The twentieth century bench and bar of Pennsylvania, volume I, Part 31

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Chicago, H. C. Cooper, jr., bro. & co.
Number of Pages: 1102

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In the fall of 1857 he entered the law

alfred Mando

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office of Hons. William and William H. Jes- sup, leading lawyers of Northeastern Penn- sylvania, at Montrose, Pa. Mr. Hland was admitted to the bar at Montrose, November 21, 1859. In May, 1860, he opened an office in Seranton in connection with the Jessups, the firm being known as Jessups & Hand, and at onee they aequired a busy and luera- tive practiee. On September 11, 1861, he married Anna, youngest daughter of Ilon. William Jessup. The fruit of this marriage was six children, all of whom are now living. In 1866 Mr. Hand formed a partnership in the practice of the law with Isaac J. Post. Mr. Post had read law in the same office and was graduated from the same college. On April 25, 1872, Mr. Hand's wife died. On che 26th of November, 1873, he married Helen E. Sanderson of Beloit, Wis., by whom he has had three children, two of whom are living. The partnership with Mr. Post eon- tinued until Mr. Hand was ealled to the beneh in March, 1879. He was then appoint- ed by Governor Hoyt to be judge in the Elev- enth judicial district, comprising the counties of Luzerne and Lackawanna. When Laeka- wanna county was formed into a separate judicial distriet under an act of Assembly, he was transferred to that district, and was subsequently eleeted judge for the term of ten years, from January, 1880. On the 31st of July, 1888, while holding the office of president judge of the Common Pleas, Gov- ernor Beaver appointed him to the office of justiee of the Supreme Court of Pennsyl- vania, for the unexpired term of Justice Trunkey, deceased. In his professional life Mr. Hand has had a large and strongly at- taehed clientage. His professional work was thorough, and his abilities were recognized by his fellow members of the bar. The many important cases intrusted to his eare, many of which are reported in the State Reports, are evidence of the extent of his practiee. As a judge, Mr. Hand was known as quick of apprehension, clear in his views,

independent and impartial in his action, me- thodical and industrious in his labors. IIis appointment to the Supreme Bench was a just recognition of his ability and judicial qualifieations. In politics Judge Hand has been a Republican from the organization of the party, beginning his open maintenance of its principles while in college. He has held these principles free from bigotry or partisanship, and was supported in his first candidacy for office by men of all parties. Hle has never been a candidate for any other than the judicial office.

With the local business, industrial and charitable organizations of Seranton, he has been closely identified and in the founda- tion of many of them, his assistance and counsel have been sought as that of a careful and successful business man. He was presi- dent of the Third National Bank from its formation in 1872, until he was called to the beneh. He has been for a number of years connected with the Lackawanna hospital, a recognized beneficiary of the state, both as president and director. He has been from its foundation the president of the Pennsyl- vania oral school for deaf mutes, located at Scranton, at its organization the only institu- tion of its kind in the state-and under his direction, handsome and commodious build- ings for the accommodation of the school have been erected. IIe was, for many years, a member of the board of trustees of Lafay- ette college. He has been since its founda- tion, president of the Scranton publie library, his advice and counsel having been sought by Mr. J. J. Albright in connection with the gift and transfer by the latter to the city of Seranton of the handsome building known as the Albright Memorial Library.

To the organized charities of Scranton, lie has always been a liberal contributor, but his benefaetions have not been confined to local objeets and purposes. In his religious views, Judge Hand is a Presbyterian. He has been an elder in the First Presbyterian

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church of Scranton since 1866. He has rep- resented the presbytery of Lackawanna sev- eral times in the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, and has served on im- portant committees in connection with that body.

In the foundation and early history of Lackawanna county, he took a prominent part, and in the ereetion of the eounty build- ings which took place during his judicial term, he was of great service. As a public speaker. Judge Hand has had considerable reputation. He has been called upon numer- ous times in local history to deliver important addresses, and is recognized to be a. foreible, polished and eloquent speaker.

Since Judge Hand's retirement from the bench, in 1889, he has been engaged in the practice of the law, aeting principally as counsel for large corporate interests. (Sketch by Wm. J. Hand.)

Hon. Robert W. Archibald was born in Carbondale, then a part of Luzerne county, September 10, 1848. The father of our sub- ject, James Archibald, was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, and eame to Carbondale in 1828 and soon afterwards was made superintend- ent of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Con- pany's works there. When Carbondale be- came a city, in 1851, he was chosen as first mayor, and for five years was retained in that office unopposed. In 1857 he removed with his family to Scranton, where he became general agent and later chief engineer for the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. With that company he continued until his death in 1870.

