The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1859-03-24
!
Death tIor. .. Il. s.ni,ss.

tie melancholy announcement d the death 81
Hon. o. T. Smith, which We make tbs
morning, will not make feelings Of deep and
sincere sorrow No man since The mented
Marshaps Death was more widely known or
highly esteemed. His eminent career, his
great services TO the cause OF internal in
provemeat, ana his unsPorted private life,
1ave him place in the public regard that
few have flied. and none have filed more
worthiiv He died on Saturday night ab9r,
10 O'Clock after tedious illness OF nearly a
wear, which, with gradually Increasing
Strength. drew him more and more from, ac-
tive duties, Tor several months pas; confined
him entirely to his house. and has at last en-
ded lis long and useful career on earth
lis nature does not appear 70 have been clear
Il marked, some of the physicians suSpect]ny
lie was afflicted with diabetes, while others
thought it was pgostration Of his nervous
system breaking down OF the vital powers
under The drain made upon them By his long
continued and exLausting labors. lie died
as lie lived a firm and sincere christian.
Oliver Hampton Smith was born on the
23d day OF October 1874, on Smiths Island
on the Delaware River, as he states IN his
volume Of !" "Reminiscences some miles above
Trenton, New JERSEY He attended school
vicinity. where he received about all the reg
ular education he ever obtained. What lie
learned afterwards YVES under lis own tuition
II 1915, or the death of his f;ltker, lie ielt
home and went 10 New York, on an excur-
sion. as he states in his volume. Whether
he ever returned again for any length of time
we do not know. but presume he did not,
he worked in a cotton or wooden mill. for
some time, in Pennsylvania, before he came
west We have afteu heard him mention this
portion OF his life, but never with any definite
illusions 10 dates that would enable TO say
how long it continued. + 1917, he came o
this state, and settled first at Rising Sun. In
the winter OF 1913, he removed 10 Lawrence
burgh. where lie studied law, we believe I'm,
der General Dill In March, 1890, he WAS
admitted to the bar by Judge Miles c. Eg
gleston, then holding lis first court in Dear
born County. Directly after Obtaining bis
license, he went to Versailles, in Ripley
County, but left there very soon and il May
of 1920, went 10 Connersyille, where he made
his first plunge into the heady current of pio-
ne,r life. He had been ia Connersy.lle but
year and half, when he was induced 20
run for the Legislature, and was elected
lie served during the session Of 1922 ). ana
was the member by whom the mama was Civ
en- to Johnsot County, which was named, not
after "Tecumseh Dick, - as is generally sup
posed, but after Jud e Johnson, OF this STATE.
He was not long out oil his Legislative office
till he appointed by Gov. Hendicks,
Prosecuting Attorney for the Third District.
This was i'll 1894 He served two years,
during which he distinguished himself by the
prosecution Of some Of lie most noted cases
in the criminal history q the State. The
reader OF his volume will remember them.
In 1926, on the expiration Of his term as
prosecutor, he became a candidate for Con
gross, and was elected Ly 1900 majority
His District then comprised one third Of the
State, and extended from the Ohio to iIichi-
gan He writes in enc sketch that he lost
Allen county By ten votes. lie served du-
ring the sessions OF 1S27 and 1928, with such
men as Tristram Burgess, John Randolph
Samuel c. Southland, McDutiie, and others.
In the House he made no very conspicuous
mark, but earned and gained the reputation
Of a hard working, honest, and sensible
member. On the expiration OF his term in
the House lie returned TO the law and con
timed III very active pursuit of his profession
till ne elected TO the United States Sen
ate in December, 1886, over Gov. Noble, and
Gov. Hendricks, his predecessor. He first
entered the Senate during the executive ses-
sion Of March, 1897. He was made chair
man Of the, Committee on Public Lands it
that body over R. J. Walker, then Of NJ issii
sippi, and he fully justified the Preference
Here his habits of hard constant labor shone
conscpicuously, no less than did his unim-
peathable integrity and sound Judgment
So thoroughly was his judgment trusted by
his associates on the Committee, and his in
dustry relied on TO do all necessary work
that lie became absolutely the whole commit
tee, and when a reference was made to it, it
r1--ar+-2 Cf lat Ar ~,
would see all about it lie was publicly
complirented by Mr.. Clay fyr his services to
the country in that position. During his
term as Senator, we believe in 1888, he re
moved from Connersville to this city, where
he has since resided practising his profession
steadily and successfully til his disease com
PEELED him to abandon all labor
Probably, However. Mr.. Smith ch ef claim
10 distinction lies in his great efforts in the
cause Of railroads. He coul eived and con
s,ructea the project Of building the Bellefon
tame road. now one Of the leading lines of the
West, and held it under his close and con
slant control till It was completed. During
the development of tia: scheme, the raising
Of stock, the negotiations, and the construction
OF the work, We We're associated with lin no
Moons derabe portion Of the tiife. thrown in
to contract with him daily, and can attest the
tl.eless energy and industry Of his Iie We
never knew a man who worked 50 hard and
50 much. Though during this huge enter
prise he attended to good portion e the
extended law business Of the office (Smth d
laraes',A and we have often seen him end
an interview with a elem. TO begin ore witt
stock solicitor, 10 be followed ~ some con
tractor. and he again b some farmer com
P!aiuin-s OF tie damage dore his farm " Tie
road, but N All tie multiplicity Of calls, and
variety # topics presented, the varied strains
on his MAD and feelings Va uever saw I;r
angry, md rarely disturbed HIS egaable
temper and amiabili.y were hardly less con .
sPicu7us than his Industry and perseverance.