Perry County in Congress.
Our county has furnished two men to occupy seats in the United States House of Representatives. Each of them served two full terms and one an unexpired term, thus giving the county over eight years in Con- gress. In 1846 Gen. Thomas Ritchey, a farmer of Mad- ison township was elected. He lived about one mile west of Sego on the Maysville Pike. It was during this term that Phil Sheridan, then a boy in Somerset, applied for admission to West Point, and secured it through Congressman Ritchey. General Ritchey had served in the capacity of County Treasurer some years previous. In 1852 he was again elected from the eleventh district. Congressman Ritchey was a Demo- crat in politics. He led on his farm a quiet and unas- suming life. He died from the effects of a burn and is buried in the Zion M, E. Cemetery, in Madison town- ship. Our next Congressman from Perry county was William E. Fincke of Somerset. He was nominated by the Democratic party and elected to the 38th and 39th Congresses from the twelfth district, and again later to fill out the term made vacant by H. J. Jewett. He served during the Civil War, his first election be- ing in 1862. While in Congress he was a member of the judiciary committee. Congressman Fincke was129
born in Somerset in 1822. He was educated at St. Joseph's. Admitted to the practice of law at the age of twenty-one, he was almost immediately appointed Prosecuting Attorney. He was originally a Whig and in 1848 was the candidate for Congress on that ticket, coming within a few votes of being elected in a Democratic district. In 1854 when Know-Nothing-ism swept the Whig party out of existence, Mr. Fincke allied himself with the Democratic party. He repre- sented Perry and Muskingum counties in the 50th and 51st General Assemblies, and was the Democratic nominee for the offices of Attorney General and Judge of the Supreme Court on the state ticket. Mr. Fincke died in 1901. He was a gentleman of the old school-courteous, affable and dignified; hon- ored by all who knew him, and respected because of his sterling worth, honesty and integrity.130