USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > History of Berks county in Pennsylvania > Part 92
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The county of Berks was erected into a separate judicial district by the act of April 5, 1849, and called the Twenty-third District. It has since been a separate district, with this number in the judicial system.
In 1810 the associate judges were limited to two in number. The provision in reference to the tenure of office was modified by the amended Con- stitution of 1838, whereby the term of president judges was fixed at ten years, and of associate judges at five years.
In 1850 an amendment to the Constitution was adopted which provided for the election of the judges for the terms mentioned. The first election was held in October, 1851.
The office of additional law judge was created by the act of April 15, 1869, for Berks County, with similar powers and term as those of president judge
The office of Orphans' Court judge was created
534
HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
for the county by the act of June 13, 1883, pursu- ant to the new Constitution ; and on June 29th fol- lowing the Governor made the first appointment. His judicial powers are confined to matters which arise in the Orphans' Court, and the term of ser- vice is ten years.
The office of associate judge was abolished by the New Constitution, the incumbents to continue in office until their terms of service expired.
Before 1874 county officials took their offices on the second Monday of December succeeding their election. The new Constitution provided that thereafter they should take their offices on the first Monday of January succeeding.
PRESIDENT JUDGES.
Name. Term.
Jacob Rush 1791-1805
John Spayd. 1806-09
Robert Porter. 1810-32
Garrick Mallery 1833-35
John Banks 1836-46
J. Pringle Jones 1847-48; 1851-61
David F. Gordon. 1849-51
W. J. Woodward 1 1861-71; 1871-74
Jeremiah Hagenman 2 1875-79; 1880-90
ADDITIONAL LAW JUDGES.
Name.
Term.
Henry Van Reed 3.
1869; 1875
Jeremiah Hagenman
1869-74
1 Warren J. Woodward was elected one of the associate justices of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on the 3d of November, 1874, for the term of twenty-one years. He took and held bis seat from January 4, 1875, till his death, on the 23d of September, 1879.
- Jeremiah Hagenman succeeded Warren J.Woodward, by promotion, on 13th of January, 1875, when he was sworn as president judge for the remainder of the term, ending on 5th of January, 1880. He was elected in November, 1879, for a term of ten years.
3 Henry Van Reed, a member of the county bar, was appointed on the 13th of July, 1869, by the Governor, John W. Geary, to fill the office, and he held his seat till his snc- cessor, duly elected, was qualified on the 6th of December, 1869. He was appointed a second time by the Governor, John F. Hartranft, on the 12th of January, 1875, to fill the vacancy in this office, caused by the promotion of Jere- miah Hagenman to the office of president judge, until his successor, Augustus S. Sassaman, a member of the county bar, duly elected, was qualified on the 2d of Jannary, 1876, for ten years.
4 Jeremiah Hagenman was elected on the 12th of Octo- ber, 1869, to this office for ten years from the 6th of Decem- ber, 1869. He was promoted to the office of president judge, for the remainder of his term, on the 13th of Jan- nary, 1875, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of
Augustus S. Sassaman 1876-85
James N. Ermentrout.
1886-95
ORPHANS' COURT JUDGE.
Hiram H. Schwartz 5
1883
ASSOCIATE JUDGES.
Name.
Term.
James Diemer. 1791-1819
George Ege. 1791-1818
Matthias Reichert. 1791-97
Joseph Hiester. 1791-94
Nicholas Lutz. 1795-1806
Benjamin Morris 1798-1809
Gabriel Hiester. 1819-23
Charles Shoemaker 1820-22
William Witman
1823-28
Jacob Schneider. 1824-29
Matthias S. Richards 1829-45
William Darling. 1830-38
William Addams. 1839-42
John Stauffer.
1843-51
William High 1846-50
Samuel Bell 1851
Daniel Young 1851-56
William Heidenreich, 1851-56
David Schall. 1856-66
George D. Stitzel. 1856-66
Charles Kessler. 1866-71
David Kutz "
1866-70
Henry Rhoads 1870-71
George W. Bruckman 1871-76
Daniel Buskirk 1871-76
COURT CRIERS.
