Litchfield enquirer., 1870-06-02

1 his way as by stealth to the heart and con- victions of the court and jury. I remem- Der case on trial in which he was oppos- ed by Boardman; and Benedict, who was for the defendant on the trial, contested the points inch by inch as they arose in the case. During an intermission Some one asked Boardman how they were getting along with their case. He replied. impa- tinctly. Mot very we'll. Benedict is as in genious as the Devil can make him, and he plaguessus to death." He was engaged in nearly all the important cases tried in all the courts, and his practice was oxten- sive in New Haven ard Fsirfela counties He attended the session of the Supreme Court at Litchfeld in 1881 and argued sev. eral causes, but left an account of illness before the term closed. In short time I heard he was dead. He had reached the age of sixty-one years. In the case of Fairnsan vs. Bacon the last case but one which MT. Benedict argued, Judge Dag gett, in giving the opinion of the court, pays the following tribute to his memory ''I have, in this opinion made great use of brief furnished by the late, lamented Mr. Benedict, because found if presented the argument in that terse. yet luminous view for which that gentleman was so conspicu- 1 ous, and by which the court were so often instructed and enlightened, and rarely more so than in this, one of his last ef- 1 forts.''
 ASA BACON.
 Asa Bacon was native of Canterbury and came to Litchfeld as curly as 1906. af- ter short period of practice at East Ha- ven, and, for while, was partner of Judge Gould. In 1920 he had become a leading spirit at the bar. He had fine personal appearance, being tall and we'll proportioned, and usually richly dressed. The first time saw him before the jury his head was we'll cassd in powder and pomatum, and long queue was dangling at his back; but he soon laid aside this con- formity to old time fashions, although he was the last member of the bar to do so. He was undoubtedly very hard student, and his briefs were the result of extensive and faithful study. He was not very flu ent, but was after all an interesting speak l CT. He would sometimes interlude his ar guments with specimens of drollery and flashes of wit, and the expectation that these would be put forah secured very strict attention from all his hearers. He frequently quoted passages of scripture, and commented upon them, not always ir- reverently, but sometimes with rather un- becoming levity. He was mortal enemy of universal suffrage, and once in con- menting upon the parable of the talents he called the bailee of one talent who had hid it in the earth, universaI suffrage "an. He was 8 genial, jolly, companionable man, and although not addicted to excess i've liberality in his benefactions, still kept himself in good standing while he remain ed here. When he had reached the age of sixty years he was appointed president of the Branch of the Phoenix Bank, located in Litchfeld, ,and after that was never seen professionally engaged in Court. The last years of his life were spent in New Haven ] where he died at very advanced age. l GEN. STERLING.
 
 | General Elisha Sterling was native oi l Lyme and graduate of Yale College in the class of l787. He studied law with the Hon. John Garfield of Sharon, who was his father-in-law. and settled in Salisbury in 1791. He was man of high order of talent, and had he addressed himself solely professional points would probably have stood at the head of the bar in this county. But he loved money and gave much of his time to different kinds of business, and ac- quired great wealth for those times. Not withstanding this propensity he had an extensive practice and was engaged in most of the cases coming from the northern DOT. tlons of the county. He was a ready speak. CT, not very select in the choice of his words and not eloquent by any established rule of elocution, but there was kind of impetuosity in his manner, accompanied by a rapid but distance utterance of language which gave him popularity as an advocate. He was appointed States Attorney in 1874 and held the office six years when Seth P Beers, Esq, was appointed in his place. He retired from practice soon after, and died in 1886, at the age of seventy-twc years. His wealth enabled him to indulge the strong taste he had for handsome style of living and equipage, and in that direction his mind had strong aristocratica tendencies.
 l JUDGE BOARDMAN
 David s. Boardman was a native of New Milford and settled there in the practice of law after lis admission to the bar in 1795. He was man of retiring disposi. tion,in no way giving showy display of his powers, but he was finished legal scholar. and was deemed very safe and prudent professional adviser. He had very nice