Norwich Bulletin Newspaper, January 1, 1916, Page 24

JEREMIAH HALSEY In reviewing the history of the bar of Norwich, of ‘twenty-five or more years ago, the name of Mr. Halsey' stands outeasily as first among the prictitioners of that day. For his was a Brilliant mind, Keen and incisive, and | his leadership was acknowledged by his brethren, without cavil. ‘With mauy physical ;limitations, .a delicate constitutfon and seriously im- paired vision, he was industrious and from thence, (he being attorney counsel from the Norwich Sav- T. WALTER SWAN years the law-partner of a _great favorite of his, and of Rt e et i e 'a class-mate ‘of the supreme ‘dourt of e all , his ‘was lawyers af s @ 5t Yale and ings Society) to an office over their |laman banking-rooms on Shetucket street, in what was then called the new bank building, and later still to his last of- fide in the building of the society, at the corner of Main street and Broad- . Halsey eschewed criminal prac-. tiGe, but in civil cases he was supreme, and in his later years hardly a action of importance ' arose ‘in - the state in which he was.not actively en- gaged or else consulted as counsel. ‘While Mr. Halsey’s manner, was, as a rule, austere, there was a warm side to ,his nature which he could display at will, and if one were to.go to him for his aid in the solution of a diffi- cujt legal problem, he was not only ready, but apparently eager to give his * JEREMIAH HALSEY counsel and advice, as many a younger attorney in his day might testify. No mention in his_career need be made of any special cause in which he figured, for the redson as suggzested, that they were ny, - and inclusive of nearly all, -if. not all, of the promi- nent. cases of his day., Mr. Halsey had a ready appreciation of Humor and was capable of, flashes of wit at times as keen and Incisive as were his argumenits in court, as the following may ‘suggedt to any. readeér wgo kx‘\efivz ‘the pa.rnxe: concerned; 2 n walking - up -Asylum street 'in Hartford one mborning from the station to the United States court, in company with Edward Spicer Cleveland and-a third person, Mr. Halsey tall, lean and of an auster bearing, Mr. Cleveland, short, bluff, rosy-featured and full' of: laughter, it being the period of: the Blaine-Cleveland campaign, when, as will be remembered, 'scurrilous . per- sonal‘allisions to both candidates were afloat #&nd in the mouths ‘of all dis- . *T pelieve Mr. Grover Cleveland is a member of your family, is he not? It was ‘& ' for ‘the ‘Gov- ernor,’ ‘but he rallfed and came back by saying, in the drawling fashion, he could so easily assime.” Well, Halsey, 1 can't say as to the fact of the re- lationship, but, if he fact confers quite as hon him as'it does. ended the discussion, . . . -. Mr. . Halsey - died; full of years and honors, . and . the . present. day hardly affords his true. successor, :as the f:\lrtly Christian lawyer_and: gentle- In Cel..Wait, we had the veritable antitype-of. Mr. Halsey, and no:man ©of. his time figured -more prominently: in the affairs of the community, legal and: otherwise, = than ‘he. He ' probably brought more cases to the courts than any other. member: “of * the - bar,. and criminal and- civil causes ‘were alike to him. ~ y. 01 In the famous Coebb-Bishop case, in the face of-a’ confession on the part o‘f Bishop; he defended.-his clent, Mrs. Cobb, . in ‘& masterly manneér, contend- ing against the then State's Attorney, Governor Waller, and: not-withotirt hope of success_ until ‘the Jast. moment: . Pages might be written :about Col. Wait, withont exhausting the subfect and ‘bois- of ‘his ready wit, his biu terous-manner; his extensive acquaint: ance .and numerous friendships, em- bracing, it would seem nearly the en- tire population of his own county-apd overflowing into other sections of the state. His d¥ices were many, and in addition to representing Norwich in theilegislature his services in congress during his terms there are well re- membered to this day. It would be vain to attempt to recount his. many witticisms, for which he was famous, their names are legion, nor to rep- resent the inimitable:drawl.which he assumed when he was about to “hand one.out,” ‘as the vulghr pkrase goes, to an- ‘unsuspecting victith;" but ' here is one that may serve, always remember- ing that Col. Wait's voice, manner and gestures must be unavoidably omitted. A certain man, with a military title, resident in an adjoining town, and who is now dead, otherwise the story would not: be told, was always in litigation, and litigation which tended to show something decidedly derogatory to his own character. He professed:extreme plety, at times and was, we believe. superintendent of a Sunday school. If he were let it be said, he ;was, by .no means the worse for that.' Well, this