OBIT: Benjamin L. HEWIT, 1894, Blair County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JRB Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/ _________________________________________ DEATH OF BENJAMIN L. HEWIT. Benjamin L. Hewitt died Friday night at Hollidaysburg, Pa., after a brief illness. He was about 61 years old, was graduated from Princeton college in 1854 and served in the army as paymaster during the war. He was five times elected a member of the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania from Blair county, and was its speaker in 1881-82. Springfield Republican, Springfield, Mass., March 11, 1894 HON. BENJAMIN L. HEWIT. Death on Saturday of One of Blair County's Foremost Citizens. HE HAD BEEN ILL FOR TWO WEEKS Went to Philadelphia for Treatment but Medical Aid Was Not Sufficient to Drive Away the Grim Monster - The Funeral Takes Place To-Day SKETCH OF HIS LIFE AND CAREER Hon. Benjamin L. Hewit died at the Bingham house, Philadelphia, at 3.15 o'clock on Saturday morning. At his bed side were his wife, his two sons and his brother-in-law, Mr. William P. Smith. Three weeks ago Mr. Hewit conducted the trial of the Jaekel-Caldwell case. It was observed by his associates that he was not in good health, and the labors of the week entirely exhausted him. The following Sunday he complained of numbness of the lower limbs and attributed it to rheumatism. On last Tuesday two weeks ago, he departed for Philadelphia and put himself under the treatment of Drs. Pepper and Mills, two eminent specialists. They pronounced his disease pachymeningitis of a most serious form and informed Mr. Hewit that his case was almost hopeless. The disease made rapid progress and the sad final announcement was not unexpected. The remains were brought from Philadelphia to Hollidaysburg on Saturday evening. Supreme Court Justice John Dean accompanied the family in their sorrowful journey home. Judge Martin Beil and several members of the county bar met the party in Altoona. The funeral services will be held at the late residence in Hollidaysburg at 3 o'clock this afternoon, and will be conducted by Rev. D. H. Barron, D. D., pastor of the Presbyterian Church. The Presbyterian cemetery at Hollidaysburg will be the place of interment. A meeting of the Blair County Bar association will be held in the court room at 1 o'clock this afternoon, at which time the deceased will be eulogized by Hon. John Dean, Hon. Martin Bell, and prominent members of the bar. The attorneys will attend the funeral in a body. The following is a brief sketch of the career of the deceased: Mr. Hewit was of German and Scotch-Irish parentage, tracing his ancestry on his paternal side through his great grandfather Nicholas Hewit, to an ancestor who left the Fatherland, while his maternal grandparents, Murphy, were of that wonderful Scotch-Irish Presbyterian race so prominent in the early settlement and history of Central Pennsylvania. Nicholas Hewit, sr., served in the revolutionary war from Berks county, and afterwards removed to Huntingdon county, where he died in 1837. His son, David Hewit, married Elizabeth Graffius, and died in 1790. They were early settlers in the Juniata valley, and of their children one was Nicholas Hewit, who ranked high as an enterprising citizen. He died in Hollidaysburg in 1883. His son, David Hewit, married Elizabeth Graffius, and died in 1790. They were early settlers in the Juniata valley, and of their children one was Nicholas Hewit, who ranked high as an enterprising citizen. He died in Hollidaysburg in 1883. He built that part of the old Pennsylvania canal between Hollidaysburg and Huntingdon. He married Mary Murphy, who died in 1871. Their only child, Benjamin L. Hewit, was born at Petersburg, Huntingdon county, June 4, 1833. He attended the common schools and was prepared for college at Tuscarora academy under the guidance of Professor David Wilson, and was also under the tutorship of Professor D. Williams at Hollidaysburg. He entered Princeton in 1851 and was graduated from that celebrated institution of learning in 1854, with high rank as a scholar, particularly in literatur. Leaving college he took a legal course ander the late Hon. S. S. Blair, of Hollidaysburg, and was admitted to the bar in October, 1856. He was elected district attorney in 1857 and was honored by a re-election in 1860 and two years later left an excellent practice to enlist as a private in company A, Twenty-third Pennsylvania infantry. At the expiration of his term of enlistment he served as a private in company A, Independent battalion, and during 1863, 1864 and part of 1865 was a field paymaster with the rank of major of cavalry. He was honorably discharged in September, 1865, and returned to Hollidaysburg, where he resumed the practice of his profession and was thus engaged when, in 1870, he was elected a member of the house of representatives of Pennsylvania. In 1871 and 1872 he was re-elected, and during his third term he was chairman of the committee on ways and means. He was re- elected in 1878,1879, 1880 and 1881. In the last year he was chosen speaker of the house and presided with such fairness and impartiality as to win high encomiums from all parties. In 1882 Mr. Hewit returned to the assiduous practice of his profession. In 1892 he was again returned to the legislature and made a creditable record by opposing his party in the matter of the Andrews-Higby election. His last important legislative work was his bill to prevent adulteration of food and liquors which Governor Pattison was influenced to veto. Mr. Hewit's political career was marked by fearless and efficient support of every measure calculated for the best interest of his constituents and the commonwealth. On account of his tact, readiness and ability as a debater and thorough knowledge, he was always recognized as one of the republican leaders of the house. During the great struggle in 1881 over the election of a United States senator from Pennsylvania he was voted for on different ballots. In 1873 he was appointed a fish commissioner by Governor Hartranft and served until 1882. He always took an interest in fish culture and in wood and field sports. Mr. Hewit was an interesting and entertaining speaker and a convincing jury pleader and had he chosen to confine himself to the practice of his profession would have had few equals in this section of the state. But politics was more congenial to his taste and occupied most of his active life. His ability, integrity and earnestness combined with a pleasing personality and charming social qualities, attracted to his side many staunch friends outside of his political associates. The republican party of the county was ready to tender him a renomination to the legislature at the convention to be held this month, and his name was only withdrawn by request of his sons a few days ago, it then being known that he would be physically incapable, even if his life was spared. On June 18, 1857, Mr. Hewit married Miss Lilly Davis, daughter of Judge Davis, deceased, of Bedford, Pa. She died in 1873, leaving two sons, Oliver H. Hewit, of Duluth, Minnesota, and Harry D. Hewit, a farmer in Dakota. In 1874 Mr. Hewit was united in marriage with Miss Mary W. Smith, daughter of the late Joseph Smith, of Hollidaysburg. Mr. Hewit was all his life a constant attendant at the Presbyterian services. Altoona Tribune, Altoona, Pa., Monday, March 12, 1894, page 1 EX-SPEAKER HEWITT'S FUNERAL Followed to the Grave in Hollidaysburg by Many Friends. Special to the Inquirer. HOLLIDAYSBURG, March 12. - The funeral of ex- speaker Benjamin Lightner Hewitt took place from his residence here this afternoon, and was one of the largest held here for many years. The Blair County Bar Association held a memorial service preceding the funeral, and eulogistic addresses were made by Justice Dean, of the Supreme Court; Judge Bell, Judge Landis, Congressman Hicks, G. H. Spang, Colonel Neff and others. Resolutions were passed and the bar association attended the funeral in a body. Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pa., March 13, 1894