Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1867-06-21
From the Dubuque Times, 18th.
DEATH Or HON. r. r. BIssELL.
sKgrCH OF HIS LIFE AND sERvIcEs.


DEATH Or uON. r. z. BIssELL.
eKgrCM OF HIS LIFE AND sERvICEs.
At FIVE o'clock yesterday afternoon intelli
gence was circulated throughout Dubuque
which saddei.ed every heart, cast . gloom
over every countenance, and caused every
man to feel as If calamity had befallen the
city" +. f. Bissell is dead y To aim st
every person the tidings were SO unexpected
that people we're shocked at the news that SO
able q man, pure in life, public spirited and
generous hearted, should be called away "in
the fullness Of his manhood just when his
superior talents, aud his reputation as a law
yer, were being recognized throughout the
State, and in other States, and when his fel-
low>citixens here we're proud 70 do him hon.
or, is indeed sad and incomprehensibls. He
had lived in Dubuque twenty-five years, bad
been intimately connected with all its great
public enterprises-those Internal as well rs
those calculated to advance its comm rcisl
interests--had been prominent in movements
offs philanthropic character, in short had
been cherished in the heats Of the people
here as one Of those rare aen who are bless.
ings in communities like ours, that bis death
is indeed calamity. BIT little over two
weeks ago he followed bis wife TO the grave
now be has Joined her il the land Of spirits,
and bis body is to be lowered to its resting
place beside her. "li desth they are not
divided"
A sketch Of Mr.. BDsell's life now must be
necessarily brief and incomi lese, but howev.
er short must also b interesting 10 this COM
munity. No doubt full account of his Ca
reer and services viii be prepared at an early
day.
Frederick Ezekiel Bissell was born in
Madrid, St. Lawre.ce Co., N. Y. Dec. 1919.
His father was farmer, and on q farm be
lived until the age Of twenty, when be went
u the Potssdam Collegiate Institute, where
he was educated A fellow student informs
Us that those studious characteristics which
be possessed a . lawyer, distinguished him
at school. he stood high a. student, and
was gre..ly respected BY his teachers and
fellow students. He attended the institute,
with the exception Of intervals during which
be was engaged in teaching school, until
ls44, when he graduated with honor. He
went back to his home and busted himself
on the farm and in the Distric, School House
until the next year, when he gathered his re
sources and started for the West.
lu June, ls45, Mr.. Bissell arrived at Du
buque. He had just one dollar and 6fty
cents in his pocket when he landed. He put
up at the " Western House," kept BY Col
McHenry, and commenced to look about and
see what be could do. He did copying, &c.
for lawyers, and posted books little for q
month or two. In September or October be
rented the ground room in the Stone
Church" on Locust street, and gave notice
that be WAS to commence . school. FoI
three days be waited in vain for scholars
not one entered the room. At the end ol
the fourth day one scholar came. Those
three days were "blne days" for him. He
resorted to song, speech making and story
telling, to enliven the hours, the bare wall.
being his audience. Psssers>by were i'm
pressed with the idea that he Was "quees
genius" AT the end Of the 6rst quarter his
rent and living expenses amounted to $500
more than his tuition fees. About the time
Of opening his school, he commenced the
study Of Law with James Crawford, Esq.,, q
very pr ininent lawyer Of that day. He con.
tinued teaching and studying until June OF
September, 1--we ars not positive which, 1876,
when he was admitted to practice in the Dis.
trict Cour. He entered into partnership
with Mr.. Crawford, who died in November
following. He then praeticed with Timothy
Davis as . partner until 1850, We believe,
when Xr. Davis retired, aud j. w. jenkins
became BIS partner. and renal ed such un.
til some time in 81, when Mr.. Bissell and
Lincoln Clark became law partners.
The members OF the Dubuque Bar were
not long in learning that Mr.. Bissell, altho
young in practice, possessed as much legal
knowledge, and evinced rs much ability in
conducting cases, as most of the old practi
TONERS. In . remarkably short time bis
opinions possessed weight and influence, and
be was not uufrequently consulted by men
far older than himself
In June, ls49, Mr. Bisscll married Mary
Ann Perrigo, foster daughter Of +. W. Good
rich, Esq.
His connection with Judge Clark was
maintained until 1856, when be entered into
partnership with WIN. Mills, Esq, the firm
taking in o. p. Shiras, Esq, one year later
The firm Of Bissell, Mills L Shiras was kept
UP for Eve years, and had . very extensive
practice.
Mr.. Bissells reputation as lawyer begsn
TO extend itself at an early date in his career
ct the bar. He possessed clear head, q
memory that retained everything that read,
ing or hearing furnished il. He saw at once
the strong and weak points in case, and
fortified himself accordingly. As . lawyer
be was high minded and honorable; and
possessed Of untiring industry and un6r z.
ging energy. No lawyer in tie State pos.
sessed more legal learning than he. He
stood at the head Of the bar in Northern To-
"a, for years-this has been acknowledged
By the legal fra:ernity-and be had no su.
perior in the State. He was not brilliant
orator, but was interesting as a speaker, and
jurors always liked to hear him-there was
90 much OF aptness aud sound sense in his
arguments, that they could not help being
impressed with them. He exhibit. d grea,
tact in the trial Of case. No lawyer ever
caught him on question Of pleading. In
an argument before the court he displayed
to better advantage his legal ability, for
there his mind could confne itself to pure
argument, in the arrangement OF which be
could not be excelled. He was called on
several occasions to argue cases before the
Supreme Court Of the United States at Wash.
ington. His practice in the Supreme Court
Of Iowa was very extensive-more SO per.
haps than that Of any other lawyer in the
State.
In one Characteristic Mr.. Bissell was un.
like any other man We ever krew. In the
social circle, and among his fellow members
Of the bar, be vas man Of infinite Jest, and
ready 1t any time to illustrate any phase ol