History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 144

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1354

USA > New York > Westchester County > History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I > Part 144

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together with the rest of the tieket, failed of eleetion. During the controversy which led to the resignation of Hon. Roscoe Conkling as United States Senator, Mr. Depew was one of the most prominent among the candidates proposed as his successor, but with- drew his name in the interests of harmony. He was appointed one of the regents of the university in 1877, a position which he still retains. For several years lie was viee-president and general counsel for the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, and is now (1886) president of the road,-a position which furnishes ample seope for his abilities.

Among the prominent orators of the day, there are few who have been more frequently called upon to deliver addresses upon occasions of public import- ance. A speech delivered in the Legislature, in 1862, upon the subject of "State Finances " has been con- sidered one of his best efforts, and attracted wide attention. On the 4th of July, 1876, he delivered the centennial oration at Sing Sing, and made a brilliant address at Kingston on July 30, 1877, the anniversary of the formation of the State govern- ment. On September 23, 1880, le addressed a large assembly at Tarrytown, in commemoration of the capture of Major Andre, and he was the orator of the day upon the occasion of unveiling the statue of Alexander Hamilton, in Central Park. At the elee- tion of a United States Senator, in 1885, he was ten- dered the nominatiou by all divisions of the Repub- lican party, but declined to be considered a candi- date, and the ehoiee fell upon Hon. William M. Evarts.

Upon his maternal side, Mr. Depew is connected with the family of the celebrated Roger Sherman, of Connectieut, his mother being a granddaughter of the sister of that illustrious statesman.

He married, in 1871, Elise, daughter of William Hegeman, Esq., of New York, and has one son, who bears his father's name.

FRANCIS LARKIN.

Francis Larkin, well and prominently known among the legal fraternity of Westchester County, was born at Sing Sing, August 9, 1820. His father, John Larkin, came from the neighborhood of Belfast, Ireland, and after his arrival in this country, married Elizabeth Knox, who was also born in Ireland, near Donegal. The early part of Mr. Larkin's life was passed on a farm, upon which he worked till lie at- tained his majority. After teaching school for a while, he resolved to study for the legal profession, and entered the office of Richard R. Voris, Esq., who was a prominent lawyer, and District Attorney of the County. In 1847 he was admitted to the bar as at- torncy and counsellor at law. Immediately after his admission he established his practice in Sing Sing, and has continued it to the present time, and by strict at- tention to the duties of his profession, has established an enviable reputation, commanding the confidence

1 "Writings and Speeches of Samuel J. Tilden, "edited by John Bigelow, preface.

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HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

of a very extended clientage. He has been a mem- ber of the Republican party, and received its nomi- nation for Congress, in 1864, but as the district was strongly Democratic, his opponent, Hon. William Radford, was elected.

He has held the offices of trustee and president of the village of Sing Sing, and justice of the peace, and in 1851 was elected supervisor of the town of Ossi- ning, in which positions he performed the duties of the offices to the entire satisfaction of the commu- nity.

He was married April 1, 1852, to Sarah E., daugh- ter of Ebenezer Hobby, of New York. Their children are Mary E., wife of Adrian H. Joline, a prominent lawyer of New York City ; Sarah, wife of Dr. Joel Madden ; Frank, who married Lily, daughter of George A. Brandreth ; John, Adrian H., and Alice. Of these Frank and John are practicing lawyers, and both gradu- ates of Princeton Col- lege, and the youngest son, Adrian H., is now a student at the same insti- tution. The youngest daughter is at present studying at the school for young ladies under the tuition of Miss Dana, at Morristown, N. J.

HON. SAMUEL PURDY.

The family of which Mr. Purdy is a represent- ative has long been settled in Westcliester County, their ancestor being Francis Purdy, who was living in Fairfield, Conn., previous to 1659. The line of descent is as follows,-1st, Francis; 2d, John; 3d, Joseph ; 4th, Jonathan; 5th, Jonathan ; 6th, Benjamin ; 7th, Sylvanus ; 8th, Samuel M.