Jacob Goodman
Joseph Ritter
1840-80
Albert H. Fegely .1882-86
ATTORNEYS-AT-LAW .- The office of attorney- at-law is not an elective one. It never was. But it has existed time out of mind. It began with the administration of justice. It is inseparable from it. The history of attorneys would be the history of the courts of judicature. They have always occupied a prominent place. Their promi- nence has resulted from energy well directed in behalf of the rights and property of mankind,
Warren J. Woodward, who had been elected to the Su- preme Bench.
5 Hiram H. Schwartz was appointed on the 29th of June, 1883, to serve in this office till the 7th of January, 1884. He was nominated for the office, for the full term, by the Democratic convention in Angust, 1883, and elected in November following.
6 David Kutz baving died in office on the 20th of July, 1870, Henry Rhoads was appointed by Governor John W. Geary, on the 3d of August, 1870, for nnexpired term end- ing on the 4th of December, 1871.
535
BENCH AND BAR.
and also in behalf as well of the establishment as of the development of principles regulative of associations in every department of life.
A law was enacted in this State as early as 1710 in relation to this office. Then the justices were authorized to admit any attorney or attorneys to plead in any of the established courts during good behavior. No provision .was made as to number or ability. In 1715, however, the authority of the justices was modified. They might admit "a competent number of persons, of honest disposi- tion and learned in the Law, to practice as attor- neys, who shall behave themselves justly and faith- fully in their practice." And, in 1727, a provision was made requiring such persons before they were admitted to take the following oath : "Thou shalt behave thyself in the office of attorney within the court, according to the best of thy learning and ability, and with all good fidelity as well to the court as to the client ; thou shalt use no falsehood, nor delay any person's cause for lucre or malice." And these qualifications have continued to this day. Since the adoption of the State and national Constitutions they have qualified to support them This last qualification is common to all statutory officers.
The following attorneys resided in the county of Berks and practiced in its several courts. The date after each name is the time of admission to practice :
Name. Admitted.
James Read.
James Biddle.
David Henderson
James Whitehead, Jr.
Edward Biddle
Daniel Levan, Jr. November 11, 1769
Collinson Read. August 13, 1772
James Potts.
August 1, 1773
Daniel Clymer
May 4, 1776
Alexander Graydon
.May 14, 1779
Edward Scull.
August 17, 1779
Nathaniel Potts August 14, 1781
Jacob Hubley. November 14, 1786
George Eckert. February 19, 1787
James Scull. February 19, 1787
Joseph Hubley .August 14, 1787 John Spayd. February 14, 1788
Peter Hoofnagle .. .February 14, 1788
Marks John Biddle .December 9, 1788
Jacob R. Howell .February 11, 1789
Charles Evans. August 9, 1791
William Witman. August 20, 1793
Frederick Sinith. .August 4, 1795
Levi Pauling August 18, 1796
Bird Wilson .May 14, 1798
Andrew Graff, Jr.
April 9, 1798
John S. Hiester.
August 6, 1798
William S. Biddle. June 2, 1801 Fred. John Haller. November 4, 1801
William Morris.
August 9, 1804
Anthony Morris.
November 6, 1804
Samuel D. Franks
August 10, 1805
James B. Hubley April 4, 1809
William Clymer. , 1809
John Spayd. April 2, 1810
Samuel Baird, Jr.
April 10, 1810
William Morris, Jr
November 8, 1810
Thomas B. Smith .July 4, 1814
James Biddle.
August 9, 1815
Francis S. Muhlenberg. .May 8, 1816
Nathaniel P. Hobart.
January 13, 1818
Charles Davis
August 4, 1818
Charles Whitman
August 9, 1818
William Darling ..
November 13, 1818
Alexander L. King.
April 3, 1820
Edward B. Hubley
April 5, 1820
James L. Dunn. November 10, 1821
W. C. Leavenworth
August 18, 1822
Daniel J. Hiester
. August 4, 1823
Lloyd Wharton.
March 26, 1824
Lawrence S. Lardner.
April 8, 1824
David F. Gordon
August 6, 1824
Thomas Morris.
November 1, 1824
Wm. Fullerton Duncan January 3, 1825
David Evans
January 5, 1825
Henry W. Smith
January 5, 1825
John S. Wharton
March 4, 1825
Edward P. Pearson
May 23, 1825
Charles J. Jack
August 1, 1825
Robert M. Brooke
.August 2, 1825
John H. Sheetz
August 3, 1825
Joseph W. Roland August 20, 1825
George M. Keim. August 11, 1826
Joseph H. Spayd.
