The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-04-05
DEATH or JUDGE LETTING WELE.
A Descendant of Thomas Lcfiin ne well of
Revolutionary Note.


i A Descendant of Thomas Lc IN In well OF
Revolutionary Note.
Judge Douglas Leffingwell, who had
been for many years resident of this
city, died Tuesday at his home. IL
Trumbul street The funeral will be
held from the late residence at 2:3O
o'clock tomorrow afternoon.
Douglas Lef1ingwell was born at
Ellsworth, Mahoning county, Ohio,
May IT, 1926, and is descended from
Thomas Letflngwell, one of the foun-
ders of the city of Norwich. Conn,
grandfather of Colonel Christopher Lef-
fngwell of Revolutionary note, one of
the Yale corporation. His father. Lu-
cius Wooster Leffingwel on gradual
ing from Yale college. went west to
Ohio, having some large real estate in
terests on the Western Reserve
At the age of eighteen he went south
with letters Of introduction to the Hon.
Hon John Bell OF Nashville, Tenn.
Through the instrumentality of the for
mer gentleman he secured the Mt Yer
non school In Rock Castle county,
which he had charge of two terms. Mr..
Bell then interested himself in Mr..
Leffingwell's behalf and secured for
him the school at Savannah, Tenn Af-
ter remaining there some time he re-
turned to Kentucky and entered Center
college at Danville. After passing
through the sophomore year he left
college and went to New York. to ac-
cept a favorable opening with Messrs.
Bowen &. McNamee, silk dealers. Mr..
Bowen at that time being the most
prominent member of Henry Ward
Beecher's church, and later editor of
the New York Independent. While In
that city Mr.. Leffingwell became inter
ested in the Mercantile Library asso-
citation, was chairman Of it's board Of
directors, also of it's lecture committee
and secretary of the library association.
He was also elected president of the
New York city Literary union, which was
composed OF eleven literary and debat-
ing societies located in New York city,
Brooklyn, Jersey City and Harlem. On
account of his prominence he was nom
mated by the mercantile interests as
their candidate for the office of city
and county clerk of New York, the Of
fee being worth $4,000 a year. Dick
Connolly, the democratic nominee, re-
ceived plurality of the votes cast and
was elected. He (Connelly) afterward
became notorious as being one of the
Tweed ring and disappeared with some
of dollars. Mr.. Leffingwell re-
ceived the support Of such men as A.
T. Stewart, Commodore Vanderbilt and
others representing large real estate
interests In November, 1852, he left
New York for Cleveland, O., where his
father Lucius w. Lefingwell, of the
firm of Mygatt, Brown &r Co, |
and president of the Leffingwell Glass
Co., then resided. and entered the law
office of Griswod & Castle. In Janu-
ary, 1858, he was admitted to the bar
He went to MacGregor, Ia, in June of |
that year, and entered law partner
ship with c. II. Remlck In 1861 he as
sisted in organizing the first company |
sent into the field from Clayton county. |
At the battle of Shiloh Colonel Letting |
well was severely wounded, which
shortly caused him to retire from the
service On mis- return to MacGregor
ne married the niece Of James Mac
Sregor, jr, founder Of the city. He
vas four times elected mayor of Mac
1regor, and judge oe the municipal
,ourt, and represented Clayton county
n the Legislature and the eleventh
assembly, and was closely ider-
flied with the early growth of the
tate. In the year 1882 Colonel Letting
veil was forced to retire from active
business life on account of physical
ilments, occasioned by the fatigue and
exposures of army life, and In 1883 made
lis home in New Haven. He was a
member of the military order of the
loyal Legion, and one of the last men,
ers of one of the oldest and first fam
lies in Connecticut, being related to
he late General Alfred H. Terry and
5aniel Colt Gilman, president of Johns
hopkins university, Baltimore, and a
ousin of the late Admiral Andrew Hull
cote The family have always been
losely allied with and interested in the
rowth of Yale university, the Yale ]
chool of Fine Arts was founded by his
ncle, Augustus Russell Street. [
Judge Leffingwell leaves three {
ons, well and favorably known
/ the west, Douglas and Louis Mac
regor, being respectively president {
nd superintendent of the Fargo Lin ,
eed Oil mills, one of the largest and 7
est equipped linseed oil plants in the {
est, and Arthur MacGregor of New /
Laven and New York, managing d.
.ctor of the North American TURQUOISE !
indicate of New Mexico, and president c
: the Leffingwell Investment Co. of '
ew Haven. S