The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1920
Stronghurst Graphic, Feb.-19, 1920
PASSING OF I. N. STEVENS: From the Pueblo Chieftain of Pueblo, Colorado comes the account of the death of the Hon. I. N. Stevens, who some forty or more years ago taught the Olena public school. While engaged in that capacity, he formed close friendship with a number of young men who are still residents of this vicinity. Last October, Mr. Stevens, while on his way to Philadelphia, stopped off and spent a few days with these old associates and in visiting the scenes of his early school teaching days. When he left for the East, he expressed the intention of stopping here again on his return to Colorado; but the sequel shows that an all wise Providence had decreed that the body without the spirit would make the return trip to the western home of the deceased.
"Isaac Newton Stevens, since 1903 the principal owner of the Pueblo Chieftain, died in Philadelphia yesterday morning as the result of pneumonia following an attack of influenza. His illness began on Feb. 1st and pneumonia developed on Friday. On Monday he was considerably better but the following day there was a change for the worse and the end came at 10 o'clock Wednesday morning.
For the past six years Mr. Stevens had been actively engaged as the president of the Commonwealth Casualty Co. of Philadelphia, although he retained his legal residence in Denver, having taken over the interest of his brother, Daniel Stevens, one of the founders of that company who died in Philadelphia in 1912.
Mr. Stevens was 62 years of age. Born at Newark, Ohio, Nov. 1, 1853, the son of Lewis Augustus and Sarah (Sperry) Stevens, he was educated the grade schools and graduated from the high school of his native town. Following graduation, he taught school for two years and then entered the law office of Hedge & Blythe at Burlington, Ia. He began the practice of law in Denver in 1880 and quickly rose to prominence.
An aptitude for politics led him into public life and in 1883 he was appointed by President Arthur as assistant to the U. S. District Attorney for this district, serving in that capacity until 1885. From 1888 until 1892 he was district attorney of Arapahoe (now Denver) County, achieving, during his term of office, wide celebrity as a public prosecutor.
One of the many noted cases handled by him was that of Dr. T. Thatcher Graves, charged with killing Mrs. Josephine Barnaby, a rich widow of Providence, R.I. by sending her poisoned whiskey through the U.S. mail. Although the evidence was purely circumstantial, Dr. Graves was convicted and later committed suicide in jail.
In 1893-94 Mr. Steven was county attorney of Arapahoe County. He was a candidate for election to the U. S. Senate in 1895, but was defeated by one vote.
From 1900 to 1903 he was proprietor and editor of the Colorado Springs Gazette and then purchased the Pueblo Chieftain. He was actively engaged as editor there from 1903 to 1911 when he returned to the practice of law in Denver. At the time of his death he was vice-president of the Chieftain Printing Co.
At various time he was chairman of the Denver County central committee of the Republican Party and secretary of the Republican state central committee. As an ardent admirer and supporter of the late Theodore Roosevelt, he joined the Bull Moose movement and was the senatorial candidate of the Progressive Party in 1912. From 1913 to 1915 he was city attorney of Denver under the commission form of government, the last public office he held.
He was credited with being one of the three men who introduced the beet sugar industry in Colorado.
In spite of his varied other interests, he found time to enter the field of literature and was the author among other works of three widely read books, "The Liberators," published in 1908; "an American Suffragette," 1911; "What is Love?" 1917. He spent four years in travel and study to fit him for his literary work, visiting all parts of the world in his meanderings.
His last visit to Denver was in November, 1919. He was a prominent Mason, a member of the Knights Templar and the Shrine.
He was married to Mrs. Helen M. Tonge of Boston in 1884. His surviving relatives are a brother, S. W. Stevens of Washington and a sister, Mrs. Julia Abbott of Columbus, Ohio.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Dug Billups is going about on crutches after being confined to the house with a sprained ankle for nearly a month. A train composed of 65 flat cars, each one loaded with four Buick automobiles, consigned to a Western point, passed through Stronghurst. Noted was the birth of Richard Brook to Dr. and Mrs. E. E. Tippen of Wichita, Kans. on Jan. 30th; Mrs. Tippen was formerly Miss Jennie Brook of this vicinity. Bertie Russler and wife are moving from the Brokaw homestead near Raritan to what is known as the Murphy farm about a mile further south, which is now owned by Mr. Brokaw. Russell Brokaw and his bride will establish a residence on the farm Russler vacated and which he and his father, I.H. Brokaw, will farm during the coming season.
Skeel Cummings, who was a resident of Raritan years ago during the pastorate of his father over the M.E. congregation and who is now engaged in farming near Huron, S.Dak., visited at the Worth-ington home south of town.
He called on old Stronghurst friends and then went to attend the golden wedding anniversary of his parents at Victoria, Ill. where they have retired. John Fort has resigned his position with the Farmers Co-operative store and will engage in farming this year.
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Dobbin returned from a visit at the home of the lady's parents at Sabetha, Kans. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Marshall entertained members of the Marshall families at a 12 o'clock dinner at their new country home northwest of town.
Mrs. W. S. Simpson and child from Macomb are here visiting Mr. Simpson, who lately became associated with Mr. W. C. Regan in the furniture and undertaking business. The family will soon move to the Geo. Wax property, three doors south of the Lutheran Church.