H. Eckert had his start on the farm. He was born at Woodstock,
Illinois, March 10, 1880, and is a son of George W. and Bertha
(Sigwalt) Eckert, farming people who still live in that vicinity.
He passed his youth on the homestead place, his early education
being secured in the country schools and the graded schools of
Woodstock. The farm continued to be the scene of Mr. Eckert's
activities until he reached the age of eighteen years, when he came
to Chicago, and in December, 1901, entered the Kent College of
Law. He spent two years in study there and then became a student
'in Northwestern University, his graduation from the law school
coming in June, 1904, when the Bachelor's degree was awarded
him. Previous to that time, however, he had been admitted to the
bar, that event taking place in September, 1903. Following his
graduation Mr. Eckert became associated with the firm of Ela,
Grover & Graves, becoming a member of the firm in 1906, and in
1908 the firm style was changed to Ela, Grover, March and Eckert,
continuing as such until May I, 1914, when Mr. Eckert withdrew
from the partnership and established an office in the Otis Building,
where he has since been engaged in practice alone. His business is
mainly in the field of corporation and real estate law, and his suc-
cess, gained without the aid of influential friends or other assist-
ance, may be accounted for by his hard and industrious work. In
addition to his private practice, which is large, Mr. Eckert repre-
sents four banking institutions and an insurance company.
On September 3, 1907, Mr. Eckert was married to Miss Geor-
gia J. Cooper, of Chicago, and they have one daughter, Jane. The
family home is at Hinsdale.
Mr. Eckert is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the
Hamilton Club,* the Hinsdale Club and the Hinsdale Golf Club.
He is a republican in his politics.
THEODORE IRVING CHRISTOPHER. Among the able and reliable
practitioners of law in the City of Chicago, Theodore Irving Chris-
topher, who is associated with the prominent firm of Winston,
Payne, Strawn & Shaw, is accorded a foremost place by those
COURTS AND LAWYERS OF ILLINOIS 591
clients who seek honorable and thoroughly educated attorneys to
look after their interests. For eighteen years Mr. Christopher
has been a member of the Illinois bar, and in continuous practice
with the exception of four years of his life, following his service
in the Spanish-American war, which were devoted to the United
States Naval service, during which he traveled around the world.
Theodore Irving Christopher was born at Vincennes, Indiana,
October 16, 1876, and is a son of Theodore D. and Sarah E. (Duffy)
Christopher. From the public schools of St. Louis, Missouri, he
entered the academic department of Washington University, later
attended a business college in Chicago, and subsequently became a
student in the law department of Lake Forest University, where
he was graduated in 1897. In the same year he was admitted to
practice in Illinois and was so engaged when the Spanish-Ameri-
can war broke out in 1898. At that time he enlisted with the Illi-
nois Naval Reserves, under a special war enlistment of four months,
and served on the United States steamer Montgomery, mainly
along the Cuban coast and at Porto Rico, until the war closed. He
then returned to Chicago and resumed his law practice. There
must have been in his family some maritime ancestor whose love
of the water he inherits and after a year of practice, during which
the call of the sea became more insistent than the settlement of dis-
putes between litigants, no matter how important or profitable, and
the day came when he closed his office and enlisted in the United
States Navy for a cruise of four years. He was assigned to the
United States steamer Chicago, which was Admiral Schley's flag-
ship when he took charge of the South Atlantic squadron. Mr.
Christopher's position at first was yeoman of the third class but
before he was finally and honorably discharged, he had been pro-
moted to be chief yeoman. He served nine months on the Wil-
mington in South America, being transferred to that vessel imme-
diately after reaching Buenos Aires. From that city the vessel
went to Montevideo and from there, by way of the Mediterranean
Sea and the Suez Canal to Manila, stopping at all the principal ports
on the route. Two and one-half years were spent by Mr. Chris-
topher in the Philippine Islands and along the China coast. One in-
teresting experience while in the Orient was a trip of 900 miles up
the great yellow Yang-tse-Kiang River. In November, 1902, he
was transferred to the United States steamer Yorktown on which
vessel he returned to the United States by way of the Hawaiian
Islands, to the port of San Francisco. There were more places,
however, that Mr. Christopher desired to visit, so he took passage
on the United States steamer Wyoming for Mexico and the Panama
Canal, crossing the isthmus and then being transferred to the
United States steamer Mayflower, on which he reached Norfolk,
Virginia, where he was honorably discharged after an absence of
four years, in February, 1904. Entirely apart from the advantages
592 COURTS AND LAWYERS OF ILLINOIS
that would accrue to a professional man through the broadened
outlook such a period of travel would give, the personal enjoyment
and the preservation in memory of the wonderful sights and un-
usual experiences of such a journey, would have made it well
worth while.
