USA > New York > Onondaga County > Syracuse > Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : pictorial and biographical > Part 1
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00826 4266
GENEALOGY 974.701 ON6SY
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SYRACUSE AND ONONDAGA COUNTY
NEW Y ORK
PICTORIAL and BIOGRAPHICAL
NEW YORK AND CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING CO. 1908
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Charles Andrews
C HARLES ANDREWS, former chief judge of the court of appeals, and for twenty-seven years a mem- ber of that court, was born at Whitestown, New York, May 27, 1827. He was educated at Cazenovia Seminary; studied law in the office of Sedgwick & Outwater, of Syracuse; was admitted to the bar in January, 1849; and a year later began practice by himself at Syracuse. In 1851 he entered into part- nership with Charles B. Sedgwick under the firm name of Sedgwick & Andrews. In 1853 he was elected district attorney of the county for a term of three years. In 1855 George N. Kennedy was admit- ted to partnership with the firm of Sedgwick & Andrews, and the famous law firm of Sedgwick. Andrews & Kennedy was thus completed. No law firm of the county has ever had more ability and prominence nor have more distinguished honors been won by the individuals composing it. This partner- ship continued until Mr. Andrews' election to the court of appeals in 1870.
Mr. Andrews was mayor of the city of Syracuse in 1861 and in 1862, these two terms covering the stirring events of the early days of the Civil war, dur- ing which Mayor Andrews by his patriotic efforts, his wisdom, energy and firmness, suppressed some dangerous tendencies of the local "Copperheads" and the mob spirit rampant at that time. He also by his efforts aided mate- rially in the raising of recruits for the army. He was again mayor in 1868. With other prominent citizens he was influential in securing the location of Syracuse University in this city, and was made one of its trustees. In 1867 he was elected delegate at large to the constitutional convention of this state. Under the judicial article proposed by the convention and adopted by the people, the court of appeals was reconstructed. At the election held May 17, 1870, in pur- suance of that article, Mr. Andrews was elected associate judge of that court, for a term of fourteen years, from January 1, 1871, but beginning his serv- ice on July 1, 1870. In 1881 Judge Andrews was appointed by Governor Cor- nell chief judge in place of Chief Judge Folger, who retired to accept the office of secretary of the United States treasury. In the next year he was nomi- nated by the republican party to the office of chief judge, but was defeated by his next door neighbor, William C. Roger, democrat. This was the year when Folger, nominated for governor, and the entire republican ticket were overwhelmingly defeated and Grover Cleveland was elected governor. Judge
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Charles Andrews
Andrews resumed his position as associate judge, and at the end of his first term, in 1884, was re-elected associate judge of the court for a second term of fourteen years. He and Judge Rapallo were renominated by both political parties-a precedent which has several times since been followed in respect to judges of that court.
Judge Andrews was elected chief judge of the court in 1892, to succeed Chief Judge Ruger, who died in January of that year. He retired from the bench December 31, 1897, under the constitutional age limit of service, after twenty-seven years of service upon the highest court of the state, still as vig- orous and useful as in middle life. The application of the "age limit" provi- sion in his case was a serious loss to the public service.
Since his retirement from the bench, Judge Andrews has not engaged in the active practice of his profession, but has done some work of a high order in cases of importance in which his legal opinions were solicited. It has been generally hoped by the profession that he would write a treatise on Trusts, a subject upon which as a judge he has written opinions of great importance and value. He has received the degree of LL. D. from Hamilton, Columbia and Syracuse Universities.
His interest in public affairs has not diminished. His counsel and influ- ence in matters of the public welfare are eagerly sought by his fellow citizens and are freely given. On important occasions he has made masterly addresses which for breadth of scholarship, and the wisdom of a great and useful life, are seldom surpassed.
But he has wisely chosen, with all his duties, the well deserved rest. Travel in foreign lands and in our own great land, books, social life, recreations befitting his tastes, friendships, a happy domestic life-these prolong the days and the usefulness and joy of a grandly lived life.
