Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-01-22
DEATH oF O. ]. SWANEY.

J long and painful, and for several week.
= he had been confined to his room anC
l much of the time to his bed The pro
l ceedings of the Bar, printed below, give
: memoir of Mr.. Swaney, and show il
l what high esteem he was held by the
brother members of his profession. The
: tributes to him by those who spoke al
the bar meeting on Saturday were earnest
His care in the preparation OF cases, his
: strong loyalty to his client, his excellent
judgment. predominant traits in him as
lawyer, were referred to. His force and
originality of character, his outspoken
frankneSs, his warm heart albeit under
a gruff exterior, his stanch and ineor-
ruptible honesty, his public spirit and
} the service which he had rendered his
town, were all commented on.
In his long career at this bar he mas
no stain He ranked with the leaders
thirty-fve years ago, and Was among
them when he retired from practice. In
bearing he was dignifed and courteous,
slow to take offense, and easily placated
He had sympathy for the young, and
during his long service as member OF the
School Board, it was to him that pupils
went for redress when feeling themselves
wronged by teachers, and redress was
never withheld He was a link joining
the present and past. Of the men who
practiced law when Mr.. Swaney was
admitted to this bar, fortysix have died,
and but two or three are now living. His
memory abounded with reminiscence and
anecdote of the early history of State,
county and town, in fact in the traditions
of our bar, he himself appears as the
central figure of many anecdotes.
By his death the Bar loses another of
its Oldest members, and the people of st.
Clairsville and vicinity lose public spirit
ed and energetic citizen.
A widow, Mrs. Sarah Swaney, of this
place, and Mr. Frank Swaney, of Burr's
Mills, comprise all of his immediate fam
lily living
The funeral exercises were held at his
late residence on Saturday afternoon, and
conducted by DR.. Robt. Alexander. His
remains were inferred in the Methodist
Episcopal Cemetery, whittier they were
followed by long train of friends, anx
ious to pay respect to his memory.
BAR PROCEEDINGS.
A meeting of the Bar was held on Fri
day to take appropriate action upon the
death of Mr.. Swaney, at which Hon. L.
Danford presided, with A. II. Mitchell,
Esq, Secretary, and the following COM
mittee of arrangements was appointed
on behalf of the Bar: Judge c. W. Car
roll, Hon. r. J. Alexander, Prosecuting
Attorney J. w. Hollingsworth, John
Pollock, Jas. F. Charlesworth and Albert
Lawrence. A committee ON resolutions,
consisting of the following named gen.
tlemen was also appointed, when the
meeting adjourned until Saturday at 1O15
o'clock A. NJ, viz: Judge st. Clair Kelly,
Hon. W. S. Kennon, Col J. f. Charles
worth, ]. W. Shannon, j. B. Smith, n K.
Kennon and l. NJ Riley.
At the meeting on Saturday the COM
mittee of arrangements reported all
necessary arrangements for the funeral
complete, and named the following hon
orary pall-bearers: st. Clair Kelly, w. 5.
Kennon, J. F. Charlesworth, CIV Carroll,
l.. Danford and J. w. Shannon, and as
acting pall-bearers John S. Cochran, John
Pollock, A. w. Kennon, Wilson Mitchell,
Theo. c. Ayers and E. E. Clevinger.
The committee on resolutions, by Judge
Kelley its chairman, reported the follow
ing:
Gentlemen Of the Bar Of Belmont County,
Ohio:
Your committee, appointed for the pur-
pose, recommend to your consideration |
for adoption the following recital and
resolutions:
Now, for the sixth time within period |
of less than seven years, we are called
upon to follow to the tomb the mortal |
remains of one of the older members of
our Bar.
Oliver J. Swaney, Esq, has responded
to the last summons, and his place among
us is vacant. He was born in Monroe |
county, Ohio, November 4th, 1S19 and
died at st. Clairsville, Ohio, January 18th, |
1891. From the age of two years, and |
until he located here in the year 1874, his |
home was at MorriStOwn, in this county. |
He was educated at Franklin College, |
New Athens, Ohio. He studied law un-
der the Hon. William Kennon, Jr.; was |
admitted to the Bar at St. Clairsville on
March 7th, 1S45, by the old Supreme Court |
on the circuit, Chief Justice Reuben |
Wood presiding. Upon his admission,
ON For off orI Hoe
fully engaged in the practice of his pro-
fession in partnership with his preceptor.
In later years, and until his retirement |
from active practice few years ago, he |
followed his profession alone and sue
cessfully.
Oliver J. Swaney, at the time of his de-
cease, was the oldest remaining resident |
practitioner at the Belmont Bar, admit
ted here, and the last, save three, who
practiced before the adoption of the code
of civil procedure.
He was good lawyer; a conservative
and safe counsellor; successful practi-
toner of his profession; good citizen,
and an honest man. He was social
liberal, charitable, loyal to his friends,
his profession, his town, county, state and |
country. He was public spirited in a
high degree. and to him his adopted
town is much indebted for the erection
of the present public school building, the
building the railway south, and final To-
cation of the court house in which we
now meet. He was a lifelong, active
politician, fearless and outspOken, yet
true to himself, his friends and his foes.
He never held an Office, except as Mem
Der of the st. Clairsville School Board for
more than twenty years. Although of
plain and pointed Speech he held no
malice; would meet his enemy upon even
grounds, and make peace with his bitter
est adversary. He was the soul of honor
and his integrity was unquestioned.
Resolred That as mark of respect the mem
bers of the Bar of Belmont county, and the officers
of the Court, body, attend the funeral of our
departed brother at the appointed hour, o'clock
P. NJ, this 18th day of January, A ID. 1891.
Resotred, That this preamble and these resOlu-
tions be presented to the Court of Common Pleas