Mr. Christopher once more returned to Chicago and again
resumed the practice of law, at first with the firm of Rosenthal,
Kurz & Hirschl, but since 1910 has been associated with the firm
of Winston, Payne, Strawn & Shaw. He is a member of the Chi-
cago Bar Association. His business office is in the First Na-
tional Bank Building, Chicago.
On January i, 1906, Mr. Christopher was married to Miss
Daisy Racine, a resident of LaGrange, Illinois, and they have four
children : Mary, Daisy, Dorothy and Edward. The family resi-
dence is at LaGrange. Mr. Christopher's fraternal relationships
are representative. He is past master of LaGrange Lodge No.
770 A. F. & A. M. ; past grand of Suburban Lodge No. no Odd
Fellows; and past consul of LaGrange Camp Modern Woodmen
of America.
EDGAR BRONSON TOLMAN was born at Nowgong, British India,
September 5, 1859, being the son of Rev. Cyrus F. and Mary (Bron-
son) Tolman, who in 1864 returned to the United States after the
father's mission in India. Major Tolman is a graduate of the old
University of Chicago, having taken his A. B. degree in 1880 and
his A. M. in 1883. In 1882 he graduated from the Union College
of Law, receiving the Horton prize. Admitted to the bar in 1882,
Mr. Tolman in 1889 became a member of the law firm of Doolittle,
McKey & Tolman, which later became Doolittle, Palmer & Tolman.
Since 1905 he has been senior member of the firm of Tolman, Red-
field & Sexton, with offices in the Stock Exchange Building.
Major Tolman was attorney for the board of local improvements
of Chicago during 1901-03, and served as corporation counsel for
the city from June 13, 1903, to August i, 1905. During the Spanish-
American war he was major of the First Illinois Volunteer Infan-
try and participated in the Santiago campaign. He is an active
member of the Chicago Bar Association, served as president of
that organization, and is chairman of its Committee on Rules of
Court. He is also an ex-president of the Law Club, and a member
of the Illinois State Bar Association, and the American Bar Asso-
ciation. Politically he is a democrat, and has membership in the
following patriotic and social orders: Sons of the American Rev-
olution, Society of Foreign Wars of the United States, Society of
the Army of Santiago de Cuba, Naval and Military Order of Span-
ish-American war and United Spanish War Veterans ; the Chicago
Athletic, Iroquois, Quadrangle, City, South Shore Country, and
Flossmoor Country clubs.
COURTS AND LAWYERS OF ILLINOIS 593
RICHARD S. THOMPSON who passed away in June, 1914, was for
more than forty years identified with the Chicago bar, and gained
many of the distinctions and honors in law and public affairs.
He saw two years of active service as an officer in the Civil war,
until finally obliged to retire on account of wounds.
Richard Swain Thompson was born at Cape May Court House,
Cape May County, New Jersey, December 27, 1837, a son of Rich-
ard and Elizabeth (Holmes) Thompson. For three years he was
a student in the Norristown Seminary in Pennsylvania, and for
three years studied under Rev. Alden Scovel, whose daughter he
afterwards married. Colonel Thompson took his degree LL. B.
from the Harvard Law School in 1861 and was admitted to the
bar at Philadelphia March 8, 1862. In August, 1862, he raised a
company of which' he became captain, and which was Company
K of the Twelfth New Jersey Volunteers. It was mustered into
service September 4, 1862, and he served as district provost marshal
at Ellicott's Mills in Maryland for two months, and on December
19, 1862, the regiment joined the Army of the Potomac. He was
commissioned major February 25, 1864, and lieutenant colonel July
14, 1864, of the Twelfth New Jersey Volunteers. He was severely
wounded at the battle of Reams Station in Virginia August 25,
1864, and on account of his wounds was mustered out of service
February 17, 1865.
