History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 45

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1158

USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I > Part 45

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HON. EDWIN ALBRIGHT, eleventh President Judge of Lehigh county, was born in Lower Milford township, Nov. 8, 1838, the son of Michael Albright and his wite Maria Schaeffer. He was educated in the schools of the vicinity and taught school several terms, devoting his

spare time to the study of law. In 1860 he en- tered the law office of Hon. S. A. Bridges at Al- lentown and a year later entered the Law De- partment of the University of Pennsylvania. He was admitted to practice at the Lehigh county bar on April 12, 1862. He was appointed so- licitor for Lehigh county, and in 1865 was elect- ed District Attorney. In 1870 he was elected State Senator, representing Lehigh and North- ampton counties, and two years later was elected to represent Lehigh and Carbon counties. In 1878 he was elected President Judge as the nom- inee of the Democratic party, over former Judge Edward L. Dana, of Wilkes-Barre. At the con- clusion of his ten-year term he was again nom- inated and his impartial administration of af- fairs was such that he received the endorsement of the Republican party and was again elected. In 1898 he was again nominated, endorsed by the Republican party and received practically the unanimous vote of the people of the county. In 1899 he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Judge of the Supreme Court. He died Dec. 13, 1902 of pneumonia, after a service of nearly twenty-four years on the bench. Judge Albright was a member of Barger Lodge, No. 333 F. & A. M., the Penna. German So- ciety and the Livingston Club. He married in 1866, Miss Rebecca Sieger, and had two chil- dren, Mrs. Bertha A. Sieger and Dr. Roderick E. Albright.

HON. FRANK M. TREXLER, twelfth President Judge of Lehigh county, was born in Allentown, January 9, 1861, the son of Edwin W. Trex- ler and his wife, Matilda Sourbeck. He at- tended the public schools of the city, graduated from the Allentown High School in 1876 and from Muhlenberg College in 1879 with honor. He entered the law office of Thomas B. Metz- ger, Esq., and was admitted to practice at the Lehigh county bar on April 10, 1882. He was elected City Solicitor in 1885 and re-elected in 1887 and 1889. In 1902 he was appointed as- sociate counsel of the city. Upon the death of Judge Albright he was appointed by Governor Stone on December 20, 1902, President Judge of Lehigh county for the unexpired term, and in November, 1903, was elected to the office for a term of ten years. On Feb. 6, 1914, he was ap- pointed a judge of the Superior Court of the state by Governor Tener.

Judge Trexler is President of the Pennsyl- vania Juvenile Court and Probation Associa- tion, one of the organizers of the Pennsylvania Conservation Society and a member of the execu- tive committee of the Lehigh Valley Children's Welfare Society. He is actively interested in the Young Mens' Christian Association, of

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which he has been President since 1890, and was largely instrumental in the erection of its fine building. He is a member of the First Presby- terian church and has served as an official of the congregation. In 1910 he received the de- gree of LL.D., from Muhlenberg College. He is a member of the Historical Society of Penn- sylvania, the Pennsylvania German Society and the Lehigh County Historical Society. He is also a member, P. M. and Trustee, of Barger Lodge, No. 333, F. & A. M., of Allen Chapter, No. 203, R. A. M., Allen Council, No. 23, R. & S. M., Lehigh Lodge, No. 83, and Unity En- campment, No. 12, I. O. O. F.

Judge Trexler married, November 7, 1889, Miss Jennie R. Schelling and has five children.

HON. CLINTON A. GROMAN, the present President Judge of Lehigh county, was born in Salisbury township, March 23, 1861. He was educated in the public schools, the Millersville State Normal School and the Allentown Prepara- tory School. He taught school while studying law under M. C. Henninger and A. G. Dewald and was admitted to the bar on Dec. 21, 1885. He was elected district attorney in 1899 and on Nov. 4, 1913, was elected President Judge of the county.

ASSOCIATE JUDGES.

Under the constitution of 1790, the Associate Judges of Northampton county, commissioned August 17, 1791, were Peter Rhoads, William Henry, David Wagener and John Mulhallon. In 1796 Robert Traill was appointed to succeed David Wagener. In 1799 Traill resigned and John Cooper was appointed. In 1802, David Wagener was again appointed to succeed John Mulhallon. In 1806 the associate judges were Peter Rhoads, David Wagener, William Henry and John Cooper.

Upon the organization of Lehigh county, Peter Rhoads and Jonas Hartzell were commis- sioned, October 13, 1812, associate judges of the new county. The associate judges of the county since 1815 were as follows:

Commissioned.

John Fogel, September 9, 1815.

