who was afterward a Common Pleas judge in ('incinnati, and now a practicing member of that bar, was a member of our bar during the latter part of the sixties. There was also about the same time an attorney by the name of Jacob R. Me- Garry, a member of our bar, who after- ward went to Cincinnati.
From the time of his admission, in 1868, until 1893, when he left for New York City, no one was better known at our bar than Edward S. Wallace, who was born in Kentucky in 1846 and came to Spring- feld in 1855. Mr. Wallace was a man of commanding presence, versatile in thought and action, popular in manner and de- meanor. His greatest force was in the criminal practice, where his fine appear- ance and great oratorical powers gave him more than ordinary snecess. He was a brilliant conversationalist, but not as care- ful and cautious in his habits as he might have been. He was at one time a Demo- eratic candidate for attorney general, aft- erward elected as an independent candi- date for mayor, and still later chosen by the Republicans of Clark County as their candidate for Congress,
GENERAL KEIFER-Of the present mem-
bers of our bar in active practice, Gen- eral Keifer is the oldest as well as the most distinguished. He is strictly a prod- net of Clark County, born in Bethel Town- ship, January 30, 1836. Admitted to the bar in January, 1858; entering the Civil War in 1861, he rose to the rank of brevet major general of volunteers in 1865. In 1876 he was elected to Congress and there- after re-elected three times. In 1881 he was elected speaker of the House of Rep- resentatives. In 1898 he was appointed a major general of volunteers in the Span- ish War. While not engaged on the field of war or in the halls of Congress, Gen- eral Keifer was an active, energetic mem- ber of our bar, and still continues to be such. He never in his life knew what it was to be idle or take a vacation. A few years ago there was issued from the press a very creditable work of which he was the author, entitled, "Slavery and Four Years of War." He was an excellent sol- dier, an energetic legislator, a good law- yer, and in all respects ever was and still is a good citizen of our community. It is the wish of all that he may long continue to remain with us. On January 11, 1908, the bar gave a complimentary banquet to him on the fiftieth anniversary of his ad- mission to the bar.
A. P. LINN COCHRAN-Among the older members of the bar, perhaps it would be not unjust to mention the name of A. P. Linn Cochran. Mr. Cochran was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, in 1836, came to our bar in 1859 and con- tinned thereat until 1907, a space of forty- eight years. Exceedingly courteous and gentlemanly in all his conduct with the court and the public generally, it could be said that no one stood higher in public
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estimation; and when it was rumored that in the General Assembly. Horace W. his dealings with his clients with respect Stafford and John B. MeGrew each have served two terms as prosecuting attorney. M. T. Burnham and D. Z. Gardner have each ably served one terin as city solicitor. Albert H. Kunkle creditably filled the position for four successive terms. He was followed by V. Y. Smith for one term and he by Stewart L. Taytum two terms and he by Roger V. Smith, present in- cumbent. John L. Plummer very ably served one term as State Senator from this Senatorial Distriet. to some estates that he represented had not been strictly according to legal ethics, everyone who knew him was shocked. However, charges were made and pre- sented to the court, Judge Allread of Greenville hearing the same, and finally Mr. Cochran was suspended from practice for two years. Soon thereafter he re- moved to Cincinnati, where he is now located. No one has ever been able to ex- plain satisfactorily why one of such high standing should have allowed himself to get into such a position.
T. J. PRINGLE was born in Clark County, near South Charleston, in 1838, was ad- mitted to our bar in 1864, and was prose- cuting attorney from shortly thereafter for seven years. No one was better liked by the members of the bar generally than Mr. Pringle. He was of fine appearance, affable and genial, and during his career at our har was as well beloved for his kindly social qualities as any member who ever graced it by his presence. Mr. Pringle served two terms as. State Sen- ator from our Senatorial District. He died in 1903.
GEORGE C. RAWLINS, a present, able, active, and energetic member of our bar, was prosecuting attorney from 1876 to 1880, and thereafter served with distin- guished honor for two terms in the lower house of the General Assembly. Walter L. Weaver served ten years creditably as prosecuting attorney, and from 1896 to 1900 was an able member from this dis- triet to the United States Congress.
