USA > New York > Oneida County > History of Oneida County, New York : from 1700 to the present time, Volume I > Part 30
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PHILO GRIDLEY was born at Paris, Oneida county, N. Y., September 16, 1796. He graduated from Hamilton College in 1816, and for a time was a teacher in a classical school, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1820, and com- menced practicing law at Waterville. From there he removed to Hamilton, Madison county, was district attorney of that county, and in 1838 was appointed circuit judge for the fifth judicial district and removed to Utica, where he afterward resided. Under the constitution of 1846, fixing the number of judges of the Supreme Court at 32, Judge Gridley was elected as one of the number. He also served in the Court of Appeals. He presided at the trial of Alexander McLeod, the most important criminal trial that ever occurred in Oneida county. He died August 16, 1864, in the city of his residence.
WARD HUNT. In March, 1886, there appeared in a prominent newspaper the following: "Utica has other sons adopted and resident here, and it has
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sent into other parts of the union those who have earned civil and judicial decoration. Of its sons, born and raised, and always making their homes here, it is not too much to say that the most distinguished, he who has won the rarest honors and occupied the most of the attention of his profession, lies now in the coffin of Ward Hunt."
Passing through many judicial positions he finally attained the highest, save one, under the government. This prominence was not reached without unusual industry and character, most enviable. On January 14, 1810, in this city Ward Hunt first saw the light of day. His father was Montgomery Hunt, cashier of the Bank of Utica, and his mother the daughter of Captain Joseph Stringham of New York. He prepared for college at the Oxford and Geneva academies; entered Hamilton College, but went from there to Union to be under President Nott, and graduated in 1828. In after years he received from his alma mater and also from Rutgers College the degree of LL. D. His law studies were pursued at Litchfield, Conn., and at the office of Hiram Denio of this city. After admission to the bar in 1831 he became a partner with his former instructor under the firm name of Denio & Hunt. Within a short time after admission he commenced the trial of cases in all the courts, and soon gained a prominent posi- tion among the trial lawyers of the county. He was also known throughout Central New York as a safe counselor. In 1838 Mr. Hunt was elected to the assembly, but only served one term. In 1844 he was elected mayor of Utica over Frederick Hollister. In the practice of his profession he so commended himself to his party and the public that in 1853 he was nominated by the Democratic party for justice of the Supreme Court, his opponent being William J. Bacon. As there was a division in the Democratic party in the district Mr. Hunt was defeated. Soon after this the controversy over slavery which preceded the Civil War arose, and many Democrats, including Mr. Hunt, gave their support to the new party in its fight against the extension of slavery and the claims of the South.
Mr. Hunt never sacrificed or neglected his professional engagements for pleasure or for politics, but devoted his best energies first and always to his profession. His experience in varied and important litigations well fitted him for high judicial office, and so commended him that he was nominated by the Republican party for judge of the Court of Appeals in 1865. It is noteworthy that he was elected, and took the seat on the bench vacated by his former part- ner, Judge Denio. By the resignation of one judge and the death of another in this court he became the chief judge of the Court of Appeals. By an amend- ment to the state constitution this court was re-organized, and the old court was continued under the name of the commission of appeals. Judge Hunt served in this commission until January 7, 1873, when he resigned to accept the position of justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, to which position he had been appointed by President Grant. For ten years he filled this high office with marked ability and unquestioned integrity, then on account of failing health, in 1882 he resigned. His health did not improve, and on March 24, 1886, he died in Washington, D. C. His body rests in Forest Hill cemetery in Utica. Through his long career as attorney and judge he received the respect of the public. With every instinct of a gentleman, with a broad culture obtained by study,
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thought, and association with the best of the land, with a uniform courtesy and honesty of purpose, together with a dignity ever the same whether in his own office, on the street, in the trial of causes, or in the high offices to which he was elevated, Ward Hunt commanded the respect and admiration of every member of the bar who ever came into his presence.