Jacob Stein,

November II, 1823.

John F. Ruhe, November 3, 1838.

Joseph Saeger January 14, 1839. March 26, 1840.

Peter Haas,

March 3, 1843.

Jacob Dillinger,

March 14, 1843.

Peter Haas, Feb. 28, 1848.

John F. Ruhe, March 29, 1849.

Peter Haas, November 10, 1851.

Jacob Dillinger, November 10, 1851.

Charles Keck,

August 7, 1855.

Charles Keck,

November 19, 1856.

Willoughby Fogel, November 12, 1856.

Joshua Stahler, November 12, 1856.

Joshua Stahler, November 23, 1861.

Willoughby Fogel, November 23, 1861.

James Frey, November 9, 1866.

Jacob Erdman, November 9, 1866.

Reuben Guth, November 9, 1866.

Reuben Guth,

November 26, 1867.

Samuel J. Kistler, July 30, 1868.

David Laury, November 5, 1868.

James Frey, November 17, 1871.

David Laury, November 6, 1873.

The constitution of 1874 abolished the office of associate Judge in certain districts, of which Lehigh county was one.

ATTORNEYS.

The first business in the Court of Quarter Sessions of Lehigh county at its first term in December, 1812, was the admission of attorneys applying for the privilege of practicing in the several courts of the county. The following were admitted, viz:

Henry Wilson, George Wolf, Philip S. Markley, John Ross, William McIlhenny, Francis B. Shaw, Frederick Smith, John Evans, John Ewing, Frederick J. Haller, William Sper- ing and Samuel Sitgreaves.

Of these, only three, Henry Wilson, John Ewing, and Frederick J. Haller, were residents of Lehigh County.

Henry Wilson was a native of Harrisburg, where he was born in 1778, and studied law in that place. He settled at Allentown and was Prothonotary and clerk of the courts of the county from 1815 to 1820. He was elected a member of the 18th congress in 1822, represent- ing Lehigh, Schuylkill and Berks county, and re- elected in 1824. He died in office at Allentown, August 14, 1826. He married Margaret Wil- son, a daughter of James Wilson, but had no children.

Frederick J. Haller was admitted to the bar of Northampton County in 1797, practiced also at Reading, and later settled at Allentown, where he died.

John Ewing, one of the pioneer lawyers of Lehigh county, lived for a number of years on Hamilton street opposite the Court house.

John Evans had been admitted to practice in Northampton county in 1803. He did a large amount of professional work in the Lehigh courts, and was regarded as one of the best law- yers who visited Allentown in the olden time. He was born in Chester county in 1782 and died at Allentown, Nov. 23, 1824.

Henry King was for many years succeeding 1815 the leader of the Lehigh bar, and enjoyed the most enviable reputation throughout Eastern

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Pennsylvania. He was born in the town of Palmer, Hampden Co., Mass., on the 6th day of July, 1790, and received the rudiments of his education in that region. When about fifteen years of age he became one of the few select pu- pils of the Rev. Ezra Witter, who resided in the town of Wilbraham. Under this teacher he finished his general education. In 1810 he com- menced the study of law with an eminent at- torney of New London, Conn., W. H. Brainerd, Esq., with whom he remained until the fall of 1812, when his studies were interrupted through the disturbed condition of the region, consequent upon the war with Great Britain. He removed then to Wilkesbarre, Pa., where he completed his preparation for the bar in the office of the Hon. Garrick Mallory and was admitted to practice in April, 1815. It was very shortly after this that he removed to Allentown, where he was for some time the only resident lawyer, but was brought into contact with the eminent practi- tioners of neighboring towns, as Sitgreaves, Ross, Wolf, Evans, Smith and John M. Porter. In 1825 he was elected to the Senate of Pennsyl- vania for a term of four years, upon the expira- tion of which he was again elected. Before his second term expired, in 1830, he was chosen as a representative to Congress, which position he filled for four years, being re-elected in 1832. During his career in the Legislature he was most of the time at the head of several of the most important committees. He was chairman of the committee to remodel the penitentiary system of the State, and drew the bill which di- vided the State into districts and established the Western Penitentiary. The next measure with which he was identified was the well-known act of 1829, to reform the general code, in the prep- aration of which he was assisted by the "Prison Discipline Society," of Philadelphia, whose fav- orite project it was. Joel B. Sutherland, T. J. Wharton and Judge King, of Philadelphia, had been appointed commissioners to visit several of the states, and report to the Legislature from the knowledge thus gained a system for the gov- ernment of the penitentiaries. After a full ex- amination they reported in favor of the system then in vogue in New York. This was strenu- ously opposed by the "Prison Discipline Society," who found in Mr. King an able and effective advocate in the State Senate. After a long and severe struggle the plan now in force in Penn- sylvania was adopted. Mr. King also drafted the bills under which the Arch and Walnut Street prisons in Philadelphia, were removed, and Moyamensing prison erected in their stead. So closely had he been connected with these re- forms, and so active had he been in advancing