November 8, 1826
Philip Kendall
January 1, 1827
Elijah Dechert.
.January 4, 1827
Levi B. Smith January 10, 1827
William M. Biddle. April 4, 1827
Andrew L. King November 5, 1827
John S. Gibbons.
August 4, 1828
Jacob Hoffman November 10, 1829
Robert M. Barr.
January 3, 1831
Peter Filbert.
January 6, 1831
John Mayer.
January 8, 1831
Henry Rhoads April 3, 1832
William Strong.
November 8, 1832
George S. Wharton .August 15, 1832
James Pauling.
.November 7, 1833
Francis Aurand.
November 13, 1833
William Betz. January 10, 1834
536
HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
George G. Barclay
April 10, 1835
Newton D. Strong
August 3, 1835
Augustus F. Boas. August 4, 1835
J. Pringle Jones
November 2, 1835
Anthony F. Miller.
August 15, 1836
Franklin B. Schoener
January 3, 1837
John S. Richards
April 4, 1837
Garrick Mallery.
August 14, 1837
Dennis W. O'Brien
August 7, 1838
Jeremiah D. Bitting
.August 8, 1838
Andrew M. Sallade.
August 11, 1838
Jason H. Sherman.
.August 7, 1839
William M. Hiester.
January 7, 1840
Peter Shearer.
April 7, 1840
Matthias Mengel.
April 8, 1840
George E. Ludwig
November 3, 1840
James Donagan
December 22, 1841
Samuel Sohl.
April 5, 1842
Jeremiah Hagenman
April 7, 1842
J. Dundas Biddle.
May 17, 1842
Charles Wierman.
May 17, 1842
George W. Arms.
March 8, 1843
John K. Longnecker
November 6, 1843
Henry Van Reed.
April 5, 1844
William M. Baird
April 12, 1844
Henry A. Muhlenberg July 5, 1844
Isaac High Keim
July 5, 1844
Robert Frazer.
July 5, 1844
Franklin B. Miller.
December 14, 1844
Jacob S. Livingood.
January 7, 1845
J. Glancy Jones
January 7, 1845
Silas E. Buzard
April 8, 1845
Edward W. Scudder
August 4, 1845
Edward M. Clymer
August 4, 1845
J. Bowman Bell.
January 5, 1846
J. Lawrence Getz.
August 6, 1846
John K. Hamlin
August 6, 1846
William B. Schoener.
August 15, 1846
J. De Puy Davis January 5, 1847
James May Jones
January 5, 1847
John Banks.
April 7, 1847
Samuel L. Young.
August 10, 1847
A. Lucius Heunershotz ... November 11, 1847
J. Biddle Gordon
January 6, 1848
James A. Banks.
February 21, 1848
J. Bright Smith
April 5, 1848
William F. Filbert.
.August 9, 1848
A. Jordan Swartz.
September 28, 1848
Joel B. Wanner
January 13, 1849
Jacob M. Sallade.
April 6, 1849
John A. Banks.
April 6, 1849
Hiester Clymer.
April 6, 1849
Charles B. Weaver
.November 8, 1850
Jacob K. McKenty April 7, 1851
Henry C. Kutz.
April 24, 1851
Wm. Edmund Banks
April 25, 1851
Wm. S. Marx.
August 4, 1851
Albert G. Green
November 11, 1851
Edmund L. Smith
November 11, 1851
George De B. Keim.
April 8, 1852
Charles K. Robeson
April 8, 1852
E. R. Zimmerman
April 8, 1852
Carl O. Wagner.
November 5, 1852
Michael P. Boyer
August 8, 1853
Wharton Morris.
November 15, 1854
Frederick L. Smith
.November 10, 1855
Amos B. Wanner
January 12, 1857
B. Frank Boyer
March 15, 1857
Daniel R. Clymer
August 20, 1857
James B. Bechtel April 14, 1857
Wm. K. Loose
April 14, 1858
Chas. Ph. Muhlenberg.
November 8, 1859
Daniel Ermentrout.
August 3, 1859
Wm. H. Livingood.
.January 19, 1860
Hiram H. Schwartz
.July 14, 1860
Jesse G. Hawley
September 20, 1860
Thomas S. Brenholtz
September 20, 1860
J. George Seltzer
February 5, 1861
Abner K. Stauffer
April 15, 1861
Edward H. Shearer.
