Randolph  County,  Indiana

Alonzo  Bales


            Alonzo L. Bales, a member of the firm of Nichols, Goodrich & Bales, one of the best known legal firms of Winchester, was born September 25, 1864 in West River township, Randolph county, on the Wayne county line, on a farm. He is a son of  William D. and Rebecca A. (Jackson) Bales. The father was born in Dalton, Wayne county, and the mother in West River township, Randolph county. Jacob Bales, the great grandfather, came to Indiana from near Knoxville, Tennessee, in the year 1816 when the state was in its infancy and settlers were few and the land covered by practically a wilderness throughout. He settled with his family about two miles south west of what is now the village of Economy, Wayne county, when that section was the home of the red man and many varieties of wild beasts. There this courageous pioneer erected a log cabin and began life as a true frontiersman, developing a good farm through hard, persistent work. His son, John Bales, grandfather of our subject, grew, up in that section, worked at the carpenter's trade, and remained there until 1862 when he moved to Randolph county and settled on the land where our subject was born. He succeeded here as a farmer and his death occurred in 1884, at an advanced age, his birth having occurred in 1807. His son, William D. Bales, father of the gentleman whose name initiates this sketch, devoted his life successfully to general agricultural and stock raising pursuits, becoming one of the leading men of his community. His family consisted of five children, namely: Alonzo L., of this sketch; Oliver H. died in infancy; Sarah E. is deceased; Mary J. is deceased; Charles E. is engaged in farming in West River township. The father is still living on the homestead, but the mother passed away on July 30, 1913. She was a woman of fine Christian fortitude and charitable impulse.
            Alonzo L. Bales grew to manhood on the home farm where he worked when a boy, attending the district schools during the winter months, and for a time the Winchester high school. He then taught successfully in the district schools of his native county for two
    
consecutive winters, beginning in the fall of 1884. During this period he read law with A. O. Marsh and J. W. Thompson and was admitted to practice in 1891. He moved to Winchester in September, 1895 and began practicing in partnership in December of that years with William S. Diggs under the firm name of Diggs & Bales ever increasing prestige until 1900 when Mr. Bales formed a partnership with John W. Macy and J. P. Goodrich, under the firm name of Macy, Goodrich & Bales which lasted until Mr. Macy went on the bench in 1902, when A. L. Nichols came into the firm as Nichols, Goodrich & Bales, and thus the firm stands at this writing. Judge Macy came back to the firm upon leaving the bench and after his death in 1912 his son, John W. Macy, Jr., succeeded him as a member of the firm.
            Mr. Bales practices in the state and federal courts and is known to be a painstaking, alert, well-grounded and competent lawyer in every line of legal science. He is an earnest and forceful pleader and is one of the most conspicuous figures in the trial of important cases in the local courts. His success has been pronounced from the start and his practice and influence have steadily grown with advancing years. He is a member of the county and state bar associations. Politically, he is a Republican and has been active in the ranks. He was elected prosecuting attorney of Randolph county in the fall of 1898 and served one term in a manner that reflected much credit upon himself and to the eminent satisfaction of all concerned. He served as a member of the Republican County Central Committee for a number of years and did much for the success of the party in Randolph county.
            Mr. Bales was married, first, on September 1, 1892 to Martha E. Foutz, a daughter of  Henry and Mary Jane (Boyd) Foutz, of Randolph county. To this union four children were born, namely: Ralph W., whose birth occurred August 7, 1893; William H., born December 9, 1895; Mary R., born June 21, 1898; Ruth A., born February 28, 1901. The wife and mother was called to her eternal rest on April 24, 1901. Mr. Bales' second marriage took place on June 21, 1905 when he espoused  Emma G. Engle, daughter of  Edmund and Gertrude (Bishop) Engle, of Winchester, and to this union one child has been born, John E., whose birth occurred January 29, 1908.
            Prior to her marriage, Mrs. Bales, for a term of seven years successfully taught history and English in the Winchester high school. She was a student at Butler College, Indianapolis, for two years. For many years she has taken an active part in all branches of church work.
            Fraternally, Mr. Bales is a member of the Masonic Order, the Knights of Pythias, the Knights of the Golden Eagle and the Modern Woodmen of America.
            He owns a valuable and well-improved farm in West River township and a commodious home on South Main street. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church as are also his children. Mrs. Bales belongs to the Main Street Christian church. All are active in church and Sunday school work. He is a teacher in the men's Bible class, which was organized under the state Sunday school organization as the A. L. Bales Bible class. He is a man of broad influence and usefulness, both in his profession and public life, and is regarded by all as a liberal, broad-minded, public-spirited citizen.
Past and Present of Randolph County, Indiana, 1914.
Contributed by Gina Richardson