In choosing a field for his profession Colonel Thompson located
in Chicago in October, 1865, and soon acquired a good general prac-
tice and became active in public affairs. From February i, 1867,
to August, 1885, ne was a partner of Jeremiah Learning. He
served as a member of the Illinois Senate from the Second Sena-
torial District from 1872 to 1876, and was attorney of the Village
of Hyde Park from 1869 to 1875, and from 1875 to i&7& was attor-
ney for the South Park commissioners. He subsequently was di-
rector of the Chamber of Commerce Safety Vaults Company. As
a lawyer Colonel Thompson became an authority upon the law of
eminent domain and was resorted to as a specialist upon that sub-
ject. He was a good trial lawyer, very effective before a jury and
a deadly cross-examiner. How unusually successful his practice
was from a financial standpoint is evidenced by the comfortable
size of his estate.
Colonel Thompson was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
in Kenwood, a member of the Illinois Commandery of the Loyal
Legion and of the Western Society of Army of the Potomac. He
was a member of the Union League Club, was president during
1891-1892 of the Kenwood Club, and his home was at 5406 East
End Avenue.
Colonel Thompson was married at Bloomington, Illinois, June
27, 1865, to Catherine Scovel, daughter of Rev. Alden Scovel.
There are two daughters : Louise, wife of Samuel A. Whitney,
and Mary, Mrs. George Kenneth Sage.
Vol. 1111
594 COURTS AND LAWYERS OF ILLINOIS
ARTHUR C. HOFFMANN. A member of the Chicago bar for more
than twenty years, and always practicing individually, Arthur C.
Hoffmann is a lawyer whose standing and ability are well indi-
cated by the clientele which he has represented in the courts for
many years, and which has included several of the large corpora-
tions and all of his practice has been of the better class of corpora-
tion and civil business.
Born in Chicago February 15, 1867, Arthur C. Hoffmann was a
son of Hugo and Emma (Koblitz) Hoffmann, who came to Chi-
cago from Germany about 1861. Reared and educated in Chicago,
Mr. Hoffmann spent one year in the University of Michigan and
one year at the Chicago College of Law, and was graduated from
the Kent College of Law in 1893, LL. B. Admitted to the bar
in the same year, he has since practiced, and at no time in partner-
ship. In a few years he had build up a clientele, largely in" cor-
poration and civil practice. He has served as counsel in several
very important cases, both in the state and federal courts, and
is the regular legal representative of several corporations. Mr.
Hoffmann has also been at different times concerned with con-
structive legislation, and larger movements. A few years ago he
drew up the bill known as the "Net Weight and Measure Law,"
and, largely through the direct influence of Mr. Hoffmann and sev-
eral associates, the provisions of the bill were subsequently incor-
porated in a federal law.
Mr. Hoffmann in 1912 was president of the Kent College of
Law Alumni, has membership in the Chicago Bar Association, and
belongs to the Hamilton Club, the Ouilmette Country Club, the
Men's Country Club, the Knights of Pythias, the North American
Union and the Royal League. He was married April 14, 1903, to
Miss Katharine Frances McGovern of Chicago. His residence is
in Wilmette and his office in the Stock Exchange Building.
HON. CHARLES M. THOMSON. As a lawyer Charles M. Thom-
son has had some influential and prominent connections since be-
ginning practice in Chicago in 1902. He is a former associate of
Edwin W. Sims and is now of the firm of Gardner, Carton & Thom-
son, attorneys and counsellors, with offices at 76 West Monroe
Street. Mr. Thomson is probably best known to the people of
Illinois and of Chicago as one of the active leaders in the progress-
ive party, and in 1912 was one of the successful progressive can-
didates elected from Illinois to Congress. He represented the tenth
district in the Sixty-third Congress, and friends of good govern-
ment had much to regret when Mr. Thomson was defeated for re-
election on the progressive ticket in November, 1914.
Charles Marsh Thomson was born in Chicago February 13,
1877, a son of James and Julia (Marsh) Thomson, his father
having for a number of years been a member of the firm of Thom-
son & Taylor Spice Company. Mr. Thomson was educated in the
595
Chicago public schools and the Chicago Manual Training School,
graduating in 1895, took his college work in Washington and Jef-
ferson College from which he graduated A. B. in 1899 and received
the degree Master of Arts in 1902, coincident with his graduation
LL. B. from the Northwestern University Law School. Mr. Thom-
son was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1902 and until 1905 was
associated in practice with Edwin W. Sims, first in the firm of
Malley & Sims and later with Sims, Munro & Thomson. When
Mr. Sims in 1905 became solicitor for the bureau of corporations
in Washington, the firm of Sims & Thomson was dissolved, and
thereafter Mr. Thomson was engaged in individual practice until
May, 1911. At that time he became associated with Henry A.
