The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-01-17
OBITUARY.
GORDON BYRON BINGHAM.


OUT IN GLOOM.
The Evansville Courier of yesterday thus
treats of the life and death Of Gordon By
ron Bingham whose decesse was announces
In the Sentinel of yesterday morning: The
busiest heart will find time to-day to drop
tear to the memory OF Gordon Byron Bing-
ham. For more than twenty years his
name has been familiar to the people of this
section, as young man struggling for po-
sitiOn and fortune, a. successful merchant
and latterly as the largest distiller and
liquor dealer in Southern Indiana. This
embraces the salient points OF his life, the
events which distinguished him, made
him man OF note and
ciuzsn. But this is not all.
Il had personal traits that wou admiration
and bestowed pleasures heart track and
OVERLOOKING with generosity, and nature
rolicking In the flow ana frisk of healthy
animal spiri s. His sense of hUmor per-
vsGed ali bis acts. bis disposition revealing
| itself al ways in the most amiab.e moods,
| free from ali bitterness and rioting in jokes
and quaint sayings that are part OF the his
| tory OF Indiana. There was still another
side to his nature, but tnat is too sacred
| tor the footsteps OF a stranger to enter
Standing on the threshold of his home life,
we catch glimpses of a man, serious and de-
termined in purpose, kind aud devoted TO
wife aud children, wholly absorbed in the
/ delight and pleasure that gamboled under
his roof. Since 1852 he has been a resident
of Pstoks, and the regard and esteem which
all classes OF citizens in Gibson
county feel for him Is just
short of idolstry. This recollection az
lords sweet incense in this hour OF sorrow.
| IRE voices are unanimous in glowing
praise, and there is no dissenting lip TO
desecrsle his open grave. Or this we can
speak, because the darkness OF the last DAYS
o. his life were frightened with tokens OF
affection and love, which in wider, grea er
and more extended spheres the world
| lavishes upon its beneisctors, upon these
who cast their lot with human suffering and
labor to enhghten every mans load of care.
Time would fail US TO recount the ins ances
OF such tributes during the last few months,
in which the good will of his Deighbors,
ga nered during an active, stirring, event.
ful life, WIS mani eSfed in pathetic tender
ness, that touches chord in every heart.
From this heartfelt but inadequate need of
praise, We must turn to q brief recital of the
events OF his life.
MR.. BINGHAM WAS BORN IN BALTIMORE,
August "a, 1926, and came to Washington,
Ind, when quite boy, going. "a was the
custom in those times, into family of the
name of Terry. He used to refer often to
his guardian, in his peculiar way, as "s man
VINO had undertaken to raise him, but found
that he had too large a co ntrsct on hand" 1t
wa in he early days of Evar sville's CONNER
cial annals that he bscame part and parcel
of it's history. Among the business men of
that remote period, he clerked in the store
OF John Snanklin, Esq, and others, whose
names we could not ascertain. In 1S49 The
California gold fever took him, with
thousands OF others, TO the Eldorado of the
far West. Thence he started Tor Aus
tralis, but only proceeded so far the
Sandwich Islands. His residence in the SO
regions WAS full of adventure and overflow
ing with all the scenes and incidents bound
about with the spell that fact anu romance
have spread over the Argonauts of '49. In
1852, he returned to Indiana determined TO
settle down and make this his future home
He opened general store at PatOka in that
year aud has ever since been resident of
Gibson county. In 1857, he married Miss
Minerva Stock well, the sister of Mr.. George
Stockwell and Mrs. VIM. E. French, of thi+
city, snd a lady, then and now, whose high
wOmsnly " orth is beyond the reach of COM
pliment or eulogy. Mr.. Bingham continue
1864, we believe, began the work OF distilling,
1870, he was joined by ' bis
brother John w., and new life and fresh
impulse seized all their undertakings which
from this time TO the very moment that
the government laid its hand upon their
possessions, present one series OF splendid
successes, meteoric in the annals of the
commerce of Southern Indiana. These later
events, the seizure of their possessions, and
confiscation of their property, are too vivid
in public recollection to need more than this
passing allusiOn. We now approach part
of the history which no man can contem-
plate unmoved. and on rejecting upon
which the deepest sympathy must flow
even from hearts csllous 10 the touch of
pity. The sudden and overW helmniug
calamity in which everything WAS engulfed,
swallowed with it that which vas most
valuable. and that which should have re-
manned TO make amend tor the wreck an
evil hour bad brought. 1t was
THE LIFE OF BYRON BINGHAM.
From the moment OF his arrest as a men,
Der of the whisky ring he was broken
hearted man. His high, strong nerve col
aosed, and well nigh toppled his reason
with 1t. That, however, remained to sooth
an sf1iiction unutterable in it's woe. Mr..
Bingham, during last summer, frequently
and solemnly said that the whole business
was killing him by inches. He declared
that he never could survive the tate which
seemed awaiting him at the memorable bid
ding OF the law. HIS sick ness aud the gen.
eral prostration of his whole system sprung
from this deep mental agony, from
Wnlcn, Lobnk OOO, no IS now lTee. his
health be anne worse and worse a. Is well
known. After bis return from IDdianapo-
lis the symptoms grew more and more
alarming. and for days bis life was despaired
OF. The high and noble devotion OF his
wife aud family, Joined by the earnest en-
desvors of friends, were unable to bring back
his lite to it's wonted channels; TO restore
she wonted lightness and elasticity TO his
spirits, and elevate his mind from the gloom
which was lowering upon it. II was work
of love, but it was all in vain. During the
last lew days, as the time drew near tor his
departure tor Indianapolis. II seemed i'm
possible for him to find rest, and his sy stem
was gradually yielding more and more To
the tremendous assault being made upon
IL. However, on Monday evening he had
everything in readiness for the Journey To
the capital, which was to have been under
taken yesterday, and which seemed to fill
sister. Mrs. Eannia RinRham. ngnod hxa-D