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            One of the most honored and dignified of the jurists of Indiana, Hon. Alonzo L. Bales, has proved his ability, his sense of justice and his knowledge of men and the motives which govern him for a number of years, and is still the incumbent of the circuit bench of the Twenty-fifth Judicial Circuit, and one of the leading citizens of Winchester. He was born in Randolph County, Indiana, September 25, 1864, a son of  William D. and
 
Rebecca A. (Jackson) Bales. William D. Bales was born at Dalton, Wayne County, Indiana, in 1843, and his wife was born in Randolph County, Indiana, August 23, 1846. The paternal grandparents were  John and Nancy (McMullen) Bales.  John Bales was born in Jefferson County, Tennessee, in 1807. In the spring of 1816 he and his father, Jacob Bales, came to Indiana and settled in Wayne County, between Economy and Hagerstown. Jacob Bales and his wife, Sarah Melvaney, were natives of North Carolina, and charter members of the Society of Friends, Quakers, in their neighborhood, in 1820. The maternal grandparents of Judge Bales were  John and Susannah (Peacock) Jackson, he born in Randolph County, Indiana, in 1824. His father and mother were  Samuel and Jemima (Cox) Jackson, of North Carolina. Judge Bales' paternal grandparents were married in Henry County, Indiana, January 1, 1832, and the grandfather was a carpenter by trade. The maternal grandfather was a merchant and farmer, while William Peacock, the maternal great-grandfather, was associate judge for a number of years, so that Judge Bales had very solid forebears and upright citizens behind him from the start. His father for many years was engaged in farming in West River Township, Randolph County, Indiana, and he died in 1918, the mother having died in 1918. They belonged to that splendid type of Americans now passing. Work to them was a duty cheerfully performed without thought of distinctive reward. They reared their children to respect the laws, to attend church, and to work for their living, and did not ask of life more than the satisfaction that comes of faithful performance of what was laid upon them. Judge Bales attended the common schools, and had a short period in the Winchester High School, which preparation enabled him to secure a license to teach at the age of twenty years, and for the following ten consecutive winters he was engaged in teaching. During this decade he employed his leisure time in studying law, and in 1891 was admitted to the Indiana bar. In 1&95 he established his residence at Winchester, and began the practice of his profession. On September 1, 1892, Judge Bales was married to  Miss Martha Fouts, born in Wayne County, Indiana, a daughter of  Henry and Mary (Boyd) Fouts, also natives of Wayne County. Judge and Mrs. Bales became the parents of the following children:  Ralph W., who resides at Indianapolis, Indiana, secretary and manager of the Indiana Dairy Products Association,  William H., who is an attorney at Muncie, Indiana, and both of these sons are overseas veterans of the World war;  Mary, who is now at home, has held clerical positions at Winchester, Indiana, and Cleveland, Ohio; and  Ruth A., who married  Prof. Max H. Fisch, of Cleveland, Ohio, professor of philosophy in the Western Reserve University.  Mrs. Fisch was graduated from Butler University.  Both the sons were graduated from DePauw University, and  Mary was a student of DePauw University and Wayne College. Mrs. Bales died in April, 1901. In June, 1905, Judge Bales married  Miss Emma Eagle, who was born at Winchester, Indiana, a daughter of  Edmund and Gertrude (Bishop) Eagle, he born near Chester, Pennsylvania, and she at Cincinnati, Ohio.  During the War Between the States Edmund Eagle served, with the rank of captain, in Company H, One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Indiana Volunteer Infantry.  There is one son, John Eagle Bales, now a student of DePauw University. Judge Bales is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Winchester, and one of its trustees. Since 1904 he has been the teacher of the Men's Bible Class, and is otherwise active in church work. Very active in politics, Judge Bales was early called upon to accept public office, and from 1898 to 1900 was prosecuting attorney of Randolph County. When he completed his term in office he formed a partnership with  John W. Macy  and  James P. Goodrich, but two years later Mr. Macy became circuit judge, and  Alonzo Nichols  took his place in the firm, which became Nichols, Goodrich & Bales, and this association continued until 1918, when Mr. Nichols was elected to the appellate bench, and Mr. Goodrich, governor of Indiana. In 1920 Judge Bales was elected judge of the Twenty-fifth Judicial District and reelected in 1926. One of the leading Re publicans, he served as precinct and county committeeman.  His fraternal affiliations are with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the Knights of Pythias and the Improved Order of Red Men.  Several years ago he served for a year as president of the Winchester Kiwanis Club, and for many years he has been a member of the Indiana State Bar Association.  In 1914 Judge Bales was nominated for circuit judge, but was defeated by  Judge Thomas Shockney, an intimate friend.  The hardships and necessary struggles of his early days developed in Judge Bales those qualities of mind and character so essential to advancement in his profession. His life has been one strictly of work.  His fidelity to every trust reposed in him, together with his natural ability and intelligence, have steadily advanced him, and made of him one with a statewide character.
Unidentified book.
Typed by Lora Radiches

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