The mother of our subjeet was the daugh- ter of Major Thomas Frothingham, of the Continental army, who was a native of Charleston, Mass. At the time the family moved to Scranton, Judge Arehibald was in his ninth year and he has therefore been identified from boyhood with the history and progress of this place. In youth, he was given excellent educational advantages-his

tastes led him to decide to become a civil engineer, and with that object in view he spent two years with an engineering corps in the field prospeeting for a railroad from Wilkes-Barre to Stroudsburg. However, he relinquished his idea of entering that pro- fession and prepared for college at the Flus'ı- ing, Long Island, institute, later entering Yale as a freshman in 1867, graduating four years later with high honors. In the fall of 1877 our subject began the study of law in Scranton with the firm of IIand & Past. In 1873 he was admitted to the practice of law and for the ensuing ten years continued to pursue professional duties at Scranton. In 1883 he was named by the Republicans for city solicitor and after a close canvass was defeated before the eouneils by I. II. Burns, but Judge Archibald was elected by a ma- jority of two thousand. In January, 1885, he took his seat on the beneh as additional law judge. August 1, 1888, he became president judge, which position he filled for many years. Twiee his deeisions have been taken before the United States supreme court and there fully sustained and his rulings have al- ways been accepted by the Pennsylvania su- preme court. In 1894, after 10 years of serv- ice on the beneh of common pleas, he was nominated and eleeted to a second term by a large majority. In 1895 he took part in the contested eleetion of Judge Dunham, president judge of the Forty-fourth judicial distriet, composed of Wyoming and Sulli- van eounties, Judge Rice of Wilkes-Barre and Judge Searles of Montrose making up the special. By the promotion of Judge Rice to the superior court, Judge Archibald was left at the head of this court and thus took an important part in the final disposi- tion of it.

Judge Arehibald was elevated to the bench of the United States district court. Marchi 29. 1901, which position he now fills. (By the publishers.)

Cornelius Comegys was born October 25,

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1858, at Greensboro, Md., and is a son of Dr. Henry C. and Helen A. Comegys. The sub- ject of this sketch graduated at St. John's college, Annapolis, Md., in the class of 1877. He read law in the office of Edward Ridgley at Dover, Del., and was admitted to the bar of Caroline county, Maryland, on the 3d of April, 1822. He came to Scranton May 15, 1883, and was admitted to the bar of Lacka- wanna county, October term, 1883. He served as assistant district attorney for five years, during which many important cases were tried by him, two of the most notable being Commonwealth v. White and Common- wealth 1. Tiffany, in which convictions were secured mainly by the eloquent pleas of Mr. Comegys. He afterwards took up civil prac- tice in which he has been successful in a number of important matters, notably the cases of E. B. Sturges v. The City of Scran- ton, and the Dime Deposit & Discount Bank v. same defendant. His recent success was in securing the acquittal of Josephine Beve- loqua on the charge of murder. There are few men who can present a case more forci- bly to a jury. He is attorney for the Dime Deposit & Discount Bank, the North Scran- ton Bank and other corporations. He was at one time a member of the Thirteenth'Regi- ment of the National Guard of Pennsylvania. He is an active Democrat in politics, and dis- tinguished as a public speaker. He mar- ried in 1889 Miss Sarah J. Bevan, by whom le has two children.

Joseph O'Brien, who is one of the most prominent and influential lawyers of his city, is a native of the borough of Winton, Lu- zerne county, Pennsylvania, and was born April 6, 1861, to Michael and Ann (Burke) O'Brien. The father, a native of County Antrim, Ircland, emigrated to the United States and settled in Boston, where he mar- ried, and thence moved to Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, where he was engaged as a miner. The mother, a native of County Mayo, Ireland, also came to the United

States and settled at Boston. Our subject's grandparents on both his father's and moth- er's side, lived and died in Ireland. His maternal grandfather was Edward Burke.

