hunting with him. Ed never hunted an hour in his life. He worked all the time, worked terribly. He invariably carried, in a beautiful sheath on the inside of his vest, a fine dagger, seven inches in length. As he gave no time, not a moment, to personal controversies, and was never abroad except on business, I never decided why he carried such a dreadful weapon. His habits were temperate.

Don't remember that he attended church, though he was religiously inclined; had no amusements. Never heard him sing a note or knew him to give a moment to gaiety. He was very active in politics, and strong anti-slavery, although in the Democratic party. His speeches against slavery were masterpieces. His style of speech-making and addressing a jury was forcible and aggressive and sometimes very eloquent. He dealt in facts. By some he was called gruff and severe to witnesses, especially if they were inclined to be crooked or sullen. I recollect that in the case of a man by the name of Thomas, on trial for murder, Stanton showed himself better posted in anatomy than the doctors. He had many a spat with the Court, and time and again I have heard Judge Kennon command him to sit down. He always obeyed, but was up the next minute and at it again, and generally gained his point, too.

He smoked occasionally, but not often. He was careful of his money, but did not charge high fees. In fact, he did much work for which he received no pay at all. He was always on the side of the helpless and did his greatest fighting in their behalf. I recollect an imbecile, a girl, to whom was willed for her support a piece of timbered land. Stanton, in 1838, negotiated a ninety-nine year lease of the land. Had any other course been adopted, the property would have been dissipated and the poor girl left helpless.

Judge A. C. Turner of Columbus, Nebraska, an attorney at Cadiz in Stanton's time, writes:

When Mr. Stanton was employed to defend a man who had administered to a person poison that finally caused death, he swallowed some of the drug in order to test the effect on himself. The consequences were severe, but the whites of eggs and other antidotes brought him out whole, and he saved the man's neck. To him there was nothing impossible in courage or acts to accomplish his purpose.

H. S. McFadden of the Harrison National Bank at Cadiz, having had the poison incident referred to him, replied:

The poison was taken by Stanton in a room at Lacey's Hotel on the night before the trial, in the presence of Sheriff Cady,* a reliable man. The

*J. Cady, writing from Beatrice, Nebraska, says: "My father, William Cady, the sheriff referred to, is dead, but my mother, now over 80, recollects the poison incident and says Stanton was capable of just such a blood-curdling episode if he considered it necessary to win for his client."

case was tried in this town. Stanton had studied anatomy thoroughly, and, having tried poison on himself, appeared to know more than all the doctors. He made them out to be complete ignoramuses in the eyes of the jury, contradicting each other, especially as to the effects of poison on the human system. The jury, in consequence of Stanton's able defense, brought in a verdict of murder in the second degree, although the indictment was for murder in the first degree. Judge Kennon let it stand.

General Thomas M. Vincent, U. S. A., of Washington, D. C., who was born at Cadiz and knew Stanton all his life, says:

In Mr. Stanton's earliest practise he was a marked and attractive man and an antagonist of great power. I have often seen him emerge from the court-room with his collar broken down and linen wet with perspiration from the effort he had put forth for his client. He invariably exhausted every power he possessed to win. He was an honorable man of high standing from the first, and faithful to all trusts under every circumstance.

William G. Finney of Washington, D. C., who knew Stanton when he first began practising law in Cadiz, says:

The first time I was drawn to serve on a jury at Cadiz, Stanton was one of the attorneys in the case. He wore spectacles (being near-sighted) and a full beard on the chin and cheeks then as he did throughout his after life. He feared nothing. If he thought he was right, nothing could swerve him from his course. In those times he drew the very life out of adverse witnesses. In fact it was impossible, after his character became known, to get weak or crooked witnesses to take the stand against him. Once a witness became angry at his cross examination. "I am simply seeking to draw out the truth," said he, "and I hope you will not be offended if I succeed." He had no time for trivial matters. While others were trigging out and grooming their hair and persons, he was charging his mind with knowledge and power.

CHAPTER VI.

RETURNS TO STEUBENVILLE-ACTIVE IN POLITICS.

In October, 1838, Stanton formed a partnership with Benjamin Tappan of Steubenville, a man of ability and wealth, who in the following December was elected to the United States Senate. He was tlius compelled to remove to Steubenville, although continuing his partnership with Dewey at Cadiz. He became a Mason; put his peculiar notions of political organization into effect and made "clean sweeps" in Jefferson as he had in Harrison County; represented his district in the Democratic State convention and was selected as a delegate to the Baltimore presidential convention of May 5, 1840. In the famous Log-Cabin Campaign of that year he was supreme in southeastern Ohio.

At an enormous tri-State mass meeting of Whigs and Democrats at Steubenville in July, his methods so exasperated the former that a serious riot was precipitated. The Democratic policy was anti-bank." Stanton held for collection more than fifty thousand dollars of the "over-issue" of the wrecked Bank of Steubenville, whose officers were Whigs. Before the great Whig procession passed his office he set out in front of it a large tombstone on which he had pasted the worthless bills of the defunct bank. This was too much for the Whigs, who angrily turned their procession toward the Democratic grand stand where Stanton was speaking and brought on a terrific riot. Stanton himself was not injured, but others were and the Whigs held him responsible for the bloody emeute.

The Democrats were defeated in November, and Stanton, having made a fine reputation, dropped political activity and concentrated his energies on his profession. He admitted several bright young students to his office, and accepted business from every direction. The court calendars were crowded with his cases, newspapers teemed with his legal notices, and he was compelled to work almost night and day, Sundays included, to take care of his clients.

During 1840 the first babe, christened Lucy Lamson Stanton, made its appearance in the Stanton home. Lucy was the apple