History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 51

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148

USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth county, New Jersey > Part 51

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Being fond of military matters, he entered a uniformed militia organization in Trenton, and as captain of this organization he served at Sandy Hook in the war of 1812. He was appointed, soon after the war, quartermaster- general of the State, and always after that was called General Wall.

In 1828 he removed to Burlington. In 1829 he was elected Governor of the State, but de- clined the position. In the same year he was appointed by President Jackson United States district attorney for New Jersey.

In 1834, General Wall was elected United States Senator. He proved to be an able supporter of the Jackson and Van Buren administrations, and made many speeches in that body when it contained such men as Webster, Clay, Calhoun, Benton, Sonthard and others, which gave him a wide reputation as an orator and statesman. General Wall died in 1850, being at the time of hi- death a judge of the Court of Errors and Appeal- of New Jersey.

Garret D. Wall was perhaps the most popular man of his day in the State. He was the leader of the Democratic party for a quarter of a cen- tury, and so great was the confidence reposed in him that the conventions of his political friends were often wholly governed by his will in their platforms and candidates, and he proved a safe leader.

A> a lawyer, General Wall stood side by side with Richard Stockton, George Wood, Peter D. Vroom and other able men of his generation then at the head of the bar. During hi- whole professional career, except when en- gaged with official duties and absent from the State, he attended the courts of Monmouth County. There are many now living who have heard him try causes at Freehold. He was , brethren, as in social life. He delighted to able, adroit, ready and sometimes eloquent. He addressed a jury in a familiar way which soon won their attention and put them on good terms ; quent counsel with whom he had mingled in with the speaker and with them-elves.

DANIEL BAILEY RYALL, son of Thomas and Rebecca Ryall, one of the most respected, beloved and distinguished lawyers who ever practiced in the courts of Monmouth County, was born in the city of Trenton, January 30, 1798, and received his primary education in the schools and academy of that city. At an early age he entered as a student in the law- office of the Honorable Garret D. Wall, who at that time was the leading practitioner of the State. Mr. Ryall was a diligent student, and after the usual term of study, aided by the pro- found learning of his preceptor, he was admit- ted as an attorney in September, 1820, and in that year came to Monmouth County, and lo- cating in Freehold, entered upon the practice of his profession. He brought to his work a well-balanced mind, a thorough knowledge of the practice, sound practical common sense, integrity of character, habits of application and indomitable energy. Such a man could not fail to succeed. He soon acquired a lucrative practice, and retained it for more than thirty- five years, after which time he voluntarily retired from active business.

He loved the profession of his choice, and in it he was eminently successful. His industry and energy were remarkable, and contributed in no small degree to his success. He was not only faithful to his clients, but he became en- grossed in and seemed identified with the causes which were placed in his charge. He was absolutely free from jealousy of profes- sional rivals. If, in the course of an exciting trial, an angry word or an unguarded expres- sion was used such as might interrupt amicable relations between counsel, he was the first to renew the friendly greeting with a smile and the offer of the hand. Ile was genial and pleasant in his intercourse with his professional relate to his younger associates incidents illus- trating the character of the learned and elo- his earlier years.

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTHI COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

" You all know," said the Honorable Joel and Maria Scudder. She died on February 8, Parker. in an address to the members of the | 1852. Their children were Louisa Seudder, bar on the occasion of the formal announcement Edward Hunt, William Scudder, Thomas Wall and Philip Johnston. Of these, Thomas Wall Ryall, living near Freehold, is the only survivor. of Mr. Ryall's death, " what fears of failure, what anxiety for success agitate the mind of the young advocate when about passing the ordeal of his first ease in court. I well remem- ber my emotions as I took my seat for the first time at this table and found that Mr. Ryall, the oldest member of the bar, was the opposing counsel. Principles of law applicable to the case and almost every fact upon which I had relied upon a favorable decision fled from my memory. But there was no attempt on his part to take advantage of my agitation and inexperience. On the contrary, a certain kind- ness of tone and manner was manifested that soon restored confidence. Afterwards he took occasion to speak kind words of encouragement, so grateful to ambitions youth just entering the threshold of active life. The circumstance impressed me deeply, and when, in subsequent years, doubt and despondency occasionally arose, memory reverted to those cheering words, which had, perhaps, been forgotten by the friend who spoke them ; and now that I am here, after the lapse of more than twenty years, to join with you in mourning his departure, that seene and those words come to my mind as vividly asif they were the events of yesterday."

