The twentieth century bench and bar of Pennsylvania, volume II, Part 14

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Chicago, H. C. Cooper, jr., bro. & co.
Number of Pages: 1180

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Our subject has always taken an active interest in politics, and exercises his suffrage and exerts his influence in the interests of

the Republican party. Being a natural orator with an engaging presence, he was in con- stant demand as a public speaker on the issues of his party in the last national and state campaign. He represented his party as delegate to the county and state conven- tions of 1901, and on January 5, 1903, he was clected solicitor of Northumberland county.

Fraternally, Mr. Lark is a member of Camp 30, P. O. S. of A., and at the present time fills the office of president. He is also a member of the Independence Hose Com- pany and a member of the Consistory of St. John's Reformed Church of Shamokin, Pa., since 1899. He is solicitor for the Enterprise Fire Insurance Company.

On November 5, 1896, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Lark and Miss Lucy C. Hamilton, a daughter of the late Major E. C. Hamilton. Their union has been blessed by the birth of two daughters, Cornelia Ema- line, five years of age, and Leah, an infant. Mr. and Mrs. Lark are members of the St. Jolin's Reformed Church.

John Quincy Adams was born at Freeburg. Snyder county, Pa., August 3, 1863, the son of Major J. H. and Ellen (Beisel) Adams, both natives of Northumberland county. His father was a merchant and prominent Republican of that county. His grandpar- ents, Gidcon Adams and Peter Baisel, were also natives of the same county, and ances- tors for several generations have resided in Pennsylvania and are of German descent.

Mr. Adams obtained his early education in the public schools, prepared for college at the Susquehanna university at Selinsgrove. Pa., entered Franklin and Marshall college at Lancaster in 1880, and graduated in 1883 from that institution with the degree of A. B. In the fall of the same year he entered the office of W. H. M. Oram, with whom he read law for four years (1887), when he was admitted to the bar and immediately com- menced practice, remaining for two years in that office. Early in the year of 1890 he

John Quincy Adams,

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NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY

opened an office by himself at Shamokin, where he has since been engaged alone in a general practice of his profession. He is the only member of the bar from Shamokin who can conduct his law business in the German language.

Being an active Republican, he was at one time candidate for district attorney, but withdrew, owing to political party exigen- cies. He was solicitor for Shamokin for sev- eral years and also for the school district for the borough of Shamokin; was delegate of the state convention, has been on county committees and chairman of county conven- tions a number of times.

Mr. Adams was one of the originators and incorporators of the Shamokin Valley Tele- phone Company, now merged into The United Telephone and Telegraph Company. He is a member of the Elks, Shamokin Lodge No. 355, Patriotic Sons of America, and Cresco Club of Shamokin.

He was married, at Mifflinsburg, Pa., June 14, 1894, to Miss Mary Minerva Young, of Philadelphia. Both Mr. and Mrs. Adams are interested in church and social matters, Mr. Adams being connected with the musical department of Trinity Protestant Episcopal church, and takes part in the musical pro- grammes of all the bar banquets, etc., having a fine tenor voice, which is always in demand.

George Hill was born in Lycoming county, Pa., August 3, 1821, to Daniel and Susan (Truckenmiller) Hill, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. His father was engaged extensively in distilling whisky, and hauled his product over the mountains to Pittsburgh, Reading and Philadelphia, by six-horse teams. His death occurred in 1827. his widow surviving until 1865.

Our subject's paternal grandfather was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. He moved with his family from Berks county, Pa., to Lycoming county, at an early day, and there died.

George lived on a farm until he was eigh-

teen years old and attended the public schools. He then became an apprentice to a coachmaker and after serving his time, fol- lowed his trade as a journeyman for a short time, but finding it unsuited to his tastes he turned his attention again to study, becom- ing a pupil in the classical school of Rev. Samuel Shedon, of McCunesville, Northum- berland county. He afterwards engaged in teaching school, and at the same time began reading law, under the direction of Mr. Ab- salon Swineford, then a leading lawyer of New Berlin, Union county. Finishing his preliminary studies, young Hill was admitted to the bar of Union county in August, 1848, and the next year opened an office at Selins- grove, and began his practice, which he there conducted in his own name nine years.

Mr. Hill moved to Sunbury in 1858, and soon formed with Mr. Shendel Gobin a co- partnership which continued until 1861. His next co-partnership was with Mr. Simon P. Wolverton, under the firm name of Hill & Wolverton. On the withdrawal of the junior partner a few years later, Mr. Hill associated with himself his son, Ferdinand K. Hill. Ilis practice has always been of a general char- acter and has embraced many important cases in the various state and federal courts. and during his earlier years he was widely known as one of the most skillful and sue- cessful trial lawyers in his section of the state. In recent years Mr. Hill has carried on his practice alone, and devoted himself more especially to office practice, and is known as a wise and safe counselor and adviser.

