Marcus B. Sulzer

        Marcus B. Sulzer, a promising young lawyer of Jefferson County, is a native of Madison, Indiana. He was born April 19, 1860, and is a son of Raphael R. and Rachel (Heimidingor) Sulzer, who were natives of Alsace, France.

    His father came to Madison in 1854, and engaged in the merchandise business, and retired from business about six years ago.

    Mr. Sulzer was raised in Madison, and was educated in the common schools, having no money to attend the higher schools. Began to read law in 1879 with Linck & Bellamy, and was admitted to practice in 1881. He conducted many important trials before he was admitted to the bar. He made a good argument in the cases of the State vs. Cooper, and other murder cases; since coped with Jason Brown and others.

    In the cases of Peter Cooper for murder, he made the closing speech, and sent him up for life; Brown making the closing speech for the defense. When only 19 years of age he wrote articles pertaining to river and ammine matters, which were extensively copied by leading papers of the country, which attracted the attention of Governor Williams, who appointed him, at 19, delegate to the River Convention at Quincy, Illinois, and while there he responded at a banquet for Indiana. In 1880 Governor Gray removed him for being a Republican, and Governor Porter re-appointed him in 1884, and he holds that position now.

    In 1882 he was elected as city attorney, which place he held for two terms. Whilst in that office he revised the city ordinances and made a book of them, which is received as the standard of the laws of the city. When his term expired the Democratic Council of the city gave him a unanimous vote of thanks for the manner in which he had performed his duties.

    In 1884 he was elected as prosecutor of the Fifth Circuit; re-elected in 1886 by a majority of 769. His majority, the first time (in 1884) was 256, and is the only official who ever carried both counties in this circuit.

    He is a member of the I. O. O. F., has been president of local Lodge and member of Grand Lodge, being the youngest member; he has been district judge of Grand Lodge Bnai Brith. He is one of the members of the Republican State Central Committee, representing the Fourth Congressional District, and in 1889 was elected by the Annual Convention of Indiana Republican Clubs to represent Indiana at the National Convention of Republican Clubs, which convened at Baltimore, Maryland, February 28 and March 1.

Source: Biographical and Historical Souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott and Washington, Indiana. By John M. Gresham & Co., 1889.