USA > Pennsylvania > The twentieth century bench and bar of Pennsylvania, volume I > Part 61
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LYCOMING COUNTY
417
He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and in religions affiliations is a Lutheran.
In 1870, at Williamsport, Mr. Hill mar- ried Miss Catherine Weise, daughter of Mr. Henry Weise, of Hagerstown, Md. They have five ehildren: H. Russell, who was
associated with his father in the law prac- tice ; George II., chief electrician of Sprague Eleetrie company, of New York; Leila, who lives at home; Robert C., connected with West Braneh bank, and Frederick W.
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THE BENCH AND BAR OF PENNSYLVANIA
FOREST COUNTY
The first court of Forest county was held at the school house, Marienville, on the third Monday in December, 1857, Judge John S. MeCalmont presiding, with Cyrus Blood and Milton Courtright, associate judges. W. P. Jenks, Lorenzo D. Rogers and B. F. Lueas were admitted to the bar, Thomas B. Mays was appointed crier, and William Walton tipstaff. On December 21, the rules of the Jefferson county court were adopted, and eourt adjourned until February, 1858. Very few transactions were recorded in 1859, but in May, 1860, Commissioners Andrew Cook, Thomas Porter and A. L. Seigworth were en- joined against executing the eontraet of De- eember 22, 1858, with B. Dobbs and J. M. Lyle for the ereetion of county buildings outside the town of Marienville. The first session of eourt held at Tionesta was opened February 25, 1867, by Judge James Camp- bell with W. R. Coon and John G. Brandon, associate judges. A number of attorneys were admitted at this term.
The lawyers admitted to the bar of Forest eounty from Deeember, 1857, to May, 1889, numbered about one hundred and seventy.
C. Mckay Agnew, son of J. B. Agnew, was admitted to praetiee in the February term of 1890, on motion of S. D. Irwin, president
of the board of examiners. He passed a very creditable examination.
In November, 1884, the Forest Bar asso- eiation was organized with S. D. Irwin, president, and P. M. Clark, secretary. The offieers named were then resident attorneys of the county.
Many important eivil suits have been be- gun before the Forest county eourts, such as the suits in-re title to oil territory, and some heavy eriminal eases tried here. In Septem- ber, 1871, Matthew Turner was tried for murder before Judge Wetmore. In 1886 Ed. S. Walton was tried for murder before Judge Brown.
In November, 1884, the eurtain dropped on the last seene of the celebrated Ford and Laey case, which first eame into prominence in May, 1883, when Judge William D. Brown presided. Several murder eases were tried by Judge Brown during his serviee on the beneh, especially during the deeade of 1880 to 1890. Judge Brown was sueeeeded in 1891 by Hon. Charles H. Noyes, of Warren, who in turn was sueeeeded by Hon. Wilton M. Lindsey, of Warren, in 1898. (Biograph- ieal sketehes of these judges will be found in Warren county.)
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419
JUNIATA COUNTY
1
JUNIATA COUNTY
BY ANDREW BANKS
Hon. Calvin Blythe .- The first court held within the present county of Juniata con- vened at Mifflintown, on the 5th day of De- cember, 1831. At this court the Hon. Calvin Blythe was the president judge. Mr. Blythe was not a native of Juniata, having been born in Adams county, Pennsylvania. His connection with this bar seems to have in- cluded only a service as its president judge from December 5, 1831, to September, 1835.
Hon. John Reed succeeded the Hon. Calvin Blythe on the bench, and, like his predeces- sor, he was not a native of Juniata county, having come here from the county of West- moreland. He discharged the duties of the position until February 7, 1839. After retir- ing from the bench he continued to practice in the courts of this and several adjoining counties until his death.
Hon. Samuel Hepburn presided over the courts of Juniata for a period of ten years, beginning on the 2nd day of February, 1839. At the close of his term he resumed the prac- tice of his profession.
Hon. Frederick Watts succeeded Judge Hepburn. He was appointed to the position by Governor W. F. Johnson, 17th of March, 1849. He continued to discharge the duties of the office until the fall of 1851, when he was defeated in his contest with Mr. Gra- ham.
Hon. James H. Graham was the first of our judges under the election system. His op- ponent for the position was the Hon. Fred- erick Watts. Judge Graham was elected on the 6th day of October, 1851. He succeeded himself, having again defeated his old op- ponent, Judge Watts. At the expiration of
his second term he located in Pittsburg for the practice of law.
Hon. Benjamin F. Junkin succeeded Judge Graham. He was elected in 1871 and served a term of ten years. At the close of his termi he entered into the active practice of his pro- fession at New Bloomfield, in Perry county, Pennsylvania, where he still resides.