Joseph lived at his home during his boy- hood. His father was killed when he was two and a half years old, the father's em- ployment at that time being a miner at Oly- phant, Pa. The father left surviving him a large family of nine young children, and on that account Joseph was obliged to go to work at an early age to support himself and the family. He continued to work about the coal mine until he was seventeen years old, improving his time by studying at home and attending the public schools of Lackawanna county. By the time he reached the age of seventeen years he had acquired a fair English education. He then abandoned the mine and for five years taught school, receiving private tuition in the meantime from Rev. P. A. O'Rorke, of Olyphant, now deceased. Soon after attaining his majority young O'Brien took up the study of law in the office of John F. Connelly, then district attorney of Lackawanna county, and after- wards judge of the Common Pleas Court. On April 1st, 1885, he was admitted to the bar at Scranton, and at once began his prac- tice alone, and in the year 1889 formed with Mr. John P. Kelly a co-partnership, which continued until 1900, when Mr. Kelly was elected judge. During the co-partnership of O'Brien & Kelly they had a very extensive practice, making a specialty of personal in- jury and criminal cases, in which they have achieved most gratifying success. Probably the most important case was that of John T. Martin against the Delaware & Hudson Railroad company which resulted in the largest verdict ever rendered in Penn- sylvania for personal injuries.

Mr. O'Brien, before he arrived at the age of forty years, had appeared in some forty murder cases in his county. He has not only a thorough knowledge of the law, but also

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has a ready, forceful and fluent command of English, and is noted as one of the most skillful and eonvineing trial lawyers and ad- vocates in this section of the state, and is regarded as one of the hardest and best fighters at the bar. He is one of the leading Demoerats of this eounty, and in 1896 was a delegate to the National Democratie eon- vention at Chieago. He has never sought nor held politieal offiee, but finds from the faithful discharge of his professional duties ample scope for the exereise of his talents and the gratification of his highest ambi- tions.

Mr. O'Brien is a director of the County Savings Bank and Trust Company, and the Title Guarantee & Trust Company, of Seran- ton.

On September 11, 1888, he married Miss Kate Crossen, a daughter of Mr. James Crossen. Mrs. O'Brien is an aceomplished woman and was one of the leading voealists of Seranton. They have one son, Robert, and one daughter, Helen. (Sketeh by the publishers.)

George L. Peck, the subject of this sketeh, was born in Susquehanna, Pa., on the 12th of February, 1869, to Rev. Dr. Luther W. and Sarah M. (Gibbons) Peek. He was edu- eated at Whitney's Point academy, Oxford academy, Cazenovia seminary, New York, and Wesleyan university, Middletown, Conn. He came to Seranton, entered the law office of Cornelius Comegys and was admitted to the bar of Laekawanna eounty the 10th of April, 1893. He opened an office in Scranton and formed a partnership with Robert Peek. Mr. Peek has had seven years' serviees in Company A, Thirteenth regiment, N. G. P. On the 10th of September, 1896, he was mar- ried to Helen A. Mott.

James Gardner Sanderson is a son of George Sanderson, whose sketch is found elsewhere, and a grandson of George San- derson, Sr., one of the early Scranton set- tlers, who had much to do with the de-

velopment of the city. Ilis mother's maiden name was Lucy R. Jackson. He was born March 22, 1876, and was educated at the school of the Lackawanna and at Cornell university. He was a student in the Chieago College of Law and in the offices of McCurdy & Job, Chicago, Ill., where he was admitted to the bar in 1897. He returned to Seran- ton and was admitted to the Laekawanna bar in 1899. In eases in which he has ap- peared in court he has shown marked ability as a pleader. His contributions to several magazines and as the author of "Cornell Stories" shows literary talent of a high or- der. On the 20th of December, 1900, he married Beatriee B., daughter of Professor Tyler of Cornell university.

Charles B. Little came to Seranton from Tunkhannock, Pa., where he was born Sep- tember 9, 1875, to Clarence A. and Georgia (Loderiek) Little. He was edueated in the public sehools and read law in the offiees of W. E. & C. A. Little in Wyoming county, where he was admitted to the bar in April, 1897. He beeame a member of the Laeka- wanna eounty bar May 24, 1897, where he is now praetieing his profession.

