The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-09-14

: :
Iinguished and respected townsman, Y L.
Johnston, Esq, the eighteenth on the list of
prominent democrats thus tar presented by that
excellent journal. We cannot of course give
the portrait, which We considec very good
likeness of Our toWnSmau con a bust - as the
witty MacShane would saw but we here ap
pend the brief sk etch OF his life published there
with, knowing as do that our patrons could
rot read about better, more genial or warm
er hearted gentleman thai, the Sut;eet OF the
sketch in question, whom we ali know and re
Spect for lis gentle disposition, his generous
nature aud his irrepreSsibie wit:
Robert Upton Johnston, who is ut present n
member OF the Democratic State Executive
+ or oICambria county. Pennsylvania and prom
inent member OF the EbenSburg bar-a bar
wit. OF this bar Mir. j Johnston has been "a lead
I ing member for nearly quarter of century,
( County. ne was born at old Han.inedom H0ii
Furnace, huntingdon County, Pennsylvani
january Ith. lSl5. He is OF Scotch-Irish de-
scent, his father having been native OF the
north OF Ireland, and his mothefi though
I American born. Of Scotch psreutage.
The difficulties encountered in acquiring an
( education half a century ago, in the mountain
/ gorges OF Huntingdon County, before the in
I PRODUCTION OF either canals or railroads, can
/ scarcely he realized in this age of progress.
Three months in the winter season, under a
/ teacher whose knowledge did not extend be
/ yond the rule of three.'' or stare and tret"
I was the rule. such only were the education
/ al advantages accessible to Mr. Johnston in
/ his early youth; but he had a grasping mind,
/ even when boy. He naturally bright,
| endowed by nature with rine perccptive or
1 gans and a retentive memory. He devoured
/ books eagerly, expanding his mind by eXten-
/ siAe and diversified reading more especially
after having met with an accident which de-
/ prived him of the use of his right leg from the
/ knee down. Prior to this from his twelfth
I year forward he labored with his elder broth
/ ers and father in chopping cord wood" for
/ the Etua Iron Works: owned mt that time by
! II. ;. Spang, and situated in Canoe Valley,
then Huntingdon county, now Blair After
I he had recovered from his injury, as far
/ might be- he for "A time taught school in the
J neiUnbOFhOOI, but eventually IL
] cnSburg, Cambria county, where he studied
I law with the notable Michael Dan Mage han,
Esq, and was admitted to the bar in 1871. The
following year he was married to Miss Eveline
/ Rodrigue, daughter of the late Andrew Rod
rigue, Esq, of Philadelphia, and settled in
Ebensburg in the practice of his profession.
campaign OF lS40. he began to display his pow
| ers on the stump, in behalf of the old Whig
. In 1876 so popular had he become, that, not
withstanding the county was largely Demo
Whig ticket, and in 1881 he elected Pro
thonotary on the same ticket. Up to 1854 Er
Johnston was a Whig-what was called an
'.old line Whig,n and Was the warm r.eYsonai
I friend of Henry Clay, but when his party be-
| into line with the Democrats. and has ever
| since done yeoman service with both tongue
and pen for the advancement of DemocTatic
principles. On several occ asions he has been
| the choice of his County for positions of
emolument and honor, and on two of them
ran the gauntlet in his district for Congress,
once against y A. Rarker, and once against
| ID j. MorreIi, bus the majority against him
was at that tiD.e too great for him TO over
come.
He has also been more or less connected with
the press OF hts county, both as proprietor and
ed!tor-ln-ch4ef and, during spirited CAM
paigns, Contributor of great power.
He is q decided filvorite with the people of
Camtr County, being respected for his hril-
liarJ talents, and endeared to his fellow citi-
Zens by his goodness of heart. In his profess
sion, he holds Il high position. We believe we
might say, without being considered invidi-
Gus desirous of derogating from the fame
of his cotemporaries of the Ebensburg bar,
that he stands at its head. This, the calibre of
the EbensburS bar considered, Is as high a
, compliment Us we could pay him; but We he
neye the records OF the supreme and United
States Courts will bear Us out in the assump-
ton. In the case of the United States rs.
Joseph WILL in the circuit Court OF the Uni
, ted States, Mr.. Johnston, as counsel for de
fendant, procured reversal of the United
States, as. Hess in the same Court; and estab-
lished the doctrine, afterwards followed by
i the Court, that an indictment did not lie for
resisting an enrQllng olhcer under net OF
March Sd, 1868. The Circuit Judge, McCand-
less, with whom Judge Grter, of the supreme
Court, concuTrcd, paid IA marked compliment
to Mr. Johnston, in his opinion See Phila
For many years he has figured conspicuous
2 ly in the leading cases OF his own and the adj
joining counties. IN criminal Jurisprudence,
although his County has been singuarly free
from crime, he has taken prominent rank
He defended Moore in the notorious Moor
Marbourg murder case. and by his powerful
and eloquent exposition OF the aggravating
domestic causes that led TO the rash act, gain
: ed verdict in the second degree, and which,
| doubtless. led to prompt pardon OF the cul-
Mr. Johnston is a conscientious christian
gentleman; fair in all his dealings upright
I sympathetic nature, with not sufficient of the
3 .'money grip to counter-balance his beneyo-
like q rol ing stone gather no moss; but the
ground over which they have passed will bear
1 humbIcsf of earth's flowers, brushed aside OF
> gently crushed in contact with them, will rear
It's modest head, and smile ssGod speed
/. after them. The Latin motto, .'Sdautter ~
nto. fortiter In re-, Gentle in the manner, but
idea we would convey of Mr.. Johnsfon's char
acter. Whatever has to be done he does feso
; ant duty, with the most delicate sense of dis
D crimination criminal He has in addition m to s thest
ty of appreciating the good which falls to his
ioa without desparding or na9oding a over t tns n
s shat Is, and is bouyant with the thought q
ss 8 is 70 ss Irish hnsRg styeg ahos ahe bes
1e 1zssesnf g tent and leaving the future to take
fHk zsfeeekz Of the Central Insurance Com
z<H< cor July Ist- proves that skill and
z1E prominent eiements of success
ss'asss i Pe nsssrE. Ssa1sa kerr arqe'