JOSEPH F. RANDOLPH, a prominent member of the Monmouth bar, and later an associate jus- tiee of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, was a native of New York City, born March 14, 1803. His father was Dr. Robert F. Randolph, who settled at Piscataway, Middlesex County, N. J., where the son, Joseph F .; spent his early years and received his preparatory education. Ile was admitted to practice as an attorney in May, 1825, and as counselor in May, 1828. On his admission to the bar he opened an office at Freehold, and was soon afterwards appointed prosecutor of the pleas for Monmouth County. At the age of thirty-one years he was elected a member of Congress, and served in that position (having been re-elected) until and including the year 1840. In 18441 he removed from Free- hold to New Brunswick. In February, 1845, Governor Charles E. Stratton appointed him a justice of the Supreme Court, in which office he served seven years, residing at Trenton, to which place he had removed from New Brunswick upon his appointment. He was highly esteemed by his brethren of the bench, and respected by the people of the State, as an upright and im- partial judge. In 1854 he was appointed one of the commissioners to revise the laws of the

Mr. Ryall was called to fill prominent posi- tions both in the State and national councils. He was for several successive years a member of

the Legislature of New Jersey, and during that State. In the early years of his life he was an time held the office of Speaker of the Assembly. ardent Whig, and was elected to Congress by Subsequently he was elected a member of the that party ; but after its death he became a House of Representatives of the United States, Democrat, and so continned during the remainder and he discharged the duties of his public posi- 'of his life. In 1865 he removed from Trenton tion honorably and with great ability. died at Freehold ou the 17th of December, 1864.

He to Jersey City, where he died, March 19, 1873. WILLIAM LEWIS DAYTON was born in Somerset County, N. J., February 17, 1807. Mr. Ryall was married, on the 18th of Sep- tember, 1822, to Miss Rachel Bray Lloyd, daughter of Caleb and Martha A. Lloyd. She died on July 1, 1825, leaving two chil- dren,-Caleb Lloyd and William Scudder. He graduated at Princeton in 1825; studied law at Somerville with Hon. Peter D. Vroom ; was licensed as attorney in 1830 and as coun- selor in 1833. He commenced the practice of his profession in Monmouth County, first at The latter died in infancy, the former in 1848. Middletown Point (now Matawan) for a short On January 2, 1828, Mr. Ryall married ; time, and afterwards settled at Freehold. He Miss Juliet Phillips Sendder, danghter of Joseph soon took a leading position at the county bar,

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THE BENCH AND BAR OF MONMOUTH COUNTY.

and was favorably known as a lawyer in other miner, resulted in a verdict of guilty. The parts of the State.

In 1837 he was elected to the Legislative Council (now the Senate) of New Jersey. In 1838 he was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court, and removed to Trenton. In 1841 he resigned his judgeship with a view of pursuing his profession. In 1842, Samuel L. Southard, one of the United States Senators from New Jersey, died, and Judge Dayton was appointed to fill the unexpired term, and was subsequently elected for a full term. It is rarely that one so young attains to such distinction.

Judge Dayton proved himself in debate a match for older members of that august body, then in its palmy days. IFis term as Senator expired in 1837, and he then resumed his pro- fession. For some years after the date last mentioned he attended regularly the Monmouth courts, where he was engaged in nearly every important cause.

In the trial of Charles Johnson for the Diur- der of Maria Lewis, Mr. Dayton defended the prisoner. He was convicted ; but in conse- quence of the jury not stating the degree of the murder in their verdict, the prisoner was again tried, and was acquitted.

record was taken to the Supreme Court, and afterwards to the Court of Errors and Appeals, where all the rulings were affirmed, and Don- nelly was executed in the jail-yard at Freehold, January 8, 1858. The counsel in that cole- brated trial (now a leading case on the subject of dying declaratious) were Joel Parker, prose- entor of the pleas of Monmouth County and William L. Dayton, attorney-general, for the State, and Amzi C. McLean, Joseph P. Brad- ley, now a judge of the Supreme Court of the United States, and ex-Governor Pennington for the prisoner.

