Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-04-16
The Late judge Dunn.


April Z, the malady that took him off
being typhoid fever The Judge was
native Of Kentucky, having his
birthplace in Ballet county. He
was born Dec IS 1899, two days be-
fore the death of Geo. Washington
The Judge began the study of law
in early life, and was admitted to tho
bar in Illinois, whithor he had gone
from bis native State, when ho was
little more than twenty years old.
Shortly after beginning the practice
Of his profession, in Jonesboro, H.,
he married Miss Mary Shrader, a lady
of Missouri, who survives the honor.
cd and lamcnted Judge
During his long and laborious life>
time, Mr.. Damn held many public Of
fees. For fiee years he was chief
clerk OF tho Illinois House of Repre-
sentalives, ano in 1929 he assisted of
fcially 10 surveying and plating the
first town Of Chicago.
He commanded an Illinois company
in the Black Hawk war, and held for
time the Office Of Assistant pay
master. 10 1885 he was elected to
the Illinois Legislaturo,an was chos,
en- chairman Of the judiciary Com
mittee.
Judge Dunn's public career in this
State began with tho organization Of
the Territory Of Wisconsin, in 1896,
at which time he was appointed Chief
Justice Of the dominion. lie re main.
ed on the Bench somo twelve years,
until 1913 when Wisconsin was adj
mitted into the Union az a State.
He was member OF the convention
that framed our State Constitutions,
and distinguished himself By the
work he performed during the ses>
sion Of that body From 1853 to SO
he represented Lafayette county il
the State Senate, serving as chairman
Of the Judiciary Committee during
each session. In 1856 the Judge
made a run for Congress, his victorl>
Gus opponent being the Hon. G. G..
Washburn, our present Governor.
lie was o candidate for the State SEN
ate against Hon. II. VI. Magoon in 20,
but was not elected.
Judge Damn was Democrat, faith
ful and true to the principles of his
party. and intense in his opposition
Of Republicanism.
The Judge was passioaately fond
Of hunting, aud kept in his hospitable
house at Belmont dogs and guns
en- ugh to remind one Of tho home of
some opulent planter in the Sou b
before the Rebellion
Many Of The ablest aud most dis
eliminating writer's 10 the State have
already extolIod TIE virtues aud
praised the merits Of him whose lite
we have attempted to sketch thus
briefly ia the foregoing paragraphs
SO it follows that We can write moth
ing 10 commentator OF the man that
has not been written already, utter
no words CT ou!ogy that have not
yet greeted the hearing Of all by
whom tho Judge was known in this
and other localities He was man
Of whom much that is good and
very little that is otherwise can be-
said. In his social relations he was
frank and liberal to a fault almost,
acting as one who is worthy to bear
without reproach the grand old name
Of gentleman. He treated "a equals
all with whom he mingled vet main
tanned ever that dignity and reserve
belonging properly to an individual
Of his intellectual superiority and I'M
questioned professional eminence.
His mental vision was uncommonly
clear, and he saw what he saw with
the severcst certainty and distinct
mess. H. looked straight through
tbo moss intricate problems aud diff
cult questions that came up in bis To-
gal practice or which were brought
70 bis consideration iii the chambers
of legislation. Few lawyers haI as
much influence over a jury as he, and
not many were his suprriors in plead,
ing case at the bar. Bat as all who
knew Judge Dunn az a man also
knew him rs a lawyer, it would be
simply superhaous for US to wife
another sentence In admiration of
his mental acumon or professional
skin. In closing our hasty and ue-
cessarily imperfect sketch, it May
with truth be said, that his life, Ike
that OF the last and noblest Of All The
Romans, "was gentle, and the
olcments 20 mixed IN bin that nature
might stand mp and say to all the
world This was q man."