Sylvanus Purdy, the father of Samuel M., married Effalinda, daughter of Andrew Purdy, of East Chester, and his son was born at the homestead of his maternal grandfather, August 28, 1824. This homestead (which was on the farm formerly belonging to Bartholomew Ward, and sold by him to Andrew Purdy), stood in what is now the village of Mount Vernon, at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Fourth Street, on the east side, and now belongs to the lieirs of John Stevens. The early boyhood of Mr. Purdy was passed at this place, and at the age of twelve he went to Mamaroneck, and attended a school taught by John

Francis Larkin

M. Ward, a well-known teacher of that day. Here he prepared to enter Columbia College, a plan which he afterwards abandoned, and at the conclusion of his school term he entered, in 1843, the law office of Samuel E. Lyon. In this office he remained four years, was then admitted to the bar, and established his practice at West Farms. During his first year there he was elected to the offices of Justice of the peace and town clerk, and has been continuously re-elected to the former position. He was elected supervisor of the town of West Farm, and held that office in 1855, 1856, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, 1867 and 1868, being four times elected without opposition, and at the other elections by a very large majority. In 1867 he was elected member of Assembly by a majority of eight hundred and twenty, and served on the committee on internal affairs. The following year he was re- elected, and was re-ap- pointed on the above- named committee.

His practice as a law- yer has been almost en- tirely confined to real estate. In this branch of legal knowledge he has few equals, and it may be safely said that there is no one who is more thoroughly con- versant with the history of the land titles in this county. He is constantly called upon to decide questions concerning an- cient boundaries, the lo- cations of which have passed from memory. The amount of money invest- ed upon the security of real estate in this county, and of which he has the charge and oversight, exceeds a million dollars, which shows better than any words can express, the con- fidence which is placed in him by the community where his clientage is so large.

He was in early life a Whig, but joined the Demo- cratic party at the election of Buchanan, and has ever since been connected with it.

He married, in 1847, Rachel, daughter of Caleb Purdy, of Harrison. Their only son, Caleb, a young man of great promise, died, in 1869, soon after his graduation from Columbia College.

Mr. Purdy is a member of the Episcopal Church, and now holds the position of senior warden, and is superintendent of the Sabbath -school.

Soon after establishing his practice at West Farms

Samuel Me Purdy

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THE BENCH AND BAR.

he purchased the homestead formerly belonging to Dr. William Hoffman, on the west side of Main Street, or the old Boston Post Road, which has ever since been his residence.

Mr. Purdy is a type of the self-made man. Com- mencing with small means he has accumulated a com- petency ; by strict attention to business, and by his integrity and honesty of purpose, he has gained what is of still greater importance, the confidenee and re- spect of the entire community.

WILLIAM AUGUSTUS BEACH.

On Broadway in Tarrytown stands the handsome stone mansion, which for four years previous to his death was the residence of William Augustus Beach, formerly a leading lawyer in New York City, and is at present occupied by his family.

Mr. Beaeh was born at Saratoga Springs, New York, December 10, 1809. His father, Miles Beach, was an early settler and successful merehant in that village. His mother, whose maiden name was Catharine Warren, was a first cousin of General Warren of Revolutionary fame. Augustus (as Mr. Beach was usually known) received no college educa- tion. He studied law in his native village and for some years after his admission to the bar was engaged there in the practice of his profession. In the law firm of which he was a member, Nicholas Hill, Jr., and Augustus Bockes, who was later a supreme court judge of that district, were the other partners. From the first, he showed remarkable powers in influeneing juries to the conclusions he desired, and a keenness in seizing upon the points of advantage in his eases, and he soon acquired a local reputation as an advo- cate of ability.

In 1851 he removed to Troy, New York, where he made his residenee for the next twenty years. In this new and larger field, he achieved a proportion- ately greater fame and success. He founded the firm of Pearson, Beach & Smith, which later, on the re- tirement of Hon. Job Pearson, became Beach & Smith. Legal interests of great importance were in- trusted to his care, and he became attorney and coun- sel for all the large railroad corporations in the city.

When the Hudson River Bridge Company secured articles of incorporation for the purpose of bridging the Hudson River at Albany, the city of Troy, which was opposed to the building of the bridge, engaged Mr. Beach to endeavor to prevent its construction by an appeal to the courts. A preliminary injunction was obtained enjoining the bridge company from procecding with their work, but an attempt to have the injunction made permanent resulted in the case being carried into the Supreme Court of the United States, where the bill of complaint was dismissed.

During the administration of Governor Seymour, while the Civil War was in progress, Mr. Beach was retained to defend Col. North and others, who were charged with tampering with the votes of soldiers.

