Mountain Democrat., 1857-09-26
From thc sacramento Union Of thc ie:h.

Hugh c. Murray, Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court Of California. died at his
residence "n L street, near Third, in this
city. OF Friday morning. Sept. 18th, at
quarter pas; twelve o'clock. For loEg
while Judge Murray had been suffering
IL a considerable extent from all affection
OF the lungs. }nd often has occupied his
seat upon thc Bench when his health
scarcely justified that proceeding. About
ten Or eleven days since his disease sud-
denly assumed moro violent form, and
confined him entirely to his room. Frc-
qucntly during this confinement the symp-
toms were so favorable a. TO warrant the
hope on the part Of himself and friends,
that all immediate danger had passed, but
as often from some apparently trivial
cause. backscts would occur, which, for
the time, prostrated those hopes. A few
days before his death. he was believed to
be out Of danger, when n sudden revul-
sion took place, which led to critical cx-
animation, and by sounding Of his lungs,
the discovery that the left lobe was de-
stroyed by the disease. His physicians,
Drs. Price and Proctor, with DR.. Blake,
consulting physician, at once pronounced
his case hopeless. as has heretofore been
announced. BY the force Of will, Judge
Murray, however. bore up against the
workings of his disease until the evening
preceding his decease, when the conscious.
ness of his situation was first fully mani
tested to him, and he calmly resigned all
hope of life. From that hour he rapidly,
though TRANQUILITY. sank into death. A
p0St mortem examination, held yesterday
afternoon, fully developed the correctness
of the previous investigation. 1t was as
ccrtained that the immediate cause Of
death was the perforation Of the left lung,
by the ravages Of disease. A small cavi-
ty, Of the size Of the head Of pir, was
discovered, which permitted the passage
of air into the chest, producing inevitable
death. For weeks he has been hanging
as it were between life and death, and a
violent fit of coughing, with which be was
first attacked, caused a rupture of the
tcgument and the opening above referred
to.
Hugh c. Murray, although of Scottish
descent, was born in St. Louis, Missouri,
on the 22d Of April, 1925, and was, there
fore, about 80 years and 8 months of age
at the time of his death. While vet an
infant. his parents removed to Alton, Illi-
noi>, where his widowed mother, woman
Of strong intellect and cstimable charac-
ter, now resides, with her son-the only
living relations Of the deceased. Judge
Murray received his education at Alton,
and there studied the profession Of the
law, under the supervision Of the Hon. n.
D. Strong. fan ardent and adventurous
disposition, Judge Murray sought posi-
tion in the army Of his country during the
war with Mexico, and received the ap.
pointmcnt of Lieutenant in the l4th Regi.
ment of Infantry. lie served during the
war on Gen. Scott's line, and upon the
conclusion Of peace, returned to Illinois.
The discovery of gold in California open.
cd new field to his restless spirit, and be
was among the first to leave the home Of
his youth for the shores of California
He camc by the way of Panama, but not
having secured through passage, embark
ed at that point on the brig Two Friends,
for San Francisco. This was an old and
-lnsr-re;.rl. and her 'cya=e wac cne #