The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-07-15

Dg.rH OF A paoFEssoH. The death OF LUcrAs
MINOR, Professor of Law at William aud Mary Col
lege. Va, is announced. He had been for some
time In declining health, aud on the 9Th inst. ex-
plred. The Petersburg Express, In notice of the
event, says:
The pages of the Southern Literary Messenger
bear abundant evidence of bis facility in compost
ton, both diIactc and imaginative. upon gay or
grave subjects lie wrote sometimes tor the North
American Review, and his articles therein were
noted for their good sense aud nervous English.
The longest literary effort OF his that we can now
call TO mind was his biography OF Professor John
A. G.. Davis, Of tue University oil virginia, whose
violent death, in 1910, caused SO painful thrill
throughout the length and breadth OF the land.
MIR. Minor was conspicuous for his ardent advocacy
of the Temperance cause, ana next 10 ueh. Jonn
Ii Cooke of Ffnvanna. was perhaps the most zeal
ors adheren, OF Total Abstinence in Virginia. 1t
Was rough his agency that }. b. Cough, the eio-
queBt cold water missionary nrst visited our state
several years ago, before he became famous In Eng
land. 40 Professor Of Law at William and Mary Col
lege. ho maintained the high standard of legal
proficiency which has al ays marked that veneta-
BILE .ch0ol, and, rutil his strength began to fail
him, labored with uufaggipg perseverance to bring
back to the balls of the old seminary the numbers
that in other days aocked thther for instruction.
At the same time he was engaged In preparing a
Digest Of the early Virginia Reporters, one volume
Of which was given to the public last year by Mr..
A. Morris. of Richmond. whether TINS task was
completed by him We are net informed.
At the recent meeting of the Board of Visitors
of William and Mary College, the Law School con
ntcted with the institution WAS abolished. The
death of Mr.. Minor, therefore, creates no vacancy
in the corps Of Professors
LEGAL MoRALrY-Mr Justice Coleridgs, who
bears great name in the Judicial roll OF England.
has been recently promoted from the Court Of
Queen s Bench to her Msj-sty's Privy Council
On leaving a seat which he had adorned and made
useful to his country and the whole world for forty
years. he took occasion to address a few words of
advice to the younger members which deserve at
tention rywhere. Referring to crises making
unusual demands upon the profession. he remark
ed. these not your seyerest trials" He con-
tinued:
They are those which are most insidious which
beset you in the ordinary path of your daily duty,
tfo.e which spring from the ezcit, ment Of contest,
from the love of intellectual display, and even from
an exaggerated sense of duty TO your clients.
"Geutiemen especially my younger friends.
suffer me without offence to put you on your
guard aqain., these. We can well afford to bear
additional pieasautrie upon US from without, but
cannot sfford that underlying these there
~houid exist among thoughtful persons feeling
thar orr professional standard of honor is ques.
lionabe-that we. as advocates will say and do in
Court what we, as gentlemen, would scCrn to do in
the common wnks Of life. Sometimes, confess.
II to me that We lend support to such feel
ing ty The lightuess with which We impute un
generous conduct or practices TO each other. Sure
Iy case is sacred. client dear, that ever
an advocate should be called upon TO barter his
own self respect If that be our duty, our great
and glorious profession is no calling for gentle
man"
SCENE AT A GALLpws.- The telegraph has men
toned the execution OF Isaac L. Wood at Genesee
New York, for poisoning his sstern-aw. He
died protesting his ieroCence. The last scene a,
the gallows Is thus described:
Wood turned to the clergy, the Sheriff, his dep
aud bade them farewell. His arms were then pin
iOped
lie exclaimed, "Oh, Lord Jesus, receive my spir
it, Oh, Sheriff, you have been so kind to me -
Let me die as easy as | can
Deputy Chase adjusted the rope about his neck
the black cap drawn over his face, and he took
Z seat Ill the chair. His time had come, aud Just
AS the drop about to fall the trembling cupri
grasped the chair, then tried raise his cap say
| ing: "Oh, Sheriff" "Oh, Sheriff - and as he en-
ieavored TO look his left shoulder to the fata
tread. the foot Of Sheriff Mccarthy sprung the
| latch-the drop foil, and with a bound poor Wood
sprang four feet into the air fell heavily to within
two feet of tho ground and his sufferngs we're Al
Al end Tie hung heavily and quiet for few mo
ments, with an occasional convusiou Of the body
and soon he was dead.
As the drop fell Mr.. Barnard, who married a
niece of Wood, and who stood near him, ehrieked
| "0b, dear!" and that was the emily human sound
uttered at the solemn moment. The baud without
by signal, played solemn dirge, and other W Use
| silence reigned around.