Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-10-25

A gentleman of this city, who has
been an intimate friend Of Mr.. Sew
ard since 1888, whose acquaintance
with Mr.. Stewards public life dates
beyond that-he having been a
resident of the Senatorial District
represented by Mr.. Seward in the
New York Legislature for some
years prior to that-has detailed to
us in conversation some interesting
personal reeollections outside the
published biographies of Mr.. Sew
ard, which are presented without
any effort to make connected mar
rative.
Mr.. Stewards father, Mr.. S. S.
Seward, of Florida, Orange County,
n. Y, was very wealthy man. He
made ut one time a will which left
the whole Of his large property to
William H. On learning this fact,
Mr.. Seward persuaded his father to
make new will, by which the
other children were made sharers
equally in the distribution Of his
property. Among other public be.
quests made under the new will, he
gave $4,000 for the establishment
of a seminary at Florida, adapting
the old homestead to the purpose,
with additions of a suitable charac-
ter. William II. executed the trust
in this matter with great liberality.
Some Of his friends demonstrated
with him for appointing a principal
who was Presbyterian, he being
a strict Episcopalian. Mr.. Seward
replied that his object was to OBJ
tain the best teacher lie could pro.
cure, and he refused to consider the
objection. The trustees Of the
fathers estate distributed 81 100000
before the entire business was closed
up.
Mr.. Seward held that, rs an advo
cate, he had no right to refuse to
defend any ease brought to him.
He was consequently employed fire.
quently in cases of the most un-
popular character. The last speech
he made in court was in the Hud-
son River bridge case, in 1858.
For some years previous he had
been employed as counsel Of the
New York Central Road. Erastus
Corning had opposed Mr.. Seward
until he found that his transcendent
ability made it almost necessary to
employ him. They were always
personal friends.
One of the celebrated cases with
which Mr.. Seward was connected
was "the Freeman Case" Free
man had been a convict in the Au-
burn Penitentiary. Soon after his
discharge he killed three persons at
one house, as fast as they came to
him at the door. The people were
exceedingly outraged by the MUIR
ders, and in almost any other COM
in this country he would
have been lynched. AUniversalist
and several other kind
hearted people urged Mr.. Seward to
defend the wretch. He was over
run with business and at first de-
olined, but gave way finally. The
trial occupied a month. The Prose-
cutting Attorney was assisted by
John Van Buren,, then Attorney
General. The Judge and jury were
to the prisoner from the
beginning, and he was refused
change Of venue. A conviction
followed. Mr.. Seward held that tho
man was insane, made 50 by i'll
while In prison. He then
to the Governor (Silas
Wright to suspend sentence until
points could be carried to the sup
RENE Court. This was refused. Mr..
Seward then sought out one of the
judges of the Supreme Court and
argued the case in chambers. A
writ of supersedeas was granted,
and a new trial ordered. All this
time there was a great clamor kept
up against Seward, but SO sure was
he that justice had not been done
that he kept on his way steadily.
Aftor his return, he prevailed upon
the Judge who had tried the case to
visit Freeman in prison. The judge
was astounded to find that the pris-
oner was Enthusiastically insane and
in a dying condition. He was much
and, turning to Mr.. Sew
ard, said: "Mr. Seward, you were
right, and we all were wrong; the
man shall never be tried again."
Soon afterward Freeman died, aud
and q post moyteW deyeloped the
fact that his brain was almost de-
by disease. This case adj
ded much to Stewards fame, both as
a lawyer and a just man in the end,
though it had made him excessively
for time. His defense
Of Freeman was pronounced by
Gladstone the ahlest defense In tho
English language. An English
gentleman said,"You forget Huskis-
SON." Glandstone replied, 81 do
not forget-there is nothing in the
En0lish lanruape e0ual to the de-