TIMOTHY JENKINS was born January 29, 1799, at Barre, Massachusetts. He went from there to Washington county, N. Y., receiving an academic education, and afterward removed to Utica and studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1825. In 1832 he removed to Vernon. He was appointed district attor- ney in 1840, and held that position for five years. In 1844 he was elected a representative in Congress, and was re-elected in 1846 and also in 1850. He died December 24, 1859. Mr. Jenkins has always been counted one of the ablest lawyers that Oneida county ever produced. He was a Democrat in politics, until the question of slavery became the paramount question before the people. He then left the Democratic party and supported Fremont for the presidency, and was ever afterward a member of the Republican party.
ALEXANDER SMITH JOHNSON was born in Utica, July 30, 1817. His father was Alexander B. Johnson, and his mother Abigail L. S. Adams. He prepared for college at a private school in Utica, and entered Yale College in 1835. His room-mate was the late John F. Seymour of Utica. Mr. Johnson studied law with Judge Samuel Beardsley, and was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty- one. In 1839 he removed to New York city, and became a partner with Elisha P. Hurlburt, and afterwards with Charles F. Southmayd and Charles E. Butler. In 1851 he was elected judge of the Court of Appeals. It will be observed that he was at this time only thirty-four years of age, and it is worthy of remark that he was the youngest man who ever sat upon the bench of this court. In 1852 he married, at St. Catherines, Canada, Catherine Maria Cryster. On retir- ing from the bench in 1860 he returned to Utica and resumed his law practice. In 1864 he was elected one of the regents of the university of the state of New York, and in the same year was appointed by President Lincoln one of the United States commissioners to settle the claims of the Hudson Bay company and Puget Sound company. In 1873 on the elevation of Judge Ward Hunt, who was serving in the commission of appeals, to the Supreme Court bench of the United States, Judge Johnson was appointed by the governor to succeed Judge Hunt in the commission of appeals. The next year, on the death of Judge Rufas Peckham, of the Court of Appeals, Judge Johnson was transferred from the commission to the court. He was nominated by the Republican party for the full term of a judge of this court, but, as the state went Democratic, he was defeated. In 1875 Governor Tilden named Mr. Johnson as one of the commis- sioners to revise the statutes of the state. In October of the same year he was appointed judge of the United States Circuit Court for the second circuit In 1877 he became ill, and for relief went to the Bahama Islands. Here he found no relief, and he died January 26, 1878, and was buried in Forest Hill ceme- tery at Utica. Judge Johnson was a man of broad culture, thoroughly versed in the principles of law ; conscientious, painstaking and faithful in all his duties,
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and during his judicial career he stood in the front rank among judges, state and federal.
D. M. K. JOHNSON. For many years one of the foremost lawyers of Rome was D. M. K. Johnson. He was born at Cazenovia, November 7, 1815; prepared for college at the Cazenovia seminary, and entered the sophomore class of Hamilton College in 1832. In consequence of ill health he was obliged to give up his college course. He studied law in the office of his father, David B. John- son, and was admitted as a counselor in 1840. In 1844 he removed to Rome, and commenced his law practice there. In the same year he married Frances Matteson of Rome. In 1859 he received the honorary degree of A. M., from Hamilton College. He was for a time a member of the law firm of Foster, Stry- ker, Johnson & Lynch. After the dissolution of this firm Mr. Johnson formed a partnership with D. L. Boardman. Afterwards the firm became Foster, John- son, Boardman & Lynch, and later Mr. Johnson did business under the firm name of Johnson & Boardman, and later still under the firm name of Johnson & Prescott, the junior partner being the Honorable Cyrus D. Prescott. Mr. Johnson was careful in the preparation of his cases, was retained in many of the heavy litigations in the county, and for many years was counsel for the New York Central Railroad company. He was a very positive man, and could scarcely tolerate the fact that men differed with him. He was intense, and entered into his side of the case with more than usual interest, making his client's cause his own. It could be fairly said of him that his talent was greater than his tact, but for all in all he was a man of excellent standing at the bar, was a fair antagonist in the trial of cases, if somewhat arbitrary, but his high standing was never questioned, and he left an honorable name to his posterity.
