The biographical encyclopœdia of Ohio of the nineteenth century:

BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOP-EDIA.
and demanded dinner, making many threats, and brandishing their revolvers in the faces of the women, and alarming
them very much. The meal was, however, prepared, and
the squad hadi just seated themselves as Mr. Axtell reached
home. He took in the situation at a glance, and sat down
with them. As each man had a revolver beside his plate,
the host produced his toothpick, remarking, " We six men
are good for three women "-thus shaming them. He then
ordered them out of the house, and they left at his commald, minus the dinner. Another incident is related of his
coolness and bravery. While sojourning in Dacotah Ternitory in I872, a party of " regulators " stopped at his house
and ordered him to get them a pail of water. He pointed
to a pail near by, and remarked, "There is the pail, you
can get it yourselves." Whereupon they drew their revolvers
and repeated the request. He then said he had changed
his mind, and would get it. Stepping within the house, he
obtained his pistols, cocked them and placed them in the
pail, and went out, saying, "I have changed my mind again,
and I think I won't get the water." The leader of the
squad laughed at their dismay when the cocked pistols were
seen, and told the others, " Get the water yourselves; he
don't scare worth a cent." Having made a large fortune,
he finally retired fromi active business pursuits in 1874, and
has settled in Amherst, Ohio, to enjoy the fruits of his
lablors. He was married in I865 to Catharine A., daughter
of Judge A. L. Whiton.
elected by the Legislature JCudgs o f the Supreme Court of
Ohi o. He hel d this position un til the a doption of the new
Constitution in I85I. Tha ininstrument provided for the
ele ction of judges by the people, and be dAt a ga in chosen.
At the expiration of his term he was re-elected. He w a s the
first Chief-Justice the me of the Supreme Court of the State under
the new Constitution. He resigned in I854, and resumed
the practice of law in Cincinnati. He was married in I844
to Agnes, daughter of William and Eleanor Coi-ry, of Ciiicinnati. They were blessed with three children. His wife
died in i869. His career presents the rare example of one
starting upon a professional course late in life, and yet rising
to distinction. He entered college at the age of twenty-two,
was graduated at twenty-seven, a Prosecuting Attorney at
thirty-three' President judge of Commion Pleas at thirtyfour, on the Supreme Bench of the State at forty-three, and
Chief-Justice of the State at forty-six. He was straightforward and manly in all his impulses, and for the younger
members of the bar he had always a kind word and a helping hand. He died March 2ISt, I876. At a bar meeting
held soon afterward, eulogies wvere delivered lay some of the
most gifted men of Ohio, some of whom had known him for
half a century. At the time of his death he was a mem ber
of the law-firm of Caldwell, Coppock & Caldwell, the lastnamed being a son.
9EOMAN, GENERAL STEP'IIEN B., Mariner,
Soldier, and Lawyer, was born, Decembler ISt,
1836, in Fayette county, Olhio, and is the son of
AAlva and Elizabeth (Cockerill) Yeoman. His
e~ father was a native of New York State, and a
farmer by occupation, who removed at an early
day to Ohio, first settling in Fayette county, and removed
subsequently (I837) to Jasper county, Indiana, where he
resided till his death. His mother was a Virginian by biuth,
cthe daughter of William S. Cockerill, an early settler of
Fayette county, and a soldier of the war of I812. Stephen
i worked on a farm until fifteen years old, attending the winter schools. In I1851 he absconded from his guardian, and
proceeding to New Bedford, shipped on a vessel "before the mast," from which he rose during his eight years
of a sailor's life to the positions of second and first mate.
He circumnavigated the globe twice, was shipwrecked twice
in the south Pacific ocean, and passed twenty-seven months
on a whaling vessel. In I859 he returned home, and became a farm-hand, alternating with study at school, until
S a t A ls the outbreak of the civil war in April, i86i, when he accompanied Company F, 22d Ohio Volunteers, as Orderly
Sergeant, to Virginia, At the expiration of four months the
regiment was mustered out of the service, and he returned
home and recruited Company A, 54th Ohio Volunteers
(Zouaves), with which he went to Kentucky as Captain.
He served with this regiment until January Ioth, 1864,
when, on account of losing a hand which had been blown
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A,LDWELL, HON. WILLIAM B., Lawyer and
ex-Chief-justice of Ohio, was born on his father's
farm, June 23d, i8o8, in St. Clair township,
Butler county, Ohio. His parents were William
and Mary Caldwell, of sturdy north of Ireland
Presbyterian stock. They removed to Butler
county in i8O5, and there followed the peaceful pursuits of
agriculture until their de ath. Their son resided here -until
his tweiity-secoiid yegr, doing farm labor and going to
school whenever an opportunity offered. In I83o be entered the Miami University, at Oxford, in the same county.
I-Iere be remained for five years, employing his vacations in
farm work. At college be earned distinction as a ready and
forcible debater. Most of the scholars were his juniors in
years, and they looked up to him as a counsellor. He was
graduated in 1835. Among his classmates were ex-Governor Dennison, Ifoii. Samuel F. Cary, Hon. John A.
Smith, and others. After leavin, colle,e he began the study
of law in his native county, his preceptor being- Hon. John
Woods. He was admitted to the bar in 1837, and commenced practice at Xenia, Ohio. In - I84i be was elected
Prosecuting Attorney of Hamilton county, and in the following year was elected by the Legislature President judge
of the Court of Common Plc,,is. I-le remained on the
Common Plea,-, bench until i849, in which year be was