USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Centennial history of Cincinnati and representative citizens, Vol. I, Pt. 2 > Part 79
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CINCINNATI
non-partisan board. It has control of the police and fire departments of the city, which are placed under the merit system. The act also provides for a Police Court, which is simply a continuation of the Police courts already exist- ing.
By the Chapman act passed in the spring of 1904 the time of municipal elections is changed until the fall and the terms of city officers are extended in accordance with this change so that the next municipal election for city officers in general will be held in November, 1905.
THE MAYORS.
The mayor of the city elected at the beginning of the war was George Hatch, a Democrat.
In October, 1862, the Democrats carried the city over the Union party by a majority of 155, but in the spring of 1863 Col. Leonard A. Har- ris, who had been in the field, defeated John F. Torrence, Democratic candidate, by a vote of 1,136. The Union party elected 14 out of 20 councilmen and there were nine Union hold- overs and five Democrats; this gave the Union party the majority in the Council. Colonel Harris made a most efficient mayor and at the end of his term was renominated and elected by about 8,000 majority, the largest majority ever given to a candidate up to that time. The salary was doubled and the office in every way was made attractive. After the election a committee of citizens, of which John W. Hartwell was chair- man and Richard Smith secretary, raised the sum of $8,000 which was presented to the mayor as a testimonial of the regard of the citizens for a faitliful and efficient officer. Resolutions were adopted which particularly commended his con- duct during the exciting election contest between Brough and Vallandigham in the fall of 1863.
In 1867 Charles F. Wilstach was elected mayor and served for one term, at the end of which time John F. Torrence succeeded him. He in turn was succeeded two years later by S. S. Davis and in 1873 the well known George W. C. Johnston was elected and licld office for two terms, being succeeded in 1877 by Robert M. Moore; Moore gave way to Charics Jacob, Jr. In 1881 the Democratic party regained control of the city by the clection of William Means, succeeded two years later by Thomas J. Stephens. The Re- publicans returned to power in 1885 by the clection of Amor Sinith, Jr., who received a majority of more than 4,000 over his opponent, George Gerke. Ilc was again elected in 1887. In1 1889 cx-Mayor Stephens was once more a
candidate but was defeated by John B. Mosby by a plurality of a little over 500. Over 7,000 votes were cast for Daniel Stone an Independent Democrat. Mr. Mosby was reclected at the ex- piration of this term by a still narrower plurality defeating Gustav Tafel by 148 votes. The elec- tion of 1891 was under the new charter, which gave the mayor a three-year term. At the ex- piration of this term there were three candi- dates for the mayoralty: John A. Caldwell, Re- publican ; Thcodore F. Horstman, Citizen, and Isaac J. Miller, Democrat. Mr. Caldwell had a plurality over Horstman of almost 7,000 votes ; Mr. Miller received over 11,000 votes. In 1897 Gustav Tafel, the Democratic nominee, supported by a so-called Fusion movement including Inde- pendent Republicans, defeated Levi C. Goodale, the Republican nominee, by a plurality of over 7,000 votes. In 1900 another Fusion movement of Democrats and Independents was organized but Alfred M. Colien, the candidate of this party, was defeated by Julius Fleischmann by a vote of 34,447 to 28,843. The election for mayor under the new charter of 1902 was a very ex- citing one and for the first time in many years a campaign was carried on with enthusiasm that had hitherto marked elections only in the fall. Mr. Fleischmann was renominated by the Re- publicans and Melville E. Ingalls by a Citizens' organization ; there was no candidate offered by the Democratic party as such. In this election Mr. Fleischmann was successful receiving an overwliclming majority by a vote of 42,871 to 27,275 out of a total votc of 74.840.
THIE LEGISLATIVE BOARDS.