In early life Mr. Hill was a Whig, but became a Democrat in 1856, supporting James Buchanan for the presidency. He con- tinuel a Democrat until 1896, when he gave his support to the Republican party.

Mr. Hill served three years as district attorney of Union county, and has also served as a member of the common council at Sunbury, He is a thirty-second degree

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THE BENCH AND BAR OF PENNSYLVANIA

Mason, a Knight Templar and a member of the Reformed Church of the United States.

On December 25, 1848, Mr. Hill married Miss Martha C. Beahler, of Selinsgrove. Of nine children born to them, three died while young and two after reaching maturity. Those living are Ferdinand K., H., Harry,

and Mary S., now the wife of Dr. J. G. Ger- hard, of Harrisburg. Mrs. Hill died in 1870. In 1871 he married Susan E. Kerlin of Mid- dletown, Dauphin county, Pa.

(We are indebted for the above article to the History of Northumberland county by Brown, Runk & Co., revised by Col. C. M. Clement.)

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LEBANON COUNTY

The legislative aet erecting Lebanon eoun- ty out of territory formerly belonging to Laneaster and Dauphin counties was ap- proved by Governor Simon Snyder on Feb- ruary 16, 1816. Prior to this, about the middle of December, 1813, the first court of the county, that of Quarter Sessions of the Peace, was held, presided over by Walter Franklin, Esq., Judges David Krause and John Gloninger serving as associates. Other sessions of the court followed in February and May, 1814, but little was done aside from granting lieenses for inns.

The same judges served as president and associates in the first Common Pleas Court of Lebanon county, which was opened on December 10, 1813. Terms of eourt were regularly held each year, but for several years little business, aside from that relating to matters of minor importanee, was trans- aeted.

Sinee 1813, the office of president judge has been filled by Walter Franklin, Amos Ellmaker, David Seott, Samuel Franks, Cal- vin Blythe, who eame to the beneh in 1830 and again in 1852, James M. Porter, Anson V. Parsons, Nathaniel B. Eldred, John J. Pearson, who was first appointed to the office in 1849, and by eleetion and re-election served from 1861 to 1882, Robert M. Hen- derson, and John W. Simonton, who became additional law judges in 1874 and 1881 re- spectively, were made president judges in 1882, during which year John B. MePherson, also, was made additional law judge. The present incumbent is A. W. Ehrgood.

The list of admissions to the Lebanon county bar sinee 1813 has comprised the names of many of the leading lawyers of the state. Among those who have attained prom-

inence in the past are the following: Jaeob G. Adams, Charles K. Arndt, Thomas H. Bibighaust, Henry Bibighaust, Amos R. Boughter, John S. Bassler, John H. Bow- man, Bassler Boyer, John Benson, George S. Bowman, Thomas H. Capp, George W. Burkholder, William M. Derr, Joseph Funk, Allen W. Ehrgood, J. M. Funk, W. D. Fisher, J. P. S. Gobin, H. S. Gockley, Luther F. Houck, George W. Kline, J. W. Kellinger, George W. Kline, Jaeob B. Weid- man, John Weidman, Grant Weidman, J. B. Witmer and Charles M. Zerbe.

The present members of the bar, to the best of our knowledge, are J. G. Adams, J. Benson, B. Boyer, A. S. Brendle, R. H. Buck, T. C. Capp, G. B. S. Schoek, A. W. Ehrgood (president judge), W. D. Fisher, J. M. Funck, J. P. S. Gobin, L. L. Grumbine, C. V. Henry, L. F. Houck, P. S. Keiser, C. H. Kill- inger, C. R. Lantz, S. P. Light, W. G. Light, John Lousen, E. E. MeCurdy, F. E. Meily, E. W. Miller, G. W. Nitrauer, P. H. Reinhard, J. E. Reinoelil, Harry J. Sehools, A. F. Seltzer, J. M. Shindle, H. C. Shirk, Vic- tor J. Smith, B. M. Strouse, A. S. Ul- rieh, G. B. Ulrich, V. Ulrich, Grant Weid- man, Jr., C. D. Weirich, G. B. Woomer, and C. M. Zerbe.

The following brief sketehes of some of the men who have helped to make the bench and bar of Lebanon eounty illustrious will no doubt be read with interest by all.