Judge Andrews has long been prominent in the councils of the Episcopal church, of which he is a member. Like many of his judicial brethren, how- ever, he is a disciple of Izaak Walton. He is fond of the forests, lakes and streams where trout abound, and has won health and honors in his piscatory pursuits.
Judge Andrews was a great judge-he is as great a citizen, a man com- plete in every respect. His judicial ability and temperament, clear, sound judgment, vast knowledge of the law and personal character and traits, made him the ideal head of the great court over which he presided. His associates on the bench honored and loved him. They felt that he was indeed their "Chief." He has come home to his own people to receive and retain like honor and affection. They heartily hail him "The First Citizen of Syracuse."
Judge Andrews was married May 17, 1855, to Miss Marcia A. Shankland, daughter of the late Hon. William H. Shankland, justice of the supreme court of another district. They have two sons, Hon. William Shankland Andrews, now justice of the supreme court; and Charles Walker Andrews, a member of the firm of Goodelle & Andrews, of Syracuse.
Don. William Prebost Goodelle
H ON. WILLIAM PREVOST GOODELLE, one of the most distinguished members of the New York bar, whose eloquence combined with his logic and his comprehensive knowledge of the principles of juris- prudence has gained him pre-eminence as a repre- sentative of the profession, was born in the town of Tully, Onondaga county, New York, May 25, 1838, a son of Aaron B. and Eleanor A. (Prevost) Good- elle. The father carried on general agricultural pur- suits and the boyhood and youth of his son William were passed on the old homestead, during which time he attended the district schools. He readily mastered the branches therein taught and for a year was a student in Homer Academy, while later he entered Cazenovia Seminary, being one of only two to take the five years' course in that institution, where he remained from 1854 until 1860. In the spring of 1861 he matriculated as a sophomore of Dart- mouth College and was graduated with the highest honors in the class of 1863. He then accepted the proffered position of principal of an academy at Mora- via, New York, but at the close of the school year, desiring to retire from the field of education and prepare for the bar, he took up the study of law in the office and under the direction of H. L. & F. Hiscock, of Syracuse. How- ever, the reputation which he had gained as an educator led to his selection for the principalship of the Onondaga Valley Academy and after urgent solicitation he accepted the position, remaining there for two years, the academy largely profiting by his labors for reorganization and improvement.
In the meantime whatever leisure he could secure from his duties as teacher was devoted to the study of law. He again began reading in the office of H. L. & F. Hiscock, and after his admission to the bar in October, 1868, he continued with them for a year to add to his theoretical knowledge the prac- tical experience of the courts and the law office. For three years thereafter he engaged in practice alone and on the expiration of that period was chosen district attorney of Onondaga county, having gained a reputation as a lawyer which led to positions of honor at the hands of his fellow citizens. For three years he filled the position and then again took up the practice of law, in which he made continuous advancement until he had attained a position equaled by few and surpassed by none of the leading members of the bar of New York. After his retirement from the office of district attorney, the New York Central Rail-
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road Company, attracted by his illustrious record made in that office, retained him as general criminal counsel and attorney, his field of labor extending from Buffalo to Albany. In that capacity he served until appointed a member of the state board of law examiners in 1894. While well versed in every department of the law and while in civil proceedings he has gained an enviable record, he has become especially well known in the practice of criminal law. Hundreds of law breakers have been brought to punishment through his efforts. There is scarcely a county in the state and certainly none along the line of the Central Railroad where he is not well known as a lawyer and where his eloquent voice has