Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-10-12
rRnnEssEE,s RnINENr JURIsr.

The late Judge Robert j. Mckinney,
who died in Knoxville on the 9th Of DC
tooer, was born February /, 1903, at
CorelAine, in Londonderry, Ireland, and
came to this country at the age OF eleven
years with his father. They settled a
few years later in Hawkins county, East
Tennessee. He received a moderate
education, studied law under his uncle at
Rosersville, and was admitted to the bar
December "a, 1924. He removed to
Greenville two years later, and soon
built up q great reputation and practice
az alswyer. In 1884 he was elected q
member Of the State Constitutional Con-
yentiop. in which he served with marked
ability. In 1885 he was a Wing elector
for Hugh L. White for the Presidency.
In ls4l be received the Wing nomina-
ton for Congressman in a strong Wing
district, but declined to run. In lS47 he
was elected by the Legislature to ill a
al on the Supreme bench, oeea-
stoned by the resignation Of Judge
Reese. In 1854. after the Constitution
was amended changing the mode of
electing the judiciary. he was reelected
BY the people for . term Of eight years.
Ia 1852 he was again elected by the
people. but as the Supreme Court
At its December term, 1851, had
adjourned at Nashville to abide
the issue Of the war, be never
took bis seat 10 pursuance OF that cleo
ton. In January, 1861, Judge McKin-
ney was chosen by the Legislature as a
delegate for the State at large to the
Peace Conference, which made a fruit
less effort at reconciliation. He did not
appear in a public capacity again until
1870, when the Legislature elected him,
in connection with Judge a. Wright and
Francis B. Fogg, as commissioners to
sell the interest Of the State in all the
defsulting railroads to which State aid
had been granted. This high trustinvOlv-
inp millions of dollars was faithfully and
we'll nigh fully discharged when death
overlook him. he was twice married,
each time to a Miss Coffin, both daugh
ters Of Rev. Charles Coffin, the founder
and first President Of GreeneVille Col
lere. A son by the first wife survives
Judge Mckinney. The Knoxville Press
and Herald, from which we derive the
main f.cts here stated of this distin-
Cuished son Of Tennessee, remarks OF
him:
That be was among the foremost in
the front rank Of Tennessee %jurists, Is
we'll known to the profession OF the
State. No man ever occupied the bench
in Tennessee who did more to advance
the standard OF our Jurisprudence. Hay
ing been a lawyer, distinctly and almost
exclusively, be was every incl" a judge
To preserve "the body Of the law
seemed to be his ruling idea-tO main
tain the s~anciity OF Judicial authority
his highest aim While in a particular
case he would go TO the verge" to pre-
ven. injustice, be never allowed any sen
timental consideration to Override his
convictions of right. The contemporaries
Of Judge Mckinney or the bench we're
Judges Green, Tnrley, Totten, Caruthers,
Harris, Wight aud Cooper brilliant
atray-who haye furnished to our legal
reports a large proportion Of the opln
ions that controleu u State Jurisprudence
We mean no dispsragement when we
saw that. taken altogether, the opinions
of Judge Mckinney lead all the rest. y
He lived and died a Christian mem
Der Of the Presbyterian church.