CHASE STEWART served two terms as prosecuting attorney, from 1889 to 1895; and from 1895 to 1899 he served two terms all join in wishing him snecess.
FRANK W. GEIGER is now referee in bankruptcy. J. F. MeGrew served two terms in the Legislature. He was a promi- nent member and came very near being elected Speaker. He is a good public speaker and now president of the Commer. cial Club.
JAMES JOHNSON, JR., a good lawyer and good fellow, creditably served one term as mayor. Lawrence Laybourne is the pre -- ent prosecuting attorney. Oscar T. Martin and George Arthur, both eminent members of our bar, have never held pub- lie positions. Mr. Arthur has not. for the reason that he belongs to the party in the minority, and. further, that he thinks more of his profession than he does of political positions. Mr. Martin has not occupied publie positions solely for the reason that he wishes to devote all his time and energy to the practice of his profession, and by doing so he has built up an enviable prac- tice and bids fair in the not far distant future to be the leading member of our bar.
It is no fault of John L. Zimmerman's that he has not occupied publie positions. He expects to be governor some day, and
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There are other members of our bar who, by their merit, are entitled to distinct mention in this paper, and some of whom no doubt have ocenpied positions of trust and honor. But these matters are com- mon to the knowledge of all, and the limits of my paper will not permit them to be individualized.
BAR ASSOCIATION.
On several occasions in the past the bar has organized for the purpose of advanc- ing the interests of its members and main- taining the dignity of the profession. But for various reasons about all that would be accomplished, would be a meeting, some strong speeches about maintaining the dignity of the profession, possibly an as- sessment for dues, an election, and then- a quiet, unobtrusive death. However, probably by reason of the interest that the bar has in maintaining an excellent law library, the present Bar Association has had a longer existence than any of its predecessors and bids fair to remain with us for some time to come. The pres- ent Clark County Bar Association was organized July 6, 1888, with Hon. J. K. Mower as president; A. N. Summers, vice- president : W. M. Rockel, secretary, and George S. Dial, treasurer. In March, 1892, for the purpose of raising money to buy books for the library, it became in- corporated. An enjoyable feature of the meetings of this Bar Association is the custom that has come into vogue, of the new president, on his induction into office, annually, giving a spread to which all members of the bar are invited.
"There St. John mingles with the friendly bowl, The flow of reason and feast of soul."
The Bar Association formerly met monthly, and should do so now in com- pliance with its by-laws, but usnally the meetings are only held annually, or at the call of the president. There is an annual fee of five dollars attached to the membership, which is applied to the fund for the purchase of books to keep up the library. The present officers of the as- sociation are: Chase Stewart, president ; Clem V. Collins, vice-president; Arthur J. Todd, secretary, and Frank M. Krapp, treasurer.
LIBRARY.
This sketch of our bench and bar would be incomplete did it not contain a word in reference to our present excellent li- brary. From the beginning of a few volumes, it has grown until it now num- bers nearly three thousand volumes at a total cost of about $10,000. For a consid- erable time the matter of a library had been a subject of speculation and discus- sion among the members of our bar, and when the new Court House was completed, a room was provided for that purpose. But, unlike many other things, it needed something to make the start in that direc- tion. In 1886 or 1887. in a casual conver- sation, Judge Charles R. White remarked that he had a fund in his hands as treas- urer of a defunct Bar Association, and that he would like to be relieved of his responsibility, but there was no knowl- edge of the persons who had contributed the fund, or to whom it should be re- turned. The writer suggested to him to invest it in books, for the nucleus of a library in the Court House. He respond- ed that if the consent of certain members
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of the bar, whom he presumed had con- from time to time, funds were secured, tributed the fund, would be secured, he with which the excellent library now in the Court House was procured. A com- plete set of the reports of all the import- ant states of the Union are now on its shelves, together with modern digests and encyclopedias. A subscription has just been made for the English Reports. W. F. Bevitt and Charlotte Cross have been the accommodating librarian and assist- ant librarian for some time. The present trustees are: Judge A. H. Kunkle, Judge A. N. Summers, Judge F. M. Hagan, Oscar T. Martin, J. E. Bowman, J. F. Me- would gladly turn it over for that pur- pose. The consent of such members of the bar having been obtained, and the fund turned over to the writer, it was by him invested in the West System of Re- porters. The bound volumes were placed in the library and the advanced sheets were kept at the writer's office until a librarian was appointed. The fund amounted to $306. Afterward, upon the or- ganization of a Bar Association, a Board of Trustees was appointed for the library. This first board was composed of Judge Grew and W. W. Keifer.
