FLEMING, Solomon S., Esq., Death Notice
3/8/1901 The Clarksburg [WV] Telegram
SOLOMON S.
FLEMING, ESQ.,
---
A Prominent and Useful Citizen
Great Beyond.
Solomon S. Fleming, Esq., died at his late residence in Shinnston at 6:15 o'clock Saturday morning, March 2, 1901, of paralysis and old age. Mr. Fleming was born in Harrison county October 19, 1812 and was in the 89th year of his age. He was a son of William and Ann Fleming, whose ancestors settled in this section about 1784. He was married July 2, 1835, in Fairmont, to Elizabeth Ebert, daughter of Henry Ebert and Mary A. Tice Ebert, who were born, and reared and married in Maryland, but who moved shortly after their marriage to Greensborough, Greene county, Pa., and thence to West Virginia. Mrs. Ebert died in Fairmont in 1848, and Mr. Ebert died in Shinnston in 1865. Mrs. Solomon S. Fleming died some months before the demise of the subject of this sketch. Mr. and Mrs. Fleming had eight children, namely, Mrs. Ann Rebecca Shinn, wife of David M. Shinn, of Shinnston; Mrs. Isabella Sophia Knox, deceased wife of William Knox; Louisa Lowrie Fleming, deceased; Mrs. Mary Ann Davis of Shinnston, whose first husband was D. Edgar Foreman, father of Mrs. Dr. T. M. Hood, of this city; Mrs. Florence Augusta Wilkinson, deceased wife of Squire W. R. Wilkinson, of Shinnston; William H. Fleming, of Shinnston; Robert B. Fleming, who died in infancy; and John A. Fleming, of Shinnston, the present sheriff of Harrison county. Mr. Fleming was an uncle of ex-Governor A. B. Fleming and Robert Fleming, of Fairmont.
Solomon S. Fleming located in Shinnston in 1840, and was a resident of that place 60 years. He was active in the affairs of the county and played an important part in the formation of the State of West Virginia, as a delegate to the Clarksburg convention April 22, 1861, and the Wheeling constitutional convention in 1862 and 1863. In June, 1863, he was elected from Harrison county to the House of Delegates and served by successive re-elections until the close of the 1869 term. In the last session he was speaker of the House and served with eminent ability and distinction in that capacity. Associated with him in these terms of the state legislature were Nathan Goff, Sr., and Dick Camden, and he was a warm personal friend of W. P. Hubbard, of Wheeling, and many other prominent men of the state.
Politically, he was a republican and always loyal to that faith. He was one of the party's warmest advocates and ever active in party council and service.
Religiously, Mr. and Mrs. Fleming were Presbyterians of the old school, but were not members of any church here until recent years, when they united with the Presbyterian church at Fairmont. They were born and reared Presbyterians and professed faith in middle life.
An interesting war incident was connected with Mr. Fleming's life. He engaged in the mercantile business from 1841 to 1872. On April 13, 1863, his store was robbed by Confederate soldiers under General Jones, and in November of the same year was again robbed by Confederate guerillas in Federal uniforms, who went through his stock, while some of their number stood guard with levelled [sic] carbines.
Funeral services were held at three o'clock Sunday afternoon and interment was made in the Masonic cemetery at Shinnston. Almost innumerable relatives in this and other states mourn his demise.
THE
FORTNEY TRIAL.
The important case of this term of our circuit court was the
prosecution of Mr. Joshua D. Fortney for the shooting of Austen A. Swiger on
July 2, 1892. The details of the affair
appeared in the columns at the time of the shooting. It grew out of a general row in which several parties
participated. Fortney was stabbed
several times and retaliated by shooting Swiger in the bowels, producing a
wound that came near being fatal-in fact, Swiger's recovery is regarded as a
miracle. Ex-prosecuting attorney
Clifford, Hon. Ben. Wilson and Melville Sperry, represented the State and Hon.
B. B. Dovener, Hon. J. J. Davis and Mr. E. G. Smith, appeared to defend Mr.
Fortney. Thus it will be seen that the
ablest legal talent of the State was employed on both sides.
Large crowds attended the trail, which lasted almost
seven days.
