The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-19
SOLOMON CLAYPOOL DIES
IN HIS GOTH YEAR HE Is CARRIED
AWAY BY PARALYSIS.
A Sketch of His Life-MOrris Black,
Husband of a WelI-Known
Singer, Dead.

Ex-Judge Solomon Claypool died at 1885
o'clock this morning at his home, 1904 North
Illinois street, after a long illness, from a
disease resembling paralysis He had been
very low for several days, and death was
not unexpected. He was in his sixty-ninth
year. Besides his wife, six children survive
him-John w. Claypool, Mrs. George w.
Faris, wife Of Representative Faris. of
Terre Haute; Mrs. Chester Bradford, Mrs.
r. b. Hilleary, Mrs. Thomas H. Watson, of
Terre Haute, and Miss Elizabeth Claypool.
Judge ClaypooI was born in Fountain
county, Indiana, Aug. II, 1929. He was the
third son of a family of eight boys and two
girls. Judge Calypoors parents, Wilson
and Sarah (Evans) Claypool, were, respect
lively, of English and Welsh ancestry. In
1923 they emigrated to Indiana and settled
on Shawnee creek, in Fountain county
where all their children were born, and
where the husband and father died in 1876
at the ripe age of seventy-eight. The spot
which they selected for their future home
was at that time a wild, unbroken forest,
but is now one of the largest and most
beautiful farms in the county. The child
hood and youth of Judge Claypool were
spent on the farm, and the old log cabin
schoolhouse, with its upholstered walls and
rough benches, figured exclusively in his
early schooling. Upon this foundation was
erected the superstructure of his subse-
quent education. His father became able
and willing to give him a more liberal
education, and he, being naturally of
studious disposition and ambitious to
make his own way in the world, entered
Wabash College at Charlottesville, where
he graduated in July, 1851. After gradual
ton he felt that the time had come to show
his parents that he was able to succeed
in life alone and unaided. His father
pressed on his acceptance $500. He had de-
ternined to take up the profession of law,
and began course of reading in the law
office of Lane & Wilson in era WfordsVille.
Here he remained a short time, when he
went to Terre Haute and entered the office
of S. B. Gookins. After few months
reading at Terre Haute he began practicing
at Covington. In, September, 1856. he re-
Hannah M. Osborne sister-in-law to his
former preceptor, Judge Gookins with
whom he became acquainted while law
student. Although very young man when
he opened law office in Terre Haute. he
soon built up fine practice and took a
leading place at the bar OF Vigo county. He
soon became actively identified with the
politics of the county, and in 1856 was
elected a member of the state Legislature.
In November, 1857, he was appointed circuit
judge of the Vigo circuit and in 1868 was
elected by the people for the term of six
years. BY the time Judge Claypool was
thirty-five years of age he had been on the
bench for seven years.
AT the expiration of his term of Office he
Immediately resumed the practice Of the
law. In 1866 he was nominated by acclama-
ton as the Democratic candidate for Con-
gress. This being the first election after
the war, the returned soldiers almost uni
versally voted the Republican ticket and
the Democrats were almost universally de-
feated, but Judge Claypool ran ahead of his
ticket. Again in 1868 he was the CHOICE OF
the Democracy for attorney general of the
State, and, after an exciting contest, with
the rest of his ticket was defeated. Since
that time he gave his attention to the prac-
tice of his profession. He removed to In
dianapolis in 1873, where he became the
head of the law firm of Claypool, Mitchell
& Ketcham, which, on the withdrawal Of
Major Mitchell and the accession of H. G.
Newcomb, BECAME Claypool Newcomb &
characteristics, showed plainly traces of his
English descent in the bluffness and te-
nacity of his nature. AT the bar he was
bold and aggressive.