USA > New York > Washington County > Washington county, New York; its history to the close of the nineteenth century > Part 56
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Having been called upon in the usual way, to hold a term of court in the City of New York, and relieve the judges of that city, over- burdened with an accumulation of business, he was sitting in Special Term when an application was made for a stay of proceedings, pending an appeal, in the case of Jacob Sharpe, convicted of bribery.
An application of this kind, under the circumstances existing in the Sharpe case, is ordinarily made without opposition and granted as a matter of course; but Sharpe had been convicted, according to the claims of the Metropolitan newspapers, solely through their efforts, and with great unanimity and persistence they demanded that the provisions of the constitution and the statutes of the state applicable to cases of this kind should be ignored, and that a stay of proceedings upon the judgment of conviction, pending an appeal to the higher courts upon questions of law and evidence, involving the legality of his conviction, should not be granted. The subject became one of universal interest, and of supreme importance. The press threatened the judiciary, and upon Judge Potter, standing alone, rested the re- sponsibility and the burden of asserting its independence.
Speaking of the subject in hand, the Hon. Daniel Dougherty, one of America's greatest lawyers and greatest orators, said in his address before the State Bar Association of New York, in the Senate Chamber of the Capitol in Albany, January 17, 1888: "Scarcely known in America in the past, it stirs the present, and may foreshadow grave troubles in the future. It concerns us as citizens as well as lawyers. It may test to the quick the honor, integrity and independence of the bar. It is, shall the newspapers invade the sanctity of courts of jus- tice and assail litigants, intimidate witnesses and dictate the verdicts of juries and the judgments of courts. The great journals of differ- ent cities are breaking down the barriers of the past, and assuming authority to comment on, criticize, condemn or approve of, proceed- ings pending in our courts of justice. They pour into every home their opinion of an undetermined case. They condemn the accused
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before the evidence is heard; name the amount the verdict ought to be, the day the jury will decide; judges comprehending the direful results, resist, within the limits of the law, this outrageous interfer- ence. Yet it is to be feared that now and then there may be those elevated to the bench by favoritism, devoid of experience, tasting for the first time the sweets of popular applause, who caught by the breeze, will float with the current, try the case, and sentence prisoners to please the press."
Judge Potter did not please the press. Faithfully and fearlessly he performed the solemn trust reposed in him, assigning the reasons therefore in an unanswerable opinion. He granted a stay, and vin- dicated the great principle which he represented.
Mr. Dougherty described the incident in the following eloquent words: "Ay, when a judge, whose name deserves to be printed in letters of gold and kept bright forever, in despite of the storm that he knew would be heaped upon him, for good and weighty reasons, the case being one of first impressions, the first of the kind tried under the State Constitution, the first alleged briber ever indicted, granted the stay, some of the journalists assailed his purity, ransacked his career, insinuating if they did not brand him as a bribetaker."
Judge Potter wrote an elaborate opinion deciding the case which is reported at length in the reports of the decisions of the Supreme Court.
"Subsequently the Court of Appeals 'calm as the lake that slumb- ers in the storm' patiently heard elaborate argument, carefully ex- amined cited authorities, studied printed briefs, deliberated fully. and without a dissenting voice, sustained the decision of Judge Potter in every detail and delivered an opinion which proved that an elective judiciary, to its lasting honor, will decide the law undismayed by the fiercest storm that ever bursts on an American court."
Judge Potter has not only achieved greatness himself, but he has the felicity to see his sons also become prominent during his life.
On October 23, 1845, Judge Potter married Catharine E. Boies, daughter of Judge Boies, and they have a family of three sons, namely : J. Sanford Potter, Commander William P. Potter and Henry Whit- beck Potter. J. Sanford Potter is one of the best known lawyers of Washington County and is the senior partner in the firm of Potter & Lillie of Whitehall. Commander William P. Potter has attained dis- tinction in the American Navy and is at present in charge of the Ord-
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nance Department of the Navy Yard at Philadelphia. He, in con- junction with Admiral Sampson and Captain Chadwick constituted the Court of Inquiry appointed by the United States Government to determine the cause of the destruction of the Battleship Maine. Henry Whitbeck Potter is a very successful electrical engineer and has charge of the Spanish-American business for the Westinghouse Company whom he now represents in Brazil.