.April 15, 1861
John Ralsto:
August 14, 1862
Frank R. Schmucker
August 25, 1862
Wm. P. Bard.
February 9, 1863
Chas. Henry Jones.
April 14, 1863
Richmond L. Jones.
April 14, 1863
Daniel E. Schroeder
April 23, 1863
Chas. A. Leopold.
April 23, 1863
J. Warren Tryon
November 14, 1863
J. Howard Jacobs
November 14, 1863
Augustus S. Sassaman .January 9, 1864
Israel C. Becker.
January 28, 1864
Francis M. Banks
.May 21, 1864
Horace A. Yundt.
August 9, 1864
Chas. H. Schaeffer.
August 9, 1864
Franklin B. Laucks
August 13, 1864
Wm. M. Goodman.
August 13, 1864
Edwin Shalter.
August 13, 1864
Louis Richards
January 16, 1865
Irenæus Shalter
January 16, 1865
J. Ross Miller
August 7, 1865
J. Dallas Schoener
August 7, 1865
Henry May Keim
August 7, 1865
Harrison Maltzberger
August 7, 1865
Peter D. Wanner
November 4, 1865
Llewellyn Wanner
August, 1866
Wm. M. Rightmyer
January 21, 1867
Geo. M. Ermentrout.
November 27, 1867
James M. Ermentrout.
.November 27, 1867
Geo. F. Baer.
.January 22, 1868
Chas. F. Evans.
April 28, 1868
T. H. Garrigues
.August 10, 1868
Ben. B. Laucks
January 11, 1869
H. Willis Bland.
April 12, 1869
Henry C. G. Reber
April 12, 1869
Cyrus G. Derr.
August 12, 1870
Wm. L. Guinther.
November 14, 1870
Morton L. Montgomery
August 28, 1871
Garrett B. Stevens.
August 12, 1872
537
BENCH AND BAR.
Horace Roland August 12, 1872
Edgar M. Levan
.August 17, 1872
Frank R. Schell. .September 16, 1872
Edwin White Moore .September 30, 1872
James A. O'Reilly January 13, 1873
Stephen M. Meredith August 11, 1873
Daniel H. Wingerd. September 29, 1873
Hiram Y. Kaufman November 9, 1874
John C. K. Heine .. April 12, 1875
B. Frank Dettra ..
April 12, 1875
B. F. Y. Shearer
April 12, 1875
C. H. Ruhl.
April 15, 1875
B. F. McAtee
April 15, 1875
Jno. F. Smith
August 9, 1875
Jefferson Snyder
August 9, 1875
John B. Dampman
November 8, 1875
Henry A. Muhlenberg
.November 8, 1875
Daniel B. Young
January 10, 1876
Adam H. Schmehl. January 10, 1876
Edwin B. Wiegand. January 18, 1876
Wesley D. Horning April 17, 1876
Gustav A. Endlich
November 12, 1877
Simon P. O'Reilly
January 14, 1877
Wayne Hayman.
January 14, 1877
Henry A. Zieber.
April 10, 1878
Isaac Hiester.
August 13, 1878
J. H. Marx .August 13, 1878
Jeremiah K. Grant.
November 11, 1878
Walter B. Craig.
.November 12, 1878
D. Nicholas Schaeffer.
.November 12, 1878
M. Brayton Mcknight .... November 12, 1878 Israel C. Becker. .December 12, 1878
Daniel G. Guldin January 20, 1879
Warren Woodward
January 20, 1879
Chas. P. Sherman.
August 11, 1879
Frank S. Livingood. .August 11, 1879
John W. Apple Angust 11, 1879
Henry D. Green November 10, 1879
William C. Heacock. April 12, 1880
William O. Miller.
April 12, 1880
Chas. M. Plank
November 22, 1880
William J. Rourke
November 22, 1880
Albert R. Heilig
November 22, 1880
Alonzo E. Ream.
November 22, 1880
George F. Hagenman January 24, 1881
Israel H. Rothermel. August 20, 1881
John H. Rothermel. Angust 20, 1881
Daniel F. Westley November 14, 1981 Charles C. Kehr November 14, 1881
Henry Maltzberger
.November 14, 1881
George J. Gross, Jr
November 14, 1881
Henry O. Schrader. November 14, 1882
I. Comley Fetter. November 13, 1882
James B. Baker November 13, 1882
November 13, 1882
Adam B. Rieser.
