USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > The bench and bar of Litchfield County, Connecticut, 1709-1909 : biographical sketches of members, history and catalogue of the Litchfield Law School, historical notes > Part 13
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1
HON. ROLAND HITCHCOCK
GEO. WHIEATON
BIRDSYE BALDWIN
115
WAARNER'S REMINISCENCES
laws were made and I think he opposed both of those enactments. He was a very accomplished man, pleasant, scholarly, but the field was not wide enough for him and so he moved to Wisconsin, and after a while died there.
Jared B. Foster was his successor there. He came to the bar after 1843, and he is entitled to great credit. for he read law while making and mending boots and shoes in Colebrook. Ile was a merry, good fellow, he became well equipped in the principles of the law and quickly acquired its practical parts. He represented the town in the Legislature with ability and he succeeded Hitchcock as judge of the Litchfield County Court and discharged his duties with ability. He was eminently social and a hale fellow well-met. We used to address him as Jerry. Granger dubbed him Jerry Red. For many years he was a sufferer from rheumatism and it finally brought him to his grave.
Goshen. Nelson Brewster. His law business was local. He lived two years in Litchfield and he tried a few cases and he was a bank commissioner several times. Birdseye Baldwin, a unique char- acter was his contemporary in Goshen, a kindhearted man of limit- ed practice and of great simplicity of character. He was very fond of whist. Granger and Hitchcock at court whenever they were in session entertained him very often very royally, in the amusement of which I was a witness. Oftentimes I was a partner of Granger. and Baldwin and Hitchcock were partners. If Hitchcock and Granger turned up a trump they would pass their trumps one to the other under the table and pick out all the best cards and hand back the poor ones. Finally Baldwin would get up and exclaim, after losing all the games, "well. it does beat the devil."
I now come to Cornwall, to George Wheaton. He was of humble origin, born in East Haven. When I was a boy, I learned that he was of most extraordinary ability. illiterate, he murdered the Queen's English, but one of the most skilful and adroit lawyers at the bar in his day and time. Wheaton was a great lawyer in my judgment. He had one peculiar gesture and that was this, he never laughed and hardly ever smiled. As an illustration of his cunning and shrewdness and his aptitude for hitting the party against him I will mention an instance. There was a suit brought against the Housatonic Railroad for damage to property injured by the cars. Peet and myself were defending the Railroad Com- pany and Granger and Wheaton were counsel for the plaintiff. One of the witnesses, Charles Emmons, an employee of the railroad, was a very important witness and his testimony was crucial in be- half of the defendant. Of course the case being against a railroad corporation it had to be put to a jury. This witness. Emmons was a very honest man and a christian gentleman, and if he could make the jury believe as they ought to believe, that his testimony was truthful, then the case should be decided for the defendant. In the
116
LITCHFIELD COUNTY BENCH AND BAR
course of the argument, in commenting on the testimony of the witness Emmons, I dwelt upon the purity of his life and character, his christian character. When Wheaton came to wind up the case he said "Brother Warner says this Emmons is a Christian. Well, I aint going to dispute that. but if the company finds out that that is his character, they will discharge him very quick."
Another instance comes down by tradition. Church frequently came in contact with Wheaton. He was called down there to de- fend a man in some case before a justice, and Wheaton commenced the argument of his case. He had his book of Connecticut reports and he stated to the Court what the law was and he would read from this book and so he read from the brief of one of the lawyers. Church said, "Wheaton, let me take that book." Wheaton said, "go get your own law. brother Church."
Church of course told the judge he was reading from the brief of the attorney, not from the opinion of the court or the judge who decided the case. Wheaton replied "I didn't say I did, I said I read what is the law there, and I believe it to be good law, and if the Supreme Court has said otherwise, they will over-rule that decision." He was a communicant of the Congregational Church in Cornwall. Now there was a religious revival in that town long years ago and there was a man there by the name of Daniel Scoville. During that revival he attended these meetings very faithfully and appeared very much interested in them. There was a bitter hatred between this man and Wheaton. Wheaton had law suits against him frequently and they were conducted sharply by Wheaton as against him. Some of Wheaton's fellow members went to him and said, "Why this man is so much interested in the supject of re- ligion I think that you ought, as a member of the church, to go to him and encourage him in some form and show forgiveness on your part." So one evening Wheaton went up there and while Scoville was in the attitude of praying and said "If there is any mourner here who has any feeling against me or I have any against him, God forbid that I should in any way bar his coming to God." Well, he had a client there who waited until Wheaton came out and then he said "Wheaton, you know that law suit we have got there against him, now I want that fought right up." Wheaton replied "Oh ! he'll fight all right."