Hon. Charles A. Barnett succeeded Judge Junkin and presided over the courts of the Forty-first judicial district, composed of the counties of Perry and Juniata, from 1881 to 1891. Like his predecessor in the office, he retired from the bench to resume the prac- tice at New Bloomfield, Perry county, and the history of that county will likely give more in detail the story of the lives of these distinguished jurists.
Hon. Jeremiah Lyons .- In the fall of 1891 four candidates aspired to the office of the judgeship of the Forty-first judicial district. The Hon. Jeremiah Lyons was the successful candidate. Prior to his elevation to the bench he had been engaged in the practice of his profession at Mifflintown. He was the first one of the judges of this court whose term of office was interrupted by death. For nine years he performed his judicial duties with fidelity, and then while on a visit to Philadelphia, he suffered a stroke of apo- plexy from which death resulted.
Hon. Louis E. Atkinson was born April 16, 1841, to Adam HI. and Mary M., daughter of General Louis Evans, near Thompsontown, Juniata county, Pennsylvania. He gradu- ated at the medical department of the Uni- versity of the City of New York, on March 4. 1861. Returning to Pennsylvania, he suc-
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THE BENCH AND BAR OF PENNSYLVANIA
cessfully passed an examination for the posi- tion of assistant surgeon of Pennsylvania Volunteers, but was refused a commission because he was not yet twenty-one years old. On September 5, 1861, he enlisted in the reg- ular army as hospital steward, and was as- signed to duty in the general hospital at Bal- timore, Md. He served there until January, 1863, when he was promoted to the position of assistant surgeon of Pennsylvania Volun- tecrs and assigned to the First regiment of Pennsylvania Reserve Cavalry for duty. This regiment was then commanded by Col- onel Owen Jones, but he resigned soon after- wards and was succeeded by General John P. Taylor, late commander of the Depart- ment of Pennsylvania G. A. R.
Assistant Surgeon Atkinson served with his regiment until September, 1864, when the command was mustered out by reason of the expiration of the term of its service. He then returned home and passed his examina- tion for promotion to surgeon of Pennsyl- vania Volunteers, and was assigned to duty with the One Hundred and Eighty-eighth Pennsylvania Infantry Volunteers, com- manded by Colonel S. Irvin Givin, who has since been department commander of the G. A. R. of Pennsylvania. Surgeon Atkinson served with this regiment until it was mus- tered out on December 14, 1865. Before his muster out, he was seized with camp fever and rheumatism, from which he was dis- abled, and has been compelled to use crutches ever since.
While with the above named regiments, Doctor Atkinson participated in the cam- paigns of 1863, 1864 and 1865, in the field, performing the duties of his position faith- fully and to the satisfaction of his superior officers.
On his return from the military service he was unable to practice medicine because of his disability contracted in the army, and then engaged in the study of law, with Ezra D. Parker, of Mifflintown. He was admit-
ted to the bar of Juniata county in Septem- ber, 1870, and has since been engaged in a successful practice. He was at one time in partnership with George Jacobs, deceased, and now a partner of F. M. Pennell.
In 1882 Mr. Atkinson was elected to Con- gress from the Eighteenth district of Penn- sylvania and served for ten years, having been five times elected in a district which was regarded as very doubtful, politically, at the time of his nomination. His last term in Congress expired March 4, 1893. Mr. Atkinson is a Republican in politics. Since 1893 he has been actively engaged in the practice of law and in advancing the inter- ests of his town. He has served for many years as director of the Mifflintown and Pat- terson water companies, and president and as director of the Juniata Valley National bank, vice president of the First National bank of New Bloomfield, and solicitor of the Pennsylvania Railroad company for the Sixth solicitor's district of Pennsylvania. He was the first commander of Lieutenant David H. Wilson Post No. 134, G. A. R. of Mifflin- town, and has been connected with the Grand Army of the Republic ever since the estab- lishment of that post. He was appointed judge of the Forty-first district in 1901, by Governor Stone. His term expired in 1902.
Mr. Atkinson is a Mason and an Odd Fel- low. He was married April, 1878, to Mar- garet E., daughter of Hon. James Mathers, deceased.
Hon. James W. Shull is the present incum- bent. He read law in Perry county and prac- ticed his profession at New Bloomfield, the county seat of that county, and in the legal history of that place the proper mention of him may be found.
THE BAR.
James Mathers was born in Cumberland county on January 21, 1803, and was ad- mitted to the bar of Mifflin county in 1827. When Juniata county was struck off of
LOUIS E. ATKINSON.