them, that he gained much fame, and when the commissioners appointed by the King of Prus- sia to visit the country and report upon the dif- ferent systems of penal correction came here, they sought him out in his quiet home at Allen- town, that they might confer with him. During four years of the time Mr. King was in the Legislature he was also chairman of the Judi- ciary Committee. Several important laws still in force on the statute-books of the State owe their origin to Mr. King, among them that for "recording releases for payment of legacies," for "preserving the lien of first mortgages," for "dis- tributing the proceeds of sheriffs' sales." Many other laws prepared by him were included in the revised code of Pennsylvania. In Congress, Mr. King was an active tariff man and voted for the tariff of 1832, and opposed every reduction since. Differing in this and some other matters from the administration party under Jackson, he, at the close of his second term, retired to private life. His home was the building in which is now the Hamilton Hotel, where he died July 13, 1861.

Charles Davis, who came to Allentown only a little later than Henry King, was a man of almost equal prominence professionally, while as a citizen he had few superiors in disinterested usefulness. Mr. Davis was born in Easton, Dec. 25, 1795, and pursued his preliminary legal stud- ies in the office of Hon. Samuel Sitgreaves, being admitted to the bar on Jan. 6, 1817. In the same year he removed to Allentown. Here he resided until 1839, following uninterruptedly his profession, which developed a very extensive practice. Mr. Davis removed to Reading in 1839, and from there to Easton, his native place, in 1867. From this time until his death, which occurred quite suddenly on Jan. 19, 1873, he led a semi-retired life, but was in the full enjoyment of his faculties, and was frequently consulted by other members of the Northampton bar. In speaking of Mr. Davis, Judge Maxwell said: "It was worthy of remark that no attorney had ever been more diligent in the practice of his profes- sion, nor more faithful to his clients or more in- terested and devoted to their interest; that, when his clients had committed to Mr. Davis their causes and business, he devoted to their prosecu- tion and maintenance all the powers of his vig- orous mind; that Mr. Davis had not only been an able, successful, and honorable lawyer, but had in other ways also proven himself a valuable and useful citizen; that he had always been a consistent, devoted Christian, and had, by his walk and conversation, honored his religious pro- fession." M. H. Jones, Esq., in seconding the resolutions offered by Judge Maxwell, said,

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"That he could indorse unto approval every word that had been said in eulogy of Mr. Davis by Judge Maxwell, and that, in seconding the resolutions, he desired to bear testimony to Mr. Davis' worth and ability as a lawyer, and as a good and upright citizen; that he had been a man of undoubted talent and of great legal ex- perience, and had remained in full practice until, from increasing years and declining health, he had been longer unable to attend to its demands ; that his opinions on legal questions were highly valued by his fellow-members of the bar, and exhibited remarkable clearness of mind,-this facile grasp of legal questions he had retained up to the time of his death."

The resolutions referred to were as follows:

"WHEREAS, Information has been received of the death of Charles Davis, Esq., the senior member of the Bar, who was admitted as an attorney of this Court on the sixth day of January, 1817, practiced at this Bar for several years, afterwards removed to Allentown, in the County of Lehigh and subse- quently to Reading, in Berks County, in which last- named counties he had a large and successful prac- tice for many years, and a few years ago returned to this his native county, where he resided at the time of his decease.

"Resolved, That this Bar bear testimony to the high character and great worth and accurate legal knowledge of the lamented deceased. He was ever devoted to the interests of his clients; earnest and assiduous in the faithful discharge of his duties to men and the Court, and died at an advanced age, in full Christian hope.

"Resolved, That the members of the Bar will at- tend the funeral of the deceased in a body, and wear the usual badge of mourning, and that an in- vitation be extended to the members of the Bar of Lehigh and Berks Counties to unite with us in pay- ing this last mark of respect to the memory of the deceased.

"Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted to the widow of the deceased, and to the Bars of Lehigh and Berks Counties, and pub- lished in the newspapers of this county."

Mr. Davis left a widow and one son, the Hon. J. Depuy Davis, who was State senator from Berks county.