John F. Torrence was president of the City Council 111 1860 and in 1861 Samuel B. Hirst presided for a short time. As a result of the election of 1861. Christopher Von Seggern be- came the presiding officer of this body. A year later Theodore Marsh presided. Thomas H. Wcasner was president of the Council from 1863 to 1865 and Samuel L. Hayden from 1866 to 1868. In 1869 came the last president of the City Council,-James W. Fitzgerald. The last meeting of this board, previous to thic organiza- tion of the City Council under the new charter of 1870, was held April 2, 1870. The first presi- dent of the new Board of Councilinen was A. T. Goshorn. Mr. Fitzgerald succeeded him in 1872 and served also in 1875 and 1876. Isaac J. Miller presided in 1873 and 1874. Benjamin Eggleston was president front 1877 to 1879, in- clusive, and again for a time in 1884. L. L ..
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Sadler served from 1880 to 1883, inclusive. In 1884 Daniel J. Dalton presided, following Mr. Eggleston. In the five succeeding years the pre- siding officers of this body were W. N. Forbis (1885 and 1889), Gustav Loewenstein, Morris Bauer and George W. Draper. The Board of Aldermen in the 20 years of its existence from 1870 to 1890 was presided over by George F. Davis, Samuel F. Covington, Josiah L. Keck, William T. Bishop (two years), Julius Reis (1875-78 and 1879-81), W. W. Sutton, Charles Winkier, Gabriel Doerr, Michael Ryan, Samuel R. Smith, Casimir Baumann, George N. Stone, Charles H. Stephens (1886 and 1887), Charles T. McLean and Charles Wuest. The bi-cameral systein was succeeded by the Board of Legisla- tion in 1891, which continued to be the legislative body until the adoption of the municipal code in 1902 when a sigle body known as the Council was substituted. The presiding officers of the Board of Legislation beginning in 1891 were Frank H. Kemper, George W. Draper (two terms), Robert . R. McRoberts, Frank L. Love (two terms), Scott Bonham (two terms) and Edwin O. Bathgate ( four terms). The first president of the new legislative body is Harry L. Gordon.
The present Council ( 1904) is composed of one member from each of the 24 wards and five councilmen at large, viz: Edwin E. Kellogg, Charles H. Urban, William W. Granger, James C. Iliff, Henry Wuebben, Robert J. O'Brien, Jacob Schaefer, Michael Mullen, Frederick Wieb- king, Joseph Schweninger, William Fahrenbruck, Christian Felsberg, C. H. Renbold, John Strachley, Daniel Bauer, William E. Keehan, John Doherty, Edwin O. Bathgate, John S. Sheehan, Thomas McDonough, James Keenan, Henry W. Hamann, Louis Schueler, Fred. Sperber, John Breen, William J. Byrth, Harry F. Finke, Jacob Kaufmann, Joseph S. Trevor.
The offices of the city were held in the old City Hall, to which they had been moved in 1852, until 1888, at which time this building was dismantled to provide for the erection of the new City Hall. In June of 1888 temporary quarters were occupied at Nos. 237 and 239 West Fourth street cast . of Central avenue, with a front also on Central avenue. At the completion of the present City Hall, occupying the entire square bounded by Eighth and Ninth streets, Central avenue and Plum street, the varions departmental offices were removed to that building. The first office moved from Fourth street to the new City Hall was that
of the city clerk and the first session of the Board of Legislation in the new chamber was held Friday evening, April 7, 1893. The new City Hall was erected by virtue of an act of March 21, 1887, which imposed upon the Trus- tees of the Sinking Fund the duty of appoint- ing the Board of City Hall Trustees. This board appointed April 13th of the same year consisted of Robert Allison, Thomas B. Pax- ton, James M. Glenn and Charles A. Miller, who served throughout the period of construc- tion without change and without compensation. The original scheme contemplated a building on the property owned by the city, but as a result of a public agitation the property front- ing on Central avenue was appropriated at an expense of $195,000 and the whole square was tised for the building. The architects were Samuel Hannaford & Sons. Ground was broken on February 27, 1888, the first stone of the foundation laid on May 23rd and the corner-stone on August 16th of the same year. On May 13, 1893, the City Hall was dedicated with impressive exercises and the day made a gala day by the populace. The total cost of the work including furnishing and the ap- propriation of property was $1,638,440.53. The old City Hall Park, valued upon the basis of the selling value of the adjacent property, was estimated at $225,000, making the total value of the property upon completion,-$1 .- 863,440.53. The funds for the work were pro- vided by the sale of bonds authorized by five acts of the Legislature. The face value of the bond issue was $1,600,000, and the premiumis received were $32.445.25. ( Henderson's Council.)