not been heard in behalf of peace and safety from crime. So effective were his efforts in this direction that it is a well known and acknowledged fact that crimes against the railroad company within Mr. Goodelle's jurisdiction had almost completely disappeared when he severed his relations with the company. He has won notable forensic successes when opposed to some of the strongest counsel of the state and his name figures prominently on the pages of judicial history of New York. Among the earlier important criminal cases with which he was connected was the prosecution of Owen Lindsay, charged with the mur- der of Francis Colvin in 1874. For the first time in the history of jurisprudence he brought into the case the point of determining the difference between the blood stains of the human and of the animal. His conduct of the case showed untiring research, patient investigation and general legal ability and awakened the highest commendation of the bench and bar throughout New York as well as of the laity. There was much favorable comment in the press, one of the local papers saying "Mr. Goodelle's address to the jury was a most fitting close to his untiring labors as a public officer of Onondaga county. During the delivery not only the jury but the entire audience gave that attention which demonstrated the power of the learned counsel's eloquence and the strength of his argu- ment. Mr. Goodelle often rose to the height of impassioned eloquence. He for- got his associates; he forgot the audience hanging upon his words; he forgot all but his case and the jury. His presentation of the people's evidence was perfect. Taken altogether the effort of Mr. Goodelle in its plain statement of the work the people had to perform, in its minute tracing of the testimony, in its final welding of the circumstantial and direct evidence into an unbroken chain and fastening the same about the prisoner, formed one of the most masterly forensic efforts ever made at the bar of this county." Perhaps no better indication of Mr. Goodelle's ability can be given than by quoting from the press, which is the mirror of public opinion. In defense of Mary J. Holmes, charged with poi- soning her husband, the trial lasting six weeks and resulting in an acquittal, another paper said, "The last tick of the parting day was almost simultaneous with the final words of an argument for the prisoner which had consumed seven hours. The counselor's face bore the plain evidence of the mental and physical strain to which he had put himself. A masterly effort had been expected from Mr. Goodelle, whose acumen and learning are a source of pride
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to the bar of this county. Never in the criminal history of Onondaga county was a more comprehensive defense made of a human life. Mr. Goodelle's impassioned style of oratory put into graceful language his logical deductions from an investigation of the case as viewed from the side of the defense. Every point was covered one by one but at no time was there a break in the conti- nuity of the argument. It was probably the longest argument ever offered in the court of justice in Syracuse."
That Mr. Goodelle has become known as one of the ablest lawyers of the state is indicated by the fact that he has been frequently called to conduct both civil and criminal cases in various counties of New York. Few lawyers have made a more lasting impression upon the bar of the state, both for legal ability of a high order and for the individuality of the personal character which impresses itself upon a community. Of a family conspicuous for strong intel- lects, indomitable courage and energy, he entered upon his career as a lawyer and such is his force of character and natural qualifications that he has over- come all obstacles and written his name upon the keystone of the legal arch. In fact he has been one of the most conspicuous figures in the history of juris- prudence of New York during the past four decades. He has argued many cases and lost but few. No one better knows the necessity for thorough preparation and no one more industriously prepares his cases than he. His handling of his case is always full, comprehensive and accurate; his analysis of the facts is clear and exhaustive; he sees without effort the relation and dependence of the facts and so groups them as to enable him to throw their combined force upon the point they tend to prove.
