The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-12-25
SUPREME JUDGE.


was on Tuesday las, elected one Of the judges
OF the Supreme Court of this state to fill thu
, vacancy caused by the resignation of Judg'
, McAllistcr. The district electiDg him en-
braces the counties of Lake Cook, Du Page
Will and Kankakee--all strongly republican
, yet in spite of the fact that the republicans
had held a convention ana made a party
nomination, and in spite of the further fac
that Judge Dickey had been well known as
prominent democratic politician, he beats
bis opponent, Mr., Hurd of Revised Statute,
fame, in every county, and IN the entire dis
trict more than three to one. Under the cir
cumstances the vote is certainly high com
pliment, though, in view of the Judges pre-
eminent qualifications for the position, nc
higher than he deserves; and it is equally
creditablc to the good sense of the voters Of
the district, who thus showed their contempt
of the party lash, and by manly and indie
pendent use of the franchise secured to the
state the services Of an able and upright judge
AS by accepting this position the Judge
ia some sort steps "down and out" OF the
arena Of politics and newspaper ,rumpeting
it may not be Inappropriate, at this time, to
publish the following sketch Of his life
which we find Ia the Chicago Times of We'd
nesday:
THEOPHILUs LYLE DIcKRY was born IN
Bourbon county, Kentucky, on the Cd of DC.
tober 1911. He is Of Scotch-Irlsh ancestry
who had settled In South Carolina, then NOV
ed to Virginia, and thence to Kentucky. His
grandfather was member of Marion's caval.
nv, and served through the revolution. His
father was the Rev James III. Dickey, a Pres.
by,erian clergyman of the old fashion true
blue stock. The family moved to Ross coun.
ty when the judge was but three years of age
| A year later his mother died and he returned
to live with his grandmother on the "old
plantation He stayed there until he was
pretty well grown up and then commenced TO
study law. He attended school both ia Ohio
and Kentucky, studied Latin and mathema.
tics at an academy, and went to college at
the Ohio university Of Athens, graduating
at the Miami university at Oxford, o.. in
1881. He was married Dec. 6, 1881, when
but 20 years old, to juliet Evans, daughter OF
a substantial landowner. He af,erward
TRIED THE DONNIE FOR AWHILE,
teaching school AT Lebanon, O., the children
Of Tom Corwln, and boy who afterward be.
came Judge Dunlavey, being among his pu.
pills. He then moved to Milersburg, Bour.
bon county, KY, and taught d private school
for couple of years with marked success,
his school being commenced with about a
dozen scholars and closing with a roll of l35
pupils. lie moved to Macomb, McDonough
county, H., in the winter of 1884 35, riding
on horseback with his little child, aflerward
NJ - NJ III ,.,tn
farmer, lie there met Cyrus Walker, an old,
Intelligent lawyer, who
PERSUADED HIM TO STUDY LAW.
He was admitted to the bar of Illinois in
1885, at the age OF 90 years, and practiced
law in MacOmb tor a year and half Sirius
Walker died last Saturday, at the age of IS,
much to the regret of the Judge, for there was
no one living to whom lie would have been
more proud and gratitied to communicate his
elevation to the supreme bench than his early
preceptor. In 1886. he moved to Nashville,
| H., and practiced for three years, and at one
time edited . whig paper. In 1887 he specu
lated in real estate, and had realized a certain
degree of success, when the panic of 1887
came on and he lost all his means and be.
came overwhelmed with debt, from which it
took him twenty years TO extricate himself.
In 1887, he removed to Ottawa, Ill, and prac.
uced law with Lorenzo Leland for year,
and af,erward with one of his own students.
In lS4G,
AT THE OPENING OF THE MEXICAN WAR,
he organized company of men Of which he
was appointed the captain, and Joined the LIST
regiment of the Illinois volunteers; but after
considerable service returned on account of
of impaired health. This company was u
remarkably fine body OF men, turning out
two generals-Wallace and Morril-in the
last war, besides many other officers. He
resumed his practice and was elected judge
In lS48, of the circuit comprising twelve
counties, filling the position for four years,
when he re signed and recommended the prac-
tice of law. In 1854, being still under the
burden of debt, he moved to Chicago and
practccd law assiduously for four years. At
the expiration OF thattime Judge Dickey had
the qualification, thanks TO lucrative prac.
luce, of finding himself clear with the world
on the land speculations. His son, Cyrus +
Dickey, who was in partnership with him
when the last war broke out, entered the
army, served with distinction, and was killed
at Banss' defeat on Red river, April 8,
1864, having the rank of assistant adjutant
general on Ransom's staff. Another is John
ii. Dickey, superintendent of the Geographic
department of the Union Pacific railroad, and
assistant superintendent of the Atlantic and
Pacific Telegraph company. His youngest
son, Charles, is u merchant at Maui, Sand
witch islands. In 1857 and 1853, he was in
partnership with NJ H. NJ. Wallace, present
Judge of the county court, who, with Gen.
Wallace, we're students In his. lie then
RETURNED TO OTTAWA
and practlced law with w. II, L. Wallace and
his son Cyrus Dickey, until the war broke
out in 1861 After the battle of Bull Run,
Judge Dickey raised II regiment OF cavalry,
got authority to appoint all his own officers,
and in less than 40 days had his regiment OF
| / 200 men, one eff the best ever put in the
field ready for service. Taking along with
| him his youngest son, he entered the field as
colonel of the regiment mustered in as the
Attn Illinols cavalry, and joined Grant at
Cairo in DcccTaber. In February he went
with Grant up the Tennessee river and help,
ed CAPTURE Fort Henry. lie led the advance