This case was carried into the Supreme Court of the United States, where, during that time of high politi- eal excitement, it occasioned widespread interest. Mr. Beach not only succeeded in procuring the acquittal of his clients, but also laid the foundation for the proceedings which ended in the discontinuance of the system of substituting military inquisitions for authorized eivil courts. His argument was listened to by Senators and Representatives and his skillful conduct of the case made him the recipient of many enthusiastic manifestations of approbation.

In 1868 he obtained the acquittal before the courts of impeachment of canal commissioner Robert C. Dorn.

During his residence in Troy he was frequently tendered the nomination to a judgeship, but declined the honor. The title of judge, however, was com- monly prefixed to his name.

In 1871 he removed to New York, where he com- manded at once a large practice, and was pitted in the legal arena against the foremost lawyers of the city. He took the place of Charles A. Rapallo, now a justice of the New York Court of Appeals, in the firm of Rapallo, Daly & Brown. Afterwards on the withdrawal of Mr. Daly, the firm became Beach & Brown. Their offiee was in the Herald building. Mr. Beach became engaged in a number of noteworthy eases. In the action brought by the Erie Railway Company against Wm. H. Vanderbilt, popularly known as the five million dollar suit, Messrs. Beach and Rapallo were retained by Mr. Vanderbilt, and succeeded in obtaining a verdict in his favor. In the celebrated suit of Bowen vs. Chase, which involved the title to the valuable real estate left by Madame Jumel, Mr. Beach appeared for the plaintiff and was opposed by Charles O'Connor. The trial lasted for over a month, and resulted in the disagreement of the jury.

In the prosecution of Edward S. Stokes for the mur- der of James Fisk, Jr., he assisted the district attor- ney, with the result that Stokes was convicted of murder in the first degree. In a re-hearing of the case Mr. Beach did not appear and the decision was reversed. When Frank Walworth was tried for kill- ing his father Mr. Beach and Charles O'Connor de- fended him, and Mr. Beach refused any remuneration for his services.

Perhaps the most widely known of his cases was the suit brought by Theodore Tilton against Henry Ward Beecher. He was senior eounsel for Mr. Tilton and was assisted by Wm. Fullerton, General Roger A. Pryor, Samuel D. Morris and Thomas E. Pearsall. For Mr. Beecher appeared William M. Evarts, John K. Porter, Austin Abbott, Benjamin F. Tracy, Thomas G. Shearman, John L. Hill and John W. Sterling. In summing up the evidence for Mr. Tilton, Mr. Beach occupied the sessions of the court from June 10th to June 23d, 1875. The result of this trial, as is well known, was the disagreement of the jury.

560

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

After this time his activity in the pursuit of his profession began to decrease. For ten or fifteen years previous to his death he suffered from heart disease, which gradually grew worse, and in the first half of 1884 his condition became very serious. The imme- diate cause of his death was a congestive chill, taken at the house of his physician, at Tarrytown, at one o'clock Saturday afternoon, June 28, 1884. He was removed to his own home on Broadway, in Tarry- town, and died there at forty minutes past three o'clock the same afternoon.

In person he was somewhat above the medium height and well proportioned. He had a massive lead and regular and strongly marked features. His white hair, which only partly covered his head, when brushed back, as he always wore it, showed a broad, full forehead. He wore a chin beard which, in his advanced years, was white. In disposition he was genial.

He left a wife and six children. He married Jen- nie Wilson, daughter of Jesse Wilson, of Albany, in 1858. His children were Captain Warren Beach, at present a member of General Hancock's staff; Judge Miles Beach, of the Court of Common Pleas in New York ; John Beach, of Knoxville, Tenn .; Anna, wife of Walter S. Appleton, of the firm of D. Appleton & Co .; William, aged eleven years ; and George, aged ten ycars.