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JUNIATA COUNTY
Mifflin he moved to Mifflintown and located there for the practice of the law. He died on October 5, 1850, in the forty-eighth year of his age.
Hon. Andrew Parker .- Like Mr. Mathers, Mr. Parker was born in Cumberland county. After receiving a college education, he stud- ied law at Carlisle, Pa., and was admitted to the bar there in 1826. Subsequently he moved to Lewistown and afterwards to Mif- flintown, where for many years he was the leading lawyer. His services as an attorney were in demand until his death, which oc- curred January 15, 1864.
Charles W. Kelso .-- At the time of the for- mation of Juniata county from part of Mif- flin county, Mr. Kelso removed to Mifflin- town, the new county seat and located there. After a few years he went to Erie, Pa., where he died.
Samuel McDowell, was another of those who came from Mifflin county at the forma- tion of Juniata. He was engaged in the newspaper business along with the law, but, after some years here, he returned to Mif- flin county and died there.
Jacob A. Christy was a native of Juniata county. He was born here, spent the years of a long life here, died and is buried here. He was a lawyer who cared little for the court room, but enjoyed the more quiet prac- tice of the office.
Edmund Southard Doty was born at Mif-, flintown August 22, 1815, and died at the same place on December 24, 1884. He was regarded as one of the ablest lawyers at the bar, and enjoyed a large and lucrative practice.
John H. Mathers was born at Mifflintown and was admitted to the bar here. After a few years he removed to Sidney, Ohio, where he died.
D. C. Chambers located in Mifflintown in the year 1858, and was elected district attor- ney of the county. Subsequently he left the county and went to Philadelphia, Pa.
Ezra D. Parker was the son of Andrew Parker, and studied law in the office of his father. He sustained the reputation which his father had acquired, and was recognized as an attorney of ability and an eloquent speaker.
Alexander Harris was a native of this county, and studied law under Edmund S. Doty. After his admission to the bar, he re- moved to Lancaster, where he continued to practice his profession.
Alexander K. McClure read law here and at the same time edited the "Juniata Sen- tinel." He left this place many years ago, and has since acquired a national reputation as the editor of the Philadelphia Times.
William M. Allison was born in Scotland, but was brought to this town when he was but a boy. He was admitted to the bar Sep- tember 4, 1860. His attention was not given exclusively to his profession, but part of his time was given to editing the "Juniata Herald," a weekly paper published in this county.
William C. Adams was admitted to this bar in 1856; remained in the county a few years and then moved to Philadelphia.
Alfred J. Patterson was born November 21, 1837; graduated from Jefferson college in 1856. He read law with Andrew Parker, and was admitted to the bar in December, 1861. He was a careful practitioner and soon gained the confidence of a large client- age and held it until the day of his death.
John A. Millikin was admitted to this bar in 1861, but soon removed to Wellington, Sumner county, Kansas.
George W. McPherran was a law student under Andrew Parker. He was admitted to the bar in 1863, and soon thereafter removed . to Philadelphia.
James C. Doty was the eldest son of Ed- mund S. Doty, and studied law in the office of his father, and was admitted to the bar of Juniata county ; practiced at Mifflintown for a number of years ; subsequently removed
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THE BENCH AND BAR OF PENNSYLVANIA
to Pittsburgh, and there acquired an exten- sive practice prior to his deatlı.
E. C. Stewart was a native of Juniata county and was admitted to this bar; but after practicing law for a few years, aban- doned it and became a Methodist Episcopal minister. He died when still a young man on March 8, 1873.
Hon. L. C. Adams became a member of the Juniata county bar in 1868. He removed to Rock Island, Ill., where he located for the practice of his profession.
George A. Botdorf .- After being admitted to this bar, Mr. Botdorf removed to Free- burg, Snyder county, Pennsylvania, and there continued in the practice of the law.
Hon. Joseph M. McClure was another of the many law students of Edmund S. Doty. On being admited to this bar, he removed to Harrisburg, and later to Bradford, Pa.
John T. Nourse was admitted to our bar in 1874, having previously been admitted to practiec in the courts of Philadelphia. He gave up the praetiee in a short while and followed the avocation of a farmer.
D. D. Stone was in the prime of his man- hood when he came to Mifflintown in 1874 and was admitted to the bar. After a few years he removed to Washington, D. C., and engaged in the real estate business.
John L. McGeehan was a law student in the office of Jeremiah Lyons, but soon after his admission to the bar, he abandoned the law and became a Presbyterian minister.