Samuel Runk was born in Hunterdon County, N. J., Sept. 5, 1783. He received his early edu- cation at home and in its vicinity, including a knowledge of the classics and of the higher math- ematics, with both of which he maintained a close familiarity, to his end. Having passed over his general studies, he took up civil engineering as a speciality, and after several years spent in its theory and practice, made a trip on foot, through Pennsylvania, and from Pittsburgh on a flat-boat, down the Ohio, in search of a future home. The diary of this journey contains num- erous items of local interest, and some thrilling incidents in flat-boat navigation at that early day.

Not finding the West to suit him, he returned to Pennsylvania, and entered the law-office of Frederick Smith, at Reading, as a student, and in due time was admitted to the bar at that place, April 17, 1818. Soon after he came to Allen- town, and was admitted to the bar of Lehigh county, May 4, 1819, and thereafter continued to reside here.

When he came to this county, this region was intensely German. He took a leading and active part in effecting a change. At a time when Sunday schools were an offense to a large por- tion of the community, he was instrumental in organizing, and became the first president, of the first "Lehigh Valley Sunday-School Association" established in this valley. The first meeting to organize an English congregation in Allentown was held at his office, and largely through his efforts became successful. He became its treas- urer for a number of years.

After the public school system was adopted, he was engaged from year to year, by the direc- tors, to make the examinations of applicants for teaching; through these examinations many of the inexperts were dropped by the way.

He was never an aspirant for office, and never held office, except of a purely local character. He was burgess of Allentown in 1840.

As a lawyer he was thorougly read in the standard works of his profession. Having come to the bar when a small number only of our State reports had been published, he grew up with them, and had read them all, a labor rare- ly achieved by those now coming in. As a coun- selor, he ranked with the most reliable at the bar during his period. None surpassed him in integrity.

As an advocate, he was not a dealer in son- orous rhetoric, but sought to acquire as complete a knowledge as practicable of the material facts of his cases, and to present them, with the law as concisely as consistent with clearness and ac- curacy, and to rely upon the intelligence and the integrity, of the court and jury, to secure that justice which belonged to them.

He died May 21, 1848, after an illness of a few days, the result of a cold contracted at the preceding term of court. He was a good citi- zen and an upright lawyer.

Henry Jarrett, who began practice here in 1824, was the son of Isaac Jarrett, and was born in Macungie township, June 22, 1772. In 1798 he was elected justice of the peace for Ma- cungie and Weissenberg townships. He was married to Elizabeth Heintz, of Macungie, in 1800. He was sheriff of Northampton county in 1812, when Lehigh was set off, and a few years later studied law with a Mr. Cook and a

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Mr. Kaulbock, and was admitted to practice as an attorney of Lehigh county, Nov. 29, 1824. He resided during his early married life at Mil- lerstown and Freemansburg, but after his ad- mission to the bar removed to Allentown, and lived on Water Street. In 1829, Mr. Jarrett became clerk of the courts of Lehigh county. He died Nov. 4, 1830, at the age of fifty-eight years. His son Phaon was admitted to the bar of Lehigh county, September 4, 1835. He gradu- ated at West Point, and became a civil engineer.

John S. Gibbons was a prominent attorney of about the same period as Mr. Jarret. He was a native of New York State, born at Poughkeep- sie, July 11, 1802. He removed to Philadelphia before reaching his majority, and studied for his chosen profession with two prominent attorneys of that city. In 1824 he came to Allentown, and was immediately admitted to practice. He followed the profession until his death, March 12, 1851, with great success. During the greater part of that period his office was at 531 Hamil- ton Street. He was a man of more than or- dinary ability and of high character. From an obituary notice published in one of the local jour- nals we quote: "Clear, calm, courteous, prudent, and prompt, he was at all times a most able ad- vocate, a most formidable opponent, and when roused by a case, or an opposition that was worthy of his best efforts, he was an eloquent and powerful orator. A strict observer of pro- fessional honor and courtesy himself, he frowned indignantly on the petty artifices and low chi- canery that with some men pass for professional skill, and held in utter sovereign contempt both the acts and the actors of those degrading prac- tices."

He married, Feb. 6, 1825, Miss Sarah A. Rupp and had nine children.