Since his retirement from the bar Judge Potter has been practising law and acting as referee, and always has important cases in his charge. Although he has about completed his Soth year his intellec- tuality has not waned and he is today as clear and forceful mentally as he was in his vigorous prime, and but for the age limitation im- posed by the Constitution of the State he might still adorn the bench to which for so many years he lent both strength and dignity.
Judge Potter has long been interested in the iron mines of Wash- ington Countv. These mines have not been operated of late because of the low price of northwestern ores and cheaper transportation.
Judge Potter's parents were Joel and Anne (Austin) Potter. The Potter family is an old American one; its branches are many and its reputable men not a few, and the Hon. Joseph Potter has certainly added his share of luster to the name.
HON. LONSON FRASER was born in Hebron, Washington County, N. Y., January 12, 1822, and is the son of Isaac M. and Mary (Munson) Fraser. His family is of Highland Scotch origin and his ancestors were not only among the earliest settlers in Washington County, but also figured conspicuously in the Revolutionary War as sterling up- holders of American liberty.
Mr. Fraser's father was a farmer, and after leaving school he as- sisted his father in the duties of farming until the year of his majority, at which time he took up the study of medicine. The law, however, had always strongly attracted him and after continuing his medical studies for one year he abandoned that study and devoted himself henceforth to the study of the profession which for more than fifty years he has successfully practiced. He was admitted to the bar at the General Term of the Supreme Court, at Ballston, N. Y., in the winter of 1848, and at once began practising at West Hebron where
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from the first his services were widely sought. In 1854 he removed from West Hebron to Salem where he has since resided. His extreme care in gathering all the facts of a case; his ability in foreseeing dis- tant contingencies and his clear, forceful language before a jury, have won him wide success and brought his name to a position of high honor in the ranks of the veteran lawyers of Washington County.
He served two terms as Surrogate, which office he held continuously from January 1, 1872, to December 31, 1883. In 1884 he resumed his practice of the law at Salem where he has since remained.
Judge Fraser has been a Republican since 1855. In 1856 he took the stump for Fremont and has since been active in the important political campaigns.
In July, 1848, Judge Fraser married Elizabeth M., daughter of James Steele of West Hebron, and has one son, Hon. Frederick Fraser.
Frederick Fraser was educated at the Washington Academy, Cam- bridge, N. Y., and studied law in the office of his father and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1887. He has held the office of Justice of the Peace for one term, has been Supervisor of the town of Salem for three terms, and in 1894 was elected a member of the New York State Constitutional Convention. He is now successfully practicing law with his father at Salem, and is regarded as one of the ablest lawyers of the county.
OSCAR F. DAVIS, one of the oldest, best known and most highly respected members of the Washington County bar, was born at Brat- tleboro, Vt., October 16, 1820. When he was in his third year his parents moved to Granville, N. Y., and there he received his early education at the Granville Academy, and afterward took up the study of law in the office of John H. Boyd of Whitehall, N. Y. He com- pleted his legal studies with the late Judge James Gibson of Salem, and was admitted to the bar in the spring of 1850. In the same year he settled permanently at Whitehall and began the practice of his profession, which he has continued throughout half a century, achiev- ing a high reputation, not only as an advocate and counsellor, but also as a man of honor and integrity.
In addition to his law business, Mr. Davis was for about ten years connected with the great lumber trade of Whitehall. He has always taken an intelligent and active interest in public affairs, and was a
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member of the Board of Education for a period of twenty years, dur- ing fully half of which time he was President of the Board. He also held a seat on the Board of Village Trustees for a number of years and was President of the village several terms.
In 1854 Oscar F. Davis married Charlotte Towne Rowe, of the village of Granville, N. Y. Their children are Rufus Rowe Davis. Charlotte T. and Pauline B.
Rufus Rowe Davis is a lawyer and is associated with his father.
Charlotte T. married Capt. O. A. Dennis, a prominent lawyer of Whitehall, and Pauline B. married Walter N. Weeks.
Oscar F. Davis is a son of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Preston) Davis. His great uncle, Capt. Isaac Davis, was the first man killed in the War of the Revolution at Concord, Mass.
