The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-04-29
PARAGRAPHS
Local and Political.
ny coNrRIBU o a O..
"Reminiscences of the Morgan
County 'COurt Of Common
Pleas of Fifty Years Ago.

fifty and ffty~one years ago, may
be interesting to the younger, ant
bring back to the memory of I'd,
old people events long since forgot
ten.
On the 9th day of April, 1919
iftyone years ago. the Court ofCom
mon Pleas was first held at Neon
nelsvi;le, tho county scat. The cour.
convened in O log house, fifteen BY
twenty or less, then located or
the lot now occupied by Mrs. Jonal
Powell.
Ezra Osborn Esq, the first Presi-
dent Judge, did not preside over the
court, until March 9th 1920. The
6rst organization oftbe court there
fore devolVed upon William Run.
nels, Sherebiah Clark, and William
B. Young, the associate judges.
At that time there were no res.
slGent Lawyers. The practising
attornies at law were residents o.
GAINESVILLE. We recollect 8. W
Culbertson, Gems. Samuel Herrick
G. B. Goddard, WilIIs Sillaman
Appleton Downer John Doland Alez
Harper and Richard Stilwell. Gen
Goddard, Willis Silaman, Harper
and Judge Stilwell afterwards be-
came distinguished as lawyers and
politicians in Ohio. All of the early
lawyers who visited the bar of this
county are now deceased.
No business appears to have been
done by the court on the first day
of the term. On the second day Of
the term April 9th, 1919 pDr s. A
Barker WAS appointed clerk of the
court. John Doland, Esq, u lawyer
of GAINESVILLE, prosecuting attorney,
Timothy Gaylord recorder and
William Davis, surveyor. The frs,
judgement recorded by the court
was ia favor of Isace Van Horn,
against John Dodds, for s114,34 and
cost.
At a called court held May goth
1919, the first letters of admins
tration we're granted to Dr.
Samuel Martin, upon the estate Of
his brother Thomas Martin deceas.
ed.
The second regular torn OF the
court, was held on tho 9th day OF
July, 1919. Nathan Dearborn was
Q oroner, (there bong no Sheriff yet
elected for the county, j and he,sum-
moneG and returned the following
gentlemen as the first grand jury
of the county, viz:-WilIlam Dawes,
who WIS made foreman, Sylvanus
Newton, Joseph Devereaux, Ar.
phaxel Devol, Zadock Dick r5on,
Gilbert Olney, Isaac Hedges Simeon
Norgareidge, Sam uel Henry, Asa
Emmerson, Nathaniel Shepard,
REfns P. Stone, and Alexander
Mcconnell, all of whom are de-
ceased, except Isace Hedges, who,
much respected and at a good old
age. resides in Meigsville Township
the last of the fourteen others died
some years since.
The first licensed tavern in the
county was kept by James Young,
IN McConnelsvllle on the lot where
James Watkins. Esq now resides,
He was licensed for one year, aud
paid therefore the sum of SEQ.
Jacob P. Springer afterward tn c
first sheriff of the county, was llcer.
sed to keep a tavern at his house
ia McConnelsville, which was kept
where Mr. Seth C. Brewster's store
now stands, and in the frame build.
ing on the front of same lot.
On the LIST July the court ordered
that the qualified voters of tho new
township of Center hold: their first
election for two Justices of the
peacetbe 18th of July, 1919.
The first indictment presented
in the county by the grand jury
was against Enoch Lopez, for an
assault and battery upon the body
of James Frisby. To which bill
Lopez pleadnot guilty, and the frst
petit jury called il the county was
smpanneled to try Lopez, and was
made up of following named gentle.
men, viz: T.. n. Gates, Benjamin
johnson, W Murphy, VIM Lewis
Micah Adams, Philip Kahler
BENZ. Williams, Elisha Williams
Abraham Hews, John Seaman
Samuel White, and B. W. Tolbot
ALI of whom III believed to be dead
The jury found Lopez guilty, and
the court assessed a fine of So OF
and cost. The first license to vend
goods was granted to Jacob Adams
whose Istore was kept on the cor.
nor Of the alley south ofKelly and
Seaman's, store, for which license
Mr.. Adams, was required to pay
$4,000.
On the 9TH Of July, 1919, the eourt
ordered an election to be held a
the house of James Whitaker, in The