The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-24
CHARLES o'coNoR.
''The Nestor Of the New York Bar''-Un
precedented Brilliant Triumph Over
Early neutrality-suspicious. AZ q
Newsboy-A Military Episode
Forty-fve Years Legal Prac-
tioe--Epitome OF His Most
Important Cases-Politicai
Views and Private Life.

preparation his total DISREGARD Of ANNOUNCEMENTS
hts persistent earnestness or determination to mas
ter every branch OF legal argument his passionate
love OF hrs profession and making this the sole bust
ness Of bis life. have combined to accomplish this
result Endowed with mind stngulariy anaiy tical
ID Its structure. student and possess.
ing great powers OF endurance a. well a. appIl.
cation, he early laid tho foundation OF
his subsequent greatness. He started eight
and he went on right. He understood
everything ss he went along. lie left 40 ioQpholes
Of doubt He kept adding to his stores OF legal
learning. He mastered the digest formulas OF the
text books All the tortuous twlstlngs ana mysteri
GUS mysttcisms Of legal principles and precedents
and rulings were submitted to enc cruoibis OF his
clear and comprehensive INTELLECT Add to this
Flooding labor the inspiration Of genius and all
those rarer ana higher qualities Of successful adyo.
cate-co0lness intrspldlty, quckness Of conception,
thorough and exact knowledge OF human nstur O.,
refined subhety OF humor, terrible power OF with
erlng sarcasm when he chose Enough It was rarely
he invoked this weapOnl keen sensibllitles, an
impregnable terseness OF argument and q polished
and nclsye style OF utteran0e-and the OF hts
brilliant success at the bar Is easy Of cOmprehen
sion. He IL the Nestor or the New York bar. and he
has truly and n0bly won this exalted eminenoe.
ANCESTRY AND RARLY DAYS,
Charles O'C0nOr Is descended from an old and
distinguished family. living for generations Con-
naught county Ireland-a family the direct descend
ants Of those kings or princes OF Connaught who
were the last Miiesian monarchs OF Ireland. The
O'ConOr Don, member OF the British Parliament for
the county OF RoscommOn, ~ the present nearest
representative OF the family. Other representatives
OF the old family have also occupied high positions
OF honor and trust. Difference to wealth-for the
TALLY the cause OF these hOnors; but they were
manly meri0rous tributes to superior intelligence
learning and probity. Thomas oConor the father OF
the subject OF our preeent sketch. man OF ardent
character and enthusiastic devotion to his country
ana liberty, IN that famous rebellion against royal
oppression which In 1903 shook Ireland to tscentre,
took bold and prominent part. 1t was only his
youth that saved him the fate OF grand apos
tie of Irish liberty, Robert Emmett Having deeply
imbibed an indignant resentment against British
tyranny, he came TO this country. freed from the
shackles OF British control 20 enjoy the liberty 80
CALAMITY won IN the War OF the Revolution ana try
his fortunes in the New World. The father OF John
MoKeOns mother came over In the same vessel and
their remains now occupy the same vanlt In St.
Patrlck's cathedral Arriving here JOung man in
s Tno ess s@e HUM and ID
the Directory and; being stranger in a
he might prove relative He did not find any re.
iati0nship existing between them, but he found
PRETTY ne soon "a a sa Ma sG
OCOnor. He was born 1t No. 1875 Front street, but
little over stones throw from ms present office in
Wall street. Meantime his father had bought
1000 acres OF land in what Ia now Steuben
county this State. but what was then known a. the
Genesee country The family shortly moved to
their wilderness home, where Mr.. O'Conor's father
and brother speedily Joined them. General ker-
nan, uncle of John MoKeon and father OF the pres
m M In mi v SIpl
thore at the same time. Here were passed the nrst
six years of Charles O'C0nor's life. His earliest
rscOllections are OF that wilderness home and the
peris and hardsnps OF their pioneer llie the Turk
ing Indians by day. the howilng wolves at night,
and the deep depths OF the winter SHOWS Be
fore he was Old enough, however, TO know his
rather, the latter came to this city and remained
here. He got embarrassed IN some way, and was
put the debtors JAIL then at No. Chatham street.
Here young Charles first saw his father TO know
him. He still remembers the feeling OF keen anguish
1t gave him TO find his father restrained OF his liberty
ana hedged in by prison bars and bolts.
"ltIs no disgrace, my son. said the father tendery
caressIng him, my being here"
MEN, Mr.. O'Conor has been heard TO say, when
referring to this painful remembrance Of hls early
the several months mother and passed IN jail with
him were far from happy monshs We al felt happier
HIS FATHERS NEwsBoY.
Released from deDt and jail, the elder OConor
soon after established q weekly newspaper called
ton of . few numbers was changed to the kNitarv
Monitor. This was nc the outbreak OF the war OF
1919. O Conor WAS vigorously epigrammatc writer,
ornate description. In the columns Of his paper he
awaited himself OF the broad opportunity afforded
against am q s sSe Ens S Which, @s
and bis years OF residence here had not
abated. Charles, VINO was then eight years
that not only enforced keeping charge OF the
once his fathers absence, but also delivering the
papers to subscribers At this time New York had
90 lnhabitauta the POPULATION OF BROOKLYN
was about 1000, and Jersey City was small coun-
try village and between It and New York, as also
by row boats. Newspapers were not then what they
are now. The subscription list OF the Military Mont
to keep young Charles busiiy employed every Satur-
day in delivering the papers to subscribers.
some times tae m a was 9 ae arc
livery would take all night" he recently remarked
to gentleman, in speaking OF THIS epoch OF MS
ing papers under the doors plunged into areas ana
down through alieyways, fearless OF the police and
everybody, Tor my bundle OF papers was perlec.
safeguard as good TO me as tue agls and crested
helmet TO Heot0r.n
80 you commenced your career newsboysr
"a newsboy OF the old SCHOOL, reloined Mr..
OConor, with q merry twinkle OF the eye; ''for be-
tween newsboys Of the old and modern school there
IL as marked difference as between Old aud modern
school gentlemen"
lie tells IN this connection how one day he was
seated down IN the little, diugy Office, when tall
gentleman, wearing a military cap and cloak and
OF decided military air. came In and said he wished
TO subscribe for the paper.
'Thls IL the subscription book, SIR said young
Charles
"Thts Is my name.n said the military gentleman,
pointing out his alter writing 1t Ia the book.
sZebulon PIKE was the name says Mr.. OConor In
telling the story. at was written with the massive
boldness OF John Hancocks autographs. made
up my mind that no man could write his name with
such big flourish unless he was big man and my
first inquiries were to find out who no was, and
when found he was general in our army
looked for q long time with pride upon that auto.
graph, but with a sorrow and regret few felt more
deeply on learning OF hs death at the capture Of
Little York;
COMMENCING MS LAW sTUDigs.
Six months at OF the public schools or the
city the tuition gained in hts fathers newspaper
Onces. the last newspaper he edited and published
being the Shamrock, and the teaching given MIN by
his father comprised the extent OF young 0C0nor's
education HIS father, however was . hne scholar,
and the pains he took with his early training and
education made ample amends for MS lack Of
regular education at school and college, In addition
10 sound English education hts father taught MIN
the classics aud higher mathematics aud the French
ianuuape keeDinu ND his studies even alter he com