Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-09
THE LATE LEONARD CASE.
stretch of the LIFE and Character or
the late Leonard Case, Esq.

In the year 1900 his parents moved into
Trumbull County, in this State, and settled
near Union their family then consisting
of five children, all of whom are still liv-
ing, except the subject of this notice.
In the fall of the next year (IsO1) vio-
lent attack ofdisease left him both cripple
for life and tee subject of more or less suf-
fering at all times, and most of tho time Of
most severe character.
When he found himself slowly recover
ing, his mind naturally dwelt upon his
future prospects for obtaining livelihood.
To be dependent upon his friends for his
daily bread he could not. Under these
circumstances the natural energy, indomit-
ablo perseverance, and independence of
mind which ever characterized him, mani
tested itself. His opportunities for educa-
ton, as there was no common school ir the
almost wilderness country where he had
SO far lived, had been very limited, and
consequently he had obtained the merest
elements ofeducation. Hscame deliberately
to the conclusion that the only chance for
him tosupport himself was by his pen. As
sooa, thsIs ore, as he was able to sit up in
bed, he caused board to be fastened up be-
fore him in such a manner that he could use
it in learning to write and cipher. In this
way, before he could leave his bed, he OBJ
tanned fair common school education for
those times. As sooD, also, as his strength
permitted, in order to contribute TO his
own support and to occupy his mind, he
commenced the manufacture of such arti-
cles as could be made in the house and dis
posed of in the neigh hborhood.
This same independence Of character,
snd desire to lead life of usefulness, led
him in The year, 1905, 10 leave his fathers
house, not from necessity, but choice, and
60 into Warren, whore the prospect Of sup
porting himsolf by hisPen promised q bet
ter chance Of success.
Here, without money or influential
friends, he was compelled 10 struggle hard
for time with poverty, but his close atten-
tion to whatever busine's was entrusted
to him, his accuracy, hia sterling, sound
common sense, all combined with
what was soon found to be an unyielding
integrity of character, brought him friends,
among those who were then the prominent
and wealthy men of Warren, whose friend
ship and confidence he was grateful to feel
he retained through life. John s. Edwards,
lawyer and Recorder Of Trumbull county,
which then embraced the whole Of the
Western Reserve, was one of these friends,
whose memory ne always cherished, who
furnished him writing, advised him to
study law, and furnished him books until
he was admitted to the bar.
While living here, during the war of
1872, occurred one Of those incidents
strongly illustrative of the careful, correct,
and conscientious discharge of duty which
characterized him through life. He was
collector ofnon-resident taxes in the Re
serve, and as such had TO give heavy bail.
He was compelled to g 10 Chillicothe to
N Ike his settlement. Before leaving,E -
ascertsined the amount of money which
each township in the Reserve was entitled
to, put it up in an envelope, wrote the
name of the township uFon it, deposited
the whole with his friend Edwards, on
his promise that if any misfortune
occurred TO him on his journey, that ho
would SEQ that that the several amounts
we're paid over as directed on the wrapper.
Before his return, however, his friend Ed
wards went to cur army ia the Maum es
country, where he died suddenly. Much
to the qualification OF Mr.. Case, however
he found he money precisely where he left
it.
In the year 1916, Mr.. Case was appointed
Cashier of the Commercial Bank of Lake
Erie, when he Immediately came to this
city, which has been his home ever since.
It is singular fact connected with this
Bank, that Mr.. Case, cripple and always
suffering as he did, survived all of the orig
inal directors and officers thereof.
With the performance of the duty Of
Cashier, Mr.. Case combined the practice of
law in this city and all the adjoining
counties, and also in an extensive land
egency. The bank, in common with most
of the banks Of the country, was compelled
in short time to suspend business, but
Mr.. Case continued in the active practice
of the law until perhaps the year 1884, and
continued his land agency until compar-
atively recent period, when his increasing
indrmity, and the care of his own exten-
sive estate caused him to close up all his
ngencies and decline all further business
for others.
The business Of land agency, and es-
pecially his agency for the sale Of the Con-
neciicut Western Reserve School lands,
furnished him fine opportunity for in
dulging in his natural tssto for tracing out
the history of land titles, and the individ-
uals connected with them. Gifted natural
ly with an unusually retentive memory,
he made himself master ofthe whole his
tory of the titles derived from the Connec-
ticut Land Company, and of almost every
individual member of the company. His
information on this subject was 60 extern
sive and accurate that he was almost daily
called on by some person for information
about the early history of some title or
some person connected with it, which he
always freely, cheerfully, and with great
apparent pleasure, gave.
When Mr.. Case first came to this then
small village of Cleveland, he took a
lively and active interest in all measures
having for their object the Improvement
Of the village, in opening up and improv-
ing the streets, IN sustaining schools and
building school houses, in sustaining pub
lie preaching, and contributed literally
for all these objects, was the first to set thS
example of planting native shade trees
upon the streets, which now SO beautify
IL z l..