C. R. White, Oscar T. Martin and W. M. Rockel. Afterward A. S. Rogers, Albert H. Kunkle, F. M. Hagan, with Rockel and White, constituted the board. By this time it was ascertained that the library of George Spence could be purchased for a very reasonable sum. A contribution was taken up among the members of the bar, and the library purchased. This was the first substantial addition to the pre- vious purchase of the West Reporters. Judge Mower has been an active member of the Board of Trustees for the library for the past ten years. The Legislature having in the meantime passed a law per- mitting the court to appoint a librarian, Mr. Oliver H. Miller, a member of the bar, accepted the position for a number of years and turned the salary over to be applied in the purchase of books. Funds were also received from certain Police Court fines. In order to increase the use- fulness of the library and secure the pur- chase of more books, in 1892 the Clark County Bar Association was incorporated and shares of stock of fifty dollars each were issued. In these various ways, and
MEMBERS IN 1908.
The following is given by our Court Docket as a list of the present practicing members of our bar:
J. Fred Anderson, Edwin L. Arthur, George Arthur, Charles E. Ballard, George A. Beard, Carey Boggess, Border Bowman, E. O. Bowman, J. E. Bowman. Harry A. Brenner, M. T. Burnham, Albert F. Busch, Wm. G. Campbell, Clement V. Collins, John M. Cole, George S. Dial. Walter N. Elder, Frank W. Geiger, Jas. P. Goodwin, Clifton P. Grant, Harry G. R. Gram, William HI. Griffith, Ed- ward O. Hagan, Francis M. Hagan. Francis M. Hagan Jr., Jacob M. Harner, Patrick J. Higgins, William R. Horner, Edwin S. Honck, James Johnson Jr., Sully Jaymes, Floyd A. Johnston, Hor- ace C. Keifer, J. Warren Keifer, William W. Keifer, J. Forest Kitchen, Frank M. Krapp, Albert H. Kunkle, A. C. Link, Law- rence Laybourne, Julius F. W. Lorenz, Edward J. Lynch, Thomas J. McCormick, J. F. MeGrew, John B. MeGrew, Howard MeGregor, Elza F. McKee, William Y.
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Mahar, James B. Malone, Oscar T. Mar- and "Oily Gammons" at our bar. It can tin, Paul C. Martin, J. J. Miller, Oliver H. be truthfully said that there is no class Miller, Seba H. Miller, Percy Norton, C. S. Olinger, John L. Plummer, George C. Rawlins, Walter E. Robinson, William M. Rockel, Robert C. Rodgers, Stewart L. Tatum, George W.Tehan, Arthur J. Todd, H. A. Toulmin, O. B. Trout, Roger V. Smith, Horace W. Stafford, Paul A. Staley, Chase Stewart, Earle Stewart, James G. Stewart, Harry F. Summers, Walter L. Weaver, J. Jerome Welty, W. W. Witmeyer, L. F. Young, John L. Zim- merman. Albert I. Zimmerman. of persons in the community that stand higher than the members of the bar. In the last one hundred years but one mem- ber was disbarred from practice. Gen- erally, in all matters that pertain to the welfare of our city and county, they are found ever contending for that which will bring prosperity and honor to our city and its people. If the next hundred years can show as bright a history as the past one hundred, the bar of the City of Spring- field can indeed well be proud of its rec- ord.
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