John Morgan Harris is a native of Gla- morganshire, Wales, born in 1861, of Mor- gan J. and Ann Price Harris. His parents eame to Ameriea the same year. His father beeame foreman of one of the Delaware, Laekawanna & Western mines and his son in boyhood was engaged in various eapaei- ties about the mines. In 1879 he was a stu- dent in Wyoming seminary, afterwards graduated at the Seranton high school in the class of '81. He then entered Prineeton university, and graduated with honors in 1885. He began the study of law with James H. Heverin of Philadelphia, afterwards eame to Scranton and registered with Hon. H. M. Edwards. At the time of his admis- sion to the bar, which oceurred in 1887, he was with W. H. Jessup. Soon after he was admitted, he was appointed assistant eor-

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poration clerk at Harrisburg. At the end of the term he resumed practice at Scranton, and was assistant district attorney under John R. Jones. Mr. Harris has made himself prominent in the efforts being made to ele- vate the standard of qualifications for admis- sion to the bar, and was uamed by the su- preme court as a member of the state board of examiners. Among the important cases in which he has been interested, is The Boro of Taylor vs. the Postal Telegraph Co., which has been before the high courts of the state, and is now on the calendar of the United State supreme court for argument. Mr. Harris is a Republican, and is in great de- mand in political campaigns as an eloquent and impressive speaker.

Michael J. Ruddy was born in Scranton, Pa., in 1875, son of Thomas Ruddy, a well known merchant. He is a graduate of Holy Cross college, Worcester, Mass. He com- pleted his law studies at the Dickinson Law school, Carlisle, and was admitted to prac- tice in the courts of Lackawanna county in 1896. In 1901 he was elected an alderman of the Sixteenth ward of Scranton, and is fulfilling the duties of the office with com- mendable discretion.

Charles Dupont Breck, son of William and Gabriella (Dupont) Breck, was born in Delaware May 18, 1840. He attended the private schools in Delaware, and later en- tered Union college, Schenectady, N. Y., and was graduated therefrom in 1859. He stud- ied law with Victor Dupont at Wihnington, Del., and in the fall of 1859 went to Scran- ton, and entered the office of Hon. E. N. Wil- lard, where he completed his studies and was admitted to the bar in 1861. The next year he formed a partnership with George Sanderson, Sr., which continued for ten years, when he formed with E. C. Dimmick, and H. B. Reynolds, the firm of Dimmick, Breck & Reynolds, but for the past few years he has been in practice alone.

A gold standard Democrat, he was the

first city controller of Scranton, and for many years has been connected with many of the large manufacturing enterprises, banks, and other corporate institutions.

Hon. Michael E. McDonald, the subject of this sketch, was born in Ilowley, Wayne county, Pennsylvania, September 26, 1858. In 1864 he moved with his parents to Dun- more, Luzerne county (now Lackawanna), and resided there until 1893, when he estab- lislied a residence in the city of Scranton. He received his early education in the public schools of Dunmore, and subsequently com- pleted his education in Wyoming seminary. In 1881 he registered as a law student in the office of Hon. Lemuel Ammerman, under whose instruction he acquired a knowledge of the law, and in October, 1883, was ad- mitted to practice in the several courts of Lackawanna county; in 1886 he secured admission to the supreme court of the state and also to the United States circuit court. Since his admission to the bar he has con- ducted a general law practice, and is now actively engaged in the performance of his professional duties as an attorney and coun- selor at law.

Early in life, Mr. McDonald manifested an ambition and natural adaptability for poli- tics. He was elected borough auditor on at- taining his majority, and in the performance of his duties during a period of three years, he evinced those traits of character and ster- ling qualities as a public official, which have marked his political career in every office of public trust to which he has since been elected.

In 1884 he was elected school director and served three years, two of which he acted in the capacity of president of the board. He was nominated in 1886 by the Democratic county convention of the Eighth legislative district of Luzerne county, as a candidate for representative, and in the general elec- tion that followed, defeated his opponent by a large majority. In 1888 he was re-elected

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for the same office in the Fourth legislative distriet of Laekawanna connty, which was organized by the apportionment of 1887, and in 1890 was selceted as a eandidate for sen- ator, and as leader of the Democratic forees in the Twentieth senatorial distriet, he was snecessfully elceted after a hard fonght eam- . paign.

In 1883 he was appointed by the court as auditor of the Scranton poor distriet, in which capacity he served very successfully and satisfactorily during a period of three years. He was selceted solicitor for the bor- ough of Dunmore, and served in that eapae- ity during a period of six years.