In 1861, Judge Dayton was appointed, by President Lincoln, minister to France. In that difficult position, during our civil war, he proved himself a wise and able representa- tive, and was of great service to the government. He died at Paris, December 1, 1864.

William E. Dayton was acknowledged by all to have been one of the ablest and most eloquent jury lawyers of his day. His practice was extensive also in the higher courts, where his arguments were logical and convincing. He had the rare faculty of seizing only the strong points of a case and presenting them with brevity.

In 1856, Judge Dayton was nominated for Vice-President of the United States, on the JOHN HULL, a judge of the Monmouth ticket with Fremont, by the then new Repub- County courts for a quarter of a century, and a lican party. In 1857 he was appointed attor- i resident of the county for more than sixty years, ney-general of the State, and in the fall of was born May 28, 1762, in the family mansion that year was engaged in the prosecution of then owned by his father, Hopewell Hull, at James P. Donnelly for the murder (August 1, the Cross-Roads, between Princeton and New 1857) of Albert S. Moses, at the Sea View Brunswick. The earliest mention of him (other House, a place of summer resort at the Nave- ; than the above, with reference to the date and sink Highlands. It was a remarkable crime, place of his birth) is found in an account, given and the ease excited intense interest throughout by himself, of his capture by British troops in the country. Donnelly was a young man of the time of the Revolution. In 1776, when he good education and prepossessing manners, who was employed as a clerk at the Sea View his two older brothers, who were engaged in

was only fourteen years of age, he went to assist making salt from sea-water at a point on the the British and Refugees attacked and destroyed the salt-works, taking the three brothers as prisoners to New York, where they were con- fined in the old "Sugar-House" prison. After having been there some time, the youth was seen and recognized by Dr. Clarke, a distant

House, and having lost money by playing cards with Moses (who was also employed at the Monmouth County coast. While thus employed, same house), entered the latter's room and stabbed him in his bed, to get possession of the money, which Moses had placed between the mattresses. The evidence of the murderer's guilt was conelusive, and his trial before Judge Vredenburgh, in the Court of Over and Fer-

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

relative of the family, but a Royalist, who had taken refuge within the British lines. He inquired of the boy how he came to be there, and on being informed of the facts, said it was no place for one of his tender age, and promised to procure his release. He did so, and soon afterwards young John Hull was set at liberty and allowed to return home, thus, perhaps, owing his life to the doctor's kind efforts; for it could hardly be expected that a boy of fourteen years coukl long survive the horrors of the "Sugar-

he followed for many years with great snecess. He was frugal in his habits, untiring in his in- dustry, and of the strictest integrity and honesty in all his dealings and transactions with men ; and he gradually amassed an independent for- tune. He always took pleasure in referring to his early labors at the anvil, and by his own example endeavored to impress upon young men the importance of industry, temperance and economy, and the dignity of labor.

At the age of eighteen he married a Miss

John Hluch

House" prison, where scores of strong men Vanarsdalen, who died early and was soon after died daily from starvation, foul air and ill followed to the grave by her infant son, their treatment.

While John Hull was yet but a youth he lost his father by death, and, under the opera- tion of a law then in force, the large estate was inherited by an older brother of John, leaving the latter almost penniless. Under these dis- heartening circumstances he, with a noble self- reliance that did him honor, apprenticed himself to learn the trade of blacksmith, and that trade | Rev. Benjamin Bennett.

only child. His second wife was Miss Cressen, of New Brunswick, with whom he removed to Monmouth County in 1790, and settled in what is now Marlborough township, on a farm which he occupied as a homestead for about forty-nine years. He was greatly interested in the success and prosperity of the old Holmdel Baptist Church, then under the pastoral charge of the Shortly after his

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THE BENCH AND BAR OF MONMOUTH COUNTY.