Ellwood H. Deysher
.November 13, 1882
Richard H. Koch
.November 12, 1883
Henry P. Keyser
November 12, 1883
J. Ed. Miller November 12, 1883
Felix P. Kremp. November 12, 1883
Charles H. Tyson
.November 10, 1884
William B. Bechtel
November 10, 1884
Frank K. Flood.
November 10, 1884
Philip S. Zieber
November 10, 1884
Wm. Kerper Stevens
November 10, 1884
Howard P. Wanner
.November 9, 1885
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF JUDGES AND ATTOR- NEYS-AT LAW.
JUDGES.
CONRAD WEISER was the most prominent his- torical character in the county of Berks previous to 1760. His great prominence arose from his intimate connection with the provincial govern- ment of Pennsylvania for thirty years. He was the principal judge of Berks County from 1752 to 1760, for which reason this sketch is presented at the head of the biographies of the judges.
He was born November 2, 1696, at Afstaedt, a small village in the County of Herrenberg, in Würtemberg, Germany, and there he acquired a general education, which included the principles of the Christian religion according to the catechism of Martin Luther. Whilst in his fourteenth year he emigrated with his father and family (which included himself and seven other children) to New York, landing June 17, 1710. At that time several thousand Germans were sent to America by Queen Anne, who had furnished them with food for a time at London. Shortly after their arrival they were removed to Livingston Manor by the Governor of New York, to burn tar and cultivate hemp to defray the expenses incurred by Queen Anne in conveying them from Holland to England and from England to America. They labored till 1713 in this employment, under the direction of commissioners who were placed in authority over thein ; then, finding that they were existing under a form of bondage, they protested against the treatment, and this effected their release. Shortly afterward they became dispersed. About one hundred and fifty families of them, including the Weiser family, removed to Schoharie, forty miles west of Albany. Whilst spending the winter of 1713-14 at Schenectady, his father was frequently visited by an Indian chief of the Mo- hawk tribe, and during one of these visits the chief proposed to him to visit the Mohawk country and teach him the language of that tribe. His
538
HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
father agreed to the proposition, and he accordingly accompanied the Indian chief.
Conrad Weiser was in his eighteenth year when he went to live with the Indians. He was a strong young man, but all of his strength was necessary to endure the sufferings which he was compelled to undergo whilst living with them. He had scarcely clothing sufficient to cover his body during the winter of that trying year. Besides much suffer- ing, he was frequently threatened with death by the Indians during a state of intoxication. In July, 1714, he returned to his father's home at Schoharie. In this time he acquired a consider- able knowledge of the Mohawk language, and whilst at home he increased this knowledge by being called upon to act as interpreter between the German settlers of that vicinity and the Mo- hawk Indians. Several families of this tribe lived within a mile of his residence. His services were performed gratuitously. The settlers having been disturbed in their possessions, they left that section of the country ; Conrad Weiser's father and a number of others migrated to Pennsylvania. They located in Tulpehocken in the spring of 1723, in the midst of the Indians ; and there they also commenced the improvement of the land which they occupied without permission from the land commissioners. The Indians complained, but the settlers were not disturbed. Subsequently the Indians released their rights for a considera- tion from the provincial government, and about 1733 removed beyond the Blue Mountain.
Conrad Weiser was married to a young woman of Schoharie in 1720. He continued at that place till 1729, when, with his wife and five chil- dren (two sons-Philip and Frederick-and three daughters-Anna, Madlina and Maria), he removed to the Tulpehocken settlement, locating on a tract of land half a mile east of the present borough of Womelsdorf. Shortly after his arrival his ability and success as an Indian interpreter became known to the provincial government, and the Governor employed him in negotiations with the Indians. His first services in this capacity were performed in 1731 ; and from that time for nearly thirty years he was almost constantly engaged in this important work. He attended and assisted at numerous treaties, some of which were very im- portant. In the published proceedings of these
treaties in the colonial records and Pennsylvania Archives, his name appears prominently. He always distinguished himself-giving entire satis- faction to both parties. His integrity was partic- ularly recognized and publicly complimented.
