Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/173

 OTTENDORFER

OVERSTREET

city. Her fortune was estimated at $3,000,000. She was awarded a gold medal by the German Empress in 1883, for her philanthropic work. She died in New York city, April 1, 1884.

OTTENDORFER, Oswald, jomualist, was born at Zwittau, Moravia, Feb. 26, 1826. His father, a manufacturer, removed to Galicia, leaving Os- wald in the charge of a married sister at Brtinn. He attended the gymnasium at Briinn until 18-16 ; was graduated in jurisprudence from the Univer- sity of Vienna, and subsequently attended the University of Prague. In 1848 he returned to Vienna, joined the revolutionists and became a leader of the party in Saxony and Baden, and was subsequently commissioned a lieutenant in the battalion under Robert Blum. Upon the defeat of the revolutionists in October, 1848, he escaped to Switzerland and thence to the United States. He obtained employment in the counting room of the Staats-Zeitung, then owned by Jacob Uhl. Upon the death of Mr. Uhl in 1852 the management devolved on his widow, and Mr. Ottendorfer became an important factor in its publication. He was married in 1859 to Anna, widow of Jacob Uhl, and became the proprietor and editor-in-chief of the Staats-Zeitung, which rapidly increased in circulation. In politics he was a Democrat, but his paper was strictly non- partisan. He was an alderman of the city, 1872-74, and was named as a candidate for maj-or in 1874. He was a presidential elector on the Cleveland and Stevenson ticket in 1892. He retired from business in 1890, and part of his time was spent in travel in Europe. He donated $300,000 to build and endow an educational institution in Zwittau, Moravia ; founded a home for aged and indigent men on Long Island, N.Y., and founded and con- tributed to the Ottendorfer Free library on Sec- ond avenue, New York city. In his will he bequeathed to the Isabella Hermath Home for Aged Women, named in memory of a de- ceased daughter of his wife, §100,000, supple- menting a gift of like amount made a few days before his death ; $20,000 to the New York Free Circulating library, and the same to the Charity Organization society, to the Cooper Union and to the German hospital and dispensary ; $25,000 to the American Museum of Natural History, and 110,000 each to the Society for Ethical Culture and the German Ladies' Society for the Relief of Destitute Widows and Orphans and Sick Persons. To each employee of the NeivYorker Staats-Zeitung he bequeathed a share in proportion to his salary in a total bequest of $50,000. He died in New York city, Dec. 16. 1900.

OTTO, William Tod, jurist, was born in Phil- adelphia, Pa., Jan. 19, 1816 ; son of Dr. John Conrad (q. v.) and Eliza (Tod) Otto. He was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania,

A.B., 1833, A.M., 1836 ; studied law with Joseph R. IngersoU, and practiced in Indiana, 1836-44. He was judge of the second judicial circuit, 1844- 52 ; was professor of law in the Indiana univer- sity, 1847-52 ; assistant secretary of the interior, 1863-71 ; was appointed the arbitrator on the part of the United States under the treaty between the United States and Spain in 1871, resigned in 1875, and was reporter of the decisions of the U.S. supreme court, 1875-84. He was U.S. represent- ative to the universal Postal congress at Lisbon, Portugal, in 1885. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Indiana university in 1852. He is the author of seventeen volumes of the Reports of the U.S. Supreme Court (1866-82).

OUTHWAITE, Joseph Hudson, representa- tive, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, Dec. 5, 1841 ; son of George and Harriet (Hudson) Outhwaite, and grandson of John Outhwaite. He attended the public schools of Zanesville, Ohio, 1847-60 ; taught in the Zanesville high school, 1862- 64 ; was principal of a grammar school in Columbus, Ohio, 1864-67, and practiced law in Osceola, Mo., 1867-71, and in Columbus, Ohio, after 1871. He was prosecuting attorney of Franklin county, Ohio, 1874-78 ; a trustee of the Franklin County Children's home, 1879-83 ; a member of the sinking fund commission of the city of Columbus, 1883-89, and Democratic rep- resentative from the 13th and 12th districts of Ohio in the 49th, 50th, 51st, 52d, and 53d con- gresses, 1885-95. He was a civilian member of the board of ordnance and fortification by ap- pointment of President Cleveland in 1895, resigning in 1900, and was a trustee of the Ohio State universitj^ in 1897. In 1896 he was elector-at-large on the "Gold Democracy" ticket for the state of Ohio. He was presi- dent of the Columbus board of trade, 1900- 1901.

OVERSTREET, Jesse, representative, was born in Franklin, Johnson county, Ind., Dec. 14, 1859 ; son of Gabriel Monroe and Sarah L. (Mor- gan) Overstreet ; grandson of Samuel Overstreet, who removed from Oldham county, Ky., to John- son county, Ind., in 1834, and of the Rev. Lewis Morgan. Jesse Overstreet attended the public schools and was graduated at Franklin college, Ind., in 1882. He studied law under his father, was admitted to the bar in 1886, settled in prac- tice in Franklin, and in 1891 associated himself in practice with his father on the death of the latter's partner, Anderson B. Hunter. He subse- quently pi"acticed in Indianapolis. He was a Re- publican representative from the seventh Indiana district in the 54th, 55th, 56th, 57th and 58th congresses, 1895-1905. He was married, June 7, 1898, to Katharyne, daughter of F. T. Crump of Columbus, Ind.