The Portland daily press., 1878-07-22
George r. ShcpIey.

suddenly and seriouly attacked with sickness
closely resembling Asiatic cholera, and that TO
several hours his recovery had been very doubt
full. But as the violence of the attack hat
passed, and he seemed to be better, it was no
deemed best to make any public mention of hi
| sickness. His condition seemed encouraging
and hopeful until Saturday morning, when he
was evidently failing, and this whole communi
'ty was deeply shocked at the rumor that he
was dying The rumor proved only too true
He died at his home in this city at about II
o'clock in the evening.
There is no doubt in the minds of any of the
physicians who attended Judge Shepley, that
his disease was genuine cholera, the nature Of
which was recognized from the first. The at.
tack could not be traced to any error of diet and
there was nothing in the progress of the dis.
ease to warrant the superstition. Quite recent
ly his usual summer vacation had made brief
interruption of that intense brain-work to
which he was addicted, and his friends natur-
ally supposed him to be unusually well; but the
sudden relaxation of protracted brain tension
must have resulted in more physical enerva-
ton than few weeks of rest could repair. DR..
French thinks this condition in conjunction
with the sudden and extreme changes Of tenn.
perature, served to develop germs of disease
which ordinarily do not quicken in our eli
mate He was taken sick Tuesday night and
about o'clock Wednesday morning his physi-
clan was summoned. Al that time he was in a
state Of collapse and suffering indeseribably
from muscular cramps. Wednesday was day
Of tfu1 hrntr nd tha, nA &c
exhaustion and the anodynes administered the
night before. Thursday he took nourishment
very freely and seemed slowly but steadily re-
wing, although still extremely exhausted.
Friday he appeared to flag little. At,least he
failed to improve as rapidly as was expected
and a consultation of physicians was called.
His condition at that time was not deemed
hopeless although extremely critical, and in
view of the large amount of nouishment taken
and his naturally robust constitution, strong
hopes were entertained that he would yet strug-
gle through. Saturday morning, his physician,
who had passed the night by his bedside, OBJ
served that his sleepiwas becoming unnaturalIy
heavy. Another council was Immediately held
and the fact realized that the function Of the
kidneys was being suspended. This new source
of danger was energetically met, fresh medical
aid added to the council, the most
decisive measures and remedies resorted to and
persisted in to the last moment A few hours
before his death there seemed to be some evil
dence that the kidneys were about to resume
their function, but the hope was delusive and
quickly crushed Totally insensible to suffer-
ing himself and unmindful of the agonizing
friends around him, he sank into peaceful
slumber, and few minutes before ten o'clock
breathed his last without a struggle.
Judge Shepley was born in Saco, in this
state on the first day of January, 1919. He
was the second son of the late Chief Justice
Ether Shepley, name honored and revered
throughout the state. Two brothers, John r.
Shepley of st. Louis, and Leonard Shep.ey,
Esq., of this city, survive him.
Judge Shepley was graduated at Dartmouth
College in 1889, at the early age of eighteen
years. Having chosen the legal profession, he
entered the law school at Cambridge, where he
had the privilege of the instruction of Judge
Story and Professor Greenleaf. How faithfully
and well he improved that privilege is shown
by the high rank as lawyer he quickly won
and ever maintained.
When only twenty years old he was admitted
to practice, and commenced business at Bangor
as partner of the late Joshua W. Hathaway,
who was soon after made an associate Justice of
the Supreme Judicial Court of Maine.
About 1874 he removed to this city and
formed business connection with Hon. Joseph
Howard. In the judicial history of the State
of Maine the firm of Howard & Shepley will
ever hold an honorable place, and the name of
the junior partner will in no degree reduce its
rank.
In 1S4S Mr.. Howard was appointed a Justice
of the highest court in Maine, and Mr. Shep-
ley assumed the responsibility of large and
important business, with the confident assur-
ance of all who had observed him, that youug
as he was, he was equal to the work he under
took. He associated with him John W. Dana,
ESQ.,. now deceased, and was recognized as in
the foremost rank of the bar which numbered
among its active members Gen. Samuel Fessen-
den, Thomas Amory Deblois. William Pitt
Fessenden, R. Fl. L. Goldman, Edward Fox,
and other distinguished counsellors.
In 1858 he was made United States District
Attorney for Maine by President Pierce and
held the position till June 1861, having been
reappointed in 1857 by President Buchanan.
While occupying that office, though called up
on to conduct many important and difficult
causes for the government, he retained the
large private practice of former years, and
constantly added to his professional reputa-
ton.
Though entertaining strong political con-
victions in tsympathy with the Democratic
party, up to 1861 he did not to any great ex-
tent participate in political affairs. But he
was too prominent person to be permitted to
abstain wholly from the excitement of party
conflicts and in 1850 was elected State Senator
He occasionally addressed conventions and
took part in political discussions, never failing
to add to his reputation and influence. In 1860
he was a delegate at large to the National
Democratic convention at Charleston, and
attended its adjourned!session at Baltimore,
The Maine delegation was divided five to three
five for Mr.. Douglass and three for Mr.
Guthrie. Among the latter was Judge Shep-
ley. He took prominent part in the conven-
ton and the speech which he made in response
to the call for the State of Maine became
LII luo oaupdiSu WuiCu lOliUW6u u6
supported Mr.. Douglas.
Upon the election of President Lincoln he
was not found among those who sympathized
with, or apoogzed for the attempt to break up
the Union. He was true to his convictions
and in September q, 1861 accepted a commits
sion as colonel of the 18th Maine Volun-
teers, regiment raised to form part of the
New England division of Gen. BENZ f. B ut
Ter. He left Portland with his command
Nov. "a, 1861, for Lowell, Mass, where he
remained till January 1, 1862; on the 18th of
February, 1862, he arrived at Ship Island, and
on the 22d Of the same month by general order
No. 2, of Department of the Gulf, was placed
in command of the Sd Brigade, consist ng of
the 18th, 18th 14th and 18th Maine, the Both
Massachusetts regiments, the LIST Maine battery
and Magee's cavalry.
On the occupation of New Orleans he was
made military commandant of that city. In
this arduous and responsible place, he SO adj
ministered affairs, as to win the respect and
affections of the conquered and embittered in.
habitants, and to secure the confidence and
approval of those above him. His duties
were both civil and military, and in both he
m anifastpd prudnppa nppruu ohilifv