Mr. Goodelle is a stalwart republican but not a politician. While he is per- haps not without that personal ambition which is an important element in the capable conduct of official duties, he yet regards the pursuits of private life as abundantly worthy of his best efforts and has concentrated his time, energy and talents upon his profession. He has, however. addressed the public on many occasions in discussion of the issues and questions before the people and never fails to impress his auditors by the strength, truth and force of his argument. His public addresses, however, have not been confined to political questions alone. In fact it is a matter of surprise that one of his ability as a lawyer has had time to so thoroughly familiarize himself with the great variety of questions that he has discussed from the public platform. He has been an omnivorous reader, has the ability to co-ordinate the the knowledge gained from various sources, drawing his deductions and forming his conclusions in the same log- ical and discriminating manner that characterizes his professional work. As stated, he has had no desire to divide his time between political office and his practice, and almost the only position that he has filled aside from the one already mentioned was as a member of the constitutional convention-and that was in the direct path of his profession, in the framing of the organic laws of the state. The convention was held in 1894 and Mr. Goodelle, who was one
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of the five delegates at large from western New York, was appointed by Presi- dent Choate, chairman of the committee on suffrage, numbering among its members men of national repute. His position in this connection was, next to the speakership, perhaps the most conspicuous in the convention and only the highest merit and capability could have led to his selection for the honor. He was also second on the committee on the powers and duties of the legislature and was prominent in most of the important proposed amendments and early became one of the leaders of the convention. It was in this convention that the subject of giving women equal suffrage was discussed. There was no ques- tion before the convention nor has there ever been one in the history of the state in years that has created such widespread interest. Mr. Goodelle gave to the question the utmost attention and his opinions and the course which he fol- lowed were the result of profound thought, wide investigation and thorough understanding on the subject. Possessing a natural chivalry toward women and a never failing courtesy, he has never believed that the right of suffrage could result in good of any kind and least of all, to woman herself. The debate on the subject before the convention was closed by Mr. Goodelle in what has been termed the "greatest and most successful effort of his life, both as an exhibition of eloquent and wonderful oratory and as an argumentative and logical display." The Troy Times largely voiced the general opinion in the following: "The argument of Mr. Goodelle is exhaustive. It covers the whole ground of objection. And it is so grounded in common sense and so grandly sustains the most chivalrous sentiment and conception of woman's true rela- tion to society and the state that it may be pronounced unanswerable. Sophistry may assail it and personal ambition decry it, but as a just and accurate pre- sentation of woman's cause, a summary of her rights achieved through the steady advance of civilization, the high position that has been accorded her because of the recognized and steadily growing importance of her position in the state, it is complete." The address was pronounced by leading members of the convention "the most classical and finished that was made before that body." Mr. Goodelle received many congratulatory letters and telegrams from people prominent throughout New York upon his speech on this occasion. This did not end his active service, however, in the constitutional convention. In fact he was the champion of many progressive measures and needed amendments and took an active and helpful part in framing the organic law of the state. His oratorical ability enabled him to present his thoughts with clearness, per- spicuity and force, proving an influencing factor in molding the policy of the state.
Prior to 1894 applicants for admission to the bar appeared before an exam- ining committee in each judicial district, and for several years Mr. Goodelle was a member of the committee in his district. At the date designated a state board of law examiners was appointed by the court of appeals with full and absolute authority to accept or reject applicants for admission to the bar from
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the entire state. Mr. Goodelle was made a member of this board and became its president, a position which he still holds. He was president of the Onon- daga County Bar Association for twelve years, declining to longer serve, and at a recent date was elected referee by the State Bar Association to settle all disputes between members. With all his public duties he is still practicing his profession and is now the senior member of the firm of Goodelle, Andrews & Harding, with offices in the S. A. & K. building, Syracuse.
In February, 1905, Mr. Goodelle was appointed by the State Bar Associa- tion, as its counsel and representative, to prosecute charges against Warren B. Hooker, justice of supreme court, for his removal from office for malfeasance. The preliminary investigation of the charges before the assembly judiciary committee (required under the constitution) took about four weeks, in which he was engaged as such counsel. The assembly committee sustained the informal charges. Formal charges were then preferred and sent to the senate with recommendation that Mr. Hooker be put upon trial upon the charges. Mr. Goodelle appeared as counsel for the State Bar Association at the trial before the senate and assembly. The trial lasted about three weeks, and resulted in a respectable majority voting for removal, but the required affirm- ative, two-thirds vote for removal, was not obtained. Mr. Goodelle bore the brunt of the contest, and with the same force and ability which attended his discharge of other important public duties.
In January, 1906, he was appointed by the president of the State Bar Association to represent the fifth judicial district, on a committee of the asso- ciation to lend its efforts in securing the nomination and election of worthy can- didates for justice of the supreme court throughout the state, and to prevent unworthy candidates being selected or elected.