settlement in Monmouth County the united Dutch Reformed Congregation of Freehold and Middletown was organized, under the pastoral care of the venerable Benjamin Dubois. Mr. Hull was among those who favored the estab- lishment of that church, and he became inter- the site of which was but a short distance from his residence. In its burial-ground were in- terred the remains of his second wife, who died several years after their removal to Monmouth County. Subsequently he married Ann Bowne, daughter of David Bowne, an old-time citizen of Frechold (now Marlborough) township. With her he continued to reside on the homestead farm, actively engaged in agriculture, until 1839, when they removed to Freehold village, which from that time was their home during the remainder of their lives. was his duty to attend. He was exceedingly entertaining in social intercourse, was very domestic in his habits, and large and liberal in his hospitality. During the last fourteen years of his life (the time of his residence in Freehold) he was chiefly occupied in attending ested in the building of their house of worship, to the interests of his large property in Mon- mouth County, which consisted principally of valuable farms (among them being the home- stead farm in Marlborough, which is still owned by oue of his daughters). Until withiu a few months of his death he retained extraordinary vigor for one of his age, appearing many years younger than he really was. He died on the 8th of November, 1853, aged ninety-one years, five months and ten days. Throughout all that long life he possessed the respect and entire confidence of his fellow-citizens. His wife survived nearly twenty-four years longer, and died March 19, 1877, aged eighty-six. Their children were two daughters, one of whom is the wife of the Hon. Amzi C. McLean, of Free- hold; the other, Mrs. Mitchell, of White Plains, N. Y.

The appointment of Mr. Hull as justice of the peace was made by the Legislature in 1808, and in 1813 he was appointed a judge of the I County Courts of Monmouth. These united offices he held until 1838-a period of twenty- five years,-during which time, in the terms of Judge Hull and his colleagues, Henderson, Patterson and Hoppin, the reputation of the Moumouth court became firmly established as one of the most judicious, upright aud impartial tribunals of the State.

Judge Hull was one of the three founders of the Young Ladies' Seminary at Freehold, in 1845, the other two being the Rev. D. V. Me- Lean, of Freehold, and the Hon. Thomas G. Haight, of Colt's Neck. He always manifested great pride and satisfaction with regard to the agency he had exerted in founding this semi- nary, and freely gave his time and attention in ornamenting its grounds and attending to all ago, and continued to preside in them through its material interests.

He was entirely a self-made man and the architect of his own fortune and reputation. He was a very remarkable man for one of his ! by Chief Justice Green, during the time that positiou aud with his opportunities. He found time to read much, had an unusually discrim- inating mind and treasured up everything valu- able which he read. He was always remarkable for his punctuality, and strict and prompt attention to all the public business to which it

From the close of the Revolution to the present time some one of the justices of the Supreme Court of New Jersey has presided in the courts of Monmouth County. Among those whose names are found mentioned as having held court at Freehold prior to the year 1839 were Andrew Kirkpatrick, William Rossell, George K. Drake, Thomas C. Ryerson and John M. White. It is also found that Chief Justice Hornblower presided in the Monmouth court. Few persons now living in the county, however, recollect farther back than the time of Judge James S. Nevius, who first came to the Monmouth courts about forty-five years i two successive official terms, after which the courts of Monmouth were presided over by Justice Stacy G. Potts, and on several occasions intervened before the appointment to the Su- preme Bench of Judge Peter Vredenburgh, who presided here for many years, and was succeeded by Judge Edward W. Scudder, who has presided continuously from that time to the present.

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

JAMES S. NEVIUS was born near New Bruns- as appears from ancient records,1 sprang from wiek in 1786, and graduated at Princeton in : William 1. Vredenburgh, who came to New 1816. He at once entered the office of Fred- Netherlands from the Hague in May, 1658, in the ship "Gilded Beaver." An old Dutch Bible, bound in wooden covers, with brass hinges, pre- serves the family record continuously from Octo- ber, 1743, to March, 1776, in the Dutch lan- guage, and after the latter date in English. The same old record states that on the 24th of August, 1823, Peter Vredenburgh died at New Brunswick, N. J., " in the seventy-ninth year of his age, with his faculties but little impaired, and executing the duties of County Treasurer, an office he had filled without in- terruption for forty-two years." This was the father of Dr. Peter Vredenburgh, of Somer- ville, before mentioned. His son, Peter, after- wards Judge Vredenburgh, was born at Read- ington, Hunterdon County, N. J., in 1805. erick Frelinghuysen as a law student, and was licensed as an attorney in 1819 and as coun- selor in 1823. He was appointed a justice of the Supreme Court of the State in 1838 and again in 1845, serving fourteen years in that office. Dur- ing his entire term he presided at the courts in Monmouth County. He was very popular as a judge and as a man, especially among the younger members of the bar. He had an acute and logical mind and possessed high talent as a judicial officer. He had a fund of information, which made him an agreeable companion. His conversation sparkled with wit and anecdote. Almost the last cause tried before him was the indictment against Charles Johnson for the murder of Maria Lewis, which murder was done in a lonely spot on the Highlands of Navesink. The murder was committed for the purpose of robbery, and a large amount of money, principally in gold, was taken. The counsel in this case were Peter Vredenburgh and Joel Parker for the State, and Jeliu Patterson, David B. Ryall and William L. Dayton for the defendant. The evidence was circumstantial ; the defendant was convicted, but obtained a new trial because the jury did not, in the verdict, specify the degree. The jury were out the greater part of the night, and came in about an hour before daylight. The lawyers, not expecting the jury to agree before the convening of the court in the morn- ing, had retired to their homes. Neither of the counsel for the State was called and neither of them was present when the verdict was rendered. It was an extraordinary proceeding to take a verdict in a case so important without the State being represented, but it was not the fault of the State's counsel. At the next trial, before Judge Haines, Johnson was acquitted.

