Vancleave - Henry D.
Henry goes down in the annals of MoCo Vancleaves
By Karen Zach, Around the County
Thursday, April 1, 2021 4:00 AM
• •
Henry Daniel Vancleave was the fourth son and sixth child of a family of seven, the children of Aaron and Elizabeth Hallett Vancleave. His two sisters were Cynthia and Mary. Milton Perry was the oldest brother, Thomas Florian next, Elijah Luther and the youngest William A.
The Vancleaves were farmers in the Brown Township area near Freedom Church. The other Vancleave children married into some of the prominent families of that area, Denman, Payton, Everman and were mainly farmers although one brother was a carpenter and another a physician. They were all educated at home and in the local, small schools; however, Henry D. went further and he became a well-known lawyer in Crawfordsville. He was also schooled at Ladoga Normal and spent several years in Montgomery and Parke Counties teaching (and one year in Iowa) before he went on to study law!
Along with Henry’s duties as a lawyer, he was highly involved in the political scene of the county. He had a literal announcement starting the new century (1901) that he was “espousing the principles of the Republican Party.” It wasn’t decided lightly as he had considered it for a very long time. He liked the commercial expansion forum the Republicans touted. Although raised a Democrat, he announced that he wanted to be on the right side! Same as he was raised a Baptist but spent several years in later life as a member of the Christian Science Church – definitely, they were his choices, opted for by a lengthy thought pattern.
Oddly, he had been a real powerhouse of the Democratic party up until just previous to that decision. It seemed there were several others as well who planned to satisfy themselves with their beliefs and not stand by the Democratic party that he foresaw as making policies and fallacies that he did not believe in and that were totally wrong. In the article in the CWJ (4 Jan) Henry closed up his commentary by saying that some might tag sinister motives to him since he changed from one party to another, but “I desire to say that I have no motives other than as I above expressed!”
Henry was involved (mainly) in two firms, Hurley & Vancleave with his partner George D. Hurley. Hurley had been a prominent lawyer for many years with quite a lucrative practice while Henry “is one of the ablest attorneys at the Crawfordsville bar,” so the C’ville Review (4 March 1899) stated they were sure it was going to be a success. Besides with Hurley, he was in the firm Vancleave & Davis and briefly with George W Paul and worked with Walt Jones; and Clinton B. Marshall, with the big ones Arthur McGaughey and Thomas O’Connor. Although he desired Judgeship of the Circuit Court he lost his run for such but spent six years as county attorney. At his death on Jan 8, 1931 he had no relatives other than nieces and nephews and his second wife – those brothers and sisters were all gone, and no children of his own.
Often serving as the public offender, Henry had some odd cases such as when Jesse Booe was charged with stealing bacon from Frank Dice’s smoke house, and an ownership of a piece of property his client wished to make into a cemetery. Quite a wild gal in the Linden area (she brandished her fists like no other) had purchased some land but never paid for it. She descended upon C’ville and went to find Vancleave, whom she blamed for the whole affair as her attorney (luckily, he had heard of her purpose and had flown the coop). Likely his most famous case was that of Virginian, Millard Kerr, whose shyster wife tried to dupe him (he was so in love with her in Virginia that he had signed over 5/7 of his estate to her and when they moved to Indiana he received a check for his amount; he cashed it and was tagged as a forgerer since M. Kerr was his wife (she had divorced him, remarried and divorced again but kept Kerr as her name) as well but he assumed it was his check since it came to him - sadly, he spent quite some time in our local jail. Henry was appointed Kerr’s lawyer and promptly spend a month in Virginia where he collected all kinds of wonderful and perfect information for the case, then presented it with brilliance. Jury found the man not guilty and Henry was a hero. Another case that hit the papers over and over again was the insanity case of Elijah P. Hallett, brought on of his own accord as he was quite melancholy but never insane. He was taken to the Indianapolis insane asylum but recovered nicely and came home. While there, his father in law and two bro-in-laws forced him into a wagon and toted him right back to the asylum. He worked as an attendant there and wrote to Henry whom he had known for years to please help him out. Right to work our fella’ went. Let’s say that HDV rarely lost a case and Elijah P was out and as far as I know stayed that way. Also, Henry sold insurance (Phoenix, perhaps others).
Besides being a great lawyer, he was also an unusual poet. One of his poems that was dedicated to his 2nd wife was called “Life, a Poem”. Although based somewhat on religion, Frances Champion Hodges of Chicago put the poem to music and it sold out the first day in Chicago at all the music dealers. Mrs. Hodges was a wonderful composer and well-known musician in the windy city and she said that “Life” was one of her happiest inspirations. “His literary ability had been known to his friends, but they hardly expected it would develop along poetical lines!” He used that pizzazz in presenting his cases, as well. One article noted that he was “young, ambitious and able, clear, logical and forcible before a jury!”
