Bingham - James
James Bingham was born in Fountain County on March 16th in 1861 to Alexander and Jane L. Savage Bingham and passed away August 19th, 1940 in Indianapolis after a very long illness. A long-time Indianapolis lawyer, Bingham was twice elected Indiana Attorney General. As he was running for his second term as AG, the Rensselaer Republican on 17 July 1908 had a great article on him, saying he was recognized as one of the most “energetic, hard-working, capable and successful lawyers of Indiana.” It went on to tell that for his first 15 years his life was on the family far as well as working in the sawmill and upon the railroad, “toiling to secure the means to educate himself.” He began his career as a district school teacher and was elected county superintendent at age 22. “From exposure and close application to his books, he became seriously and dangerously afflicted and it was feared he would be totally blind.” Under this duress, he was admitted to the Fountain County bar (1887). His wife (married Elizabeth Remster in FoCo 29 Dec 1885) aided him in his learning and practice by reading to him. In 1890, he was elected Prosecuting Attorney for the 21st Judicial Circuit in the mid 1890s moved to Muncie. “He is a clear thinker and pleasing and convincing speaker. Believe one son, Remster was his only child.
James Bingham, former attorney general of Indiana and a lawyer here for many years, died today. He was 79. He had been ill for about four years. Mr. Bingham was born in Fountain County, Indiana. He was county school superintendent and then served as prosecutor. During the gas boom days, he practiced law at Muncie until 1906, when he was elected for the first of two terms as AG under Governor J. Frank Hanly and Thomas R. Marshall. He was successful in obtaining an injunction against insurance companies establishing rating bureaus. He also was credited with pure food legislation. He was a member of the Second Presbyterian Church and Columbia Club. Mr. Bingham was the father of Remster A. Bingham, former judge advocate of the American Legion with whom he had been associated in the practice of law until health forced his retirement. The only other survivor is a brother, George F. Bingham. – kbz
