The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-08-05
Death Of oliver 6. cray.

weeks past. the announcement, ON Tuesday
morning. that Oliver Q. Gray had died At his
rsndsaes in this city at half past nine ON Mon
day night, was felt BY the community generally
- shock. Mr.. Gray has 70 long gone in and
cat among us-had 90 long occupied . position
Is one OF our leading citizens, ablest lawyers,
and most genial and pleasant of men and neigh.
bors, that it wss hard to realize that we should
BEE bis face and hear his pleasant voice in these
earthly courts no more forever.
We have not the material at hand to prepare
biographical sketch Of the deceased, though
such sketch could be prepared of absorbing in.
terest. His student lite in Ohio, his services in
the Mexican war, his adventurous career in CAL
ifornia in the earliest stages of the great gold
excitement, and then al his trials and triumphs
Is leading lawyer at the local and Supreme
Court bar OF this state, would furnish material
for . goodly number of readable and instructive
chapters The task 10 for better informed and
moro able pen than ours. OF his high legal and
literary attsinmsnts, and his many admirable
qualities a. lawyer and . nan, his brethren of
the bar, with whom he stood in suoh close and
intimate relations for 90 many years, are also
more competent TO speak than we are, wheLce
We ohssrfully give quite . large space to speech.
e. made in circuit oosrt ON the occasion OF an
nosncins his death.
The funeral Sf Mr.. Gray took place on Wed.
nssdsy from the Episcopal Church, the burial
service being read BY the rector, tho Rev. w. w.
Estabrook. The Mason. and Odd Fellows, of
both of which orders Mr. Gray had been mem.
Der, and also the members Of the bar, having at.
tended his funeral in . body. the Church was
densely flled, and the funeral cortege that sub.
sequsntly moved from the Church to the Gene
try, to the musio Of Bachs band, was one of the
largest our city has ever witnessed.
The disease Of which Mr.. Gray died was con.
sumption, with which he had suffered for over
year past He Was about "a years of aye. He
had been twice married, and leaves q grief
stricken wife and adopted daughter, having no
children Of his own.
IN the CIRCUIT COURT
At the opening Of the Court Tuesday
morning, before any business was taken up, the
Hon. Warrington Bushnell arose and addressing
the Court ANNOUNCED, in feeling terms, tho
death Of his former partner, the Hon. Oliver C.
Gray. Alludisg to the fact that within few
months he had already announced the death to
this court of Julius Avery, his late partner. and
Of VIM. c. Pearson, student in hi. Office, the
present duty Of announcing the death OF another
with whom he had stood IN the intimate relations
Of . daily Office companion and partner in bust.
ness, fell upon him with peculiar weight. Mr. B.
proceeded Vt sums length to pronounce u feeling
and glowing sulosy ON the deceased.
Judge Leland, in response, also eulogised the
deceased, regarding him ~ one Of the most re.
markable men he had ever met at the bar, pos
sessed Of rare combination of talents that We sci.
dom see united in ono person. At the close Of
his remarks he adjourned the court to Thursday
morning. to give the members Of the bar AL op.
portunity TO attend the funeral Ob.equies on
Wednesday.
BAR MEETING.
Immediately on the adjournment OF the Cour.
. meeting Of the bar was held, and on the motion
OF E. F. Bull, Hon. T. L. Dickey was called to
the chair: and on motion Of d. p. Jones, Cnas
Blanchard WAS chosen secretary.
Hon Ohss. H. Gilman moved that a commit.
tee Of three be appointed to draft resolutions
expressing the feelings Of the bar to be reported
at an adjourned meeting.
The Chair appointed Hon. c. II. Gilman,
D. P. Jones and Arthur Lockwood such com.
mittee.
The meeting then adjourned to o'clock Wed.
nesdsy morning.
ADJOURNED MEETING.
At the adjourned meeting on Wednesday
morning, Arthur Lockwood, Esq, in behalf Of
the committee on resolutions, reported the fol.
lowing:
Another bright legal and intellectual
tight Of the Bar Of La Sale County has gone
out. Oliver =. Gray has laid down tina. life, in
which he 70 often stood ~ an advocate before
earthly courts, and in the presence OF his associ.
cenjed to that Higher Court, and to that other
Presence, where those Of Is that knew him best
believe it will give him ready admission; there
fore,
Res0lred, That In our late brother we recog.
nized the highest elements of the counselor and
| Of the advocate.
Resolred, That we recognize in him an intel.
| lectual endowment which his own assiduity
| converted into profound scholarship, not only
of law, but Of Science AID Philosophy, and not
only of these but of Natures Histories, and to all
these was added the gift of Poetry.
| Resolred, That the sympathes of the members
of the Bar of La Salle county are hereby extend.
ed to her whose heart is made desolate by this
event.
Resolved That we will cherish the memory of
"a ~ ~