W. S. Wilson studied law in this county, and was admitted here, but immediately re- moved to Pittsburgh and there practiced his profession.
George Jacobs was a native of this place; read law with Ezra D. Parker, and was ad- mitted to this bar. He was a young man possessed of oratorical ability, but death overtook him in early life.
Herman H. North was admitted to this bar, but never engaged actively in the prac- tice here. He followed his profession for a
few years in Huntingdon, and then removed to Bradford, Pa., where he now resides.
E. S. Doty, Jr., was admitted to the Juni- ata bar and remained here for but a few years, when he removed to Bedford, where he still remains.
Hon. L. W. Doty .- Another of the sons of Edmund S. Doty, after his admission to the bar, removed to Philadelphia, and after- wards to Greensburg, Pa., where he is now serving his second term as president judge.
Ezra C. Doty was born in Mifflintown, ed- ueated at La Fayette college, and admitted to practice at the bar of Juniata county. He never entered actively into the practice, and is now the eashier of the First National bank of Mifflintown.
Brodie I. Crawford prepared himself for the study of law by taking a course at Prineeton college. He was subsequently ad- mitted to the bar of his native county, but death claimed him and brought to an untime- ly end what promised to be a brilliant eareer.
Albert Robison was admitted to this bar in 1876, but afterwards moved away and is now deceased.
Mason Irvin read law with Ezra D. Park- er, remained at Mifflintown for a few years after his admission and then removed to the state of Washington, where he has been honored with a judgeship.
Jacob Beidler was a man of mature years when he was admitted to the bar; le prac- tieed but a short time when death overtook him in 1885.
J. Sargeant Ross, immediately after his admission to this bar settled in York, Pa., where he still resides.
J. Frank Stoner was admitted on the 12th day of June, 1888, and engaged for a short time in practice in Mifflintown. Subse- quently he removed to Washington, D. C., and died there.
J. Banks Kurtz .- On being admitted to the bar, Mr. Kurtz removed to Altoona, Pa., and is still there practicing law.
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JUNIATA COUNTY
R. Frank Elliott became a member of the bar of Juniata county on December 2, 1889. Shortly after being admitted he entered into the employ of the pension department and removed from the county.
B. L. Shuman was a native of Juniata county and was admitted to the bar Septem- ber, 6, 1893. He practiced in his native county for a few years and then removed to North Dakota, where he still continues to practice his profession.
Alton G. Schall graduated from the Al- bany law school and was then admitted to the bar. He never entered actively into the practice of his profession, and while he still resides at Mifflintown, his attention is di- rected to other lines of business.
James M. Sharon studied law with Jere- miah Lyons and was admitted, but at once removed to Newport, Perry county, where he still resides.
Darwin L. Detra became a full fledged lawyer June 9, 1896. He opened an office in Newport, Perry county, Pennsylvania, and continued there until his death.
George J. Parker is a native of Juniata county, and was admitted to practice Sep- tember 4, 1893. He contined here for several years, then removed to Media, Delaware
county, Pennsylvania, where he may still be found.
Samuel I. Stoner, after his admission, July 3, 1896, located in Altoona, Pa., and is now there engaged in the practice of the law.
Austin J. Calhoun was admitted to the bar September 3, 1900. He removed to Ten- nessee, and is still there practicing his pro- fession.
The foregoing list is a comparatively ac- curate representation of the admissions to the bar of Juniata county of attorneys who are not now located here in the practice of their profession, but who, since their admis- sion, have either died, located elsewhere or sought out other lines of business. A list of those still here and actively engaged in their profession, with the dates of their ad- mission is as follows :
Robert McMeen, September, 1867; Louis E. Atkinson, September, 1870; F. M. M. Pen- nell, September, 1885; J. Howard Neely, July, 1886; J. N. Keller, December, 1888; B. F. Burchfield, September, 1871; Will L. Hoopes, April, 1890; George L. Hower, September, 1890; Wilburforce Scheveyer, September, 1889; Andrew Banks, December, 1891; John J. Patterson, Jr., December, 1891; Charles B. Crawford, May, 1894; Joseph E. Nirmond, December, 1899.
