The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-08-21
DEMISE OF RALPH HILL
A wELL-KNOwN AND VENERABLE
PRACTITIONER OF LAW.
Though a Republican,, Once scrveI
in Congress from a Rock-Ribbed
Democratic District.

Ralph Hill, of the law firm of Lamb &
Hill, died at 4:40 o'clock yesterday after
noon at the Protestant Deaconness Hos
pital. He passed away peacefully. He was
taken to the hospital three weeks ago and
his family felt that he could not recover.
He was seventy-two years old and he had
been failing in health for several months.
Ten weeks ago he went t. bed su1erins
from nervous prostration and he gradually
grew weaker. Mr.. Lamb noticed SIX months
ago that his partner was changed, and he
found him many times asleep at his desk.
The arrangements for the funeral will be
made to-day.
Mr.. Hill leaves a widow, a daughter, Mrs.
G.. E. Mayfield. of 1717 Broadway. and a
son, Edward E. Hill, a musician, living at
London. Another son, Ralph Hill, jr., died
on a train near Cedar Rapids. Ia, last
year. He had been to California for his
health. A daughter, Miss Flora Hill, died
at Columbus, Ind, in 1876. The familys resi-
dence Is at 410 East New York.
Mr.. Hill was born in Trumbull county,
Ohio, Oct. IL. 1927. His father, Jared Hill,
had moved to Ohio in 1900, from New
Haven. Conn.,, and he died when young
Hill was eleven years old. He then began
working on a farm at So a month during
six months of the year and went TO school
during the winter. BY dint of hard farm
labor he succeeded in taking a course in an
academy and was thus prepared to teach
school. In 1850 he left home and entered
the New York State and National Law
School, then located at Ballston. He took
a double course and stood first in his
GLASSES uith +ha rae,tIf that in January
1851, he was admitted to practice IN the
Supreme Court at Albany: He received the
degree of Ii. ID. in college; ana lmm ne
law office of Chaffee & Woodbury., at JEFF
ferson, Ashtabula county. In August. 49,,
he went to Ind; ana formed a
partnership with William Mack. After that
he was associated with several lawyers In
Columbus. He was married Dec. 4. 1888, to
Miss Phoebe j. Elmer. of Columbus.
In 1864 a Republican convention at Sey-
mour nominated Mckee Dunn for Con-
gress. He declined to make the race and
at a subsequent convention, at ColumDu
He made a joint canvass of the district
with Mr.. Harrington, the Democratic NOM
inee, and to the surprise Of himself and
trict was considered to be hopelessly Dem
ocratic. Mr.. Hill served in the Twenty
ninth Congress. He was not a candldate
of Governor Morton, in 1869. he was APP
pointed collector for the Third district. and
held the position six years. During his term
Of office he collected over S,1p,Vo. and
when his final reports went In 1t was found
that they balanced with the books of the
Revenue Department and he did not owe
the government a cent.
He came to this city in 1879 and formed
a partnership with Joseph W. Nichol, who
is now in the legal department at Wash
ington. In 1888 he became associated with
Judge Lamb and the partnership continued
for three years, when Judge Lamb became
connected with the First National Bank and
for three years devoted his whole time to
1t. During that period Mr.. Hill was asso-
ciated with Steel Bright and in November,
1889, when Judge Lamb returned to the
practice of law, the firm became Lamb, Hill
& Bright. Mr.. Hill did not engage in poll
tics after coming to this city, with the ex-
ception of one time, when he was a candi-
date for the Legislature and was defeated.
Mr.. Hill was devoted to his profession
and to his clients said Judge Lamb last
evening, land he was an excellent lawyer.
He was constantly at work, either in the
courts or at his desk. He was modest and
retiring and never pushed his personal in
terests. I was at the convention which NOM
mated Mr.. Hill for Congress. / remember
that Governor Morton made a speech. Mr..
Hill was nominated by reclamation. He was
standing in the crowd and he declined to
go to the platform and make a speech. He
merely announced that he accepted the
nomination"