John Weidman, of Lancaster eounty, was born June 4, 1756, and engaged in merean- tile pursuits in Philadelphia in early life. At the opening of the Revolutionary war he served as an officer in an associated battal- ion, and on July 12, 1776, was commissioned ensign in a German regiment. He became

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first lieutenant May 14, 1777, and partici- pated in numerous battles, including those of Germantown, Monmouth, Long Island, Trenton and others, and in 1779 served under General Sullivan against the Indians, contin- uing in the service until January, 1781. He was well educated and served for nine years from 1821 to 1830 as associate judge, at Lebanon, where he died June 6, of the last named year.

John Weidman, born at Lebanon in 1814 to Jacob B. and Mary (Muncy) Weidman, was an alumnus of Princeton college, and also was graduated from the medical depart- ment of the university of Pennsylvania. Abandoning his purpose to enter the medical profession, he studied law under the direc- tion of his father, and in 1842 became a mem- ber of the Lebanon county bar. He served one term as district attorney, being elected in 1859, and at the opening of the Civil war entered the service as Captain of Company F, Fourth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry. Impaired health compelled him to resign his commission, and he returned to Lebanon, where he died in April, 1863.

Grant Weidman, of Lebanon, is one of a family of nine children born to John and Emma Roberts (Grant) Weidman. The Weidman family was first represented in this country by Christopher Weidman, a native of Switzerland, who settled in War- wick township, Lancaster county, Pa., where his son, Captain John Weidman, was born on June 4, 1766, and during the war of the Revolution served with distinction, closing his service January 1, 1781. He was an or- iginal member of the Society of the Cincin- mati; settled in Lebanon county in the year 1800, where he purchased and for many years conducted the Union Forge estate. From 1821 until his death, June 6, 1830, he served as associate judge. He married on May 1, 1786, Catherine Mason, of Philadelphia, who was born February 16, 1763, and whose death occurred at Lebanon, October 8, 1844,

They had four children, viz .: Jacob Barge. John and Maria and Elizabeth.

Jacob Barge Weidman, our subject's grandfather, was born at Philadelphia May 12, 1789. After his graduation from Dickin- son college, he studied law with Mr. Samuel Laird, of Harrisburg, and after his admis- sion to the bar in 1813, settled at Lebanon, where for forty years he held first rank among the leading lawyers of Eastern Penn- sylvania. He was thrice married. His first wife, our subject's grandmother, was Mary Murray, daughter of William Murray, of Harrisburg, and they had two children, viz. : John and Sarah.

John Weidman, the father of our subject. was born at Lebanon, August 25, 1814. He attended Dickinson and Princeton colleges and graduated from the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, intending to devote himself to the practice of medicine. Changing his purpose, he studied law with his father, and in 1842 was admitted to the Lebanon county bar. Ife was elected district attorney in 1859 and served one term. Prior to the Civil war, he was brigadier general of Militia, and at the opening of the Rebellion, entered the service as captain of Company F. Fourth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers Cavalry. He served until impaired health compelled him to resign, and, returning home, died April 23, 1863.

Grant Weidman, who was a native of Mel- rose, near Trenton, New Jersey, was born on September 8, 1839. He was sent away to boarding school at an early age, and after finishing his preliminary studies in the pre- paratory schools at Lititz, Pa., Bristol, and Lawrenceville, N. J., he entered Princeton college, where he was graudated in 1859. He received his carly legal training under his father at Lebanon, where he was admitted to . the bar on August 23, 1861.

Mr. Weidman always conducted a general law practice and in his wide range of prac- tice was connected with many of the most

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LEBANON COUNTY

important cases that came before the courts of his own and adjoining counties. Well versed in legal lore, careful and correct in his judgment, and skillful in the manage- ment of his cases, he was universally recog- nized as a safe counselor and a successful trial lawyer.

A Democrat in his political affiliations, Mr. Weidman always took a commendable inter- est in the affairs of his party. He served one term as district attorney, also as a member of the school board, was once the Democratic nominee for Congress, and served as a dele- gate to the National Democratic convention that nominated General Hancock for the presidency.

Mr. Weidman was prominent and active in Masonic circles and filled all the chairs of the various branches of that Order. He was a member and served as treasurer of the State Society of the Cincinnati, of Pennsyl- vania. He was also a member of the Loyal Legion, and in 1874 served as grand com- mander of Knight Templars of Pennsylvania. He was largely interested in business enter- prises outside of his profession, being at the ' time of his death president of the Lebanon National Bank, the largest financial institu- tion in the county, and a director in numer- ous large manufacturing and industrial cor- porations. He was also a manager of the Good Samaritan hospital.