On the death of Dean Huffcut, at the time private counsel to Governor Hughes, in 1907, Mr. Goodelle was appointed by Mr. Choate, president of the association, as chairman of the state grievance committee, to fill the vacancy caused by Dean Huffcut's death. At the last January meeting of the associa- tion he was re-elected as a member of the grievance committee and again desig- nated its chairman, which position he now holds.
It may confidently be said that this committee is by far the most important of the committees of the association, and on which large responsibilities are imposed. It acts at all times independently, and mainly from the direction and advice of its chairman. Its efforts and purposes are to elevate and maintain not only the moral standard of the members of the profession throughout the state, but of the judiciary as well, as evidenced in the Hooker case, which was under the charge of the grievance committee. The chairman of the committee now has under his consideration several important cases.
In January, 1907, the Bar Association directed the appointment of a com- mittee, one from each of the nine judicial districts, to take into consideration the subject of contingent fees, involving directly ambulance chasing, and other
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abuses in the profession, arising from the contingent fee system, and to report to the association at its January, 1908, meeting. Mr. Goodelle was appointed as the member of that committee from this district. Some of his associates on that committee were Judge John M. Davy, of Rochester ; Judge A. T. Clear- water, of Kingston; Frank Irvine, dean of Cornell Law School; Edward B. Shepard, of New York, and others, all eminent in the profession.
The report and recommendation of that committee having been unani- mously adopted by the association, the same committee was re-appointed in January last, to introduce and force to passage, if possible, by the legisla- ture, the proposed amendments to the code recommended by their report.
Mr. Goodelle has personal charge of the proposed amendment, and has been repeatedly before and addressing the committees to which the bills were referred, in endeavoring to progress them. They were still pending in the committees at the last reports.
All the foregoing has direct reference to the moral and ethical standard of the profession, over which the state board of law examiners have no power or control under the statutes. The labors and responsibilities of the state board of law examiners, of which Mr. Goodelle is president, and has been continuously for ten years past, have grown and increased from what they were in 1894, when the board was created, to such an extent that it seems a more extended mention might properly be made than appears earlier in this sketch. The work has grown to such an extent that while formerly there were about five hundred applicants for examinations yearly from the whole state, they now, in this present year, reach approximately sixteen hundred or seventeen hundred, including new applicants and re-ex- aminations of old ones, with proportionate increase of labors and responsi- bilities. The board has become, in fact, a vast bureau devoted to lifting the legal standard of the profession. Its work, and the results receive the uni- versal commendation of the bench and bar of the state. The importance attached to its work by the court of appeals is pretty strongly evidenced by the court's appointment of one of its retired members, Judge Martin, who has been serving as a member of the board for three years past and is still serving.
Such has been the work and such the aims of Mr. Goodelle in these later years of his professional career. He is trying to lift the standard of the profession, and at the same time to advance the moral and ethical with an equal pace. To these interests and purposes his present and very likely his future life seems to be devoted.
Mr. Goodelle was married on the 8th of September, 1869, to Miss Marian H. Averhill, of Baldwinsville, New York, who died in April, 1901. Their daughter, Una Mae, was born October 28, 1877. The family is very promi- nent socially and Mr. Goodelle is well known in the Beaver River Club, of which he is and has been president since the first year of its organiza-
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tion. He has the ability to put aside from the moment the perplexing prob- lems of jurisprudence and enter cordially into the joys or interests that may present. Such a quality indicates a well balanced mind, and one of remark- able concentration. Endowed by nature with high intellectual qualities to which are added the discipline and embellishments of culture, his is a most attractive personality. Well versed in the learning of his profession and with a deep knowledge of human nature and the springs of human con- duct, with great shrewdness, sagacity and extraordinary tact, he is in the courts an advocate of great power and influence. Both judges and juries always hear him with attention and deep interest.
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