Gardner and Alfred T. Carton under the present firm name of
Gardner, Carton & Thomson.
Mr. Thomson has always been a progressive factor in politics
and allied with the forces of clean and honest administration. In
April, 1908, he was elected as an independent from the Twenty-fifth
Ward to the Chicago City Council, and was reelected in April, 1910,
and in April, 1912. In the summer of 1912 he accepted a place on
the progressive ticket as candidate for Congress from the Tenth
District, and was elected in November of that year. During his
term in Congress Mr. Thomson served on the Committee on Pub-
lic Lands, the Committee on Expenditures in the Navy Department
and Committee on Enrolled Bills.
He is a member of the Chicago and Illinois state bar associa-
tions, of the City Club, the Delta Tau Delta and the Phi Delta Phi
Legal Fraternity. October 24, 1905, Mr. Thomson married Miss
Besse Holbrook of Chicago. Their two children are Dorothy and
John. Mr. Thomson resides at 847 Montrose Avenue.
JOSEPH A. O'DONNELL. Engaged in the practice of law in
Chicago for more than a quarter of a century, Mr. O'Donnell has
marked the years with worthy achievement in his profession, with
loyal and public spirited citizenship, with able service in the state
Legislature, and was twice nominated for judicial office, but both
times deprived of the honors of the bench because of the uncon-
stitutionality of the law providing for the offices for which he was
candidate. Mr. O'Donnell is a man of broad and exact knowledge
of the law, has won many notable victories in the important cases
presented by him in the various courts, and is a citizen of sterling
character and high ideals. Few Chicago lawyers who had in early
life to win their own way against heavy odds have gone further
in professional standing and success than Mr. O'Donnell.
He was born in the Town of Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland,
where his family is an old and influential one. His parents, Pat-
rick and Catherine (Nellis) O'Donnell, came to the United States
when Joseph A. was six years of age. They established their home
in Chicago, and in that city he had the advantages of St. Patrick's
596 COURTS AND LAWYERS OF ILLINOIS
Academy and the public schools. His education was interrupted
by the demands placed upon him in aiding in the support of the
family, the record of which may be said to have been not greatly
different from that expressed by Abraham Lincoln relative to his
own family history, "the short and simple of the annals of the
poor." His first employment was as an office boy, and he later
began an apprenticeship at the trade of mechanical engineer. His
energy and industry brought rapid advancement, and at the age
of twenty-two he was appointed foreman in the establishment. His
ambition and good judgment were shown at this period of his
career, since after the heavy work of the day he attended night
school and applied himself assiduously to the study of mechanical
drawing, engineering and kindred subjects. This stress upon his
time and energies impaired his health, resulting in a change of
plans which caused him to prepare for the profession in which he
has won such success and prestige. Previously he had taken up the
study of Blackstone's and Kent's Commentaries, had studied Latin
in his leisure hours, and thus had a sound foundation for the syste-
matic study of law. He finally entered the law school of the North-
western University in Chicago, and was graduated a member of
the class of 1887, winning a senior diploma and the degree Bachelor
of Laws.
Mr. O'Donnell was admitted to the bar in 1887, and from that
time to the present has continued in the active general practice of
law in Chicago. He has enjoyed a large and representative clien-
tage, has appeared in many important litigations, with practice
both in state and federal courts and in a number of causes he has
appeared before the Supreme Court of the United States. In his
profession he now has a valuable assistant in his only son, Joseph
D., comprising the firm of O'Donnell & O'Donnell with offices in
the Metropolitan Building.
Mr. O'Donnell has been a prominent and influential figure in
the councils of the democratic party in Illinois, and began advocat-
ing its principles and policies as soon as he reached his legal major-
ity. In 1889 he was elected representative of the ninth district in
the lower House, and served three consecutive terms. He was a
member of the special legislative session called to consider the
World's Columbian Exposition Bill, and during the last two gen-
eral sessions of the Legislature of which he was a member was
on the steering committee of the House, and did a valuable service
in concentrating the efforts of his party organization and securing
cohesion on important measures. He introduced and ably cham-
pioned a number of important measures that reached enactment.
