yards distant, upon hearing the bell, ran over to his parents' house; and, finding that they were suffering for want of medical treatment, proposed to go immediately for a physician, but they, fearing the rascals might return and do further mischief, begged him to remain with them until daylight.
During the morning the tracks of the robbers were traced both ways between their residence and town, but no further clew was ever obtained for their discovery.
May 5, 1884, the postoffice was robbed of $350 during the night. The safe was blown open. The burglars were frightened away by the passing of a young man in the vicinity before they obtained all that they had intended to. The thieves were never caught.
Daniel M. Jones, a native of this county, attended Wabash College, not quite finishing the course, was admitted to the bar in 1852 or -'53, a member of the Legislature about 1861, as a Republican, was an active partisan, a natural orator, and a shrewd lawyer, and died in the fall of 1865, leaving a widow and three children. She is a sister of Stephen S. Collett, and resides in Newport. The son, Frank, is studying medicine. Mr. Jones' father, Lewis Jones, was a prominent citizen of Eugene Township.
Henry D. Washburn, one of the most prominent men of Vermillion County, practiced law here awhile before the war. See history of Clinton, on a previous page, for a full sketch.
L. C. Allen, born near Highland, this county, studied law under the preceptorship of M. G. Rhoads, Esq., of Newport, and was admitted to the bar; was justice of the peace 1868-'72, when he occasionally had a little case. He was a man of firm principles, but sometimes a little rough. At one time, when the attorneys in a suit before him got to wrangling and using profane language, he "stood" it as long as he thought he ought to when he blurted out, "I'll be G--d d--d if you don't quit swearing I'll fine you!" Mr. Allen left Newport about ten years ago, and is now deputy clerk at Covington, Indiana.
Nathan Harvey was born and raised in Parke County, this State, and educated at the Bloomingdale school, a Quaker institution, under the teaching of Barnabas Hobbs, formerly State Superintendent of Public Instruction. He was a young man of fair mind and scholarship. On coming to Newport, he taught school in the seminary during the war, a couple of years, and then married a daughter of John C. Johnson. In the practice of law he became a partner of William Eggleston, but did not practice more than two or three years when he died, during a session of court. His widow, with three children, lives near Newport. Mr. Harvey was an honorable man and would have become a solid practitioner had he lived.
Robert A. Parrett, a native of this State, was young when his parents settled with him in Newport. His father was a traveling Methodist minister. Robert was brought up here. Commencing a course at the Asbury University, he had reached a point in the freshman or sophomore year when, on account of delicate health, he had to desist. He then read law in the office of Judge Jump, was admitted to the bar and practiced his profession for a time. In the fall of 1875 he was admitted as a partner of B. E. & M. G. Rhoads, in which relation he remained until January, 1880. Since then he has been engaged in farming, near Newport. he was a good office lawyer, a good bookkeeper and attentive to business; but, on account of delicate health, his father and friends advised him to quit the practice of law and adopt
some mode of life requiring more physical and less mental activity.
Professor B. E. Rhoads was born in Pennsylvania, May 1, 1834. In 1836 the family came to Richmond, Indiana, in a one-horse wagon; next they came to Hancock County, near Indianapolis; in 1837, to Parke County; then to Waveland, Montgomery County, where the subject attended Waveland Academy (Presbyterian). Entering Wabash College in the junior year, he graduated there in 1859. Next, he came to Clinton, this county, and taught in the Farmers' College part of a year. Then 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 his profession. Was in partnership with his brother M. G., 1865-'79. In 1865-'66, he was a member of the Legislature. In 1878 he moved to Terre Haute, where he has since been a resident; but that year he crossed the ocean with his family, and spent thirteen months in England and on the continent of Europe.
Early in the spring of 1881 he was appointed judge of the Superior Court of Vigo County, serving until November, 1882. For five years he was one of the trustees of the State University at Bloomington, where he was also professor of law for a time. In Terre Haute he owns a nice property. In his religion he is a Presbyterian, being for a time an elder in the Moffatt Street Church, in that city.
In 1876 Professor Rhoads married Miss Ida, daughter of Robert D. Moffatt, of Perrysville. Their children are Sarah, born in 1877, and Daniel Moffatt, born in 1880.
John D. Cushman was born and reared in Perrysville, this county. His father, Thomas Cushman, being elected county auditor in the fall of 1872, moved to Newport with his family, and here John D. studied law, was admitted to the bar, and began practice; was in partnership with Joshua Jump for a time; was in the office of Messrs. Rhoads, where he proved himself a good office hand, a fine penman, intelligent business man, etc. He was also a good public speaker, but he did not practice at the bar a great deal. In the fall of 1875 he went into the Southern States and traveled for six months. Returning, he resumed law practice, which he followed, sometimes by himself and sometimes in partnership, until his death six or seven years ago. He was a young man of great promise.
Thomas C. W. Sale was a lawyer here many years ago, and before the last 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. He returned to Paris, where he is now living.
Samuel G. Malone, who also practiced law here before the war period, removed to Decatur, Illinois, where he accumulated a fortune of $75,000 or $100,000, but lost it all. He is now a farmer in Helt Township, this county.
William Eggleston was born in this county, in 1833, and educated here, attending the common schools and the county seminary at Newport, after he was a grown man. He was naturally industrious and persevering. Taking to the study of law, in due time he qualified himself for practice and was admitted to the bar about 1859. Of course he worked up considerable practice, by a hard struggle, making many errors, and in the course of fifteen years' practice acquired a handsome competence. He next entered upon a mercantile business with his brother, and they failed, losing all they had; during this mercantile experience, however, William pro-
ceeded with his law practice. He was a successful attorney.
