Beckham County, OK - Obits: Hamilton Ellis, 1909
22 Jan 2008
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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ELLIS, HAMILTON
(1 Apr 1909, Erick Altruist, Erick, Beckham Co, OK):
News of the fact that Judge Hamilton Ellis had fallen on the streets of
Erick stricken with almost total paralysis last Friday morning came to the
people as a shock, fraught with grief and sorrow.  Judge Ellis had been
about his usual avocation apparently in a normal state of health when
suddenly he fell in the street near his office.  Friends immediately
attended him and he was taken to his home.  Dr. Pinnell was called and
diagnosed his malady as paralysis.  Judge Ellis lived and was
semi-conscious some of the time until 4:10 a.m., Sunday at which time he
peacefully passed away, surrounded by members of his family.
Hamilton Ellis was born at New Castle, Kentucky, June 1, 1839, and lived
there until young manhood when he entered the Kentucky University at
Lexington, Ky.  After graduating there he attended Bethany college in West
Virginia, a seminary that was conducted under the immediate direction of
Alexander Campbell, for the preparation of young men for the ministry. 
After finishing school Mr. Ellis enlisted in the Confederate army and
served four years in the 9th Kentucky Cavalry under Generals Morgan and
McGruder.  Immediately after the war he went to Old Mexico and served with
the patriots who suppressed the Maximillian revolution.  In 1865 he
settled at Emporis, Kans., where he spent a few years in the practice of
law, after which he moved to Eldorado, Kans., and formed a partnership
with Col. Sumner; later he lived at Eureka, Kans., and while there served
four years as Probate Judge and two years as County Attorney.  In 1889 he
came to Oklahoma, first settling at Stillwater; from there he went to
Perry where he lived until he came to Erick in May, 1907.  While at Perry,
Judge Ellis was elected justice of the peace and police judge.  The fact
that Perry was overwhelmingly republican at the time of his election,
betokens convincingly that he was abundantly capable and possessed with an
attractive personality.
During the sojourn of Judge Ellis at Erick, as a contemporary editor, with
the writer, no word or act of his has ever caused our respect and high
regard for him to be in the slightest degree diminished and with continued
association we came possessed with an increasing appreciation of his mild
conciliatory and candid disposition to treat all men fairly.  Judge Ellis
was conspicuous for being at all times most courteous and unassuming.  He
was a gentleman of the old school.
In early manhood he confessed the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior and
became affiliated with the Christian church.  Rev. Bishop M. Hopkins
conducted the funeral services at the Christian church here last Sunday
afternoon.  Rev. Hopkins spoke a beautiful eulogy upon Judge Ellis and the
choir sang several selections making the service most impressive.  At the
close an unusually long procession followed the funeral car to the Erick
cemetery where interment was made.
Judge Ellis was to his afflicted wife a devoted husband, to his children a
kind and indulgent father, and to his friends the soul of fellowship and
those who knew him best most love to contemplate him.
Deceased is survived by his widow, one daughter, Mrs. M. L. Hoover of
Enid, and four sons, as follows: Arthur C., of Lincoln, Neb., Leslie E.,
Robert and Carl of Erick, all of whom, save his wife and eldest son, were
with him when the end came.
(1 Apr 1909, Thursday, Beckham County Democrat, Erick, Beckham Co, OK):
On last Friday morning at about 10 o'clock Judge Hamilton Ellis, editor of
the Beckham County Democrat, was stricken with apoplexy and fell on the
sidewalk by the side of the First State Bank in this city, and expired
Sunday morning at about 4:10 at the home of his son, Leslie E. Ellis,
without recovering consciousness from the first stroke.  From the first
doctors pronounced his case a hopeless one and when the end came it was
not unexpected.
Judge Ellis had resided here with his son Leslie E., for nearly two years
and was connected with the Democrat as editor nearly all this time.  He
also practiced law and was active in his work up to the fatal hour, and
the stroke came as a great shock to his relatives and friends who were
totally unaware of the impending fate.
Hamilton Ellis was born and raised in Kentucky, was educated at Betheny
(sic) College West Virginia and Kentucky University, Lexington, Kentucky. 
Studied law with the firm of Menzier & Prior, in Covington, Kentucky,
admitted to practice law in 1869, same year.  Located in Levenworth (sic),
Kansas for four years with the law firm of Green & Foster, and for five
years with Stettings & Fenlen composed of Hon. Thomas P. Felen and Edward
Stettings, removed to Greenwood county Kansas in 1897 (1879), was county
attorney 1880 and 1881 and Probate Judge of the county in 1884-5,
appointed U. S. commissioner at Eureka for district of Kansas in 1886
resigned in December 1892, when he removed to Payne county, Oklahoma.
When the war broke out in '61 he volunteered his services and enlisted in
the Confederate Army and joined the 9th Kentucky cavalry.  He also served
under Gen. John Morgan and Gen. McGruder.
He held the offices of Lieutenant, Captian (sic) and Major.  During his
service in the Confederate army, he made a gallant and brave soldier and
received fourteen wounds and during a cavalry charge in a skirmish was cut
across the nose by a saber while facing the enemy.
After his gallant service in the Confederate army and at the uprising of
Maximilian and his followers in old Mexico, he went with friends to that
country to join the revolutionists and when Maximilian and his forces were
routed he narrowly escaped back into his own country.
Returning to his old home at New Castle, Ky., and finding that he and his
family had lost all during the war, he decided to move west where he might
repair his losses.  He settled in Kansas where he lived an active life as
an attorney and official for a number of years.  Whenever "the Major," as
he was called by those who knew him, was called to service by his party or
friends he responded cheerfully to the call and, though a staunch
democrat, he was elected to various offices in republican strongholds.
The deceased father is survived by four sons; viz:  Arthur, of Lincoln,
Neb., Robert, of Enid, Okla., Carl and Leslie E., of Erick, Okla., and one
daughter, Mrs. Carrie Hoover, of Enid, Okla., all of whom, except Arthur,
were at his bedside when the end came, and followed the remains to the
cemetery at Erick and saw them laid away tenderly by his friends.  Funeral
services were conducted at the Christian church in this city by the
pastor, Bishop M. Hopkins, attended by a large crowd of sympathizing
friends of the deceased and bereaved family.

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