Jonathan Davis was a native of Massachusetts, but removed to Ver- mont shortly after his marriage. He subsequently settled in Gran- ville, as has been stated, where he remained until his death in April, 1869.
His wife, Elizabeth Preston, was a native of Massachusetts and was born in 1793. She died in 1845 at the age of fifty-two.
JOHN GILROY was born in Richfield Springs, N. Y., March 22, 1864, and received his education at the public schools of his native place and the Cooperstown Academy. He began the study of law with Thomas Hagerty of Richfield Springs, and completed his legal studies in the office of Jordan E. Seeley at Granville. He was admitted to the bar on September 8, 1892 and immediately began the active prac- tice of his profession as a partner with Mr. Seeley. the firm name be- ing Seeley & Gilroy. In 1896 this firm dissolved and Mr. Gilroy at once opened an office for himself. He is an able advocate and has already achieved a high reputation, not only as a legal advisor, but has also taken high rank as a corporation counsel and lawyer. He is at present corporation counsel for the village of Granville and also for the Farmers' National Bank, besides being Village Clerk. He was a Justice of the Peace for eight consecutive years.
In politics Mr. Gilroy is a Democrat and his voice and counsel are invariably sought by the party leaders. In 1898 he was nominated
[66 ]
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by the Democrats for Member of Assembly and made a creditable run against Hon. Charles R. Paris, of Sandy Hill, N. Y., but it must be remembered that Washington County is overwhelmingly Repub- lican. Again in 1895 he was nominated on the Democratic ticket for Supervisor of the town of Granville, but was defeated for the reason just named. In both of these campaigns, however, he ran 500 votes ahead of his ticket. He was for two years Chairman of the Demo- cratic County Committee and was its treasurer for several years, and has been delegate to every Democratic County Convention since reaching his majority, and two Democratic State Conventions.
Mr. Gilroy is a member of the Sons of Veterans and of the Knights of Columbus, and has served two years as Grand Knight.
His parents were John and Catharine (Lawler) Gilroy, both natives of Longford, Ireland. John Gilroy, Sr., was a veteran of the civil war, serving in the Second Heavy Artillery, which experienced much severe fighting.
On May 8, 1900, Mr. Gilroy married Elizabeth Lyon, daughter of William Lyon, of Middle Granville, N. Y.
Mr. Gilroy is one of the ablest and most popular lawyers in Wash- ington County. His fine abilities have already placed him in the front rank of the bar of Northern New York, and his affibility wins him friends every day, and above all he has established a reputation for unswerving integrity, which has gained for him the highest degree of public confidence.
HON. CHARLES R. PARIS was born at Sandy Hill, N. Y., August 9, 1851, and was educated in the schools of his native place. He studied law in the office of his father, the late U. G. Paris, who was one of the ablest and most successful lawyers of his day in this state. Charles R. Paris was admitted to the bar in 1880, and since that date has been a prominent factor in the legal and political life of Washing- ton County. Indeed, before his admission, he was active in public affairs. In 1878 he was elected Supervisor for the Town of Kingsbury and held the office for three years, 1878-1879-1880, and during the last year he was chairman of the Board. From that time up to 1894 lie devoted himself entirely to the practice of his profession and at- tained a distinction which was destined later on to bring him the high-
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b.R. Paris
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est legal honor in the gift of the county. During the years 1894 and 1895 he was President of the Village of Sandy Hill and his popularity in his native place was strikingly illustrated by the fact that not a single vote was cast against him when he was a candidate.
Always a Republican, ready and able to aid his party, his services and ability were recognized, when in 1897 he was elected to the State Legislature and at the expiration of his first term was re-elected. During both terms he was active in the House and served on several important committees. During 1897 he served on the Committees on Insurance, Trades and Manufactures and Military Affairs; and during 1898 on the Committees on Codes, Taxation, Retrenchment, Labor and Industries.
In the summer of 1899 Hon. Charles R. Paris was nominated by the Republican Convention for County Judge, and the contest which fol- lowed gave an emphatic illustration of his great popularity and the public confidence reposed in him. Opposed by a strong Republican who was endorsed by the Democrats, Judge Paris carried the County by a majority of 1174 votes, his own town of Kingsbury, which is about 400 Republican, giving him a majority of 749.
