Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-02-04
SsdSea DsaeA 81 e. CASef Jws66ee

A most lamentabls event occurred
10 the Supreme Court Room, We'd
ueaday, 2Sih nit. during ths- prpccsd,
iuip boforo tho 6uprqns p0urt Ia
bsnc. Ex. Chief Joisi& Tt4mpaon,
ID lhs opsulpg of aeonchdins areu1
uent N u lmportsnt oase, etddslly
dtQppSd deAd. Ks
The court, at tho time, was well
6hed by the melnbern of tho bar. ~
the case in issue was not only an I'm
porlant ono. but the fact that the ex-
Chief Justice was TO finish the srgu
m eRt -ssrved 10 sstr~ct many Of our
q 6lest jurists TO the court Chief JUS
tics Agnsw, und Judges Mercar and
Gofdon were upon the bench. The
case which wxs W.. waA, that uQf Hugh
W. II Reynolds, et al. w. William
Iangenbefyes;S 1t iAas,gAno tction for
ejectmea Oh a1appeal from Columbia
Hon. George W. Woodward, the
leader oi codnssl Tor ths deiendent In
error had just finished hip stgpmont
having uttered 'bis iast sentence
about 20 minntss of one O'clock.
Ex.Chief Jussice Thompson then
ross TO reply. Hislappearance at this
moment bud nothing IL It 70 excite
any anxiety on the part VI tho audi
tjfa. He stood ,still 4 moment after
srjsing. rcsting hiA hand upon the IT,
ble cdiAtely fronting Chief Justics
Agnew, and then In low tome nj ed
the Court to bear witb him. as il was
impowsible fDr him ~ speak either
loud or rapidly m" ,'1s''Nh Y Ap'. \
He opened lis argument, taking ex
ccption IL q reinArk of the gentleman
who hud juat proceeded him. and who
had said that Judge Elwsll tfrom the
interior Of tho Slate) was b, butter
Judge on TAX iisles than he Judge
Who'd ward himself. Z is& ''21tlie
Judge Thompson pointed but an
crsor whirt, tlis opposite counsel had
perhaps unwittingiy, fallen into, and
was about attempting It's refutation,
when suddenly his vUice failed him,
and his countenance grew pailid, and
he Aank upon his chair. He pssscd
his hand over bis brow, and closed bis
ey yes wy II 'y.'e e'es' I q, ','' n .
Judge Wood ard, who sat next to
him, ut once offered him n, glass oi
water, hoping that tho draag ghl would
revive him. aid the ex-Cbirf Juslice
made an Effort. u take il. Az he sx-
tended biz, arm, he suddenly tell from
the chair TO the door. :" y =,
All this occurred more rapidly than
we can describeit Judge Woodward
ahd h number Of ths members Of the
bar ncarert Judge Thompson raised
him up. and N they did 80 bis facv
became fully exposed ~. '..'
The eyes were closed. and the coun
tenance was covered with the pAIl,r
uf death. The scene ensuing npn,
this dreadful occurrence was ons oi
great excitement Ind one Of groat
sorrow.
Tie form OF the dead jarist was ten
Derby raised up and placed upon the
table, the head resting upon q cushion.
The news spread with ihe utmost
randity, and among Tho frat who
came into The court, scarcely Ave
minutes after Judge Thompson had
fallen, WAS Dr. Price, Of tho Fifth
Street Dispenmry.
Before his arrival the collar Of the
ex.Chief Justicc had been opened. and
all the rxpe,licnts which the mon,en,
Nuggs-,cf for rrsnscitaiivn were up.
piled without avail
Dr. Price applied his car 10 the
heart, and then, turning u the as
-embled judges and lawyers, said, il
y rUlemn tsr,e
"Gen,Icmen,h he Is dcad.snd the cause
Of his death was heart disease"
News of The ssd oveut was at once
sent to tho aop Of The drcvasvd, and
he camo ir.t8 The court room, which
the officers endeavorsd 70 cleur NJ
rapidly us possible. s6+Sa Y,
There was an uninterrupted file
pns-ing IL and ont of the doors f;a
more thanan hour, ,c'mpored OF judges
lawyers. city officials aud merchants
who called by the report, ha-tcned al
"nre TO learn It's truth, and 10 rec ths
remains Of man whose eminent ahil
ity, kind aud generous disposition ,hat
won their affection aud esteem.
Those who had witnessed The event
were called upon from nh sides TO Civ.
the details. Judges Mercur. Agnev
aud Gordun, after CONSULTATION viii
ths leading members OF the bar VIII
were present, decided to adjourn III.
court over untll this [ Thursday morn
ing IT 10 u'clock, when the formal M
nouncrment of the death of the cx
Chief Justice should BE- made.
The remains. after remaining shor
time in the court room, were removed
10 tho residence Of tho. dcccnsed, oT
the south side Of Spruce street, below
Seventeenth Tho late Chief Jurtic'
Thou pson leaves a wife, two sons, ant
two daughters. M M
SKETCH OF His CAREER.
James Thompson WAS bnrn IN W
town Of Middlerex. Bsvks county
Pennsylvania, Octobet I. 1905. Hi
father died whom he war yet an infant
Hc began lie ny entering q printing
office. where no Icarned to set type
aud eventually became ~ri'ler %
ths vensngo c'un'y Press, ~ Frahk
4 lin. and made himself quite conrpicu
ous IN the defense Of Gen Jackr"n.
He r0on. however. nbsnd"nsd thi
calling and wont 10 XII tanning. Penn
rylvania, where he entered liin,srlf y
n law student IN the ufiice ct Thomn
Blair, then leading attorney Of Wrs
tern ,Penn-yIvanis, and WINS ndmitie'
to The bar IN ls29 byf Judge Young
| Mr.. Thompson roou became prom
nent ~ biz profession, extending III
practice 10 the adjoining countiess i
!, 1882, no WAN announced BY the Dcmo
Gratis M their candidate fur Assembly
man for tho district composed ii IN
touutios Of vensngn and Warren :
Alter . warm contest he wns elccie