Hanchette & Lawton

Charles D. Hanchette was the senior member of the law firm Hanchette & Lawton of Houghton County, Michigan. Hanchette was born in 1859 in Woodstock, Illinois before receiving his education in Chicago. Hanchette entered the law office of Thomas B. Dunstan, a leading member of the Houghton County bar. Hanchette entered the bar in 1886 and three years later formed a partnership with Dunstan, under the name of Dunstan & Hanchette. When Dunstan passed away in 1902, Hanchette and Swaby L. Lawton entered into partnership.

Swaby Latham Lawton, brother of Charles Latham Lawton, general manager of the Quincy & Adventure mining companies of Hancock, Michigan, was the son of Charles DeWitt Lawton. Swaby graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1896 and in 1902 entered into partnership with Charles D. Hanchette, forming the law firm of Hanchette & Lawton which eventually became one of the prominent firms in Houghton County, Michigan.

The Copper Miners' Strike of 1913-1914 in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula was marred by several acts of violence, notably the Italian Hall disaster and the Seeberville shooting. Seeberville was a suburb of Painesdale, a community ten miles south of Houghton. The incident began as a group of miners returned to their boardinghouse in Seeberville after collecting their strike benefits from the Western Federation of Miners office. Two men, John Kalan and John Stimac, broke from the others and took a short cut. This path had been designated off-limits by the Copper Range Company because of its close proximity to a boiler house, which was vital in keeping the mines pumped clear of water. The men were confronted by a watchman, Humphrey Quick, but refused to turn back and continued to their boardinghouse. This altercation prompted the formation of a small posse deputized of men to arrest the Kalan and Stimac. An attempt was made at arrest, a nine pine was thrown, and boarders who were outside of the house retreated indoors and the deputies fired on the house, lining the windows. This resulted in the death of Steven Putrich and Alois Tijan. The deputies were tried and convicted of manslaughter. The Hancock law firm of Hanchette & Lawton was contacted to investigate the appeal of the People vs. Cooper, et al, dubbed the Seeberville Murders.