While here he wrote and published three works: 1., Treatise on County Commissioners; 2., a legal work on Damages; and 3., 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 ago.
Mr. Eggleston moved to Terre Haute about 1877.
V. E. Witmer, probably about fifty years ago came from Ohio to Newport, and practiced here five or six years, and moved to some point toward Logansport about six or seven years ago, where he has since died. He was a man of the "spread-eagle" style, not deeply versed, but executive, working up law-suits whether they should be worked up or not.
William L. Little, a graduate of Asbury University, became a Methodist minister, preached here a year or two; then followed farming about seven miles southwest of Newport, in which he succeeded well; next he practiced law at Newport, settled a few estates, etc., and then became a merchant, and finally moved to Hutchinson, Kansas, about 1882. Mr. Little had a fair intellect, and a good degree of information on general subjects, and was a prominent citizen of the county. About 1862-'72 he acted as county examiner, and then for six or eight years, or more, he was county superintendent of schools.
James Blanchard, a native of this county, received a good classical education and was a good penman, on which account he was employed much in the stores, and county offices, as an accountant, copyist, etc. Picking up a little law in the meantime, he was admitted to the bar, and in the course of his practice he had several partnerships. He was a good assistant in preparing papers, conducting correspondence, making collections, etc. About three or four years ago he moved to Terre Haute to assist his brother Ben, and from there he went to South Hutchinson, Kansas, where he is now engaged in real-estate business.
Ben Blanchard, though nominally a lawyer, never conducted a suit. He is now in Terre Haute, in the real-estate and abstract business.
Joseph B. Cheadle, present Congressman, elect from the Ninth District, was born in this county, read law in the office of Judge Maxwell at Rockville, admitted to the bar here about 1868, became deputy collector of internal revenue, was a candidate for nomination for a number of offices, gradually drifted out of the law into editorial work, had charge of the Hoosier State nine months in 1870, then the Rockville Republican and Rockville Tribune, and is now editor of the Frankfort Banner, Clinton County. Frank, courteous and polite, he is popular; clever and ambitious, he is a good business man; is a good story-teller, and a genial companion.
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 B. Sears, James Blanchard, John D. Cushman and from March, 1879, to March, 1885, C. W. Ward, He was circuit judge from March, 1885, to November, 1886. In June, 1887, he removed to Terre Haute. He is a Democrat, and has participated in politics to some extent, being a delegate to a number of conventions and member of the State Central Committee.
Adam Littlepage, from West Virginia, was admitted to the bar here February 6, 1883, formed a partnership with John A. Wiltermood for two or three years, married a daughter of Stephen S. Collett, and returned to West Virginia.
John A. Wiltermood, Postmaster at Newport, was appointed to this position September 5, 1885, succeeding John Richardson. He was born in Vermillion Township, a son of Joseph W. Wiltermood, and brought up at farming, most of his early life being spent in Eugene Township. He attended the State Normal at Indianapolis in 1878-'79, taught school three years, studied law in the office of Judge Jump, admitted to practice February 6, 1883, associated professionally with H. H. Conley two years, and with Adam Littlepage two or three years.
The present bar at Newport comprises M. G. Rhoads, B. S. Aikman (Rhoads & Aikman) C. W. Ward, O. B. Gibson (Ward & Gibson), H. H. Conley and J. C. Sawyer. Sketches of most of these will be found in the regular biographical department of this volume.
B. S. Aikman is a young man born in this county, a son of Barton Aikman, an early settler, graduated at the State Normal School at Terre Haute, read law in the office of M. G. Rhoads, admitted to the bar in the fall of 1886, and has been a partner of Mr. Rhoads since January 1, 1887.
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 releasing him from the custody of an officer. This raised considerable excitement among the citizens of Newport, and indignation meetings were held here, and also in other parts of the county. The officer holding the fugitive had not the proper authority.
Of the past, we can mention only these: Dr. J. R. Willetts practiced here previous to the war period, and moved away. He was for a time in partnership with Dr. Griffn, who is deceased. Dr. E. T. Collett, son of Josephus Collett, Sr., was a graduate of the Lousiville Medical College, practiced here and in Eugene Township, and in 1878 committed suicide in Kansas, at the age of fifty-eight years. Drs. Clark and P. H. Leavitt practiced here a number of years, a portion of the time in partnership. The former moved to Danville, Illinois, in 1875, where he is now living, and the other died in Newport. Dr. E. Thompson moved to Illinois and died there. He left Newport in the fall of 1874.
The physicians now practicing in Newport are Drs. M. L. Hall, Lewis Shepard and James Wallace.
Vermillion County is comparatively a poor place for physicians to find much to do. As before stated, the country here is remarkable for a healthy and long-lived population. They have never been visited by epidemics, and even that singular disease, milk-sickness, which used to prevail here, is now entirely absent, the last case occurring ten or twelve years ago.
Newport has always had a good school. According to the provisions of the State law, a county seminary was established here in pioneer times, and flourished until the later free-school system converted it into a graded school about 1852. The building was of brick. To it additions have been made, and it is still occupied. The location is on the bluff, overlooking the broad and romantic valley of the Little Vermilllion River. The new portion, comprising two rooms was added by the town of Newport, at a cost of about $1,000, and, the mun[i]cipality having bought the township's interest in the institution, all partnership between the two civil divisions was dissolved last year, 1886. The building now has four rooms, and correspondingly a full board of teachers comprises