Mr. Weidman was a man of strong re- ligious convictions, and for many years was a member and trustee of the Lutheran church of Lebanon. He was a man of strong person- ality, affectionate, kindhearted and charit- able, intensely devoted to his friends and family and of a sunny, genial temperament that made him universally popular. In his deatlı, which occurred on November 11, 1895, the city of Lebanon was called to mourn the loss of one of her most enterprising citizens, and the bar one of its most honored mem- bers.

On September 7, 1864, Mr. Weidman mar-

ried Miss M. Elizabeth Henry, of Lebanon, and there were born to them seven children, viz. : Jolin, Grant, Mary Henry, Ethel Rob- erts. Saralı Elizabeth, Edward Ingleton, and Christian Henry. Of these, John, Edward Ingleton and Christian IIenry are deceased, and Mary Henry is married to Mr. Thomas T. Leneaweaver, of Lebanon.

George W. Kline, a native of York county, was born on March 12, 1795. He studied law at Lancaster with Mr. William Jenkins, was admitted to practice in 1821, and in the fall of that year settled at Lebanon, where he conducted a successful practice until his deccase, in 1845.

Levil Kline, a brother of George W. Kline, was born at Wrightsville, York county, in 1811, and at the age of nineteen began the study of law, and was admitted to practice at Lebanon, November 6, 1834. He was a partner with his brother until the latter's decease, in 1845, and stood high in his pro- fession. From 1841 till 1846 he served as a member of the state senate, and continued in his practice until his death, at Lebanon, in 1863.

William Moore Derr was born at Reading October 4, 1827, the eldest son of George Derr and Catherine Fox. His parents moving to Lebanon soon after he was born. He received his early education at the old academy of that town. Parental opposition for a time. kept him from the bar and he studied suc- cessively theology and medicine, attending in pursuance of the latter the Pennsylvania Medical college of Philadelphia.

Later he was admitted to the bar of Leb- anon county, where he practiced actively to the time of his death, covering a period of nearly forty years. His career was varied and eventful. In addition to studying the three learned professions, he traveled exten- sively in the West, making an early trip across the prairies on foot. He served as senior captain of the Ninety-third regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, acting as major

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THE BENCH AND BAR OF PENNSYLVANIA

of the regiment at the battle of Williams- burg, and subsequently served in the United States navy for over a year. He was also proprietor and editor of the Lebanon Inde- pendent newspaper, and was distinguished not only by a diversity of knowledge and at- tainments, but by a gift of speech, adding to an extraordinary vocabulary an apt and pleasing facility in the use of words. In the trial of a malpractice case about 1867, the late Judge Pearson declared that he easily excelled the medical experts in the use of their technical terms.

In the ardency and fearlessness of his advocacy, he went far beyond the ordinary limits. His arraignment of what seemed to lim to be mean and mercenary, and his scourging of what seemed to him to be un- just, incurred for him bitter enmities which only a general respect for his sincerity and ability enabled him to be indifferent to.

He was a leader among his many able and successful associates, rising above his pro- fession and using it as a means of fulfilling his mission in the world of doing good to his fellow-men. He was simple in his habits and manner of life, sincere and honest in all that he did or said, with sympathies broad, decp and warm, and readiness to espouse the cause of the weak and unfortunate; and he never tired in his efforts to better the condi- tion of his fellow-men. In politics he was a Republican, but never sought or desired political honors.

Mr. Derr died May 31, 1897, survived by his wife Caroline Hilderbrand, a daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Brubaker) Hil- derbrand of Lancaster county, and survived also by one child, Cyrus G. Derr of the Read- ing bar, and one grandchild, Caroline Rob- erts Derr, wife of John M. Archer, of Reading.

Jacob Barge Weidman, who was born at Philadelphia in 1789, to Captain John and Catherine (Mason) Weidman, received a

good English and classical education, and after studying law with Samuel Laird, Esq., at Harrisburg, was, in 1813, admitted to the Dauphin county bar. He began his practice at once at Lebanon, and continued it there with gratifying success till his decease, which occurred on March 5, 1857.

Thomas Henry Capp, one of the most prom- inent and widely known members of the Leb- anon bar, is a little more than native "to the manor born,"-the hardy Anglo-Ger- manic stock from which he springs having long held honorable position in this section of the state.