FRANCIS KERNAN. Born of Irish parents on a farm in Tyrone, Schuyler county, N. Y., January 14, 1816, and trained in early life in the open air, the best school for giving perfect health and habits, Francis Kernan at the age of seventeen entered Georgetown College, District of Columbia, and in 1836 grad- uated and commenced the study of law with his brother-in-law, Edward Quinn, at Watkins, New York. In 1839 he removed to Utica, and entered the office of the famous advocate, Joshua A. Spencer, to complete his law studies. He was admitted to the bar in 1840, and had determined to remove to the West when Mr. Spencer offered him a partnership. This offer he accepted, and the firm of Spencer & Kernan was formed, which was the foundation of the Kernan law office, that for more than fifty years has held one of the foremost positions in the county. Mr. Kernan was married to Hannah Devereux, daughter of Nich- olas Devereux, May 23, 1843. It is said that in order to have the general prin- ciples of law fresh in his mind he read Kent's Commentaries through every year during his early life. His ambition was to excel, and he knew that the road to success lay through the old beaten track of hard work. In 1853 the firm of Spencer & Kernan was dissolved, and that of Kernan & Quinn formed. In 1857 Mr. William Kernan was admitted to the partnership, which was then known as Kernan, Quinn & Kernan. Still later, and after the death of Mr. Quinn, Mr. Kernan's sons, respectively John D. and Nicholas E., were admitted
FRANCIS KERNAN United States Senator
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to the firm. From 1854 to 1857 Mr. Kernan was the reporter of the Court of Appeals, and the five volumes of New York reports, commencing with the 11th and ending with the 14th, are his work. The Democratic party made him its candidate for member of assembly in 1860, and he was elected over General James McQuade. In 1862 he defeated Roscoe Conkling for member of Con- gress, but two years thereafter was defeated by Mr. Conkling for the same office. He served as a delegate in the constitutional convention of 1867-8, and in 1870 was elected to the board of regents of the university of New York. The state Democratic convention of 1872 nominated him for governor, but the popularity of General Grant, who was the candidate of the Republican party for the presidency, was such, that New York remained in the Republican column, and General Dix was elected governor over Mr. Kernan. In the election of 1874 the Democrats obtained control of the state legislature, and the logical candidate for United States senator was Mr. Kernan. He was elected without serious opposition to fill the office for six years from March 4, 1875. The county then enjoyed the unusual distinction of having both United States senators from the Empire state. Mr. Kernan was ever an enthusiastic advocate of free schools, and beginning in 1843 he served for twenty years upon the school board of this city. As eminent and successful as he was in other walks of life, yet it was as a lawyer that he was most conspicuous. His experience at the bar was second to no one who ever lived in this county. Long after he had reached the front he would try cases in the lower courts. One day he might appear in the county court in a case involving a few hundred dollars; the next day in the Court of Appeals to argue some momentous question involving large sums of money, grave constitutional questions, or important corporate rights. He manifested the same singleness of purpose and devotion to the interest of his client in one case as in the other. Any case entrusted to his care received his best endeavor. He was always serious in the conduct of a trial. The in- terests of his client were not to be trifled with. His position was clearly stated by himself to a friend to be this: "When I commenced practice I worried over the results of my cases, but I soon decided to do the very best I could in every case, and let the consequences take care of themselves."
