Vermillion County, Indiana - Chapter 10: \-Ermillion County Attorxeys, 1913

Chapter 10: \-Ermillion County Attorxeys

\\"hile it is impossil:)le to record tlie names of every man connected with the bar of Vermillion count}-, the following list will sen-e a good purpose in calling to mind many, both dead and living, who have practiced in the county.

In Clinton township the list includes James R. Baker, who, although he (lid not practice law long, should not be omitted. He left the profession to become a Afethodist Episcopal minister.

"Judge" John Porter, who lived in the country in this township, followed tbe law to some extent, was a man of good literary attainments, a member of the Legislature, etc. He died some time prior to the Civil war period.

Henry D. Washburn, a native of \'ermont, a member of tbe noted A\'ashburn family of the old Green Mountain state, was born in Marcli, 1832, coming to this county about 1850; taught school three or four years, chiefly in Helt township, and some at Newport; studied law, while teaching, with Thomas C. W. Sale at Newport; admitted to the bar in 1853, and o])ened an office at Newport; was in partnershi]) with M. P. Lowry for a time; elected auditor of Vermillion county in 1854, serving one term; entered the army as cajjtain of Company C, Eighteenth Indiana Infantr)-, promoted to lieutenantcolonel, then colonel, and brexeted brigadier-general and then majur-general. serving in all about four years, first in Missouri, next in the Army of the Potomac, then in Georgia; but in 1864, before the termination of the Civil war, was elected, while a resident of Clinton, to the lower house of Congress, against Daniel W. Voorhees, serving from March, 1865, to March, 1869. In the last year he was appointed by President Grant to the office of surveyorgeneral for the territory of Montana and while holding the office died in January, T871, at Clinton, lea\ing a wife and two children. Commanding a com- ])any of fiftv men, he made the first explorations of tbe now famous Yellowstone Park, in 1870, in which journey the exjiosure brought on illness that proved fatal to him. He was a Methodist, a Republican and a member of the Knights Templar degree of Masonry.

Parke And Vermii-Lion Counties, Indiana. 3I3

M. P). Davis, another \'ermillion county product, and a graduate of old Asbury L'niversity, Greencastle, was admitted to the bar while a \-ery young man, and was in partnership for a sliort time with H. H. Conley, of Newport. In 1885 he left for Beatrice, Nebraska, and there practiced law and was connected with the Beatrice Republican, a local news])aper.

At Newport, the seat of justice, the members of the legal profession have included these: Daniel M. Jones, a native of Vermillion county, attended Wabash College, not quite completing his course ; he was admitted to the bar in 1852 to 1853: was a member of the Legislature in" 1861, as a Republican; was an acti\ e partisan, a natural orator, and a shrewd lawyer, and died in the autumn of \^(}j^. lea\ing a widow and three children. His wife was a sister of Stephen S. Collett. The son studied for a physician.

I-. C. Allen, l3orn near Highland, this county, studied law under M. (]. Rhoades, of New^port. and was there admitted to the bar. He was justice of the peace in 1868-72. when he also had some trial cases on hand. He was a man of firm principles and sometimes a little se\ere and rough. Later, he remo\'ed to Fountain county and served as a deputy clerk at Covington.

Nathan Harvey was a natixe and lived many years in Parke county, this state, being educated at Bloomingdale school, the Quaker institution, under the instruction of Barnabas Hobbs, formerl\- state superintendent of public instruction He had a fair mind and good scholarship. On coming to Newport he tau.ght school in the seminary building during the da\s of the Civil war, for a couple of years, then married the daughter of John C. Johnson. He became a law partner of William Eggleston, liut was onl\- i>ermitted to practice about three years, when he died, during a session of court. He was an honorable man and had he not died so earl\- would doubtless ha\e been one of the county's best legal minds.

Robert A. Parrett, a native of Indiana, settled w ith his parents at Newport when a young man. His father was a traveling Methodist minister and the son Roliert was reared largelv in Newport. He commenced a course at -\sbury mow De Pauw University) and while yet in the fre.shman year, on account of ill health, he had to desist. He then read law in the office of Judge Jump, was admitted to bar and practiced his professi(Mi for a time. In the autumn of 1873 '^e was admitted as a partner of P.. E. and M. d. Rhoades. in wliicli relation he remained until January, 1880. He then engaged in farming near Newport. He was a good lawyer, a good bookkeeper and attentive to business, but, owing to ill health, was induced to abandon the profession for that more healthful and independent occupation of a farmer.

Prof. B. F. Rhoades, a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1834, came with his parents' family 'to Richmond, Indiana, in 1836, in a one-horse wagon. In 1837 they came to Parke county; then moved to Waveland, Montgomery county, where he attended the Waveland Academy, and entered Wabash College in the junior year, graduating there in 1859. He then came to Clinton. Vermillion county, and taught in the Farmer's College a jjart of one year. He studied law in the office of Judge Maxwell, at Rockville, Parke county, was admitted to the bar, came to Newport in 1861, and commenced the practice of law. He w-as in partnership with his brother, M. G. Rhoades, 1865-79. In 1865-66 he was a member of the Legislature. In 1878 he removed to Terre Haute. He went to Europe with his family and there spent thirteen months in ti'avel. Early in the spring of 1881 he was appointetl judge, of the superior court of Vigo county, serving one year. For five years he was one of the trustees of the State University at Bloomington, where he was also a professor of law for a time.