Successful as a lawyer, as a politician, and as a business man, he is eminently qualified for the bench, and his large and varied experience is enriched by a sterling integrity which is the great source of his popularity.
Judge Paris is vitally interested in the business life of Sandy Hill. He is President of the People's National Bank, a stockholder in the Standard Wall Paper Company, a stockholder in the Dunn Water Supply Company, which constructed and owns the water works at Corinth, Saratoga County; and he is counsel for all these concerns. He was a stockholder and treasurer of the Washington County Park Association, and was for two years treasurer of its successor, the Washington County Agricultural Society.
In 1879 Judge Paris married Alma Biggart, and they have a family of three children, namely, Urias G. Paris 2d, Cordelia A. Paris and Cola K. Paris. His parents were Urias G. and Cordelia (Rogers) Paris.
For family genealogy see biography of Hon. U. G. Paris.
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GRENVILLE MELLEN INGALSBE was born in the southern part of the Town of Hartford, N. Y., July 26, 1846, the only child of Milo In- galsbe and Laura C. Ingalsbe, nee Chapin. He was under the in- struction of his father until he was fourteen years of age. During the next four winters he attended the district school and one term of Miss Sarah Slocum's select school. In 1864-65 he spent a year at the Fort Edward Collegiate Institute, entering Union College in 1866 in the class of 1868. He remained in college only one year. His record as a student was a brilliant one. He was the first scholar in every class room, and in college his record was such that his Bachelor's De- gree was conferred upon him in 1870, and three years later, the Degree of Master of Arts.
In 1867 he assumed charge of the Argyle Academy at Argyle, N. Y., remaining its principal three years. In increase of students and in scholarly attainments these years were the most honorable in its long history. Here he commenced the formation of a library which has become one of the most valuable in the vicinity. He was a student with his students, at the same time doing much valuable literary work. In the summer of 1870 he resigned his position at Ar- gyle, leaving the educational field with great reluctance.
He immediately commenced the study of law in the office of Hughes & Northup at Sandy Hill. After a year of unremitting application his desire for more school life caused him to abandon his clerkship, and enter the Harvard Law School. Here he accomplished the work of the two years course in one year, graduating with honors, as Bachelor of Law, in the class of 1872. Besides his law work he pursued the study of history under Dr. Eliot, botany under Dr. Gray, natural science under Louis Agassiz, and literature, German and other branches under equally illustrious masters. Upon his graduation he entered Hughes & Northup's office as managing clerk. This was during the political campaign of 1872, and he flung aside the most flattering offers of political preferment to espouse the cause of his personal friend, Hor- ace Greeley. From this time, while identified generally with the Republican party, he has not been a partisan to the extent of placing party above country, and he has not hesitated to antagonize the party at all times when he has considered its position inimical to the inter- ests of the common people, opposed to an honest and economical ad- ministration of public affairs, or subversive of sacred national tradi- tions. In 1874 he was admitted to the bar, opening an office in Sandy
wville M. Ingalabi
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Hill in 1875. He has since been actively engaged in his profession, building up a large and lucrative practice, and having in charge the legal work of a great number of the most important private and cor- porate interests of Northern New York.
On September 20, 1876, he was married to Franc E. Groesbeck at "Pine Avenue," the home of her step-father, Mr. Amasa Howland of Sandy Hill. Miss Groesbeck was born October 19, 1856; was the daughter of Nathaniel Barnett Groesbeck and Lydia A. Groesbeck, nee Kingsley, and on both sides was descended from revolutionary ancestry. She is a graduate of Temple Grove Seminary, and was a teacher in the Sandy Hill Union School. They have one child Gren- ville Howland, born November 8, 1878. He prepared for college at the Glens Falls Academy and Phillips Exeter, and is now in Harvard College.
For four years, 1874-8, Mr. Ingalsbe was the Secretary of the Wash- ington County Agricultural Society, showing the highest order of ex- ecutive ability. Its premium list and field of operations were more than doubled; great improvements were made upon its grounds; Memorial Hall was built; its office methods simplified, and its indebt- edness reduced about four thousand dollars. Upon his retirement, the appreciation of the Association was shown, by his election as a life Counselor of the Society.
