Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1937-01-14
M. e. DANFORD, WIDELY
KNOWN ATTORNEY, DIES

KNOWN ATTORNEY, DIES
Saturday afternoon about 3:30
O'Clock, death took from this place
one of it's most prominent citizens
Marion e. Danford, IS, former pros
ecuting attorney and an outstanu-
ing attorney for more than q hall
century, not only Of this county, but
also of this section Of the state.
While Mr.. Danford had not had the
best Of health for some years past,
and while his immediate family had
known for more than year the SER
ious nature of his illness, that fact
was not known to the public in gen.
eral. and his death, which came sud
denly, was a great shock to the peo-
pie of this locality. He had con-
suited one of the most prominent
heart specialists of the state, who
had advised that he close his law
office, and live as quietly as pos
sible, as means of prolonging his
life. This he refused to do, since in
his work he found interest and pleas
ure. Saturday morning he appeared
in his usual health, and was at his
office and later in the forenoon went
to Malta where he had case be-
fore Mayor Ezra Mcdaniel, which
was not completed until after the
noon hour Atty A. B. Mercer, also
a counsel in the case, states that dur
ing the trial he never saw Mr.. Dan
ford appear in better health. Re-
turning home he ate hearty dinner
and about O'Clock went again to
his office. He had been there about
half hour when he called his
daughter telling her he was i'll and
for her to bring their automobile
down and take him home. Mr.. Dan
ford unaided went down the stairs
from the office andsgot into the ma
chine and was taken home. He lay
down on the davenport. A doctor
had been summoned, but had not
yet arrived. Shortly he became cas-
ier, and told his daughter to call the
doctor and tell him he was better
and for him not to come. He raised
himself up on the davenport, and
then sank over, dead.
Mr.. Danford was son of the late
John and Mary Brodrick Danford,
and was born in Homer township,
Morgan county, Ohio, about two
miles from Trimble. where he grew
to manhood. He attended the Lew
is school in Homer township, and
when a young man began teaching
school, and taught several years in
country schools, and then began the
study Of law. In November, 1885,
he was united in marriage to Miss
Addie Mcdonald of Homer township.
They were the parents of three chill
dren: w. D. Danford, proprietor of
the Danford pharmacy Of this place:
Miss Blanche Danford, of the home,
prominently known musician and
public school music supervisor, and
Richard, who died at the age of sew
en- years. Besides his wife and the
son and daughter, Mr.. Danford also
leaves one grandson, Billy DanfOrd,
student in M. & M. high school. Mr..
Danford was passionately fond of his
family, and his home life was ideal.
1t will be recalled that on Nov. 26,
last, Thanksgiving day. Mr.. and Mrs.
Danford very pleasantly celebrated
their 50th wedding anniversary with
a family dinner.
OF a family of nine brothers
and two sisters, but one survives, S.
S. Danford, hardware merchant at
Trimble The Danford family was
an outstanding one. Two of the
brothers were doctors-H. Fl. Dan
ford, who died about 80 years ago,
and E. f. Danford whose death occur
red about two years ago at GlOuster.
E. A. Danford was a noted teacher,
and Rev. Thomas Danford, a minis
ter of the Methodist Episcopal
church. Three children Of the FAM
lily died in infancy. The sisters of
NJ E. Danford were twins, one of
them dying in infancy, and the 9TH
er was Mrs. Dexter Carry. Mr. Dan
ford had for many years been a
member of Corinthian lodge, No.
Ill, F. e A. M, and served several
years as it's Master. He was lib
eraI supporter and regular attend
ant of the local Methodist Episcopal
church.
In the year 1929 the late Judge
L. J. Weber wrote a history of the
Morgan county bar. From that ar
ticle we quote as follows:
Marion E. Danford, the mentor of
the Morgan county bar, was born in
Homer township, Feb. 10, 1859,
where he continued to reside until
he removed to McConnelsville and
engaged in the practice of law, Jan.
/, 1884 His general education was
confined to the public district schools
and Professor Weethe's academy in
Athens county, Ohio. The writer
has personal recollection of this
academy and it's proficient instruc-
nI
out many teachers who honored the
profession. He studied law under
the tutelage of the late James G.
Headly of Glouster, Ohio, until the
fall of 1882, when he passed the ex-
animation for admission into the
senior class of the law school of the
cincinnati college, from which he
graduated with the degree of Bach
elor of Laws, in May, 1888, and was
admitted to the bar and took the
oath of office before the supreme
court of the state, the following
month. Immediately upon moving
to McConnelsville he opened law
office with his tutor. James G. Head
1y. But Mr.. Headly's business de-
manding his presence from their Of
1ice, this partnership lasted but a
few months. = In 1885 Mr.. Danford
was nominated by the Republican
party as candidate for prosecuting
attorney, and at the November cleo
tion Of that year, was elected, and
three years later was reelected,
filling the office in all six years.
On the day he took the oath OF Office
as county prosecutor, he formed
partnership with the late James w.
Mckinney. This association con-
tinued for nearly 15 years and was