JOHNSON, John P "Hale"
John P. “Hale” Johnson was born in the uppermost part of Montgomery County near Linden on August 21, 1847, the son of an early surgeon, Dr. John Bunyan Johnson and Sarah Ann Leigh Davisson, Hale being but seven when his mother passed away. She is buried in Sugar Grove Cemetery, Jackson Township, Tippecanoe County. There were other Johnson children of his mother: Martha Isabel, Letta Helen, Preston, Mary, Ellen, Edgar and Lewen, plus more from John’s second wife, Rebecca. John lived to 1892.
John B’s father had an interesting tag being Eleazer Ebenezer Toadvine Johnson; John’s mother was Martha Elizabeth Read Round. Eleazer was born in early March 1773 in Worcester County, Maryland and passed 14 Sept 1822 in Highland County, Ohio. Eleazer’s father in turn was Eleazer and mother was Alice Toadvine, thus you can view how these names are passed down throughout the family! This group did love lengthy and unusual names. Example: Preston was Preston King Davisson Johnson and by the way, he was the postmaster at Altamont, Illinois for 13 years, this being where the family later moved and where several family members are buried.
Hale grew-up in lower Tippecanoe and upper Montgomery where he attended school and worked on his father’s large farm. Also, he taught school there. At age 18, he joined Co D, 135th Indiana on May 8, 1864 and was discharged September 29th of that year. Some biography pieces say he was in the CW for the duration but he likely signed-up for just a three-month term.
In 1871, Hale married Mary Loofbourrow (gotta’ keep those odd names going) and their children were: Jesse, Frank, Mary Bell, Fannie, Ruby and Hale, possibly more. Jesse’s middle name was not Bunyan after gpa’ but Baggett, instead. No clue where that name derived. Frank was a cpl in the Spanish-American War.
After having read many articles on Hale, I could not find where he received his lawyer’s degree or how (or with whom) he studied for it, but in June 1875 (FindAGrave) he moved to Effingham County, Illinois practicing but two years there. Then came his last move to the Newton area of Jasper County where he was considered one of the most prominent lawyers there for about 30 years, practicing there until his death.
Early on, he was involved in the Republican party (nominated for Illinois State Attorney in 1884) and was delegate to the National Republican Convention the same year (Indiana Journal 29 May 1896 p 5) but that party not heading the way he desired, he got extremely involved, even becoming a National Leader in the Prohibition party.
Couldn’t find (other than his son who’d have been but four years old) another Hale in Newton so it looks like our MoCo Hale ran a store as there was a jolly Hillbilly soundin’ little poem in the Newton Press Sept 1889 (18th p 5) about “Hale Johnson’s Store.” The man tells his wife she needs to see the place and why beginning with “They got that store room jammed plum full from ceilin’ to floor.” The fella was very impressed with the Oak Stoves and the reasonable prices. “They come in the latest patterns and if he kept the best items at the best prices, things would go well for Hale.” It finishes on a light note: “At other games he might be best at 7 up or poker, but he’s got in heatin’ stoves both Bower and the Joker!” At some point, he served as mayor of that little city.
It was sad there was so little in our local papers regarding Hale. One small piece in the CWJ 6 July 1909 announced Hale, being a native of MoCo and cousin of local man JJ Isley who had met Isley in Chicago and Isley convinced him to come to our local air as the Prohibitionists were planning a “big time here on the Thursday of the Fair! Sorry not sure if they made it or not!
I’d have appreciated much more from the C’ville papers, but in contrast, several Illinois ones (makes sense) were big fans, the Indy papers had a few items here and there but truly, it seemed the paper following him most was the Nappanee News (Elkhart County), having some bleep at least monthly.
Hale was the VP candidate on the Prohibitionist ticket (of course), having served as the party’s orational (and organizational) leader for several years. He was to have been Illinois governor but after the VP nomination dropped that. He campaigned in 30 of the 45 US states. In 1900, he was nominated by the party. Prohibition, always in this man’s heart and mind was a constant endeavor of work, but it was his duty as a lawyer that was his demise. It seems a local, well known and admired farmer had gotten himself into some major money trouble and owed Hale for representing him in court, but even though Harry Harris had already lost the judgment and was ordered to pay, Harris seemed to ignore the fact. Thus, ironically, on election day (Nov 4) Hale and a deputy sheriff went to Harris’ home. He and Hale got in an argument and Harris pulled up his shot gun and let it go at Hale. At close range (Decatur Herald 7 Nov 1902 p 6) Hale was shot directly in the face and death was instant. More irony here! Harris jumped into Hale’s buggy and tried to escape. Obviously, the deputy who had just witnessed the shooting quickly apprehended the wayward farmer and carted him off to jail, while Hale’s body was taken to his home, his wife and children falling into total shock. More irony in this tale: at the jail, Harry Harris took poison and soon died in great agony, “having been from one of the oldest and most respected families from the area.”
Hale’s funeral began with “Nearer my God to Thee.” Five ministers were active in the service. Agnes Mathews, prominent WCTU worker knew Hale in their state work regarding prohibition and spoke of his home life, his love for each of the members of his family. Prof. MN Beeman told of Hale as a local, state and national citizen and Elder Noah Johnson overviewed the great accomplishments of Hale as a Reformer… Appropriately, “Asleep with Jesus,” gave the large crowd the assuredness Hale was there!
Although I couldn’t find it on FAGrave, about a year after Hale’s death, the Prohibition party created and dedicated an impressive memorial in honor of this man and presented to the town of Newton, Ill. A very large crowd was there and many spoke on his behalf.
Overall, the comments pointed to the facts that he was a man of great abilities, the leader of reform orators in the US (Nappanee Advance 12 Nov 1902), one who has “tight rein on his business, was religious and was noted, and “for years he had been a courageous Christian citizen as grand a man as lives beneath the sun!”
Joshua Leavering another active Prohibitionist wrapped-up our MoCo born fellow by saying, “He died as he lived, knowing no fear in the path of duty. He was a character rarely equaled in this day!” Amen!
Photo from findagrave