J. MALCOLM SMITH.

The ancestors of Mr. Smith have been citizens of Westchester County for many generations past. His great grandfather, John Smith, was a tenant and afterward the owner of one of the farms of the Manor of Phillipsburg. This homestead, situated about two miles east of Sing Sing, lie left by will to his son Caleb Smith, who died in 1832, at an advanced age. The latter married Elizabeth Sherwood, and they were the parents of a large family. One of their sons Isaac C. Smitli, was born in 1797, and married Maria, daughter of George Titlar, who came when a child to this country from the north of Ireland, was a soldier during the Revolution, and one of the company who laid the great chain across the Hudson River at West Point. Mr. Smith died in 1877, leaving three chil- dren,-George T., Cornelia (wife of James T. Stratton, of Oakland, Cal., late United States Surveyor-Gen- eral of that State), and J. Malcolni Smith, who was born in New York, March 11, 1823, while his parents were residing temporarily in that city, but removed with them to Sing Sing in early infancy. His father was desirous of giving him a collegiate education, and with that view he attended the preparatory school at Middletown, Conn., and subsequently entered the Wesleyan University. Here he con- tinued till he passed the sophomore examination, when he was compelled to leave college on account of ill health, and was principally engaged in out- door pursuits until past the age of thirty. During

this time he studied law, was admitted to the bar and established his practice at Sing Sing, where he re- mained till 1868. While a resident Mr. Smith was elected one of the trustees of the village, and was also elected justice of the peace for three successive terms. He was for a number of years one of the loan com- missioners for Westchester County, and for five years prior to 1867 clerk of the Board of Supervisors. At the general election in 1867 he was made county clerk of Westchester County and removed to White Plains in 1868. Finding the records and business of the important office, to which he had been chosen, in great confusion, as reported by a committee of tlie Board of Supervisors, he, upon taking possession of the office, at once devoted himself to the task of bringing order out of comparative chaos. So well did he perform his duties that at the expiration of his term he was re-elected, and in 1873 was chosen for a third term without opposition, his election being especially favored by the most prominent lawyers of the county without regard to party ties. Upon his retirement from office the following appeared in one of the leading newspapers of the county, reflect- ing, in substance, notices which appeared in nearly all the county papers :

"J. Malcolm Smith. Esq., whose third term of office as County Clerk of this County expired on the first of the present montli, carries with him, in retiring from his official labors, the respect, good opinion and confidence of our entire community ; and onr Board of Supervisors, on the eve of his retiring from the office which he has so long and so ably filled, took occasion to give public and official certification to the correct and efficient manner in which he has discharged the various and important duties of the office during the past nine years, in the unanimons adop- tion of the Report of its Standing Committee on County Clerk."

The report of the Supervisors' Committee referred to closes as follows :

"Your Committee would report that at the request of J. Malcolni Smith, the present County Clerk, whose term of office is about to expire, they have made a thorough investigation as to the present condition of the books, papers and records of the office, and find the minutes of all the Courts duly recorded ; the Registers of Actions and Special Proceed- ings written up to date and properly indexed : the Judgments docketed in the most plain and neat manner; the Lis Pendens, Sheriff's Certifi- cates, Assignments, &c., all recorded and plainly indexed ; and every- thing relating to the papers and records of the office showing that regularity and order prevail throughout, and that no unfinished busi- ness will be left to be performed by Mr. Smith's successor in office.

"Mr. Smith has always been a Democrat, and for twenty years prior to his retirement from office held a prominent position in the councils of his party."

Since his retirement he has been engaged in the practice of law in White Plains, devoting himself inore especially to examination of titles and matters of law pertaining to real estate. He has been for forty years connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is well known as an active and influ- ential member, largely aiding financially and by judi- cious counsel in the erection of churches, both in Sing Sing and White Plains. He has been an ex- tensive traveler in various portions of the United States and few men in this county have a wider circle of acquaintance. He married Hannah, daughter of James McCord, of Sing Sing. They have one child,

I. malcolm Smith

Stuckstating

561

THE BENCH AND BAR.

Ella, wife of Charles V. Moore, of the well-known insurance firm of W. M. Onderdonk & Co., of New York City.

A few words should be added concerning his father, Captain Isaac C. Smith. During his whole life Cap- tain Smith was identified with the growth and busi- ness of Sing Sing. He was the builder of the stean- boat " Mount Pleasant" ;in 1835 and the "Tele- graph " in 1836, and was the projector of the morning steamboat line from Sing Sing to New York. He was the builder of more than one hundred vessels, from a small sloop to a ship of three thonsand tons. During his life he bore a part in the erection of five churches, and was known as the " father of Sing Sing Methodism." being one of the original corpora- tors of the first church of that denomination in the village, and the largest contributor towards its erec- tion. After a life of active usefulness, he died while on a visit to his son in White Plains, having reached his eightieth year.