The jury brought in a verdict of "guilty of
assault" on Thursday morning. This
practically is an acquittal but the defense not being satisfied with this
seemingly lenient verdict have moved for a new trial based on the ground that
one of the attorneys for the state had "shaken hands" with two of the
jurymen.
8/23/1901The Clarksburg [WV] Telegram
JOSHUA
D. FORTNEY DEAD.
Jacob D. Fortney, of Lumberport, received a telegram at noon Tuesday
from his mother, announcing the death of his father, Josphua D. Fortney, in
Purdy, Arkansas, and he left for that place Tuesday night. Mr. Fortney went to Arkansas the first of
last April with his wife and two youngest children on a vacation and a
prospective tour, expecting to locate there if the country pleased them. The cause of his death has not been learned
but he probably died from heart trouble, an affliction he has had for years. He was born and reared near Lumberport and
resided there until he went went last spring.
He was one of Harrison county's very best citizens, a very substantial
farmer and a loyal republican. He was
59 years of age. A large family
survives him.
Joshua D. Fortney, of Gypsy, West Virginia, died at Purdy on August 19,
of fecal impaction which produced appendicitus [sic] and fatty degeneration of
the heart. Doctors Youngblood and
Massie, of Huntsville, and Hill, of Marble, held a post mortem examination
which confirmed the above diagnosis.
Mr. Fortney was a respected citizen in the community in which he lived,
was a soldier of four years' service in the late war, and came to Purdy last
March with the intention of residing there one year on trial, and if he was
sufficiently satisfied at the end of that time he would locate
permanently. We regret the loss of a
valuable citizen, and extend sympathy to his family, who we understand will
return at once to West Virginia.--Huntsville, Ark., Republican
MARTIN,
Elisha, Death Notice
7/5/1901 The Clarksburg [WV] Telegram
DEATH
OF ELISHA MARTIN.
Elisha Martin[,] Esq., of Bingamon, died at 1 o'clock Monday July 1,
1901, of consumption at the age of about 60 years. The funeral was held Tuesday afternoon and interment was made in
the Martin burial ground on Bingamon Undertaker Harmer, of Shinnston having
change of the funeral arrangements.
The Clarksburg [WV]Telegram 8/16/1901
KILLED
BY A HORSE
_____________
Albert I. Shinn met Death in a
Peculiar
Manner at Terra Alta,
where he
and his wife were
on an
outing.
______
Kicked By a Playful Horse.
______
The Deceased was a Useful Man
in
his Neighborhood in many
Ways
and served his coun-
try
well.--Big Funeral.
______
Albert I. Shinn, of Shinnston, was kicked by a horse at Terra Alta, at 10 o'clock last Saturday morning and received injuries from which he died at 11 o'clock Sunday night.
Mr. Shinn and his wife were on an outing at that place. He was not a horseman but concluded to take a ride Saturday morning. He went to a stable, got a horse and started on a ride. The animal was quite frisky and Mr. Shinn became afraid of him. He got off and began to lead him. The horse seemed playful, whirled and kicked him just before the left shoulder blade. The animal ran to a blacksmith shop and neighed and shook his head in the direction of the place where Mr. Shinn was lying and caused a hunt to be made which ended in finding the wounded man.
The body was shipped home, being escorted to the
train by the Terra Alta I. O. O. F. lodge and received by the Shinnston lodge,
and funeral services in the presence of an immense audience were held at 10:30
o'clock Tuesday morning. Interment was made in the I. O. O. F. cemetery
at that place, under the auspices of the order.
Mr. Shinn was 59 years of age. He was married to Louisa Martin 35 years ago. He belonged to the COngregational church for 25 years.
He was in the Civil war three years, first in the 3rd Virginia Infantry and later in the 6th Virginian Cavalry and was wounded twice in the hand. He was a memeber of the I. O. O. F. lodge at Shinnston 25 years. As a republican he was ever loyal and unswerving. As a citizen there was none better. No tribute is too high to pay him.
The deceased was a brother of Rev. Q. H. Shinn, of Boston, Massachusetts, and Mrs. Felix Martin. He had no children. The wife survives him.