Hon. Samuel A. Bridges, at his death the old- est member of the Lehigh bar, was born at Col- chester, Conn., Jan. 27, 1802. He secured an academic education in his native town, and grad- uated at Williamstown College in the year 1826. He later studied law, and in 1829 was admitted to practice in his native State. In u1830 he came to Pennsylvania, first locating at Easton, and thence going to Doylestown. He, however, liked neither place, and soon came to Allentown, and remained here up to the time of his death,-his admission to the bar of this county occuring Feb. 1, 1830. Being a good lawyer he soon gained an extensive and lucrative practice, as well as the good will of the people. Under the adminis- tration of Governor Porter he was appointed deputy attorney-general for Lehigh county in 1837, and held the office for seven years. On the 22d day of February, 1848, he was elected

to Congress to fill the unexpired term of Hon. John W. Hornbeck, an old-time Whig, who died soon after having taken his seat in 1847. During the session for which he was elected the Mexican war ended, and the American govern- ment having been successful, succeeded in the ac- quisition of the Territory of Texas. Many very important measures were brought before Congress, and in all of which Mr. Bridges took a prominent part. He returned from Congress March 4, 1849. Lehigh and Bucks were then united as a district, and Hon. Thomas Ross, of Bucks, was elected in 1848 and 1850, and in 1852, Lehigh being then entitled to the candi- date, Mr. Bridges was again elected, serving two years, from 1853 to 1855. After the expiration of his term he again vigorously and actively pur- sued the practice of his profession. But after a retirement of over twenty years from official life, he in 1876 was again elected to Congress, serving two years. His Congressional record throughout was a good one. A man of strong convictions of mind upon all subjects, and pos- sessed of the courage to boldly assert them at all times, it mattered not to him whether in the minority or majority, they were his views and always honestly given, and with such forensic power and strength of language as to carry great weight.

Mr. Bridges abandoned his law practice in 1880 and lived in retirement. He had long been the leading lawyer at the bar of this county, and his practice was large and highly remunerative. While in practice he devoted the whole force of his life to it. He was well read, and blended the analytical with the logical, and as an orator his style was picturesque and powerful. His de- votion to the cause of his clients was a distin- guishing feature of his character. Their cause was his cause, and the energy, force, and zeal with which he conducted all cases committed to his charge was the secret of his success as a law- yer. . In all his business transactions he was prudent and careful, prompt in the discharge of his obligations, and exacting the same prompt- ness from those with whom he had dealings. So- cially he was a pleasant and companionable man, always having a kind word for all whom he met. He was a man of cheerful disposition and of many kindnesses.

Mr. Bridges died Jan. 14, 1884. He was twice married. His first wife was Sarah Wil- son, the youngest daughter of James Wilson, a prominent and successful merchant of this city. She was a sister to John Wilson, Thomas Wil- son, James W. Wilson, Francis Wilson, Mrs. Chas. L. Hutter, and Mrs. Jos. K. Saeger. She died Jan. 7, 1863. One child, a son, was the issue

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of this marriage, but he died in infancy. His second wife, Miss Mary Martha Stopp, daugh- ter of the late Joseph Stopp, survived him. She married, Dec. 1, 1886, Chief Justice Edward M. Paxson. Judge Paxson died Oct. 12, 1905, and his widow died shortly after on November 3, 1905.

Of Peter Wycoff little can be authentically related, except the fact that he was born near Bound Brook, N. J., in 1808, studied law under Mr. McDowell, of Doylestown, was admitted to the bar of this county, Sept. 3, 1838, and died March 8, 1877. A few years, about the middle of his professional life, were passed in Philadelphia. He is remembered as an honest, upright man, a good office lawyer, and fairly successful in his profession. He married a daugh- ter of Gen. William Brown.

Robert Emmett Wright was born at Carlisle, Pa., Nov. 30, 1810. After attending for sev- eral years the school of Charles Wales in his native town, he entered the drug-store of John C. Baehr, in 1826. Two years later he came to Allentown and entered the employ of John B. Moser, with whom he remained until twenty- one years of age, when he went into the drug business for himself. But he had never cared particularly for this or any other line of mer- cantile life, and consequently he soon abandoned it and entered his name as a student of law, and upon Sept. 5, 1838, was admitted to practice. Almost immediately after taking up the duties of his profession he attained popularity, which was based upon his unselfish devotion to various public interests, as well as upon his generally rec- ognized professional ability and trustworthiness. Politically he was a Democrat. While not in any sense a place seeker, the possession of various fitting qualities led to his appointment to a num- ber of honorable and responsible stations, in all of which he proved himself more than adequate. He was twice appointed district attorney by At-, torney-General J. K. Kane, and was twice given the office of postmaster at Allentown. He acted as school director for twenty-three years, and few men did more than he for the advancement of the educational interests of the city, or, for that matter (though more indirectly), of the county. He also served two terms as burgess of Allentown. He was appointed a reporter of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania by Governor William Fisher Packer, and published the first Index Digest of the Supreme Court Reports.

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History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 45

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1158

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1158