In 1877 he was appointed a Justice of the Peace and was twice elected, retiring after nearly nine years service, because the office in- terfered with his professional work. For three years, 1885-8, he was the Supervisor of his town; in 1887-8, being the Chairman of the Board. At the expiration of his third term he declined a second unanimous re-election. He was elected Clerk of the Village of Sandy Hill in 1875. By successive appointments he held the office, with the exception of one year, until March, 1894, when he resigned, that he might devote his energies exclusively to his profession ; to his various business interests, including the management of the farm homestead for which, and farm life, he holds a great affection, and to study along the lines which, amid the duties of an exacting profession, have continued to have such attractions for him, that he has preserved the mental poise of a student, and many of the habits of the scholastic recluse.
After 1872, while taking an active part in local politics. he stead- fastly refused to allow his name to be used as a candidate for district
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or county offices, preferring the emoluments and honors of his pro- fession. In 1895, however, a few hours before the opening of the Republican County Convention, he consented to the presentation of his name for Surrogate. He was nominated and elected. Of his record as Surrogate. a paper of hostile politics said editorially: "Po- litical friend and foe alike concede that Mr. Ingalsbe has made a model official." Upon his induction into office he instituted six en- tirely new series of record books; revolutionized a seventh series, and adopted improved systems for the filing of papers. During his term he prepared over one hundred different forms of blanks, intro- duced the card index, systematized the work of the office, increased its efficiency, and greatly elevated the standards of the Court. Early in 1901, a year prior to the expiration of his term, though keenly ap- preciative of the general commendation bestowed upon his official career, he declined becoming a candidate for re-election.
Mr. Ingalsbe's identification with learned societies has been ex- tended. He is an active member of the American Academy of Po- litical and Social Science, the National Bi-metalist Association, the American Anti-Imperialist League, the Harvard Law School Alumni Association, the Union College Alumni Association of Northeastern New York, the New York State Bar Association, the American His- torical Association, the American Bar Association and many other kindred organizations. For many years he has been on the Executive Committee of the Union College Alumni, and of the State Bar Asso- ciation, of which for three years, he was Chairman. He is now the President of the Alumni Association, and a member of the Local Council of the American Bar Association. He was one of the Incor- porators, and is a Director of the State Historical Association.
His business interests for many years have been large and are con- stantly being extended. Until absorbed by larger corporations, he was a director and Secretary of the Sandy Hill Electric Light and Power Company, and the Sandy Hill Power Company. He has been for many years a Director and Secretary of the Spring Brook Water Company, and a Director of the Glens Falls, Sandy Hill & Fort Ed- ward Street Railroad Company. He has been prominent in the organ- ization of nearly every one of the business corporations at Sandy Hill, as stockholder or counsel, including the latest, the American Wall Paper Company. He is a Trustee of the Glens Falls Academy.
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In 1884 he was elected a Director and Counsel for the National Bank of Sandy Hill, positions which he still holds, and in 1899 he was pro- moted to the vice-presidency of the bank.
RODNEY VAN WORMER, Clerk of Washington County 1889-1900, was born in the hamlet of West Fort Ann, Washington County, N. Y., on the 9th day of December, 1850, and is a son of Henry F. and Jane M. (Fuller) Van Wormer. On his paternal side he is a great grandson of Jacob Van Wormer, who served with distinction as Second Lieu- tenant in Captain De Garmo's Company, 14th Albany County Regi- ment, Hoosick and Schaghticoke District in the War of the Revolu- tion. [For family history see "Genealogy of the Van Wormer Family," p. 179, Part II. ]
Rodney Van Wormer grew to manhood in his native town and received his education in the common and select schools of the neighborhood. He was a prominent and active member of the Union Debating Society, which (during the winter months) met weekly in the old red school house at the forks of the road about one-half mile northerly from the West Fort Ann post-office, and near the residence of the late Benjamin C. Copeland. No doubt the connection with the debating society had very much to do with his entering the law office of Counselor Silas P. Pike, of Fort Ann, N. Y., as a law stu- dent, which he did on the 9th day of December, 1878, following the repeated advice of an old friend and member of the society. Mr. Van Wormer was admitted to the bar in September, 1882, and from that date to January 1, 1889, he was actively and successfully engaged in the practice of his chosen profession at Fort Ann, N. Y. He was the junior member of the law firm of Pike & Van Wormer until September, 1883, when Mr. Pike died.
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