Then there was Julius B. Harrison. He was a native of Corn- wall, he read law with Wheaton and came to the bar after 1843 and practiced a while in Cornwall and moved to New Milford where he died. He was states attorney for the county, he was a very diligent man, very ambitious and he rapidly rose in his profession. He was repetitious in his arguments, and that was the only criticism I ever heard made, for he was certainly logical, and had he lived to the ordinary age, I have no doubt he would have been one of the leaders of the bar.
JARED B. FOSTER
117
WARNER'S REMINISCENCES
Another man from Cornwall was Solon B. Johnson, and many of you no doubt remember him. He was a tall, large-framed per- son, I don't know what year he came to the bar, and he was editor of the Litchfield Sentinel, and his editorial articles were read with a great deal of interest : there was a great deal of wit and humor and sarcasm contained in them. He died early in life, he was of a peculiar nature and character, a loveable man in a great many respects. He had a peculiar stolid appearance at times, whether put on or natural, I don't know. If unnatural it was very success- ful comsumation. The last term that Judge Minor held of the Superior Court prior to his resignation, having accepted the nomi- nation for member of Congress from the 4th district, there was a gentleman came up to Litchfield, an entire stranger. He was in everybody's office, he was in the court room. He was a queer sort of a man, talking with everybody and with Judge Minor and you couldn't help being interested to know who he was. He came across Solon Johnson and Johnson tried to get rid of him. He was all the while teasing Johnson to take drinks with him, and Mr. Johnson declined and kept declining. Finally, after much urging Johnson says "my friend, there is a drug store down here and we will go down there and get something that is pure and good." Well, they went down to the drug store and a pint bottle was brought out with the very purest kind of whiskey they had and a tumbler was set down, and this stranger told Mr. Johnson to take a drink. Johnson took up the bottle, looked at the cork, smelled of it and says "that's all right" turned it up and drained the bottle. The stranger looked at him aghast, expecting him to fall dead every minute. Johnson looked at him, smiled and said "Well, aint you going to take something?"
Now I come to Frederick Chittenden. He was in practice when I came to the bar, a high tempered man of great knowledge. He had many conflicts with those with whom he came in contact. He was of an irrascible temper, but a good-hearted, generous likely man, very well read in the law, but depended a great deal upon his natural abilities ; it took but very little to excite him, he was very beligerent in the trial. There was a lawyer from Kent, Henry Fuller, who came to the bar after myself. They had a contest and Chittenden was so excited he struck him on the head. Well, there was an interruption, and after the adjournment Chittenden came in and laid his cane down upon the table and he said he would preserve order in the court room.
John G. Reed was a native of Salisbury and read law with me. His father and mother were Scotch. His father, the late Dr. Adam Reed was a celebrated Divine. He was educated at Williams College, he practiced law in Kent a short time, moved to Ohio, en- listed in an Ohio regiment in the civil war, and when he returned from that, he removed to Chicago and there distinguished himself
118
LITCHFIELD COUNTY BENCH AND BAR
as a lawyer before the higher courts upon mere questions of law. He was not what you call a jury lawyer.
Well, brethren and gentlemen of the bar: The bell tolls and my hour has expired. I look back to the time when life was new and bright before me and everything seemed fair and good to see. I stand here now and remember all these friends of so long ago As I stand here alone of all those I knew in my early days.
whom I have seen fall around me like leaves in the wintry weather.
"I feel like one who stands alone, In some banquet hall deserted ; Whose lights are dead, Whose joys are fled, And all but he departed.
1
Historical Notes
HISTORICAL NOTES
OF
COURTS, BAR LIBRARY AND
PROMINENT OFFICIALS
Compiled By
DWIGHT C. KILBOURN
CLERK
-
DWIGHT C. KIL,BOURN
HISTORICAL NOTES.
Upon the establishment of Litchfield County in 1751. the General Assembly was pleased to order two terms of the County Court to be held therein, one on the fourth Tuesday of December, and the other on the fourth Tuesday of April in each year, and also one term of the Superior Court to be held on the last Tuesday save two, in August of each year.
In this Superior Court there was but one Clerk for the whole Colony who went with the Judges from place to place as the sessions were held, and kept the records all together in Hartford, where those prior to 1798 can now be found in the Secretary of State's office.