HON. JOHN B. HASKIN.

Among the political leaders of Westchester County a prominent place must be given to Hon. John B. Haskin, who is descended from a long line of true American ancestry. His grandfather, Benjamin F. Haskin, was a native of Sheffield, Massachusetts, where he was born in 1767, and removed when a young man to Poughkeepsie, where he entered a store as clerk, and became partner. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Gilbert Cornwell, who lived at Nine Part- ners, and removing to New York, became largely con- nected with shipping interests, and the owner of several vessels. His children were Henry R .; Benja- min F., a sea-captain who settled in Peru, where his descendants are still found; William E., of Daven- port, Iowa, who died in 1884, Harriet, wife of - Collins; Maria, wife of - Graham; Jane, wife of Casper Trumpy, now living at Greenwich, Ct .; and Caroline, wife of William Brown, of Yonkers, who died in 1885.

Henry R. Haskin, the oldest son, was born October 27, 1794, and died January 24, 1848. He was edu- cated at St. Mary's College, Maryland ; was a mid- shipman in the War of 1812; was with Commodore Chauncey at the battle of Sackett's Harbor, and was wounded there. He was a man of good education and ability, and established business in a store on Varrick Street, New York. In 1816 he married Elizabeth, daughter of John Bussing, who lived near Williams' Bridge, and was a descendant of Aaron Bussing, who came from Holland, and settled at Har- lem. He was the owner of a farm of four hundred acres in the Manor of Fordham, which he left to his two sons, Johannes and Petrus. It remained in the hands of their descendants for one hundred and fifty years, and a portion of it is now in Bedford Park. The children of this marriage were Henry R., who died in California ; John B .; and William E., now

treasurer of the Board of Excise in New York. Af- ter the death of Mrs. Haskin, Mr. Haskin was mar- ried a second time, to Ann, daughter of Benjamin F. Lowe, and they had two children-Harriet, wife of R. Ridgly Wheatly, of New York, and Benjamin F., a member of the Excise Board of New York, who died, greatly lamented by his many friends, Marchi 1,1884.

John B. Haskin, the second son, was born at the Mansion House, in Fordham, August 27, 1821, the place of his birth being now a portion of Woodlawn Cemetery. His mother, whose name he never fails to mention in terms of the utmost respect and affection, was a woman of great energy and determination, qualities which she transmitted to her son. His early education was received at the public school, and when fourteen years old he entered the law-office of George Wilson. His natural quickness and ability were such that in four years he was sufficiently expert to take charge of the law-office of John M. Bixby. From his earliest days he was brought in constant contact with politics and politicians, and having passed the requisite examination, he was admitted to the bar May 16, 1842, his certificate being signed by Hon. Samuel Nelson, Judge of the Supreme Court. Five years later he was elected to the office of civil justice, and held conrt at the corner of Bowery and Third Street, and continued in this position till 1849, when the office was abolished. He seemed naturally destined for active political life, and his influence and ability were soon felt in the councils of his party. Fortu- nately for himself and the public, he was not a man to be bound by party trammels, or to be the obsequions slave of party rule. He called himself a " National Conservative Democrat," and might almost be said to be his own party. In 1848 Mr. Haskin removed from New York and settled at Fordham, near the scenes of his early childhood. The Democracy of his native county had to some extent escaped the corrupting in- fluences which had made the party in New York a dis- grace to the city and the State. Here he came in con- tact with a class of politicians who were more able to appreciate his true position and ready to join their forces with his own. In 1850 he was elected super- visor, and was re-elected, and one of his many acts for public benefit was his successful effort to erect a free bridge over Harlem River.

In 1853 he was appointed corporation attorney and held office till 1856. In that year he was elected mem- ber of Congress for the Ninth District on the regular Democratic ticket. It was soon evident that he was not the man to sit on a back seat. His first speech attracted at once the attention of the House, being made in opposition to the attempt of Alexander HI. Stephens to disgrace Admiral Hiram Paulding for causing the arrest of the noted filibuster, William H. Walker. This speech marked Mr. Haskin as one of the accomplished orators of the House. In the fierce political strife which followed the attempt to introduce

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History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 144

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co. Number of Pages: 1354

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1354