John D. Cushman was born and reared in Perrysville, this county. His father was Thomas Cushman, who was elected county auditor in the fall of 1872, and moved with his family to Newport, where the son John studied law, was admitted to the bar, and began practice with Joshua Jump for a time; was in the office of Messrs. Rhoades, where he proved himself a good office man, a fine penman and an intelligent business factor of the county seat town. He was a good public speaker, but never practiced at the bar to any considerable extent. In the autumn of 1875 he went to the Southern states, where he traveled for si.x months. Returning, he resumed law practice, sometimes alone, at other times with others, until his death, about 1882. He was a young man of more than ordinary promise when death claimed him.

Thomas C. W. Sale was for many years a lawyer of Newport, and before the Civil war went to Paris, Illinois, where he received an appointment as Indian agent, and he was in the far West for a long period in the fulfillment of the duties of that office. Later he returned and resided at Paris, Illinois.

Samuel G. Malone, who practiced before the \^ermillion county bar prior to the Civil war, removed to Decatur, Illinois, where he accumulated from seventy-five to one hundred thousand dollars, but lost it all later. He then retired to his farm in Helt township, this county.

William Eggleston, a native of Vermillion county, Indiana, was educated here, attended the common schools and the county seminary at Newport, after he was grown to man's estate. He was industrious and persevering. He took kindly to law, and in due time was admitted to the bar, about 1859.. He worked up considerable practice, by hard struggle, making many errors, but after fifteen years' practice accumulated a handsome property. He then engaged in the mercantile business with his brother, but they both failed in business. During his experience as a merchant, however, William proceeded with the law profession and was again a successful attorney. While here he wrote and published three works: "A Treatise on County Commissioners," "A Legal Work on Damages," and a play entitled "The Broken-hearted Wife," being a story of woman's love and man's unfaithfulness, and consisting of facts that occurred a few years before, in this section of the state, under his own observation. He removed to Terre Haute in 1877.

V. E. Witmer, about eighty-five years ago, came from Ohio to Newport, tliis county, where he practiced law about six years, then moved to a point near Logansport, where he died in the eighties. He was a man possessed of the "spread-eagle" style, not deeply \ersed, but executive, working up law suits whether they should have been worked up or not.

William L. Little, a graduate of old Asbury L'niversity (now DePauw), became a Alethodist minister, preaching here a year or more. He then switched to farming seven miles southwest of Newport, and in that he succeeded well; next he practiced law at Newport, settled a few estates, and then became a merchant, finally moving to Hutchinson, Kansas, about 1882. He had a fair intellect, a good degree of information on general subjects, and was a prominent citizen of Vermillion county. From 1862-72 he acted as county examiner, and for about eight years served as county school superintendent.

James Blanchard. another natix'e of this county, received a good classical education and was an expert penman, on which account he was emplo\-ed much in the stores and county offices as an accountant and copyist. Picking u|) a little law knowledge, he was admitted to the bar and had several law jtartners. He was a good assistant in preparing legal papers, conducting correspondence, making collections, etc. About 1884 he moved to Terre Haute, and from there went to South Hutchinson, Kansas, where he is engaged in the real estate business and was generally successful.

Hon. Joseph B. Cheadle, congressman from the ninth district in Indiana, was born in Vermillion county, Indiana, read law with Judge Maxwell, of Rockville, admitted to the Ijar here about 1868, became deputy collector of internal rex'enue, was a candidate for nomination for a number of offices, gradualh- drifting out of law into editorial work, had charge of the Hoosier State, at Newport, nine months, in 1870, then the Rockville Republican and Rock7'illc Tribune, later becoming editor of the Frankfort Banner, Clinton count}-.

Joshua Jump, born in Ohio in 1843, studied law with R. N. Bishop, at Paris. Illinois, was admitted to the bar, and came to Newport in 1869, where his partnerships were in succession with William Eggleston, Robert H. Sears, James Blanchard, John D. Cushman, and from March, 1879, to March, 1885, C. W. Ward. From 1885 to 1886 he was circuit judge. In June, 1887, he removed to Terre Haute. Politically, he was a Democrat, and was an im- ]jortant figure in his part}- in state and county political work.

Adam Littlepage, from West Virginia, was admitted to the bar in Ne\\-- port, Februar\- 6. 1883, formed a partnership with John A. Wiltermood, which existed about three years. He married the daughter of S. S. Collett, and tlien returned to West Virginia.

Jolin .\. Wiltermood, who was in j888, postmaster at Newport, was ap- ];i)inled t(i the position in September, 1885. He was born in Vermillion townshi]) tliis count}-, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph \\'. Wiltermood, and was reared on his ])arents' farm, most of his early youth being spent in Eugene township. He attended the State Normal at Indianapolis in 1878-79, taught school three vears, studied law in the ofifice of Judge Jump, admitted to ])ractice February 6, 1883, as.sociated professionally with H. H. Conley two years, and w ith .Adani Littlepage about three years.

In the winter of 1874-75 Messrs. Jump and M. G. Rhoads were attorneys for a fugitive from Illinois, charged with .stealing horses, and succeeded in releasine him froni the custody of the officers. This raised much excitement auiong the citizens of Newport, and indignation meetings were held, as well as in other sections of Vermillion county. The officer holding the fugitive had not the proper authority in the case.