The following is the record of the first court held in Litchfield County :
"At a County Court held at Litchfield within and for the County of Litchfield on the fourth Tuesday of December A. D., 1751.
Present : WILLIAM PRESTON, Chief Judge. JOHN WILLIAMS SAMUEL CANFIELD Esqrs. Justices
EBENEZER MARSH of quoram.
Isaac Baldwin was appointed Clerk and sworn.
Mr. John Catling, County Treasurer and Excise Master. Mr. Joshua Whitney of Canaan in said County, Attorney.
"At the same Court John Davies of Litchfield in the County of Litchfield plt. versus John Barrett of Woodbury in sd County deft. The parties appeared and the deft. exhibited pleas in abatement of the pltf's writ which being overruled the parties then joyning in a demurr. to the declaration as on file, the Court is of Opinion that the Declaration is sufficient in the Law and thereupon it is con- sidered that the plt. shall recover of the Deft. the Sum of £1200 money. Damages and costs of Court allowed to be - -.
The deft. appeals from the judgment of this Court to the Su- perior Court to be holden at Litchfield on the second Tuesday of August next, and the plat. with Mr. Samuel Darling of New Haven before this Court acknowledged themselves bound to the Treasurer of sd County in a recognizance of £200 money to prosecute their said appeal to effect and answer all damages in case they make not their plea good."
The following is the Record of the first Superior Court held in Litchfield County, and to be found in Hartford.
122
LITCHFIELD COUNTY BENCH AND BAR
At a Superior Court holden at Litchfield on Tuesday ve 11th, day of August Anno Dommi 1752 anno ye Regni Rt. Georgii Secunde Vigestum Sexto.
Present, ye Honbl. THOMAS FITCH, Esqr. Chief Judge.
WILLIAM PITKIN EBENEZER SYLLYMAN Assistant Judges. SAMUEL LYNDE
This Court was opened by Proclamation and adjourned till Two of ve clock of ve afternoon, and then opened according to adjournment.
Persons returned to serve as jurors were :
WILLIAM MARSH NATHAN BOTCHFORD
JOSHUA GARRETT Litchfield JOHN HITCHCOCK
New Milford
THOMAS CATLING PARTRIDGE THATCHER
TIMOTHY MINOR NATHAN DAVIS
GIDEON WALKER Woodbury JACOB BENTON Harwinton
BENJAMIN STILES SAMUEL PHELPIIS
The first recorded judgment is that of :
WILLIAM SHERMAN 1 of New Milford vs. ١
JOHN TREAT of and
ROGER SHERMAN
New Milford
At the May session of the General Assembly 1798 it was en- acted that the Superior Court Judges appoint a Clerk for each County and that the Records thereafter be kept in their respective Counties, but that the then existing records be kept at Hartford.
In obedience of this law the Judges appointed Frederick Wol- cott, Esq. of Litchfield, Clerk for Litchfield County, and the first term of the Superior Court having its records at Litchfield, was held at Litchfield on the Third Tuesday of August 1798 and was "Opened by proclamation."
The record is as follows :
STATE OF CONNECTICUT :
At a Superior Court holden at Litchfield within and for the County of Litchfield, on the Third Tuesday of August A. D. 1798,
PRESENT : The HON. JESSE ROOT, Esq. Chief Judge HON. JONATHAN STURGE'S
HON. STEPHEN M. MITCHELL Assistant
HON. JONATHAN INGERSOLL Judges.
HON. TAPPING REEVE
FREDERICK WOLCOTT. Clerk.
-
THE SUPERIOR COURT AT LITCHFIELD, APRIL TERM, 1909
CLERK, D. C. KILBOURN SHERIFF, F. H. TURKINGTON
JUDGE, WM. H. WILLIAMS
STENOGRAPHER, L. W. COGSWELL
J. P. WOODRUFF
123
HISTORICAL NOTES
The Attorneys in active practice in 1798 were the following : At Litchfield :
TAPPING REEVE
ELIJAH ADAMS
JOHN ALLEN
ISAAC BALDWIN
At Roxbury : RUFUS EASTMAN.
DANIEL W. LEWIS
URIEL HOLMES At Salisbury : JOSEPH CANFIELD EPHRAIM KIRBY ELISHA STERLING REYNOLDS MARVIN ADONIJAH STRONG
ROGER SKINNER
At Sharon :
AARON SMITHI
URIAH TRACY
FREDERICK WOLCOTT.