Andreas Capp, who went from the Rhine region to England in 1708, was an adult member of the party at Lexington Manor on the Hudson in 1710, drifted down the Sus- quehanna in 1723 from the Scoharie valley, New York, ascended the Swatara, established a colony of pioneers from the Rhine, and. meeting with success, invited among others his younger brother, George Friedrich, to join him, who came over from Rotterdam in the "Amsterdam" and landed at Philadel- phia in 1732. Fortune smiled on George Friedrich, -the first lineal ancestor in Amer- ica of the subject of this sketch, -- and he subsequently sent his youngest son, Michael. to Europe, who, after spending several years in the completion of his education at Heidel- berg and in travel, returned to America in 1751 and settled near Schaefferstown, where he died in 1764, leaving to survive him a widow and five children, possessed of a con- siderable cstate.

In 1776 Christopher Capp, the eldest son of Michael, acquired lands north of Jones- town, prospered, gave his children the best education obtainable, and established his three sons in business, one of whom, Jacob, in 1797 founded a general mercantile busi- ness at Jonestown on the premises ever since occupied by the Capp family, known as the old Capp homestead. which the great-grand-

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LEBANON COUNTY

father, grandfather, father, and the present generation of Capps have from thence since occupied and possessed.

The business founded by Jacob was con- tinued and enlarged by his son, John, to the day of his death in 1863, and subsequently by his only son, George T. Capp, -the father of Thomas H. Capp,-down to 1878.

George T. Capp, who thus became pos- sessed of a large estate and was a capitalist and merchant by inheritance, was a leading citizen in his community and a man of ster- ling integrity. About 1870 Mr. Capp be- came largely interested in the project of building the South Mountain Railroad, was one of the original board of directors and treasurer of the company. This undertak- ing, however, was prevented from being suc- cessfully carried out by the intervention of the panic of 1873 and brought about the financial embarrassment of Mr. Capp and his colleagues in the enterprise; who after making a number of fruitless efforts to re- vive and resuscitate the undertaking, were obliged to abandon it.

George T. Çapp died in October, 1885, leaving to survive him a widow, Sarah E., daughter of Samuel E. Bickel, and three sons, John A., a practicing physician, now living in Lancaster, George S., who still re- sides and occupies the old homestead at Jonestown, and Thomas H. Capp, the snb- ject of this sketch.

Thomas H. Capp, youngest son of George T. Capp and seventh in the Capp line, was born August 15, 1860. He was given a good common school and academic education in the public schools and the Swatara Collegi- ate Institute. At sixteen, young Capp taught a public primary school in the borough of Jonestown, entering, however, before he reached seventeen years, the law office of the late Grant Weidman as a student at law. No- vember 7, 1881, he was admitted to the Leb- anon county bar, followed shortly after by admission to the bars of the several counties

to which he was called professionally, and also to the State Appellate and United States Circuit and District courts. In No- vember, 1883, Mr. Capp, with the late George B. Schock, formed the law partnership of Capp & Schock, of which Mr. Capp was the senior and active leader, whose labors and skill laid the foundation to their far-reach- ing success. The partnership lasted until September, 1899, during which time and since, Mr. Capp has enjoyed a very large and lucrative practice involving every shade of law, has been engaged in nearly all the im- portant legal contests at the local bar, and has established a reputation as a very able. skillful and successful trial lawyer,-juries have frequently been swayed by his elo- quence, force and energy.

Mr. Capp has always been an ardent Re- publican, active and energetic in advancing his party's principles and cause. He has been chairman of the Republican County Committee, is now county solicitor, and in the sessions of 1887, 1889, and 1891 repre- sented Lebanon county in the General Assembly of the state, where he soon won a place among the leaders, and was prominent- ly mentioned during his last term for the speakership of the house. In the spring of 1903, he was unanimously endorsed and ad- vocated by the lawyers of about twenty counties of Central Pennsylvania, by politi- cal leaders, and by a third of the state's con- gressional delegation, for appointment to the Superior Court bench,-his support coming from those of all degrees and many differ- ences in political faith, who urged his name upon the Governor because of his strong constitution, vigorous health, great capacity for work, and widely acknowledged legal ac- quirements. Political exigency, however, made it necessary to name another. Mr. Capp has for many years taken an active interest in industrial affairs outside of his profession, and is recognized as a most capa- ble business man. He was one of the incor-

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The twentieth century bench and bar of Pennsylvania, volume II, Part 14

Author: Publication date: 1903 Publisher: Chicago, H. C. Cooper, jr., bro. & co. Number of Pages: 1180

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Chicago, H. C. Cooper, jr., bro. & co.
Number of Pages: 1180