History of Southern Illinois ~ Biography of Marshall Edward Daniel

Biography of
Marshall Edward Daniel

p. 1422

MARSHALL EDWARD DANIEL. It is a well-established fact that the newspapers of today mold public opinion to a large extent, and have the p. 1423 power of influencing the people of a community in advancing or defeating measures of public importance. The degree of effectiveness of this influence, however, rests entirely upon the confidence with which the reading masses accept the statements of any publication, and this in turn devolves in a large degree upon the men in whose hands the making up of the publication lies. The city of McLeansboro, Illinois, is to be congratulated upon being the home of such a clean, wholesome newspaper as the McLeansboro Times, the editor and publisher of which, Marshall Edward Daniel, is known as a man of the highest principles and an earnest and zealous worker in the journalistic field. Mr. Daniel was born March 11, 1867, in Wayne county, Illinois, and is a son of Woodson R. and Elizabeth T. (Sullinger) Daniel.

Woodson R. Daniel was born in Steward county, Tennessee, in 1845, and in 1857 moved to Wayne county, Illinois, with his parents, Daniel and Frances (Roberts) Daniel. In 1861, when but sixteen years of age, he enlisted in Company D, Sixtieth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and after serving three years and nine months was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant. In 1867 he moved to Hamilton county, and in the following year came to the city of McLeansboro, where for about six years he was engaged at the carpenter's trade. Here his father died in 1884, at the age of sixty-four years, his mother having passed away the year before, when she was sixty six years old. Mr. Daniel was married (first) in 1864, to Frances Boswell, of Wayne county, who died before he returned from the army, and in 1866 he married Elizabeth T. Sullinger, of McLeansboro, who passed away in this city in 1873, leaving three children, one of whom died in infancy: Marshall Edward; and Charles R., who died in Texas in 1906, aged thirty-five years, was married to Cora D. Riley, at Houston, Texas, and had two children, namely, - Woodson R., Jr., who died September 27, 1910, and John Marshall, who makes his home with his grandfather. Woodson R. Daniel's third marriage occurred April 30, 1874, to Mary J. Goodwin, who is still living and makes her home in McLeansboro. To this union were born three children: Mamie, who died in infancy; John W., who died February 19, 1903; and Minnie E., who married L. L. Smith and lives in San Diego, California.

Mr. Daniel was elected deputy county clerk in 1873 and acted in that capacity for four years, was then justice of the peace for twelve years, after which he again served as deputy county clerk for eight years and six months, and in 1895 was elected police magistrate of McLeansboro, being the present incumbent of that office. During this long period he has served at different times as coroner, acting sheriff, alderman, member of the board of education and supervisor of McLeansboro township. He has been an excellent official, and is recognized as a power in Democratic politics in Hamilton county. He belongs to the G. A. R. and the Odd Fellows, while Mrs. Daniel holds membership in the Rebekahs, and both are consistent members of the First Baptist church. Marshall Edward Daniel received a common school education, and as a lad started to work in the office of the McLeansboro Times for General Campbell, starting as roller boy at a salary of fifty cents per week and working his way up to the position of foreman. In 1891 he left the Times and went to Shawneetown, where he purchased the Gallatin Democrat, which he continued to publish until 1898, and in that year returned to McLeansboro and bought the Times from his former employer. This paper was organized in 1867, and is the oldest newspaper in Hamilton county, where it is also the only Democratic publication. In 1898, when Mr. Daniel took charge of its fortunes, it boasted 500 subscribers, with a force of two persons beside the proprietor, while today p. 1424 it is the leading newspaper of the county, with 2,400 paid-up subscriptions and an office force of eight people. Mr. Daniel has endeavored to give his readers the latest national and international news, the brightest and most interesting local happenings, timely editorials and accurate statements of all kinds at all times, and that he has succeeded in his object is evidenced by its popularity throughout the county. A prominent Democrat in politics, Mr. Daniel has served as Democratic county committeeman for eight years and as chairman of that body, and for a like period acted as master in chancery. Fraternally he is connected with the Woodmen, the Court of Honor, the Knights of Pythias and the Mutual Protective League. A firm believer in the benefits of life insurance, he holds several large policies.

In 1892 Mr. Daniel was united in marriage with Miss Lizzie E. Harrison, at Russellville, Kentucky, where she was born in 1867, a daughter of Carter H. Harrison. She was one of a family of seven children, and died March 11, 1908, in the faith of the Methodist church, leaving three children, namely: Carter H., born April 2, 1893, associate editor of the Times; Marshall Edward, Jr., born March 26, 1895; and Paul W., born June 16, 1897. Mr. Daniel was married in McLcansboro, Miss Myrtle E. White, who was born in October, 1886, in Hamilton county, daughter of Frank H. White, becoming his second wife.

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