During his legislative eareer in the sessions of 1887, 1889, 1891 and 1893, Mr. MeDonald was conspicuously associated with the most important committees of both the lower and upper branches of the legislature; he served on the appropriations, railroads, mines and mining, judiciary general, judiciary spceial, corporations, municipal corporations and election committees with marked ability, evineing a deeided taste for all the details of legislative activity. By tireless work and persistent labor, he secured the passage of a bill providing for the establishment of an additional law judge in Lackawanna coun- ty, thus increasing the number of judges learned in the law to three instead of two. He was especially active in securing ap- propriations for Lackawanna hospital, the Oral school, Carbondale hospital, Miners hospital at Pittston and the publie schools. The passage of the mechanics' lien law, ex- tending to the laborer and mechanic equal rights with the material men, was largely the result of his personal efforts. The em- ployer's liability bill was introduced by him in two sessions. Several important bills of spceial note to the inhabitants of the bor- oughs of the state were introduced by him and enacted into organic law of the state. He was a delegate to the State Democratic eonvention in 1882, at which Robert E. Pat-

terson was nominated as the Democratie standard-bearer for the office of governor. During the following year, he served as a member of the state central committee, and subsequently has served for several years as a member of the county eommittec. In ad- dition to his manifold duties as a publie officer and professional practitioner, he has also taken aetive interest in the establish- ment of industrial enterprises in Seranton. He is eonspienously identified with several charitable and benevolent associations.

He married in the eity of Scranton No- vember 23, 1892, Miss Martha S. Mellon, daughter of Edward Mellon. They have two sons-Randal and Maurice, and one daughter, Janet. (Sketch by Richard B. Twiss.)

Hon. Henry Alonzo Knapp, who ranks among the suceessful and influential mein- bers of the Seranton bar, was born July 24, 1851, in the town of Barker, Broome eounty, New York, the son of Peter and Cornelia Eveline (Nash) Knapp, both na- tives of the Empire State, the former a sne- eessful farmer and prominent citizen.

Peter was the son of Henry and Anne (Harris) Knapp, who came to Broome eounty from Dutchess county in the same state in, 1817.

On his mother's side the subject of this sketch is the grandson of Rufus Nash, a native of Connecticut who emigrated to New York in 1820, and Rufus was a lineal descendant, in the sixth generation, of Ed- ward Nash, who came from England in 1632 and became one of the founders of Stan- ford, Conn.

Henry's boyhood life was somewhat varied; he left the farm at the early age of nine years and for the most part for several years thereafter made his home with his unele, S. M. Nash, who in 1860 was eon- ductor of one of the two passenger trains on the Laekawanna railroad. Henry very early started on a business career by selling

HenryA Knapp

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newspapers and other commodities on the train. Later he attended the Binghamton academy and in 1873 began the study of law with Judge Handley at Scranton.

Entering the bar in 1875 he formed a partnership with Edward Merrifield, Esq., under the firm name of Merrifield & Knapp and continued that relation several years, and then carried on practice in his own name until 1892, with the exception of one year when he served as a judge of the several courts of Lackawanna county, by appoint- ment of Governor Beaver.

In 1892 he formed a law partnership with Hon. E. N. Willard and Everett War- ren, Esq., under the title of Willard, War- ren & Knapp, which has continued to the present time, except that during the time Judge Willard was on the bench of the su- perior court the firm name was Warren & Knapp.

From 1890 to 1900 Judge Knapp was county solicitor of Lackawanna county, and from 1889 to 1898 he was also solicitor of the Scranton school district.

The firm of which he is a member is the counsel of many corporations and his prac- tice in recent years has been mostly taken up with corporation matters, largely in con- sultation and office work, although occa- sionally in the trial of cases in the common pleas.

Judge Knapp has had a leading part in various business enterprises, and in matters of public interest has been prominent and conspicuous.

In 1877 he was a leading spirit in the or- ganization of Company A, one of the four military companies recruited during the labor troubles of that year, and was chosen first lieutenant of the company and a year later succeeded Captain Bryson as captain. Later he was appointed judge advocate on the staff of General Gobin with rank of major. He was connected with the National

Guard until his appointment to the bench in 1887, when he resigned.

For nearly twenty-five years past he has been chairman of the Advisory Board of the Home for the Friendless; and for sev- eral years has been a director of the Board of Associated Charities; he is also a director of the Scranton Hospital for Consumptives, and his legal services have been sought and freely extended to these and other charit- able institutions, who have found in him a valued and useful friend.

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The twentieth century bench and bar of Pennsylvania, volume I, Part 31

Author: Publication date: 1903 Publisher: Chicago, H. C. Cooper, jr., bro. & co. Number of Pages: 1102

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Chicago, H. C. Cooper, jr., bro. & co.
Number of Pages: 1102