In eliciting evidence from a witness Mr. Kernan manifested great shrewd- ness, and in addressing a jury he showed the same characteristic. It was this more than eloquence or persuasiveness that won him verdicts. His voice was somewhat harsh, and he never indulged in flights of eloquence or figures of speech when addressing a jury. He resorted to no claptrap; he relied on con- vincing the jury through their reason rather than influencing them by exciting their prejudices or sympathies. As an illustration of his shrewdness one in- stance may be cited. He was defending a man for murder. The defendant had killed a man by hitting him with a stone not much larger than a hen's egg. The district attorney had shown that at the time the defendant threw the stone he said with an oath he would kill his victim. This was relied upon to show premeditation and malice. In addressing the jury Mr. Kernan in a con- versational tone of voice called attention to the circumstances, stated the case clearly, presenting all the strong points which the district attorney could make, and then picking up the stone from the table he showed it to the jury, and
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still speaking in a conversational tone said: "Now, gentlemen, do you believe that defendant really intended to murder his friend when he threw that little stone and said he would kill him? Did he not use the expression in the same sense as any of us might use it, and without any idea of committing murder ?" The jury evidently took this view of the case, as the conviction was for man- slaughter in the third degree instead of murder. As effective as Mr. Kernan was in a jury trial, he was yet more so in his legal arguments in the higher courts. A search through the reports will show that he was frequently before the appellate courts upon some of the most important questions ever presented to the courts of the state. His briefs were masterly; never unnecessarily long, and never contained citations of cases which did not apply to the facts. He first mastered the case so far as the facts were concerned, and made a most concise and clear statement; then he applied the law to the facts. He cited few cases, but they were always on the question at issue, and were decisive of the point which he claimed for them. Every appellate court listened to his arguments with the closest attention, for it obtained from him great help in coming to a correct conclusion in the case. It is almost useless to say that for more than twenty years he was the leader of the Utica bar, and one of the most eminent lawyers in the entire country. Francis Kernan died at Utica September 8, 1892, and his body rests in St. Agnes cemetery in the city where he passed all the years of his manhood, and we bring our tribute to him in the words of Fitz Greene Halleck over his friend J. Rodman Drake,
"None knew him but to love him, None named him but to praise."
SMITH M. LINDSLEY held a high position at the bar of Oneida county. He was born at Monticello, Sullivan county, N. Y., April 11, 1847; studied law at Wilkesbarre, Pa., and in the office of Kernan & Kernan in Utica, and after his admission formed partnership with Hon. Watson T. Dunmore. This partner- ship did not last for many years, when Mr. Lindsley commenced practicing alone, but a short time before his death he had taken into partnership William S. Mackie. Mr. Lindsley was twice city attorney of Utica, was a police and fire commissioner, and was nominated as an independent candidate for mayor, but declined the honor. He was retained in many important suits, and tried his cases well, but his propensity to fight many times led him to say unneces- sarily harsh things against an opponent, and also of opposing counsel. He was a statutory member of the board of commissioners for the erection of the new court house in Utica, and did efficient service upon the commission. He was president of the bar association at the time of his death, which occurred May 17, 1909.
ORSAMUS B. MATTESON was born in a log house August 28, 1805, in the town of Verona, in this county, and died in Utica December 22, 1889. His father was Silas Matteson, and his mother was Hannah Cogswell. When he was nine- teen years of age he entered the office of Greene C. Bronson and Samuel Beards- ley as a law student. He was admitted to the bar in 1830. One of his first clients was the late Alexander B. Johnson of Utica, who at the time was per-
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haps the foremost business man of the city. Mr. Matteson was elected city attorney in 1830. He became a partner with William J. Bacon, and afterwards with P. Sheldon Root and the late Charles H. Doolittle, and afterwards with J. Wyman Jones; also G. H. Congor and Joseph Benedict. He was a Supreme Court commissioner early in life. His ability was such, as a business man, that he always had, while he gave his time to law practice, a very large and lucrative business. In 1846 he was first nominated for representative in Congress, but was defeated by Honorable Timothy Jenkins. He again was a candidate for the same office against Mr. Jenkins in 1848, and was elected, but was defeated in 1850. He was again elected and re-elected in 1852, '54 and '56. While in Congress he held a very prominent position. His influence was second to no man in the house of representatives. He was an intimate friend of Benjamin Wade of Ohio, John P. Hale of New Hampshire, Joshua R. Giddings of Ohio, and Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania. He took a prominent part in the agita- tion against slavery. In this his very life seemed to be enlisted. His hatred of slavery was so great that it over-ruled him completely in his political actions. He seemed to have one great thought, and that was to do all in his power to eliminate this curse from the land.