gentleman coming Into Col. Wait's of- fice one morning, - and ' finding him alone, except for one person, addressed Mr. uted and abused man. I try to do right by my fellow men, but the whole world seemis to be down upon meé and.I don’t' know what to do, et cete: The old gentleman looked at him for a moment, rose from his chair and replied: d 4 Captain , It is true as you umjlhl; you l:am a much persecuted man, 2nd you have my sympathy, but, Sir, with flashing eyes and. thumping- the table— — There i¥ia. :Erowing impression in this community, that you| are one-of the most infernal (infernal Was not the expression used, but it will serve) scoundrels that ever disgraced the .face of this earth!” a reply as need hardly be suggested entirely uf- looked for by his auditor. Col. Wait was proud of his Revol tionary ancestry and was a cousin of upon the family,” which.{w in in speech, al- ways dressed in conventional black, a sort of Mr, Tulk rn, in this re- gard; was the peer of any. practitioner a engaged, 1 .'m:h“l‘nno"lo t.h-r~ , in” office in e great reg-- iet, cour- i to his quiet sald of Mr. Halsey. They met as assoclates and as op- ponents in many of the rtan cases tried in New London like Mr. Halsey, principal, - if not his entire attention, to civil causes. He had as his asso- ciate for a number of years, Judge Thayer, who made his law course, we Judge Hovey was “elevated to the bench ,of the superior court, but his was hardly the judicial mind, in' this regard unlike Judge Thayer, and it is believed that his experience upon the bench was hardly so pleasant to him as had been his active practive at the t County and An intense partisan. he was always loval to his political ‘belefs through- out his/life and when his party was i the ascendant, was the recipient of a 'number: of offices. Among the abundance of colonels in Judge Hovey’s time, the title was neyer worn by him, and on one occasion in his office when he -was_asked .about this, matter, he drew himself up and informed his questioner- that the title was his.own, for he had been 2 colonel commanding a regiment of state troops, while some othersof his friends who so proudly bore the title, were his subordinates, or merely held the rank by brevet. An example of Judge Hovey's desire to be punctual was shown in his man- ner of “taking ‘a train.” On the New London Northern railroad, the train teaving at 10.30 we will say, the judge ‘might be seen coming through Main street” or crossing’ the bridges. about 9.20 that he might be in time to get his- train; and so if occasion required him - to leave- in'the afternoon, a full hour ahead of time, Judge Hovey ‘would be on his way.- ¥ A -man of-extreme reserve, careful in’ speech, he possessed as do all men of his type, if only the right chord be touched. a sympathetic. nature and there are to his credit manv acts of charity and kindness, of which ~ he world did not know and which he de- sired should remain unknown. HON. HENRY H. STARKWEATHER Mr. Starkweather was one of the central figures of his town and state and his long and useful career in con- gress added to his fame and reputa- tion His atténtion being so thoroughly engrossed by his duties as represen- tative, he engaged in practice but lit- tle but is remembered as attorney for the’ Spragues in our courts, where he fought valiantly for his client’s incer- ests in ‘the cases of the Occum Com- pany vs. the A. and W. Sprague Man- ufacturing Company, having _pitted against him Col. Wait, Mr. Halsey, Judge Hovey and.George Pratt. The case or cases went not only to our own supreme court, but to the supreme court of the United States as ell. Mr. Starkweather found it rather difficult going in contending with this imposing array of legal tajent, but upon calling to his assistance the Hon. Lafayette S. Foster, the skies bright- ened, and after the cases had been heard. by the U. S. supreme court, a revérsal of our own court of errors was had and the clients of Mr. Stark- weather were substantially victorious. . Of, his career in congress there need little be said, for it is true in his case that. “his-works do follow him.” The establishment- of 2 navy yard at Gro- ton ig his.chief monument and it must be remembered that it was a full navy yard, so to speak, with an admiral or commodore - as .commandant, and not merely, a station. “While in the house Mr. Starkweather took a.high stand and won the respect. ‘and - affection of those of his fellow members with whom he came in con- .tact, and for a considerable time was a )member of the committee on -appro- priations. and chairman of the com- mittee on the District of Columbia, then one of the important committees of the house: In his private life Mr. Starkweather ‘was one of the most lovable of men, were parently looking straight ahead, but