THE ADMINISTRATIVE BOARDS.
Prior to the year 1876 the administration of the city's affairs was either in the hands of the mayor or his appointees or in those of one or the other of a number of boards or commissions, none of which was long lived. The act of March 17, 1876, created, however. an elective Board of Public Works which, being given the powers theretofore vested in the trustees of the water works, the board of improvements, the commissioners of sewers, the platting commission and the park com- missioners, became the executive and adinin- istrative authority of the city. This board in- eluded David Baker, John E. Bell, John D. Caldwell, Charles B. Foote and Jacob Gessert. and organized April 14, 1876, with Lewis G.
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CINCINNATI
Bernard as clerk. John D. Banks subse- quently became clerk of the board, which re- . mained practically unchanged until succeeded by the Board of City Commissioners, ap- pointed in accordance with the act of May 14, 1879, by the Police judge, Moses F. Wilson. This board consisted originally of Nat. Cald- well, George K. Duckworth, Charles W. Row- land, Simon Wolfstein and Robert H. Weath- erhead (succeeded after his resignation by Lewis Weitzel). The Board of Public Works was restored by act of March 3, 1880, and the Mayor reappointed the old board. Thereafter as the terms of Gessert, Bell, Caldwell, Baker, and Boyce (who had succeeded Foote) ex- pired, their places were taken by Frank A. Tucker, Charles Doll, Ferd. Springmeier, Charles Herron and James Morgan, elected by the people.
This board was succeeded by the Board of Public Affairs appointed under the act of May 17, 1886, by the Governor. This board at its creation included Thomas G. Smith, Charles Jacob, Jr., James Morgan, Henry Lewis and Thomas L. Young. Jacob was succeeded by Dr. Thomas W. Graydon and Young by George R. Topp, who in turn was succeeded by John Carlisle. Morgan was succeeded by Smith A. Whitfield, who in turn was suc- ceeded by William Miller. The clerk of this board was Dan. W. Brown. '
On March 13, 1890, an act was passed cre- ating a new board to take the place of the Board of Public Affairs. This, entitled the Board of Public Improvements, was ap- pointed by Governor Campbell as follows : Lewis Reemelin, William Montgomery, J. D. Ellison, E. W. Donham, and George B. Kerper. The Governor subsequently became dissatisfied with some of the proceedings of the board and demanded the resignations of some of the members, which were refused. Thereupon he convened the Legislature in extra session and an act was passed October 24, 1890, substituting for the Board of Public Improvements, a Board of City Affairs, which non-partisan again was to be appointed by the mayor. Messrs. Smith and Graydon, the Republicans, were members of the old Board of Public Affairs. The Democrats were Gus- tav Tafel and May Fechheimer. This board was ousted as the result of a decision of the Supreme Court of the State, of March 12, 1891, to the effect that the act creating it was special legislation, conferring corporate power
and therefore unconstitutional. As a result the Board of Public Improvements returned to power for a few weeks to be succeeded by another board upon the adoption of the new charter.