Actuated by revenge certain persons undertook his political destruction. He had written a letter to William C. Johnson of Utica, which it was claimed com- promised him to such an extent that charges were preferred against him in the house of representatives. This occurred on July 15, 1856. The substance of the letter was that a money consideration was necessary to carry a certain meas- ure through Congress. He also intimated that there were a sufficient number of congressmen that could be influenced by money to carry the measure. This letter it was claimed was stolen from the office of Mr. Johnson. An investigation in Congress was ordered, and on February 22, 1857, a committee reported in favor of his expulsion. This report was accompanied by three resolutions. The first charged that he had favored the use of money to influence legislation ; the second that he had charged that there were members who had associated to- gether and agreed not to vote for certain legislation except they were paid for it; the third resolution recommended expulsion. This investigation was made substantially without giving Mr. Matteson a fair hearing, and he saw that it was useless to defend himself against a prejudiced committee and a house in the state of mind that it was then in, because of his intimation that many of them were corrupt. He therefore, resigned his seat in Congress. The first two resolu- tions were adopted by the house, but the third was never voted upon. Mr. Matteson, after his retirement from Congress, gave much time to politics, and was for many years a potent factor in the Whig and Republican parties. It was he who led the fight against the first nomination of Roscoe Conkling to the position of representative in Congress, and it is notable that about this time he wrote a circular letter upon Mr. Conkling, in which he prophesied that Mr. Conkling would disrupt the Republican party. Strange to say this prophecy was fulfilled in that the influence of Mr. Conkling was the means of the defeat of James G. Blaine to the presidency in 1874. Mr. Matteson was tendered the nomination of mayor of the city of Utica in 1865, but he declined. This is the only time that he was nominated or tendered the nomination for any political
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position after his resignation from the house of representatives. He married Augusta Hurlburt, daughter of Kellogg Hurlburt, May 17, 1830. Although he had a brilliant son, the late Henry C. Matteson, Mr. Matteson left no descend- ants except two granddaughters, and the name of his branch of the family by his death became extinct. Mr. Matteson was, for all in all, the ablest business man who ever appeared at the bar of this county. At one time he had accumu- lated a large fortune, but he became involved by the endorsement of his friends' paper, and lost it. He died, virtually dependent upon the bounty of his friends.
WILLIAM H. MAYNARD was born in Conway, Massachusetts. Soon after his graduation from college he removed to New Hartford, Oneida county, N. Y., and commenced studying law with General Joseph Kirkland. He also obtained an interest in the Utica Patriot and contributed to its columns until 1824. For a time he was a partner with Samuel A. Talcott. He was not admitted to prac- tice in the Supreme Court until 1818. In 1828 he was elected state senator, and continued until 1832. In 1828 he became a partner with Joshua A. Spencer. Among the members of the bar contemporary with Mr. Maynard he was counted their equal if not their superior in knowledge of the law.
CHARLES MASON, although not a native of Oneida county, and notwithstand- ing he made Utica his home late in life, became identified with the Oneida bar, and was welcomed by it to one of the most important positions in the county. He had served as district attorney of Madison county, and for more than twenty years as justice of the Supreme Court, having been first elected in 1847. He had been a judge of the Court of Appeals, to which position he was appointed by Governor Fenton in 1868. Judge Mason was born in Plattsburg, New York; studied law in Watertown with William Ruger, and for a time practiced there as a partner with Mr. Ruger under the firm name of Ruger & Mason. From Watertown he removed to Hamilton in 1838, where he passed most of his life, as he did not move to Utica until 1869. He died in Utica May 31, 1879. Immediately on his taking up his residence in Utica the advice of Judge Mason was sought in many important cases, and perhaps no one who ever commenced practice in Utica in so short a time gained so prominent a position at our bar as he. His advice was highly valued among laymen, and also by the profession ; and, as referee, in which position he frequently served, he was almost ideal.
ADDISON C. MILLER was born in Lowville, N. Y., November 12, 1831, and died in Utica December 18, 1894. He was the son of Dr. Sylvester Miller. He received a fair education, and when he was twenty years of age he came to Utica for the purpose of studying law. He entered the office of Mann & Edmunds, the senior member of which firm was Charles A. Mann, an uncle of Mr. Miller. Not long after Mr. Miller was admitted to the bar Mr. Mann retired from the firm, and Mr. Edmunds took Mr. Miller as a partner, and the firm became Edmunds & Miller. Later James F. Mann, the son of Charles A. Mann, was admitted to the firm. This firm did not exist for many years, and on its dis- solution Mr. Miller carried on business alone until 1877, when he took as a
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