so abstracted that he .would pass ac- quaintance or. friend without--the slightest sjgn or token of recognition unless greeted by a salute, when he ‘would respond as gracefully and heart- #ly: as -the normal man. He was, among, his intimates, a rare story- teller, and had an instant appreciation of a joke, though he rarely laughed, |as partly perhaps because of the dis- ease, asthma which afflicted him. and was_finally the cause of his death. Mr, Starkweather died as he had lived. a poor man, perhaps one of the greatest tributes that may be paid-to bl,l\\mgflofl'- for his congressional ca- reer ‘Covered a period when men . in like position with his,' were said at least to have accumulated comfortable fortunes without any apparent . labor in return for that which they had gained. ALLEN TENNY Associated with Mr. Starkweather as his Jaw-partner and clerk of his con- gressional committee, was Col. Allen ‘Tenny, whose -military title was ac- quired by reason of an appointment on the staff of the governor of his native state, New Hampshire. . < To speak or write of Colopel Tenny, brings to the mind at once the fine, ,- Judge Hovey gave his | & The late T. Walter Swan, for a few | Col. Wait and | ge John M. e, | PR e never hela palttical office bélieve ¥ inithe hd?:tm and Geéorge Coit Ripley, a member of Norwich families was which proved, extensive and varied in its character. 1 g § Of wide knowledge, derived from ex- ing and observation, Col. Ripley—for he was so brevetted by Mr. Wait—was truly versatile in many directions and his was a most charm- ing personality, as they whose good fortune.it was to come into .intimate contact with him, may testify. He held numerous offices, was city attorney and represented his town in Hartford. In the former capacity he prosecuted in the lower court in a noted case, that of Louisa Bowen, a girl of eighteen, for the murder of David Muszzy, in her own house on Sherman street, in the Falls, and assisted Govérnor Waller at the trial in the superior court at New London. The girl was acquitted on the ground of self-defence. Neverthe- less, upon the trial, there were many evidences of Col. Ripley’s careful and painstaking preparation of the case. He also prepared and prosecuted a number of other important criminal cases during his career as city attor- ney. Nor was his practice confined to criminal cases alone. He was engaged in many civil causes where his talents and ability were used to the advantage of his clients. Midway in what prom- ised to be a very successfil career, he removed to Minneapolis.and was early engaged in a trial where The Northern Pacific railroad was involved, in which he brought about a favorable issue for his clients, and which resulted in brining to him, it was said, a com- fortable fortune ds his fee. ColL Ripley’s leaving town was a veritable loss, not only to the profes- sion which he , but to the social side of the city’s life as well. He died not long since, respected and honored in his adopted city. ELBRIDGE COOK Associated with Col. Ripley in hi practive was Blbridge Cook, who re: mained in Norwich but a few years, but during that time was active in its affairs and' prosetuting attorney in the city court. A stalwart man, having been captain of the Yale crew when he graduated, his sturdy fisure was as well-known upon our. streets as that of any man in town. . He assisted Col. Ripley in many of his cases, married here.a daughter of the late ~Mr. “Furner, and afterward moved to Minneapoiis, -as' did Col. Ripley, though they were not there, we belleve, associated in practice. SOLOMON LUCAS To write a full review of the career of Mr. Lucas, would be to write the history . of litigation in this vicinity during the years of his activity. If not learned in the sense of a com- prehensive knowledge of the law, he ‘was pre-eminently a case lawyer, and a very able and successful ome in causes both clvil and criminal; a: succeeding such . men as Danfel B. Chadwick, of Lyme 'and Goyernor ‘Waller, in the office of state's attorney for this county, he: proved himself a worthy4 successor of these gentlemen and a most successful prosecutor. ‘While not taking ‘upon himself the guardianship of the morals’ “of the county. he was alert to discover any infraction of the law and tireless in his prosecution of alleged ' offenders until the final issue -of each case. Necessarily, by virtue of his office, he was engaged in'all the criminal cases, great and small important, or other- wise, ‘which came to:the superior court, and it is. certain that while others at times, might regard him as of a vin- dictive. spirit, in some degree, he Te- garded himself as entirely free from that quality of mind. Probably his greatest disappoint- ment as a prosecutor was the final out- come of the Gallivan