The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-02-10

In CouRr.-We look around the court
room, where the present m asters of the legal
arena are occupied with the daily business
and details Of not very excitingly interest
ing term Of court, and it occurs to US to re-
fer back through our files to seventeen years
ago, when the GATE CIrY was the Tallsy
Wing and this municipal Gate City wasn't a
very ambtiously expanded city at all. The
gentlemen of the Bar can correct us if it be
not so, but we have an impression that, in
the early days, while yet the State of Iowa
was the Territory Of Iowa, the Keokuk Bar
was not very pretentious. Burlington earlier
gathered unto herself legal luminaries, and
in the Des Moines Valley, Keosauqua was
the home of much OF the legal talent of the
then Territory. Its bar reached proud EN-
inence in the State. Justly, too, for there
met in professional strife over the frequently
humble cases that grew out of the early So
ciety, George G. Wright, who was to become
Chief Justice In time, and SO greatly an or
nament to the Supreme Bench Of the State;
and A. G. Hail. afterwards Chief Justice OF
Nebrasks-s man of massive intellect; and
Delazon Smith, afterwards member of Con
gress from Oregon, "a silver tongued ora
tor" whose born mission it was TO talk pref
iily; and Selby, and Cowles, and Judge Sum
mers, and our own Howell, to whom jour
nalism offered superior attractions, whereby
lawyer failed of distinction, professionally,
II
that he would otherwise surely have reached;
and Judge Knapp, a lawyer Of high abilities.
There, too, in ambitious boyhood, then but
professional "chips," we're Charles c. Nourse
Afterwards to be our so gifted and genial
radical Attorney General-and 81. C. Cald- |
well, with his vigorous common sense and
untiring industry, which have made him Uni
ted States Judge Of Arkansas, and will do |
much more for him. These were at Keosau-
qua when Keokuk didn't have much Of Bar
at all. Times have changed since then, and |
keokuk now takes precedence Of mos. cities
in the West, and by not one of them is it |
surpassed, in the talent of its Bar.
But it isn't Of the present we proposed |
speaking. We were looking back to the le- |
gal list seventeen years ago. George H. |
Williams was Judge then. He had come
here, 81 green, gawky boy folk called him.
only few years before. Green he certainly |
wasn't, whatever he may have been else, or
if. green" such greenness has ripened into |
maturity. He had stamina in |
him and SO before the same folk were scarce |
aware Of the change, the boy was known as
an able lawyer, and then Judge. Then be |
went West, and now there is no more vigor> |
Gus intellect, nor practical sagacious states |
man in the United States Senate than Hon. |
George II. Williams, of Oregon. But he |
was Judge then and as We look through the |
pdaey Wig, Of seventeen years ago, We find |
this incident of the term Of Court he then |
held here: A prisoner, in Jail 1t Fort Msdi>
SON, charged with murder, was brouph. be.
fore the Court to give evidence in the case OF |
fellow prisoner, charged with larceny. He
felt that he was master of the situation, and |
90 II u was all the same to the Court, he be- |
heved he wouldn't be sworn or make anv
statements in any way. The Court peremp-
torily ordered him to be sworn. The ner.
verse chap must be excused, he really didn't
think he would swear at all. The Court gave
him long lecture, on his duty a. a citizen,
and threatened te send him to Jail il he per-
sisted in refusint Yes, be had err.c+.a
that, but as he wa already in Jail for another
ofense, Il might he announcement for Tho
Court 70 divide hin up and pat him into d;f,
ferent cells, and a. long a. he was ken, ~
gether 1t didn't matter much to him what ba
was in jail for; be believed he wouldn't he
sworn. The Judge ordered him back to Jail
for contempt Of Court, but a. the fellow left
the room triumphantly, it was the opinion Of
outsiders that the chap had rather " got the
Court. 1t shows what perverse customers.
Judges, who may afterward become United
States Senators, may get upon their hands.
i'ut now to our Attorney list at that time.
Their, was Joel Matthews, and L. r. Reeves.
both able lawyers, and both dead some year.
ago. McCarty, . man of fine talents. also
dead. There was L. E. II. Ho0ghton, Who
smigrased long since TO Texas, and vent out
OF memory here into some unknown future.
Lyman Johnston was in partnership with
Matthews. George H. Oliver is also in the
hst, . promising young man, much liked, who
- drowned while bathing in the river.
Thsrs u the name Of 8. W. Powers, Of whom
~ know nothing bat that hs 10 dead. Calvin
= Saons hasbst lav ord; n sasy.soins
shap thas wsnt Wei, ~ mAds uonsy md
~ uansde Y 81 ~ ~ IN ~ ~