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424
THE BENCH AND BAR OF PENNSYLVANIA
MIFFLIN COUNTY
BY RICHARD B. TWISS
Mifflin county was organized under an act of General Assembly enacted Septem- ber 19, 1789. The same act provided that the justices of the peace then commis- sioned and residing in the county should be justices of the peace for the county during the term of their commission, and authority was given to them or any three of them to hold courts of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace. The Common Pleas justices, also, or any three or more of them, were empowered to hold Common Pleas Courts in the county during the time for which they were commissioned. And all of said courts were invested with like powers and jurisdictions as other courts of the same character in other counties of the state. The beginning of the terms of the Common Pleas Courts were fixed for the second Tuesday of December, March, June and September of each year, and that of the Quarter Sessions Courts for the day next following. And it was further provided that said courts should be held in the home of Arthur Buchanan until the court house, also provided for, should be erected.
The same act also invested the justices of the Supreme Court of the State, and of the Oyer and Terminer and Jail Delivery Courts with like authority and jurisdiction within Mifflin county as in other counties of the state.
Organized as provided in this act, the first Common Pleas Court was held at the time, December 8, 1789, and place specified, and was presided over by William Brown, his as- sociates being James Burns, William McCoy and William Bell, who also opened and held
the first court of Quarter Sessions, on March 8, 1790. This order conducting the courts of Mifflin county was continued until the close of the year 1791.
During that ycar, on April 13, the General Assembly enacted a law dividing the state into five judicial districts, Cumberland, Franklin, Bedford, Huntingdon and Mifflin counties comprising the Fourth district. On re-districting the state in 1813, Mifflin county and Union, organized that year, were made the Twentieth district, and this division con- tinued until 1855, when Snyder county was organized and added to the district, which was not again changed until 1874, when the state was again re-districted.
By this act of 1791 provision was made for the appointment by the governor of a president judge and associate judges for the Common Pleas Courts in the several circuits of the state, and investing them with juris- dictions and powers commensurate with those of judges of Common Pleas Courts, Oyer and Terminer, Goal Delivery, Quarter Sessions and Orphans' Courts, under the state laws and constitutions.
The first court for the Fourth district, held at Lewistown in December, 1791, was pre- sided over by Judge Thomas Smith, whose associates were William Brown, Samuel Bry- son, James Armstrong and Thomas Beale.
The next president judge of this district was James Riddle, who served from August, 1795, to March, 1806. Jonathan Walker, his successor, a learned lawyer and eminent man, practiced his profession at Northun- berland. He served as president judge from April, 1806, to July, 1818, when he was ap-
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MIFFLIN COUNTY
pointed judge for the Western distriet of l'ennsylvania, being the first ineumbent of that office. Next following him came Charles Huston, more extended mention of whom is given in eonnection with the history of Centre eounty, which appears elsewhere in this volume. 'After serviee from 1818 until April, 1826, Judge Huston took his place on the supreme beneh of the state, and was suc- ceeded by Thomas Burnside, who served as president judge of the Fourth district from April, 1826, till 1841, and ten years later, on Mareh 25, 1851, died while serving as one of the justiees of the Supreme Court of the state. (A detailed sketeh of him appears in eonnection with the history of Centre eounty in this volume.)
From March, 1841, till appointment of Abraham S. Wilson in 1842, George W. Woodward served as president judge of the Fourth distriet; and in 1852 he was ap- pointed to the supreme beneh of the state in place of Richard Coulter, who had died. He was then elected to the same office and served a term of fifteen years, till Deeember, 1867.
Abraham S. Wilson, who sueceeded Judge Woodward, was a native of Northumberland county, was a son of General William Wil- son, a native of Ireland, and Mary (nee Seott), a daughter of Captain Abraham Scott. William Wilson served as a eaptain through the war of the Revolution and after-, wards, from 1792 to 1813, was associate judge of Northumberland county. He was made brigadier general in 1798. Abraham Scott Wilson received a liberal education and in 1821 was admitted to the bar and began his practice at Bellefonte. He served in the Gen- eral Assembly in 1840 and two years later became president judge of the Twentieth district, eomprising Huntingdon, Union and Mifflin counties, which distriet was changed in 1842, to Mifflin and Union counties. He was elected president judge of this distriet in 1851. His death oeeurred at
Lewistown, Pa., in 1864, when he was sixty-four years old. Judge Wilson was succeeded by
Mr. Samuel S. Woods, who filled the office of president judge of the Twentieth dis- trict ten years, from 1862 to 1872, that distriet then eomprising Mifflin, Snyder and Union counties. Judge Woods was born in 1820. His maternal grandfather, Dr. John Witherspoon, was one of the sign- ers of the Declaration of Independence. His father was James S. Woods, D. D. He was graduated from Jefferson eollege at Can- nonsburg in 1839 and three years later was admitted to the bar and praetieed his pro- fession at Lewistown, in his native county, until his eleetion to the office of president judge in November, 1861. Judge Woods died in 1873.
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