A part of the new scheme of government provided by the so-called "new charter of 1891" was the non-partisan Board of Admin- istration, which was appointed by the mayor. This board organized May 4, 1891, with Dr. Thomas W. Graydon its president and Angust Hermann, Republicans, and John B. Washburn and John Frey, Democrats. Dr. Graydon subsequently resigned and was suc- ceeded by George T. Sterritt, who died De- cember 21, 1896. George A. Vandegrift was appointed to succeed him. A. P. Butterfield was the clerk of this board. Another change came April 6, 1898, when the Board of Ad- ministration was succeeded by another non- partisan board, the Board of City Affairs, at first appointed by the mayor with new mem- bers to be elected by the people. The first board consisted of A. B. Ratterman, Amor Smith, Jr., I. J. Miller, Samuel Nieman, James J. Grogan and James M. Glenn, the first, third, and fifth being appointed as Democrats and the others as Republicans. Upon the ex- piration of the terms of Messrs. Ratterman and Smith in 1899, Albert Fisher and William McAllister, both Republicans, were elected to succeed them. The clerk of the board was George H. Spellmire.
A new (elective) board, the Board of Pub- lic Service, succeeded the Board of City Af- fairs. This was the Board of Public Service which came into existence April 6, 1900, with Robert Allison, William C. Johnson, M. A. McGuire, William Magly and Samuel Weil, Jr., as members. This board was continued by the new charter of 1902. Its membership has been unaltered except in one particular. Its president, Robert Allison, for many years one of Cincinnati's most prominent and useful citizens, died March 23, 1904, and William E. Hutton was appointed by the mayor to fill liis unexpired term.
This board is the chief administrative authority of the city and manages and super- vises all public works and all public institu- tions of the municipality.
THE COURTS OF THE COUNTY AND CITY.
The judges of the Common Pleas Court at the outset of the war were Isaac C. Collins,
THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION BUILDING.
THE ODD FELLOWS' TEMPLE.
THE TYLER DAVIDSON FOUNTAIN.
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDING.
THE COURT HOUSE.
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Patrick Mallon and A. G. W. Carter. Nich- olas Headington, Charles C. Murdoch and Melancthon W. Oliver were elected in the fall of 1861, succeeding Judges Carter, Mallon and Collins. At the expiration of their term, Judge Murdoch was reelected and with him Joseph Cox and Manning F. Force. These three judges were reelected in 1871 for the term ending February 12, 1877. In 1871 the number of the judges was increased by two and Jacob Burnet, Jr., and William L. Avery were elected to the newly created judgeships, beginning their term in November, 1871, and ending it in November, 1876. At the expira- tion of the term of these two judges, Judge Burnet was reelected and Judge Robert A. Johnston succeeded Judge Avery. In the fall of 1876 Judge Cox was reelected and William L. Avery and Nicholas Longworth succeeded Judges Force and Murdoch. This made the bench after February 12, 1877, consist of Judges Avery, Cox, Longworth, Johnston and Burnet. On May 10, 1878, two more judge- ships were provided by the Legislature for Hamilton County and in the fall of this year Fayette Smith and Fred W. Moore were elected for a term extending five years from December, 1878. From the term beginning in February, 1882, William L. Avery, M. L. Buchwalter, John S. Conner, Robert A. John- ston and S. N. Maxwell were elected. Judge Avery subsequently resigned and he was snc- ceeded, by the appointment of Governor Hoadly in October, 1884, by Alexander B. Huston, who, nominated by his party in the fall of the following year, was elected to fill the unexpired term of Judge Avery. Upon the expiration of the term of Judges Smith and Moore, Samuel R. Matthews and Charles D. Robertson were elected to succeed them, taking office December 3, 1883. In the elec- tion of 1886, Judges Maxwell and Buchwalter were once more returned to the bench and with them Philip H. Kumler, Jacob Shroder and Charles Evans. Judges Matthews and Robertson were succeeded in December, 1888, by Miller Outcalt and Clement Bates. In February, 1892, Moses F. Wilson and John R. Sayler were elected to succeed Judges Shroder and Maxwell and Judges Kumler, Buchwalter and Evans were reelected. Judges Outcalt and Bates were succeeded by How- ard C. Hollister and Dan Thew Wright in December, 1893. In 1897 five new judges
were elected: David Davis, Ferdinand Jelke, Jr., John P. Murphy, Samuel W. Smith, Jr., and Frederick S. Spiegel; the last three being reelected in 1901 for terms expiring in Febru- ary, 1907. Judge Jelke was appointed to suc- ceed Judge J. M. Smith, a judge of the Cir- cuit Court of the First Circuit, and his place upon the Common Pleas bench was filled by the appointment of William Littleford, who was elected for the full term in the fall of 1901. At the expiration of the term of Judge David Davis, John A. Caldwell was elected to succeed him. Judge Howard C. Hollister was reelected for a term of five years in 1898 and with him Otto Pfleger, who succeeded Judge Wright since appointed a judge of the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia. In the fall of 1903 Judge Pfleger was reelected and Judge James B. Swing succeeded Judge Hollister. The Common Pleas bench of April, 1904, consists of Judges John A. Caldwell, William Littleford, John P. Murphy, Samuel W. Smith, Jr., and Frederick S. Spiegel, with terms expiring in February, 1907, and Otto Pfleger and James B. Swing, with terms ex- piring in December, 1908.