case, .so-called, where Shumway was -murdered. - As will.be remembered, Gallivan upon his first trial “was convicted of murder in the first degree and the case appealed to the supreme court of errors, and following its finding of error, upon the second trial Gallivan was acquitted; his alleged accomplice, Wormsley, hav- ing pleaded guiity in the meantime to manslaughter and been sentenced to | the state prison, thus presenting the ilanomaly of one of the claimed of- fenders in prison for the offence, and the other going scot free. In civil practice Mr. Lucas probably | tried, In his late years, as many cases ny practitioner in the county and agreat ‘degree of success. He case committed to him, preparation of them, was diligent to the last déegree. Mr. Lucas, it may be admitted, was onality that he was devoted to his family a church and seldom. if ever, in the lighter diversions which occupy much of the time of other men of a different make-up than was his. He lived to a ®zoodly age and may be said to have died full of years and honors, for one in his state of life. SUPPLY T. HOLBROOK Judge Holbrook was a familiar fig- ure at the time and was the con- art, upstanding figure, remarka- | b; stalw: ble in its stature and symmetry and its genial and smiling face, known to qvnryflcltlle:t of Bc‘:l tow‘n. ‘While not as active in practice of his brethre: =t “years, ‘building, Congdon, who died early was his associate. g* &g shet gzt as a marshal, until justice had gnl.d to all the offenders presented r trial Judge Young also, by virtue of his office of justice of the peace, acted as coroner in a number of cases, among the Bowen-Muzzy case above thodical to a degree, and could be seen daily, with great regularity, walkinz to and from his. house to his office, he having lived in what is now the residence of Dr. Brewer, and had his office in what’is now known as the Tarrant building. 8. T. C. MERWIN Captain Merwin, who. served gal- tly - in -the War of the Rebellion, , as his full name, Samuel Tracy Coit, indicates of good Norwich an- cestry, and while of a ' retiring dis- position ‘and exclusive in his friend- ships, was a man of fine educational attainments, wide reading and of courtly address. For a number of years he was judge of the police court, where he presided with dignity and fairness. While he held the admiration and regard many members of the' profession, yet his natural reserve caused him to form but few. friendships, and.Col. Ripley was perhaps, his only -intimate. Ec- centric in dress and manner, Captain Merwin was to his friends at all times, the genial gentleman, but after his re- tiring from the benich, he became a sort of recluse ‘was seldom seen except going to @and from his office and rooms, and his untimely death, self-inflicted, brought to an early close a bright and isterestinig life. JOHN C. KELLOGG 3 _ Judge Kellogg “was another member of the bar who presided over the destinies of the police court for a con- siderable -of ‘time, and acted as well, as a trlal justice of the peace. While of slight stature, he was with his long, neatly .trimmed beard, a pleasing figure, and was quite active in politics, having been a staunch re- publican. The judge had many friends and as- sociates, and in those days when the different cities and towns had yearly fire parades, Judge Kellogg was often chosenas a sort of orator of the day, a position which he always filled with great credit’ to himself and to the pleasure of his audience. He, too, for a number of years had an office in the old Bulletin ~ building, his beautiful home being on Laurel Hill avenue. WILLIAM L. BREWER William L. Brewer, for many years clerk of the superior court for this county, and whose residence was in the old Brewer homestead on Wash- ington street, deserves more than a mere passing notice, for he was, in his time, one of the prominent figures of his town.. A portly man of rubicund visage, his geniality was his promi- nent characteristic. In his time the superior court had sole jurisdiction in the county, the court of common .pleas not_ having then been established. Mr. Brewer's duties were therefore, many, yet. he always preserved the same serene de- meanor to his visitors and to his friends, the same jolly, hearty manner that always ‘characterized his inter- course with them. Mr. Brewer while a democrat, at a time when democrats were rather a scarce article in Nor- wich, took an active interest in civic affairs and was, we believe, on one of the_ occasional political upheavals of his time, a member of the court of common council. He was never in active practice as an attorney, but had an intimate knowledge of law, which his experi- ence but sherpened. A rare story- teller, he appreciated a joke on him- self as thoroughly as though put upon another, and it