Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-08-04
]. 7. D|JNC(|NDE D[A[|
Prominent Pioneer Lawyer and
Politician OF Iowa Passes
Away at Fort Dodge.
Was Member OF the Spirit
Lake Expedition Against
the Sioux.
Honored by Many Positions OF
Trust-Amassed a Large
Fortune.
Special TO Times Republican.

/ Special to Times ISepublican.
Fort Dodge, Aug, 4. Hon. John Il.
4 Duncombe. whose illness assumed a
lcrilical phase several days ago, died at
his home here at 1910 Saturday
night. The cause of his death was
apopleNy, following a general break
ing down of his system. lie had been
unconscious during the past week, and
passed away surrounded by the mem
bers of his family.
/ Mr.. Duncombe was II years of age
and had been q resident of Iowa for
more than forty years.fe was promi-
nent i'll the legal and political circles of
Iowa and was considered one OF the
most able lawyers in the state.
/ one of the greatest tributes ever
paid TO his legal attachments WAS in his
selection as one OF the three counsel
for the state to defend the legality of
the prohibitory amendment TO the con-
sttution. Judge c. e. Nourse, of Des
Moines, and Senator james Il. Nilsson
acted With him; both We're ardent re-
publicans and prohibitionists. Mr..
Dunconbe was Il democrat and an
anti prohibitionist. selected because
of his legal abilities.
For years he was district attorney
for the Illinois Central railroad. For
thirty years he was prominent as a
leader of Iowa democracy, has served
as state senator and representative,
and has been a candidate for lieuten-
ant governor. supreme judge and rep
reSentatiNe to congress. He was twice
chairman of the Iowa delegation to the
national democratic convention and has
held many positions of trust. Mir.
Duncombe leaves u widow and five
children.
Born in Erie county, Pa, in 1881,
John +. Duncombe secured Il common
school education, and then worked his
way thru college by teaching school.
Mr.. Duncombe was married in 1852
in Pennsylvania, his wife dying two
years later. A year after her death he
stared west with 5000 of borrowed
money and went directly to Fort
Dodge, then struggling frontier viii
lase. He started to practice law and
for Years almost starved at it. In 1851
he had his military experience.
liz lilc SpIilS VI lllil year Iowa WAS
startled to receive the news of the Spir-
it Lake massacre, in which all but four
of the little colony which had estab-
lished itself around the northern lakes
We're killed by Sioux. Immediately the
massacre was known about 100 young
men of Webster, Hamilton and adjoin-
ing counties gathered ut TT Dodge and
organized Il battalion. Mr. Duncombe
was captain of one campany. Major
Williams of Ft. Dodge, then nearly 60,
Il veteran of the MEXICAN war and a
magnificent soldier. was elected to COM !
mand the expedition.
In the early spring following hard
winter, the little band of heroes set out
for the lake country. Napo!eon's march |
to Moscow brought his soldiers hardly
greater privations than We're suffered
by this little army, marching thru snow +
drifts which We're often ten feet deep. /
over shelterless wastes of prairie where
the northwest winds drove the snow
and sleet into their faces and where |
there was neither food nor fuel Capt t
johnson died; so did William Burll- /
holder of Ft. Dodge. Many others suf- /
fered so severely that they never fully t
The state has since erected a monu-
ment to the members of the expedition
and the victims of the massacre. Mr.. I
being a member of the COM
mission which supervised its construc-
ton.
A lifelong democrat, Mr.. Duncombe
was an ardent advocate of free trade. I
and being naturally engrossed with poll
itics he edited two newspapers, the TT.
Dodge Sentinel, acquired in 1853 and
the TT. Dodge Democrat. In 1859 he was
elected senator from the Thirtysecond
district, then composed OF twenty-threc
Twice since he has represent
ed Webster county in the lower house
of the legislature. MIR. Duncombe was
chairman of Iowa's delegation to the
national convention at Ball
timore In 1872, when Greeley was NOM
naetr, and in 1892 to Chicago, where he
presented the name of Horace Boies for
president. He has run for lieutenant
governor, supreme judge and congress,
being defeated always because of inn
mense republican majorities in the
state. Had he been a republican. his
abilities would have commanded almost
anything Very likely he would have
occupied seat in the national senate.
No man in Iowa has ever been so uni
rersally recognized for his legal and
political abilities.
Mr. Duncombe has amassed a fortune
estimated at half million, and possibly
a million. He has made III in
his law business in railroad enterprs-
IS in coal mining, gypsum stucco man
fracture and I'm land speculations. His
magnificent home place at TT. Dodge is
one of the most beautiful and commands
ng in Iowa He is general Iowa coun-
sci for the Illinois Central for the west
arn district of Iowa: including lines in
Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.
Mr.. Duncombe was actively attend
ng to his business and law practice
md i'm the best health, till about two
Years ago when he was seriously in
ured in a runaway accident. He was
for a time believed to be doomed but
powerful constitution saved him. His
aealth, however has been poor ever
since. and the accident is responsible
tor its recent rapid decline.
Mr.. Duncombe's second Wife was
Miss Mary A. Williams, daughter of
Major Williams, commander of the
Spirit Lake expedition. To them have
,een born three daughters and two
sons all now living.
The funeral will be held Tuesday af-
-ernoon at $50 from the residence, un-
ier the auspices of the Masonic frater-
nity. of which he was a member