Circleville Herald, 8-28-1928
Transcribed as is by Joyce Robinson
 
DEATH CLAIMS AGED PIONEER OF PICKAWAY
 
GEORGE S. PETERS, 82, Was Former Mayor of Columbus;
Active in Life.
 
Pickaway-Twp. lost a pioneer resident and Columbus a noted citizen in
the passing Monday of GEORGE S PETERS, 82, at his home, 891 E.
Broad St., Columbus.  Death was due to uremia.  He had been  seriously
ill for two weeks.
 
Mr. Peters was born in Madison-twp, this county, in 1846, the son of
WILLIAM L and SUSANNA HOFFHINES PETERS.
 
The Peters were pioneer residents of Pickaway-co.  His  grandfather,
JOHN PETERS, was one of Madison-twp's first settlers,
 
One brother, FRANCIS JEROME PETERS, survives.  He was elected
president of the Ashville Banking company in 1906.
 
A detailed account of Mr. Peters' life follows:
 
The major portion of Mr. Peters' career was devoted to the practice  of
law.  He had been a resident of the city for more than half a  century.
 
He was born Oct. 11, 1846, on a farm in Pickaway-co., where he 
attended school.  He later taught school, several years.  When he  took 
up the legal profession he came to Columbus, in May, 1872, and 
entered the law office of Chauncey N. Olds as a law student.  He was 
admitted to the bar in December, 1873, and soon began his practice of 
law in Columbus as a partner of Luke G. Byrne, under the firm name of 
Byrne & Peters.
 
This partnership was terminated in 1881, in which year Mr. Peters 
was elected mayor of Columbus.
 
After leaving the office of mayor, Mr. Peters practiced law by himself 
until 1887, when he was appointed U. S, attorney for the Territory of Utah 
by Pesident Grover Cleveland.  He held this position until 1889 and  during 
his tenure of office he did much to bring about a better order of things in  
that 
country in the early days of lawlessness.
 
Returning to Columbus in 1889, Mr. Peters resumed the practice of law  in
partnership with William J Clarke, under the firm name of Peters &  Clarke.
 
In the early nineties he became a member of the firm of Booth, 
Keating & Peters and continued until he retired from active life, 
Jan. 1, 1917.
 
He is a former president of the Columbus Bar Association.
 
Former Gov Hadley appointed Mr. Peters a member of the board of 
managers of Ohio penitentiary and as president of that board, he was 
active in putting into operation the parole law, which had just been 
passed when he assumed duties on the board.
 
He wrote the rules and regulations for granting paroles to prisoners,  which
was termed the first real step taken toward prison reform in America.
 
Nov. 27, 1877, Mr. Peters married FLORA E RAREY of Groveport. 
She died in 1918.
 
Three daughters, Miss GRACE RAREY PETERS at home: Mrs. 
FERDINAND P. SCHOEDINGER, 57 Parkwood Ave., and Mrs. 
WILLIAM A. DUBOC, 826 Franklin Ave., and three grandchildren, 
ANNIE ELIZABETH and FERDINAND P SCHOEDINGER JR. and 
SUZANNE PETERS DUBOC survive.
 
Mr. Peters was a member of the Columbus Club, the Columbus Country 
Club and the Crichton Club.