JUDSON CANFIELD JOHN C. SMITH CYRUS SWAN
At Canaan : JOHN ELMORE
At Goshen : NATHAN HALE NOAH WADHAMS
At Kent : BARAZILLA SLOSSON
At New Milford : DAVID S. BOARDMAN SAMUEL BOSTWICK DANIEL EVERETT PILILO RUGGLES
At Norfolk : EDMUND AIKEN AUGUSTUS PETTIBONE
At Woodbury : NOAH B. BENEDICT NATHAN PRESTON NATHANIEL SMITH
The following members of the Bar are now ( April 1907) residing in the County : Those with a * are not in active practice. Litchfield : Bethlehem : WALTER M. JOHNSON J. GAIL BECKWITH, JR. * FRANCIS BISSELL * WHEATON F. DOWD Cornwall : WILLIAM D. BOSLER LEONARD J. NICKERSON JOHN T. HUBBARD DWIGHT C. KILBORN WILLIAM L. RANSOM *
ELBERT P. ROBERTS THOMAS F. RYAN GEORGE M. WOODRUFF JAMES P. WOODRUFF
At Southbury : SIMEON HINMAN BENJAMIN STILES, JR.
At Washington : DANIEL N. BRINSMADE WILLIAM COGSWELL
At Watertown : ELI CURTISS SAMUEL W. SOUTHMAYD
At Winchester : PHINEAS MINER
Goshen : CHARLES A. PALMER ₹
Norfolk : ROBBINS B. STOECKEL
At Plymouth : LINGS FENN
124
LITCHFIELD COUNTY BENCH AND BAR
New Hartford : FREDERICK A. JEWELL H. ROGER JONES, JR. FRANK B. MUNN
New Milford :
JOHN F. ADDIS FRANK W. MARSII
HENRY S. SANFORD FRED M. WILLIAMS
North Canaan : SAMUEL G. CAMP
GEO. A. MARVIN
ALBERTO T. RORABACK J. HENRY RORABACK J. CLINTON RORABACK
Plymouth :
HENRY B. PLUMB * E. LEROY POND FRED A. SCOTT
Salisbury : HOWARD F. LANDON
DONALD T. WARNER
Sharon : WILLARD BAKER
Thomaston : ALBERT P. BRADSTREET E. T. CANFIELD FRANK W. ETHERIDGE
Torrington :
WILLIAM W. BIERCE BERNARD E. HIGGINS
WALTER HOLCOMB
PETER J. MCDERMOTT
WILLARD A. RORABACK HOMER R. SCOVILLE E. T. O'SULLIVAN GIDEON H. WELCH THOS. J. WALL
Watertown :
C. B. ATWOOD *
S. McL. BUCKINGHAM
Winchester :
WVM. H. BLODGETT C. E. BRISTOL * JAS. P. GLYNN
SAMUEL A. HERMAN
RICHARD T. HIGGINS
SAMUEL B. HORNE
WM. P. LAWRENCE *
WILBUR G. MANCHESTER GEO. A. SANFORD FRANK W. SEYMOUR
JAMES P. SHELLEY WELLINGTON B. SMITH JAMES W. SMITHI
Woodbury : JAMES HUNTINGTON ARTHUR D. WARNER
The following persons who have been connected with this Bar either by admission or residence, are not now residing in the County. but are supposed to be alive and residing elsewhere.
JOHN Q. ADAMS, Negaunee, Mich. LOUIS J. BLAKE, Omaha, Neb.
EDWARD J. BISSELL, Fond-du-Lac, Wis.
JOHN O. BOUGHTON, Stamford, Conn. DAVID S. CALHOUN Hartford. Conn.
URIAH CASE, Hartford, Conn. JOHN D. CHAMPLIN. New York City. CHESTER D. CLEVELAND. Oshkosh, Wis. FRANK D. CLEVELAND. Hartford, Conn.
GEORGE W. COLE, New York City.
1
WILLIAM L. RANSOM.
125
HISTORICAL NOTES
STEWART W. COWAN. Mount Vernon. N. Y.
S. GREGG CLARK, New Jersey. E. T. CANFIELD, Hartford, Conn.
SPENCER DAYTON. Phillipa, West Va. LEE P. DEAN, Bridgeport. Conn.
E. C. DEMPSEY, Danbury, Conn.
WILLIAM H. ELY. New Haven. Conn.
JOHN R. FARNUM, Washington, D. C.
V. R. C. GIDDINGS, Bridgeport. Conn.
W. W. GUTHRIE, Atkinson, Kansas. ROBERT E. HALL. Danbury. Conn.
CHARLES R. HATHWAY, So. Manchester. MARCUS H. HOLCOMB, Southington, Conn.
