The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-15
HON. AT. EDGERTON DEAD
DIED AT HIS HOME IN HICKSVILLE,
o., LATE LAST NIGHT.
WeII-KnOvn Democrat and Ex-United
States CiviI-Service Commits
siOner-Other Deaths.
special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special TO the Indianapolis Journal.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. May 14.-Hon. A;
HickSville, O.. He was an old citizen or
Fort Wayne, served in Congress from Ohio
in the ttties and once ran t0r he9tenant
one of the first ciVil-serVice commissioners.
Hon. Alfred p. Edgerton was born at
Plattsburg, Clinton county, New York,
Jan. II, 1913, being the eldest son of Bella
Edgerton and Phebe Ketchum, who were
married at Plattsburg March "A, 1871. His
father died at the residence of his son in
Fort Wayne in 1874.
Mr.. Edgerton was a graduate of the
academy at Plattsburg and made his first
public appearance. as an editor of a news
paper in his native town. In the spring of
1897 he came to Ohio and took the charge
and management of the extensive land in
terests Of the American Land Company
and those owned by Messrs. Hicks. He es-
tablished a law office at Hicksville and at
this office over one hundred thousand acres
of land were sold. In 1852 Mr.. Edgerton,
was himself the owner of nearly forty
thousand acres of land in northwestern
Ohio. These lands have been mostly sold
on liberal terms to actual settlers. In 1916
he was elected to the State Senate of Ohio.
He Immediately took a leading position in
that body, though but little had been
known or expected of the new man by his
inence through his debates with Alfred
Kelly, the Wing leader, who had
INTRODUCED a financial policy which
Mr.. Edgerton brilliantly opposed. In
1850 he was elected to Con-
Gress and was reelected in 1852.
He was second on the committee on claims
for the first term and chairman of the COM
mittee during his second term. AS such
chairman his services were Of high value
to the country. In debate Mr.. Edgerton
was forcible, pungent, logical and refined;
his speeches showing great research and
were filled with well-digested information,
practical good sense and sound, discrimi-
In 1853 he was selected by the Board of
Fund Commissioners as the financial agent
York. This was the inauguration by the
State of a new policy since adhered to of
having it's funds kept for transfer by its
own agents and within it's control. In 1856
he was chairman of the committee on the
organization of the national Democratic
convention at Cincinnati. In 1859 he was
Legislature of Ohio to investigate the
frauds upon the state treasury and made
an elaborate report, which was accepted by
the public as a full exposition of those
frauds and their authors. In 1857 he re-
moved to Fort Wayne, but retained his citi-
zenship in Ohio until 1862. In 1859, in con-
twice secretary of the treasury, and the
late Pliny Hoagland, of Fort Wayne,
he became the lessee of the In
diana canal from the Ohio State
line to Terre Haute, assuming the position
of general manage and as such controlled
the business of the partnership until 1868.
In January of that year he was nominated
as the Democratic candidate for lieutenant
governor of Indiana with Thomas A. Hen
bricks for Governor, but was defeated by
less than 1000 votes. In 1872 he received the
nomination of the O'Connor Democrats as
their candidate for Governor. but declined
and supported the regular Democratic
c+otA f;olyot headed hU Mr. Handmade He
was a delegate to the Baltimore convention
in 184S from Ohio, also a delegate from In
diana to the Chicago convention in 1864.
Fort Wayne School Board, which missed
his services when he was mad civil-serVice
commissioner.