There is much more to tell: a member of POS of A, an advocate for Culver “Union” hospital; took care of his mother for many years after his father passed away in 1882; lost his first wife, Mary Tiffany (he was very popular with all the Irish in the community) who passed at age 23; married again to Clara Alice Bailey 27 March in 1900 who passed away 16 years after his death. She was an exceptional wife for him, giving parties, aiding him in any way possible. There were no children to carry on his enthusiasm, brain and good looks but he definitely goes down in the annals of MoCo Vancleaves!
Karen Zach is the editor of Montgomery Memories, our monthly magazine all about Montgomery County. Her column, Around the County, appears each Thursday in The Paper of Montgomery County.
For the next three weeks Henry D. VanCleave, senior member of the law firm of Vancleave & McGaughey, will be Crawfordsville's Mayor. Mr. Vancleave took over the reins of office this morning. Mayor Wert left today to begin the first vacation he has been given since taking the office four years ago. He will attend the national GAR encampment at Chattanooga, Tenn next week and will then visit friends in various parts of Ohio before returning home. One day will be spent by the mayor and his wife, who accompanied him at Somerset Ky. It was at this spot that Capt. Wert saw his first service in a battle and his visit to the place will probably recall to him the scenes of the day when his company battled with the Confederate force. Until recently it was the custom for the city clerk of a town to take charge of the duties of the mayor's office while that official was not on hand, but a recent law provides for the appointment by the mayor of some practicing attorney to act as the mayor pro-tem. By unanimous vote of the city council at the meeting Monday evening Mayor Wert was granted the vacation. The council decided that Councilman Claypool should preside at the next meeting of the council in place of the mayor.
________________________________________
Source: ?? Newspaper
-
"Life" a poem by Henry D. VanCleave of this city, has been set to music by Mrs. Frances Champion Hodges and the advance copies of the song reached this city today. Although published and placed on sale in Chicago on Saturday last over one hundred copies were sold the first day by the music dealers of that city. The poem by Mr. VanCleave is as its title indicates a serious effort with a religious cast. Written for his own entertainment the verses so impressed Mrs. Hodges that she requested permission to set them to music. Mrs. Hodges is a vocalist as well as a composer and here for tin "Life" is one of her happiest inspirations. The song is dedicated to Clara VanCleave, the author's wife. Mr. VanCleave is one of the leading attorneys of the city and is a candidate for election to the office of judge of the circuit court at the fall election. His literary ability has been known to his friends but they hardly expected that it would develop along poetical lines. Montgomery County, Indiana
- Transcribed by kbz
-----------------------------------------------------------
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 20 Feb 1892 p 13
A Few of Montgomery's Honored Sons Brief Sketches of Their Career in the Profession.
HE science ot law is perhaps the most potent factor in the upholdinof governments, perpetuating of truth, dispensation ol justice and upbuilding of humanitv.
The law of nations so ar as it is founded on the principles of natural law is equally binding upon every age and upon upon all mankind. The moral obligationis of nations and individuals form parts of one and the same science. The sound judgment and reflections of the great legal master minds, as adorned with the philophy and science or the ages in which they existed, have ever round lodgment and have been made a part ol' the law or the na¬
tion and individual or their age, lighting the darker ages and shedding its light upon the destinies or nation and or man...
Would you believe that the original of the above cut had been nurtured between two corn rows? Though such were the environments you would hardly associate that cranium with a pumpkin. Henry D. Vancleave was born in Brown Township, Montgomery County and while yet in his youth he conceived the noble ambition to become a lawyer and that a successful one. A poor boy, with a widowed mother to support, he worked on a farm and did not possess the advantages that many less able attorneys have had, but such as they were he laid the foundation of a sound practicle knowledge. For a number of years he taught school and in ’79 and 80 attended Central Indiana Normal College at Ladoga. We have add here that he had one among the highest licenses given to any teacher in the county. While teaching he procured legal text books and was industriously storing up knowledge for his chosen profession. Admitted to the bar in 1881, he went to Oakland, iowa, practicing one year there, he returned to his native county where he opened a law office and has since continued in the practice. He is young, ambitious and able, clear, logical and forcible before a jury and is honest and conscientious with his clients. Carrying the energy and industry of his youth into his profession of all the legal fraternity and people we can say truthfully that he is a self-made man. Politically he is an ardent Democrat. Socially he is a highly respected, whole-souled gentleman. As “merit” always wins, we predict for him a brilliant future.