One of special note was the Australian ballot law, which was placed
on the statutes of Illinois largely through his individual efforts. He
was also one of the historic "one hundred and one" who effected
the election of Gen. John M. Palmer to the United States Senate.
A brief statement as to his legislative record was the following:
COURTS AND LAWYERS OF ILLINOIS 597
"He was well known as one of the leading orators of the assembly,
and while he did not resort to flowery phrases to any appreciable
extent, his cogent logic and evident sincerity in all that he advocated
never failed to make definite appeal to his auditors."
In 1902 Mr. O'Donnell was nominated for judge of the Superior
Court of Cook County, under the law of 1901 creating six addi-
tional judges for that court. His name, however, did not appear
on the ballot as the Supreme Court declared the law unconstitu-
tional. The following year he was the democratic candidate for
judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, and in the election
received a large majority, but neither he nor his colleagues assumed
the honors of office since the Supreme Court again decided the law
under which they were elected was unconstitutional. Among other
public services which are associated with his name was several
years of membership on the Board of West Chicago Park Com-
missioners.
Mr. O'Donnell is a member of the American Bar Association,
the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association,
and the Chicago Law Institute. When a young man he served five
years in the Second Regiment, Illinois National Guard, and was
a first lieutenant at the time of his retirement. Mr. O'Donnell is
a member of the Iroquois Club and the Illinois Athletic Club, and
has fraternal relations with the Royal League, the National Union,
the Knights of the Maccabees, the Knights of Columbus and the
Ancient Order of Hiberians. He and his wife and son are com-
municants of the Catholic Church.
In 1886 Mr. O'Donnell married Miss Rose E. Dugan, who was
born and reared in Chicago. Her father, Thomas Dugan, was a
pioneer settler, having established his home in the village of Chi-
cago in 1836. Mr. and Mrs. O'DonnelPs one son Joseph D. is now
one of the promising younger members of the Chicago bar.
LAURENCE BLACK JACOBS. One of Chicago's attorneys of the
younger generation whose versatile talents have led him into diver-
sified activities both in and outside of his profession, is Laurence
Black Jacobs, engaged in practice in this city since 1907. His career
has been a somewhat varied one, and in one and another capacity
he has been almost constantly before the public, whose favor he
has gained no less by his pleasing personality than by his absolute
sincerity and energetic endeavor to give the best of himself to each
enterprise that he enters.
Laurence B. Jacobs was born at Rock Island, Illinois, Novem-
ber 2, 1879, and is a son of Webster W. and Sarah A. (Black)
Jacobs. His early education was secured in the common schools
of Springer, New Mexico, where his parents resided im-
mediately after his birth and in the high school at Oakland, Illinois,
and Wabash College, Crawfor.dsville, Indiana, and in 1902 he first
came to Chicago in the capacity of assistant manager of a sheet
598 COURTS AND LAWYERS OF ILLINOIS
metal and roofing company, with which he was connected during
that and the following year. He then secured a position on the
reporter ial staff of the Chicago Inter-Ocean, and was later, during
1904, connected in a like capacity with the Chicago Tribune. From
1904 until 1908 he served in various official positions in the offices
of the county treasurer, the Circuit and Superior Court clerks, the
corporation counsel and the city prosecutor, and in the meantime
had assiduously applied himself to the study of law and graduated
from Chicago Kent College of Law in 1897, with the degree of
Bachelor of Laws.
In 1908 Mr. Jacobs was appointed assistant United States dis-
trict attorney, a position in which he remained for five years, dur-
ing which time he had for two years charge of the grand jury,
and conducted one of the greatest raids in the Chinatown district
of old Clark Street, breaking into numerous places of bad repute
and seizing hundreds of dollars worth of opium. During this time
he tried practically every manner of case which lies within the
jurisdiction of the Federal courts. When he resigned from his
office, the Chicago Record-Herald, issue of November 16, 1913,
said: "Laurence B. Jacobs, for five years an assistant in the
United States district attorney's office in Chicago, has tendered
his resignation to take up private practice. Mr. Jacobs, during his
service with the government, assisted in directing grand jury work
and had much to do with prosecutions under the interstate com-
merce laws. He also was connected with various trust prosecutions.
It is understood that he intends to make a specialty of cases involv-
ing federal prosecutions. He is a protege of Martin B. Madden,
representative in Congress, and one of the latter's lieutenants on
the south side." After his retirement from the Government service