He was one of the most prominent men in the "French and Indian War." His numerous letters, which appear in the chapter on that sub- ject in this history, indicate his zeal, courage and patriotism. He served in that war as a colonel, having received his commission as colonel on Oc- tober 31, 1755, and as such officer commanded the Second Battalion of the Pennsylvania Regiment. His services were of great value to the govern- ment and to the people of this county.
The first proceedings for the erection of Berks County were instituted in 1738. In this behalf Mr. Weiser was very active. And he continued active till the determined requests of the citizens were granted eventually by the General Assembly in 1752. The town of Reading was laid out by the Penns in 1748. In the disposition of the town-lots, Mr. Weiser acted as one of the commis- sioners He was prominently identified with the first movements in building up the town, and he manifested a strong interest in the development of the business interests of the place.
The Governor of the province, in. 1741, ap- pointed him as a justice of the peace. He con- tinued to serve in this office for a number of years. When the county was erected, in 1752, he was appointed one of the first judges. He acted as president judge of the courts till his decease, in 1760. His appointment to this important position was natural, by reason of his prominence, influ- ence, experience and ability. He lived at Reading mostly during the latter part of his life.
He died on his Heidelberg farm July 13, 1760, and his remains were buried in a private burying- ground on the place, where they have remained since. He left a widow and seven children : five sous,-Philip, Frederick, Peter, Samuel and Ben- jamin, and two daughters,-Maria, who was inter- married with Rev. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, and Margaret, who was intermarried with -- Finker. He was possessed of a large estate, con- sisting of properties at Reading, and lands in Heidelberg township, and in the region of country beyond the Blue Mountain. In Heidel-
BENCH AND BAR.
539
berg he owned about eight hundred and ninety acres, which included a tract of three hundred and forty-seven acres and the privileges of a " Court-Baron," granted to him in 1743-the tract having originally contained fifty-one hundred and sixty-five acres as granted to John Page, in 1735, by patent, and then been erected into a manor, called the " Manor of Plumton." At Reading, one of his properties was a business stand, and it has continued to be a prominent business place from that time till now, a period embracing over one hundred and thirty years. This has been known latterly as the " Old White Store."
An extended and interesting biographical sketch of Conrad Weiser, including his numerous letters during the "French and Indian War," his reports of journeys, etc., was prepared by one of his descendants, Rev. C. Z. Weiser, D.D., and pub- lished at Reading, by Daniel Miller, in 1876.
.
JACOB RUSH, the first president judge of the Third Judicial District of which Berks County formed a part, was born in Byberry township, near Philadelphia, in the year 1746, and was the brother of the celebrated artist and physician, Benjamin Rush. He received an excellent pre- paratory education and then entered the College of New Jersey, at Princeton, from which institution he was graduated in 1765. Immediately after the State Constitution of 1790 was adopted, he was appointed to preside over the courts of the Third District, which included the county of Berks. He afterward became president judge of the First District, of which Philadelphia formed a part, and held that responsible position for many years, until the time of his death. In the contro- versy between Reed and Dickinson he was an able writer on the side of the latter. He published his "Charges on Moral and Religious Subjects' at Philadelphia in 1803. He was a patriot of the Revolution and in its darkest days stood firm to its principles and to his country. Judge Rush also published in 1774 ' Resolves in Committee Cham- bers" and in 1819 a work on "Christian Baptism." While president judge of the Third District he resided in Reading, on the west side of South Fifth Street, between Cherry and Franklin Streets. He died at Philadelphia, January 5, 1820.
JOHN SPAYD was born in Dauphin County
in January, 1764. He acquired a classical edu- cation, read law and was admitted to the bar February 14, 1788, and began practicing at Read- ing, where he attained great prominence. He was appointed judge of the courts of Berks County in 1806 and served with distinguished ability until 1809. During the years 1795 and 1810 he was a member of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania and devoted the remainder of his life to the practice of law at Reading. He went to the city of Philadelphia for surgical relief from a disease with which he had long suffered, under- went an operation, but the result was beyond the control of human skill and he died there at two A.M., October 13, 1822, in the fifty-eighth year of his age. His remains were brought to Reading on the 15th and interred the following day in the Lutheran grave-yard. The judges of the court, members of the bar and the Borough Council each passed appropriate resolutions commendatory of his life and character as a lawyer, as a judge and as a public-spirited citizen, resolved to attend his fun- eral in a body and wear crape on the left arm for thirty days. His remains have since been trans- ferred to Charles Evans' Cemetery.
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