Under the constitution of 1851 the District Court was composed of three judges selected from the Common Pleas bench, assisted by a judge of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court for a time attended the sessions of the District Court but finally this practice was abandoned and the District Court consisted simply of three judges selected from the seven Common Pleas judges. This court, however, did not give satisfaction because it was re- garded as improper in theory that judges should sit to review decisions by themselves or their associates and in 1885 it was suc- ceeded by the newly created Circuit Court. The last case tried by the District Court was the disbarment case of Thomas C. Campbell, in which the court consisted of S. N. Max- well, C. D. Robertson and John S. Conner. This was a proceeding upon charges filed by the Bar Association of the city and was pros- ecuted by a number of the most prominent at- torneys of the city, including E. W. Kitt- redge, W. M. Ramsey and William H. Taft. Mr. Campbell was defended by Henry A. Morrill, Judge Alfred Yaple, Telford Groes- beck and others. Although Mr. Campbell was temporarily disbarred, the proceeding practi- cally failed in its object.
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The first judges of the newly created Cir- cuit Court, which was a court of error and appeals, were: Joseph Cox of Hamilton County, James M. Smith of Warren County and Peter F. Swing of Clermont County. Judge Cox served until February 9, 1899, a period of 14 years which terminated a career upon the bench practically continuous for 33 years. He was succeeded by William S. Gif- fen of Butler County who is still in office. Judge Smith served until 1901, completing a judicial service which began in 1855 and lasted for three years and was resumed in 1878, from which time he was continuously upon the bench. Judge Smith was regarded as one of the ablest judges that has sat upon the bench in this county and at the conclu- sion of his service he was tendered a recep- tion by the Bar Association of this city. He was succeeded by . Ferdinand Jelke, Jr., and the court consists at present of Judges Swing, Giffen and Jelke.
At the outset of the war the Superior Court of Cincinati consisted of two of the original judges,-Bellamy Storer and Oliver M. Spen- cer, -- and George Hoadly, who had succeeded Judge Gholson in 1859. The first change in this bench resulted from the death of Judge Spencer in 1861 who was succeeded by Charles D. Coffin, who served during the years 1861-62. The order of succession in the seat of Judge Spencer from this time is: Stan- ley Matthews, 1862-63, Charles Fox, 1863-68, Marcellus B. Hagans, 1868-73, Myron H. Til- den, 1873-78, Judson Harmon, 1878-87, Will- iam Il. Taft, 1887-90, Samuel F. Hunt, 1890- 98, Edward J. Dempsey, 1898-1903, and Lewis Al. Hosea, elected in 1903, who is still in office. Judge Hoadly was succeeded in 1864 by Alphonso Taft, who served until 1872. The order of succession of the place occupied first by Judge Gholson from this time in- cluded J. Bryant Walker, 1872, Alfred Yaple, 1872-79. Joseph B. Foraker, 1879-82, William Worthington, 1882-83, Hiram D. Peck, 1883- 89, Edward F. Noyes, 1889-90, John Riner Sayler, 1800-91, and Rufus B. Smith, 1891 to the present date, who is still in office.
