Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-05-11
FIRST EIl1'ION.
OBITUARY..
JUDGE WILLARD HALL.

The death OF Hon. Willard Hall, for nearly fif
ty years Judge Of the U. $. Court for the Dis
tiiet Of Delaware occurred at his residence il
this city about o'clock, last evening. Hi
health, which had maintained without impair
ment, during long and active life, tile powers
of his mind, had recently been gradually snd
steadily failing. until his decease became ar
event OF possible occurrence ut any time.
| Judge Hall waB one of our Oldest citizens. lie
dios in his 18th year. lIe served upon the bench
till within eighteen days OF completing his 9lst
year, and WAS then, no doubt the oldest Judge
remaining in SERVICE in the courts of the
United States He was born at Westford, Mass
| on December 2itli, 17SO--before the Revolution
had closed. HIS father, Willis Hall, was born
| and died in the same town; his mother, Meheta-
bic Pool. WAS of Hollis, N. Fl. His grandfather
Willard Hall, was graduate of the class of l722
at Harvard; and was descended from the Will
ards of Sussex and Kent i'll England who trace
their genealogy back to the time OF William tile
Conqueror. Major Simon Willard, the progentor
OF u numerous line of hiH name, came to MaBsa-
chuaetts, in 1884, and settled at Concord.
| Tho Judge was one Of the first scholars at an
Academy established in his native town in 1892,
| and entered the freshman class at Harvard, in
| 1906, graduating in 1909. The venerable Horace
Bnney, of Philadelphia, who yet survives the
Oldest graduate Of Harvard, was in College at
the same time, but graduated in 1887 In
March, 1900, the young man entered the law-of-
fee at Groton, of Samuel Dana, an eminent
lawyer, though possessing no more than To-
cal fame, and in March, 1908, he was
admitted to the bar of Hillsborough coun-
ty, N. H., whore his pIeceptor prac-
ticed At this juncture, looking about for field
not 30 full of competitors he was attracted to
Delaware, by a speech made in Congress by
Hon. JAS. A. Bayard, the elder" and
upon writing to him received reply
that decided him to remove promptly
to this State. With letters of introduction from
Harrison Gray Otis of Boston, to Mr.. Bayard,
and Caesar A. Rodney, he rode southwark on
horseback, and reached Wilmington, April 18th,
1903, when, finding that Court was in session at
Georgetown, he repaired thither, at once, where
he WAS admitted to practice. He then located
his residence at Dover, where for twenty years
he sedulously pursued his profession. Once a
year he spent u fortnight in Pennsylvania, 'for
a change of air." but his application was 30 close
that he never, in that time, visited the home Of
his parents, and never saw them again.
At the bar Of Delaware, at this time, there
were such men as James A. Bayard Cesar A.
Rodney, Nicholas Vandyke, George Read, (son
of the Signer OF tho Declaration and OTHERS.
Mr.. Dayard was then in the prime Of life, and
Judge Hall always then and since, regarded him
as a lawyer of great ability. In conversation
with the writer of this, in 1871, (when he re-
signed from the bench,) the old gentleman said,
81 never saw his equal at the bar" Mr.. Rod
ney too, WAS in his full vigor, and very popu-
lar and able man. But with such competitors,
the young attorney slowly but steadily took rank.
In 1911, Governor Joseph Hazlett appointed him
Secretary of State, and he performed the duties
Of that Office until 1914. In 1876 he was elected
to represent the State in Congress-, and taking
his seat in 1917, he remained in the House four
years, being reelected in 1878. He had been a
Federalist when he came to Delaware, but he
afterward left that organization, and attached
himself warmly to the Republican" or al he
preferred to term it, the :. Democratic party.
Mr.. Bayard was dead, and Mr.. Halls associa-
tions and sympathies were with the adniinistra-
tions of Madison and Monroe. His term of ser
term of the latter, (Outertrdge Horsey and
Nicholas Nandyke were then our Senators, and
when, i'll 1928, Judge Fisher, OF the
U. $. District Court OF Delaware, WAS deceased,
Monroe appointed Mr.. Hall to the vacancy. II
am surprised, said he not long ago, THAT ev-
CT took the place" but i'll fact, though his prac-
tce was large and profitable, he had been for
twenty years very hard at work. and the more
even and placid duties of the National courts
attracted him irresistibly. An old letter written
by the Judge to Caesar A. itodney, dated at Do
ver, April 25th, 1923, shows how much he relied
on the friendly Offices of the latter, and is sub
ject of interest, just here. Its principal portions
are these
Dear Sir Soon after the re-
gretted death of Judge Fisher, the vacancy in
the Office of District Judge for this district, was
suggested to me, but ,liad no expectation of
the Office until / learned by Mr.. Me-
gear's letter, that you had mentioned
tho subject, and that | might depend up
on your friendly wishes and support This gave
me encouragement, great IN could have. Sup
posing that recommcndatory letter from the
Goyernor, iazlettl i'll consequence OF his Of
fetal character, might be of some aid, l. by the
last mall requested him to send forward
such letter. This, l presume he will
do. am aware of the influence which will be
eIerted in another quarter
Without your countenance, should not enter
tain the slightest hope of competition with it,
| feel confident of SUCCESS, or vt least of rec
ommendation worthy to succeed.
The matter was quickly decided, for Oh May
9Th, the President made the appointment. With
drawing then from political life, the judge en-
tered upon judicial career, which has been sell
dom equalled in length. Appointed May 9th,
1928, he resigned, December 9th, 1871. During
this lor period, his care of his judicial duties
was most exact and conscientious. They received
his first attention. But he discharged, also,
other duties, and performed other services by
which he became almost more highly and more |
generally appreciated amongst the mass of the |
people Of the State The first Revised Code Of
Delaware came from under his hand, the Legis |
lature by resolution, having charged him with |
its preparation. He completed it in
1929, reducing six octave Volumes coy- |
ering 5,G46 pages, into one, of which the pub |
lie laws occupied 563 pages He had removed |
from Dover to Wilmington. in March, 1925, and |
he WAS elected, from New Castle county, MEM |
ber of the Constitutional Convention of 1881, |
by which our existing organic law was framed. |
Next he was set to work on the public school |
system. While serving ~ Secretary of State, he |
had earnestly called attention to the need |
of establishing schools, and in 1929, committee
of the Legislature applied to him ts draw up a |
bill for the purpose. The law RI he drew it, was |
a good one, but tho Legislature, fearing the |
people might not sustain it, weakened its pro-
visions in regard to taxation. 1t remained as
he drew it, without further material amendment,
the School Law of Delaware, until the |
Legislature of this year-1S75. The schools
of Wilmington were early organized under il, and
Judge Hall was elected President of the Board
of Education, in 1885, place which he held until
1871, rendering valuable services to the cause
of Education.
Other positions were held by the Judge in as
sociations of religious, philanthropc, and busi-
ness character. He was elected a member, and
afterward President of the Delaware Bible Soci-
ETY., and served az such for many years. He
WIS President OF the Wilmington Savings Fund,
of the Wilmington S Brandywine Cemetery Co.,
and of other corporations
Early in life he became religiously impressed,
and in 1927 made public profession of religion
in the old stone church, the parent OF Hanover |
Presbyterian church, under the pastorate .of |
Rev. Mr.. Gilbert. The Sabbath School was soon |
placed in his charge, and he remained its super
during long period Of years.! land left
that duty to becomela Bible class teacher.
The Judge married, in 1906, Miss Junia Kill |