Upon retiring from the bench, Judge Nevius opened an office in Jersey City, where he died in 1859.

JUDGE PETER VREDENBURGH was a son of Dr. Peter Vredenburgh, of Somerville, N. J., a physician of long standing and high repute in the county of Somerset. The first genera- tion of the family on this side of the Atlantic,

About the year 1829 he came to Monmouth County, and commenced the practice of the law at Eatontown, where he remained about a year, and then removed to Freehold, where he continued to reside during the remainder of his life. He took a leading part in polities, identi- fying himself with the Whig party. He held the office of prosecutor of the pleas for fif- teen years. He represented the county of Monmouth one term in the upper branch of the Legislature, then called the Council, now the Senate of New Jersey. In 1855 he was ap- pointed one of the associate justices of the Supreme Court by Governor Price, though opposed to him in politics. In 1862 he was re- appointed to the office by Governor Olden, thus holding the position for fourteen years, dis- charging the duties of the office ably and acceptably, and sustaining a reputation second to no one on the bench. Many of his decisions are regarded as the ablest reported. At the close of his second term of office he resumed the practice of law, but his health soon began to fail. This was increased by the death of his son, Major Peter Vredenburgh, Jr., who was killed in the battle of Opequan, or Winchester,

1 Col. Hist. N. Y., MISS. Dutch, page 225. Also. " N. Y. General and Biographical Record," published in 1878. vol. ix. pp. 62, 151.

Pre demora/

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THE BENCH AND BAR OF MONMOUTH COUNTY.

Va., in 186-1,-the sacrifice he laid upon the altar kindness of heart, and his polished demeanor of his country to maintain the right and to pre- towards all, will cause his memory long to be serve the Union. From this sad stroke Judge cherished in the community." Vredenburgh never recovered. The vivacity for which he was before distinguished never returned. His heart was broken. His grief was like that of Jacob when he refused to be comforted, and said, " I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning." It was not long before his health, in the nation.

"Judge Vredenburgh," said the State Gazette, " was an ornament and honor to the bar and bench of New Jersey. He was one of those great and pure minds who have given the judi- ciary of this State such honorable pre-eminence . He was a lawyer of no gave way so entirely that he was obliged to, ordinary ability, and while at the bar was retire from active life. For a time he found eminently successful as an advocate. The high opinion of his friends who urged his appoint- ment as justice of the Supreme Court was fully realized by the reputation gained by Judge Vredenburgh while on the bench." partial solace and comfort in reading; but his sight failed, and that source of enjoyment to a cultivated mind was denied him. AAt length, in the hope of prolonging life, he was induced to seek a more genial elime; but all was unavail- Among the resolutions adopted in the ing. The hand of death was upon him, and Supreme Court on the occasion of the death of Judge Vredenburgh were the following : in a strange land, though surrounded by loving hearts, his spirit took its flight, He died at " Resolved, That as a Judge he was remarkable for patience in hearing, sineerity in his search for right and its application to each case before him, minute analysis, and fearlessness of responsibility. St. Augustine, Fla., on the 24th of March, 1873. Among the many eulogistic notices of Judge Vredenburgh, published in the news- papers of the State and elsewhere soon after his death, those of the Monmouth Inquirer and the Monmouth Democrat are here given. The Inquirer said :

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History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 51

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co. Number of Pages: 1148

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148