The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-05-29

night. At 10 he was attacked with rigor
and the doctors informed Mrs. Gresham
there was no hope. A little later the
patient was attacked with another rigor,
accompanied by vomiting, after which
he was conscious and talked with those
about him. At II he began to fail rap
idly and grew worse until the end came.
During the secretary's illness Mrs.
Gresham has been almost constantly by
his side, catching what little sleep she
got on Il lounge in his room.
The secretary had been i'll for some
time of a complication of diseases, but it
was not until quite recently that his
condition was considered at all serious.
Biographical.
Walter Qulntin Gresham was soldier,
a Judge and statesman, eminent and
distinguished in these three great fields
of human eudeavor. lie rose to the
rank of major general of volunteers dur
ing the rebellion. He was for II years
United States district Judge for Indiana,
and for eight years United States circuit
judge for Illinois and held three cabinet
portfolios, postmaster general and secre-
tary of the treasury under Arthur and
secretary of state under Cleveland.
Gresham came from English stock.
His ancestors moved to Virginia and later
to Harrison county, Ind, where he was
born on st. Patrick's day, 1889. In 1888
Gresham's father was elected sheriff and
the next year he was murdered by a
noted desperado whom he had gone to
arrest. His mother was left widow
with five small children. Walter @. was
but years of age when his father was
killed. Walter grew up with but two
or three winters schooling until he was
16. By dint of hard work he secured an
education and began the study of law
under Judge w. A. Porter, one of the
most noted characters of southern In
diana, while acting rs deputy clerk, and
IN 1854, entered into partnership with
Thomas G. Slaughter, an eminent law
yer of that time and afterward judge of
the circuit court. In the law Gresham
gained good reputation as careful,
painstaking lawyer.
With the filSG Shrek of wars alarm
Governor Morton appointed him lieu
tenant colonel of the Thirty eighth In
diana, and he came out major general
in command of an army CORPS. At
Leggett's Hill before Atlanta he was
struck by sharpshooter's bullet Just
below the knee. 10 the day of his death
Gresham never recovered the full use of
his limb.
The war over, General Gresham re-
turned TO his profession, forming a law
partnership at New Albany, Ind.
When Postmaster General Howe died
in April, 1888, Gresham, then holding
court at Evansville, was rendered the
cabinet position by telegraph and ac-
cepted.
Near the close of Arthur's term, on
the death of Secretary Folger, he was
appointed secretary of the treasury, a
position he held until October, 1884. In
1888 Judge Gresham was made promi-
nent candidate for the Republican nomi-
nation for the presidency at the Chicago
convention. His liberal views on the
tariff created against him the antagonism
of the extreme protectionists at Chicago.
Judge Gresham, with other Republic
ans, openly dissented from the McKin.
ley law, and in 1892, after the nominal
ton Of Mr.. Cleveland by the Democrats,
he, with other distinguished Republic
ans, renounced their allegiance to the
Republican party and advocated Mr..
Cleveland's election. After Mr.. Cleve.
land was elected, in February, 1898, he
summoned Judge Gresham to Lakewood
N. j., whore, after consultation, he ten.
dered him the position of premier of the
cabinet he was forming. Judge Gres.
ham assumed the duties of secretary OF
state on March Z, 1898.