The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-11-10
Chaneery court at ROgersvII

Chancery Court at ROgersviIle.
Ghancery Court has been sitting in
ROgersvillc this week-Judge Hamilton
C. Smith presiding. Judge Smith has
made as much, perhaps more, reputation
as a jurist since he has been on the
Bench in Tennessee than any other
Judge in the State He is q safe, sound,
impartial, upright Judge, and we are
told his DEGREES arc rarely ever reversed
10y the Supreme Court on account of er-
Tor in points Of law. In the old Wing
days Ham. Smith was warm friend Of
ours, and now we are glad to know that
he stands high as a lawyer, and what Is
better, has the confidence Of the bar and
the people as an honorable man and =
just Judge.
The bar at ROgersville has from the
earliest traditions of East Tennessee,
been noted for the the talent and oratO-
rieal powers OF its members. Most of
the old lawyers who made it famous
have passed away. There are still
among them, however, four or five gray
haired veterans, who by their superior
NANG AA4aE @4CAASEANGS AAOWG
throughout the commonwealth. Here
this week still busy looking after the in
terests,Of their clients we see such men
as Netherland, G. w. Hall, Judge Bar
ton, James T. Shields, r. d.. FulkerSon,
each of whom for more than twenty-five
years have been regular practitioners a:
this bar, and some Of them for more
than forty years
Col. Netherland was badly crippled in
the hip some two years ago, and has
been quite feeble in body since, but even
when he was unable to walk, he was
brought into the courtroom, and one Of
the abIest speeches we ever heard him
make was in the Limebough murder
trial mt this place, when he could not
stand on his feet, but spoke Prcntiss-
like, from his seat in a chair The Col
onel is so far improved that he can walk
about now with the aid of cane alone
and we hope he will soon be entirely
we'll Once be was the leading jury law
yer in all this region of country, and IL
yet employed in all important cases.
Besides being leading lawyer Col. N.
has a wide reputation as a political
speaker, and il he had turned his attcn-
tion entirely to politics would have
made frst-cIass statesmen. 1t would
have been a blessing to our whole coun-
try and a credit to the State of Tennes-
see IL he had occupied a place in our
National Councils for the hast ten years
instead of some OF the wretches who
have misrepresented our people aud dis
israced the. State Of Tennessee in the
Senate and House Of Representatives at
Washington.
Col. CIV. Hall is next in age and ex-
perience to Netherland. He has reputa-
ton here principally as Chancery law
yer. He has slow, deliberate, search
ing mind and always goes to the bottom
ofA case and finds out all about it. He
IS quite vigorous hale old gentleman,
looking as stout and well as he did
twenty years age
Next is Judge r. M. Barton, q why.
active little man with big head full of
laWslxnowledge. The Judge seems 70
have all his cases right on the end Of his
tongue and l. always ready to meet his
antagonist with the ''law 10 the point,
and never gives up a case until the
Bench decides against him, and even
then ne reserves 70 himself the American |
privilege Of having his own opinion still |
James T. Shields has not been in ro- |
bust health and has been absent from
the Courts here for year or more. he |
IL present this week. Judge Shields has |
been engaged on one side or the other |
Of nearly nj the heavy cases In this !
Court for fifteen years. He has been re-
marhably successful. and ranks about
hFst-elass among the legal mipds Of East |
Tennessee.
r. d.. Fulkersqn comes next As .
lawyer he has been 9 decided success,