My Genealogy Hound

OTIS E. HUNGATE.
Otis E. Hungate, prosecuting attorney of Shawnee County, is a member of the well-known law firm of Austin & Hungate of Topeka, with offices in the Stormont Building. As a public officer, as well as in private practice, he has won distinction at the bar and takes rank among the foremost lawyers of the capital city.

Mr. Hungate was born in Topeka, December 8, 1871, and is a son of Andrew J. and Sarah L. (Ritchie) Hungate, his mother being a sister of Gen. John Ritchie, who attained distinction in the Union Army during the Civil War. Andrew J. Hungate, whose death occurred October 30, 1904, was one of the pioneer citizens of Shawnee County and was its foremost live-stock salesman up to the time of his death.

Otis E. Hungate was reared and educated in Topeka, attending the public and high schools of this city. He read law in the office of Attorney Joseph Waters and attended the law department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, in 1891 and 1892. He was admitted to practice at Topeka December 8, 1892, on his 21st birthday. He immediately entered practice in his native city and during 1893, 1894 and 1895 served as assistant city attorney. He then resumed private practice and attained a high degree of success. He formed a partnership with Mr. Austin, under the firm name of Austin & Hungate, and this is widely known as one of the strongest combinations of legal talent in the county. In January, 1901, he was appointed assistant prosecuting attorney for the county, serving until August of that year when he again returned to private practice. On May 21, 1903, he was appointed prosecuting attorney for Shawnee County to fill the unexpired term of Galen Nichols, and in November, 1904, was elected to succeed himself by the overwhelming majority of 4,800 votes, the largest ever received by a candidate for this office. The duties of his office are onerous, requiring two assistants and a stenographer.

On December 23, 1896, Mr. Hungate was married to Alice Kepley, a daughter of Eph Kepley, of Bourbon County, Kansas, and a sister of R. B. Kepley, who was formerly sheriff of Shawnee County. Her father is one of Bourbon County’s most eminent citizens. This union resulted in the birth of a daughter, Augusta. Religiously, he and his family attend Grace Cathedral and are liberal contributors to its support. Fraternally, our subject belongs to the Masons, Woodmen, Elks and Eagles. He is a man of strong personality and has many warm friends throughout this section of the State.