JOHN D. HOWE, St. Paul, Minn. EDWARD J. HUBBARD, Trinidad, Col.
FRANK W. HUBBARD, New York. N. Y
FRANK L. HUNGERFORD, New Britain, Conn.
WALTER S. JUDD. New York City.
WILLIAM KNAPP. Denver. Col. FRED M. KOEHLER. Livingston. Mont.
FRANK D. LINSLEY. Philmont. N. Y. Rev. A. N. LEWIS, New Haven, Conn. THEODORE M. MALTBIE. Hartford, Conn. T. DWIGHT MERWIN, Washington, D. C.
NATHAN MORSE, Akron, Ohio. FRED E. MYGATT. New York City.
W.M. P. MUIVILLE. New Canaan. WML. H. O'HARA, New York City. E. FRISBIE PHELPS, New York City. FRED A. SCOTT. Ilartford, Conn. MORRIS W. SEYMOUR, Bridgeport, Conn.
ORIGIN STORRS SEYMOUR, New York City. GEORGE F. SHELTON, Butte. Mont.
GEORGE E. TAFT. Unionville, Conn.
F. R. TIFFANY,
JOHN Q. THAYER. Meriden. Conn.
FREDERICK C. WEBSTER, Missoula, Mont. REV. EDWIN A. WHITE. Bloomfield, N. J. JOHN F. WYNNE. New Haven. Conn.
GOVERNORS.
Governors of Connecticut who were members of this bar. Gen. Oliver Wolcott 1796-1798 Oliver Wolcott, Jr. 1817-1823
John Cotton Smith 1813-1817 Wm. W. Ellsworth 1838-1842
Charles B. Andrews 1879-1881
126
J.ITCHFIELD COUNTY BENCH AND BAR
JUDGES.
Members of this bar who have been Judges of the Superior Court. Those starred, members of the Supreme Court of Errors.
Roger Sherman .* 1766-1789
Andrew Adams,* 1789-1798
David C. Sanford,* 1854-1864 Origen S. Seymour,* 1855-1863 Chief Justice, 1793.
Gideon Hall,
1866-1867
Tapping Reeve,* 1798-1815
Chief Justice, 1814.
Nathaniel Smith, 1806-1819
John Cotton Smith .* 1809-18II
James Gould .* 1816-1819
John T. Peters,
1818-1834
Samuel Church,*
1833 -1854
Chief Justice, 1847.
Wm. W. Ellsworth,* 1842-1861
J. W. Huntington,* 1834-1840
Miles T. Granger,* 1867-1876 Origen S. Seymour, 1870-1874 Chief Justice, 1873.
Roland Hitchcock, 1874-1882 Charles B. Andrews,* 1882-1901 Chief Justice, 1889-1901.
Augustus H. Fenn,* 1887-1897 Edward W. Seymour,* 1889-1992 A. T. Roraback,* 1897
CLERKS.
The following members of the bar have been Clerks of the Su- perior Court.
Frederick Wolcott, 1798-1836 F. D. Beeman, 1851-1854
Origen S. Seymour, 1836-1844 Henry B. Graves, 1854-1855
O. S. Seymour,
1846-1847
F. D. Beeman,
1855-1860
G. H. Hollister, 1844-1845 William L. Ransom, 1860-1887
G. H. Hollister. 1847-1850 Dwight C. Kilbourn, 1887-
Elisha Johnson, 1850-1851
ATTORNEYS FOR THE STATE.
The following members of the bar have been Attorneys for the State, or King's Attorney.
Joshua Whitney, 1752.
Samuel Church, 1825.
Samuel Petibone, 1756. David C. Sanford, 1840.
Reynold Marvin, 1764.
Leman Church, 1844.
John H. Hubbard, 1845.
John Canfield, 1786. Leman Church, 1847.
Tapping Reeve, 1788. Uriah Tracy, 1789.
John H. Hubbard, 1849.
Julius B. Harrison, 1852.
John Allen, 1800.
Gideon Hall, 1854.
Nathaniel Smith, 1806.
Charles F. Sedgwick, 1856.
Elisha Sterling, 1814.
James Huntington, 1874.
Seth P. Beers, 1820.
Donald T. Warner, 1896.
SHERIFFS.
'The following have been the Sheriffs for Litchfield County from its organization :
Andrew Adams, 1772.
DONALD T. WARNER.