Judge Storer served until January 1, 1872, when he quit the bench by resignation. He was succeeded by John L. Miner, who served during part of that year until the election of Timothy A. O'Connor, who served from 1872 to 1877. Then came Manning F. Force followed by Fred- erick W. Moore, each of whom served 10 years.
In 1897 William H. Jackson, son of the late Justice Jackson, was elected to this bench; at the expiration of his term in 1902 he was suc- ceeded by Howard Ferris, at present on the bench. The Superior Court of Cincinnati has always been a subject of particular pride to the bar and the citizens of this community. The original court, which was in existence from 1839 until February, 1853, a period of 15 years, included in its membership such distinguished lawyers as Judges Este, Coffin, Johnston, James and Hoadly. Two of these judges, Coffin and Hoadly, afterwards sat in the new court which came into existence under the act of April 7, 1854. During the half century which has elapsed since the creation of this court, it has included in its numbers many lawyers not only of dis- tinction in the practice of their profession but in other branches of civil and military life. Among them have been one justice of the Su- preme Court of the United States ( Matthews), one judge of the Supreme Court of Ohio (Ghol- son ), one major-general United States Volun- teers ( Force), three Governors of Ohio ( Hoad- ly. Foraker and Noyes), two United States Sen- ators ( Matthews and Foraker), two United . States Attorney Generals ( Alphonso Taft and Harmon), two Secretaries of War ( Alphonso Taft and William H. Taft), a Minister to Rus- sia and . Austria ( Alphonso Taft ), a Minister to France ( Noyes) and a United States Circuit judge subsequently Governor of the Philippines ( William H. Taft). It may be interesting to note that of the 29 members of this bench 20 were college graduates. Two of the judges, Force and Smith, were reelected to their second terms as the nominees of both of the great par- ties.
The judges of the Probate Court of Hamilton County since the war have been : Alex. Pad- clack, 1861-64. Edward Woodruff, 1864-67, Ed- ward F. Noves, 1867-70, George T. Iloeffer, 1870-73. William Tilden and Albert Paddack, 1873, Isaac B. Matson. 1873-85. Herman P. Goebel. 1885-91, Iloward Ferris, 1891-1900 and Carl I .. Nippert, 1900 ---.
In 1895 was created a new court called the Court of Insolvency. Aaron McNeill was elected to fill this position, which he still holds.
The judges of the Police Court since the war have been : James Saffin, 1861-63 : John B. War- ren. 1863-67; Walter F. Straub, 1807-73: Na- than Marchant, 1873-75 ; George Lindeman, 1875- 77: Moses F. Wilson, 1877-81 ; Warren Higley, 1881-83; A. R. Von Martels, 1883-84; J. W. Fitz- gerald. 1884-88; John .A. Caldwell, 1888-89: J.
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D. Ermston, 1800-92; Ellis B. Gregg, 1892-97; Edward Schwab, 1897-1900; W. H. Lueders, 1 900 --.
THIE COURT IIOUSE.
As described elsewhere the Hamilton County Court House was destroyed by fire at the time of the Cincinnati riots on the night of March 29, 1884. On December 6, 1886, the courts first occupied the new Court House erected, to replace the old structure, by a commission consisting of Henry C. Urner, Wesley M. Cameron, John L. Stettinius and William Worthington. In the interim courts had been held, first in the offices of Forrest & Mayer at the northeast corner of Court and Main streets, next in the Public Li- brary, then in the Armory and last in the Al- bany Building on the east side of Vine street below Fourth now known as the Telephone Building. For a time the Criminal courts were held in temporary structures erected on the south side of Court, street just east of the Court House building.
THE FEDERAL COURTS.
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