is difficult to recall his visage except as it bore upon It a smile. Mr. Brewer was high in_the Masonic order, fond to a degree of his a bachelor, and died as 4 warm-hearted, upright robes to of | rounded by such men as up in his duties in this in his office of judge. JUDGE JOHN D:. PARK Judge Park was, early in his career elevated to the bench of the old coun- ty court, and afterward, while quite a young man, to the superior court and from thence to the supreme court adventitious aids, gowns or is dignity, and sur- Butler, Sey- mour, Carpenter, Pardee or Loomis, he was primus inter pares in a court whose decisions commanded , in our own state, and courts of other states as well. He al- ways enjoyed the intimate personal. friendship of his and his many written opinions in our Connect- icut reports were always clear, lucid and forceful and were quoted fre- in the opinions given by the Laurel Hill, where he might pursue his studies or enjoy his ease at will. He spent much of his time in the warmer months in his tree-house as he had named it. On the bank in the rear of his house, road track, large them he had built a sort connected by a narrow b; house. furnished with chairs, tables and all the accessories for reading, writing and the like, and it was in this struct- ure where he had, as he, himself said, his real enjoyment. It was an unique sort of place and the surroundings equally so, in which to formulate dry legal opinions, and probably the only one of the sort used for such purpose. Judge Park retired from the bench at the constitutional age, seventy, and served, for a short period before death, as state referee. LAFAYETTE 8. FOSTER ble merit. For a time he was at the city desk of The Bulletin, and after- wards retired to private life. Among_the other yourg men who graduated from Col. Wait's office at Willlam Potter, a considerable = merit, who afterward removed to Providence and John W. Murphy, a man of fine pres- ence and a great social favorite, who dled very early in hig career. GENERAL EDWARD HARLAND General Harland was in the midst of his active career at this time, having served with “gallantry and- distinction in the Civil war, and was one time judge of probate in this district, but living to a ripé old age, his history is familiar to the present generation as Although a young | when the majority of ‘mentioned were in middle profouna "T. Brown, because legal talent '“»E' ‘'part which he took in pul as well as in the of practice his 'nzfiu in this paper; and if all his vi s activities ‘were to be dwelt upon, it would be impossi- ble to describe them in this limited space. 4 For Mr. Brown was distin fession, deserv a man outside interested ever him, interested him intensely, whether it were baseball or football, or the trial of a difficult and lexing case, he went into it with 'all of his virile his | energy. As a student in the Academy, he afterward and graduated business, where for Judge. Foster's public life as a sena- | & tor, and president pro tem in the troublous times when he held this great office, are tco well-known to be de- scribed here. The inscription upon his clearly than aught else his appearance, with Mr. Starkweather, in the Occum and Sprague cases, before mentioned where his appearance seemed to and did, inject new life into the case of the Spragues, and when after carrying the case or cases to the supreme court of the United States and winning them in that tribunal, he afterward read to our own court the mandate of the federal court, commanding it, the state court close personal tion, and be truthfully. said of him that he was one of the most sut practition- ers in the state. His success in the matter of the city orwich Gas and Electric com- to reverse its judgment, it might well | ;. be imagined that there was a note of personal triumph in his voice, during its reading. He was, in a short time, appointed to the bench of our own supreme court, and during his term of served with honor and distinction. always | the fellow- books and papers, were a source of amusement to his friends, and at times, to_himself as Mr. Brown’s great loss, for he stretched out before him, reer of usefulness and seemed to have but few moments for relaxation, outside his family clrcle. except at whist; and not the least of his accomplishments was the fact tha was a superb player of this, the king" of games. - demise had apperently, -.lancg- hmme:tmcmmen character-sketch: in|es of men who were, twenty-five or in their va- . degee, sen- - ator of the United States, from Con- necticut. : i ALFRED COIT . A different type of man was Ju s Alfred Colt, the Fagyr i ROBERT COIT:. . Mention should@ be made also of coedingly sociable and agroeable when once his reserve was 1aid side, and this | nature is remembered by A i il t L i 8 g