127
HISTORICAL NOTES
Oliver Wolcott. 1751-1771
Henry A. Botsford.
1866-1869
Lynde Lord.
1771-1801
George H. Baldwin, 1869-1878
John R. Landon, 1801-1819
John D. Yale, 1878-1881
Moses Seymour. Jr .. 1819-1825
Charles J. Porter, 1881-1884 1884-1895
Ozias Seymour. 1825-1834
Henry J. Allen,
Albert Sedgwick,
1834-1835
Edward A. Nellis.
1895-1903
Charles A. Judson.
1835-1838
C. C. Middlebrooks,
Albert Sedgwick.
1838-1854
F. H. Turkington.
1903-1907 16,07-
L. W. Wessells.
1854-1866
COURT HOUSES.
The first Court House of the County was built at Litchfield in 1751-52. It stood on the public square directly in front of and about one hundred and fifty feet distant from the site of the present one. It was a very plain looking building about twenty-five feet wide by thirty-six long and fifteen feet posts. In it was a huge stone chimney and a monstrous fire-place. It was in existence as. a part of one of the stores of the village until the great fire of 1888. It cost as near as can be ascertained from the County Treasurer's books £3343 45 gd. The tax paid by each town was as follows:
Litchfield,
L 284
S
IO
C'anaan Cornwall
L 302 103
O
Woodbury
1124
II
II
6 Goshen
189
0
8
Kent
297
14
O Torrington
115
17
4
Sharon
56
O
0 Harwinton
129
1 2
7
Salisbury
307
IO
0 d 9
New Hartford
105
O
0
S
0
New Milford
328
7
The second Court House was located on the same site now occupied by the present one, it was given to the County for that purpose by Moses Seymour. It was built in 1789 at a cost to the- County of five thousand dollars; and whatever it cost over that was made up by private contributions. It was designed by Wil- liam Spratt an English Architect whose original drawing of it is- now in existence.
After many years it was believed that the spire was unsafe and it was taken off and the one shown in our cut of it was added' which ruined the whole effect of the front.
It was a veritable temple of justice. the interior being like a. church all in one large high room with a jury room in one corner and a gallery at one end with stairs leading up to it. It took a large amount of wood to fill the immense fire-places and keep it warm during the sessions in the winter. The judges sat on a raised platform at one end with a pulpit-like desk in front of them and looked down with great majesty and dignity upon the arena: in front and beneath them.
128
LITCHFIELD COUNTY BENCH AND BAR
After a number of years (in 1818) an arrangement was made by and between the town of Litchfield and the county officials where- by the town was permitted to divide the high room and make an upper and a lower room ; the courts to use the upper one and the town the lower room and this arrangement continued to the time of its destruction by fire June 10, 1886. The expenses of repairs and maintaining were divided between the town and county.
It has been often remarked that this old court room was one of the pleasantest in the State and although devoid of every modern convenience. it was a delight to lawyers and judges to practice therein. From its windows the finest of landscapes greeted the eve, the beautiful lakes encircled by emerald hills and the mountain peaks beyond towering into the blue sky, the fertile and well tilled farms on every side made a natural panorama that soothed the weary brain of the tired lawyer. The great Franklin stoves filled with Mt. Tom hickory wood made snapping sparkling fires. The graceful arching over head the quaint wooden benches and painted carvings, all delighted the eye and by their simple effects aided the judges and worn-out jurors in solving the intricate prob- lems they were called to try.
The jury room in the cold bleak north-west corner was not a parlor. A big sheet iron stove for wood, a dozen wooden benches, and a plain table was the make-up of this trysting place ; there was little prospect of comfort for an all night session of a dis- agreeing jury and they seldom lingered patiently about. Their verdicts generally were rendered altogether too speedily for the poor prisoner in the box or the fellow who lost his case.
The States Attorney's room was entirely wanting. In those primitive times those officials carried their all in their heads and pockets and what the attorney failed to do in his last argument the Court carefully supplemented in his charge. The practice in the criminal cases was largely a degree of eloquence and if the testi- mony was weak the advocate was strong and never failed to men- tion what the witnesses ought to have said.
The Clerk's office was also absent and he was permitted to rent at his own expense an office in some other building and keep the records and files wherever he chose. The judge's room was not thought of in the olden days. Why should he need one? No findings of facts were required of him and when the sheriff ad- journed the court his duties ceased.
On the morning of the 11th of June, 1886 nothing remained of this old building where so many memories clustered but the two great chimneys. The fire fiend in its ruthless track had swept everything away.
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