The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-06-02
HON. SAMUEL E. PERKINS.
A Fitting Tribute to the Memory of the
Dead Judge.
Full Text Of the Memorial Adopted by the
State Bar Association.

/ Before calling Of The docket, Wednesday
morning, the Supreme Court took action on
the death Of Judge Perkins. 4 large num-
Der OF the members Of the legal profession,
from different parts of the State, were
present.
The memorial adopted by the Bar Asso-
citation, at a meeting held shortly after tie
| death of Judge Perkins. was presented to
the Court by Napoleon B. Taylor, Esq, of
the Indianapolis bar, to whom that duty had
been assigned.
Its presentation was prefsced with the fol-
lowing remarks by Mr. Taylor:
May 1t Please Your Honors:
To be able to speak with candor, in terms OF
praise of professional brother, gives pleasure.
The worthy member of the legal profession,
without exception, while in lie commands
the highest respect and fullest confidence, and
generally shares in the rewards that are due
10 and bestowed upon the meTitori0uS, in
every calling.
When such a one has passed from his Ia
borS TO that rest which awaits us all, il has
been custom, long established and sacredIy
observed, TO make ID public declaration OF the
esteem in which he was held by his profess
sional brethren, and 10 place upon the records
OF the Courts a memorial of his merit and ses-
vices that may be as lasting those records
This custom is not peculiar to our profession
of the law, but is largely practiced by those
who follow other pursuits and form divisions
OF the grand army of laborers In the interest
and advancement of humanity and OF human
affairs.
With us II is esteemed a duty not only. but
debt also, due the memory of the departed
and solace 10 his surviving family and
friends as well as sharp incentive to noble
emulation and lofty endeaVOr on the part of
those of his professional brethren who survive,
and TO such as afterwaId engage in the study
and practice of the law, 10 cheer them
hope that they, too, may win
like honor and renOwn, and, at the end, the
It has been the fortune OF but one member
of our profession In this State TO attain ana
hold, for such length OF time, so high rank
That Que was Hon. Isaac Blackford, who for
more that thirty-five years, continuous v
filled seat upon the bench of this Court and,
after his retirement from II, was, in the year
1855, commissioned one of the Judges OF the
United States Court of Claims, at the city of
washington, and died there, on the 3lst day
OF December, 1859. while holding that Office
On the 2lst day of January, in the year 1916,
Samuel F. Perkins was appointed by Hon.
James Whitcomb, who was then Governor of
this state, Judge of this Court, to succeed
Hon. Jerem iah Sullivan, whose term of Office
had expired.
Governor Whitcomb was a lawyer of high
standing In his profession, and Judge Sullivan
was regarded as n man OF spotless Integrity,
and esteemed one of the ablest jurists IN the
Commonwealth. The appointment, there
foJ c, OF Mr.. Perkins to succeed Judge sullivan
was looked upon as a very high compliment.
This appointment reached 10 the end OF the
next General Assembly, and on the 29th day
of January, in the year 1917, Judge Perkins
was appointed and commissioned q Judge of
this Court for the term o. seven years, from
the end OF the General Assembly then in ses-
SION.
The Constitution of ISI6 was in force at that
time, and, by its provisions, the JUDGES of this
Court we've appointed by the Governor. by
and with the advice and consent of the SEN
ate, and the full term OF their appointment
was one year longer than IL is under our pres
emit Constitut on.
Before the expiration of this term of seven
years. for when he had been appointed, the
Constitution OF 1852 tour present Constitution
was adopted and went into force. This Con-
stitution changed the rode OF selecting
Judges. 1t introduced the system OF choosing
them by popular vote, and under its provisions
an election for Judges OF this Court was held
on the twelfth day of October of that year,
and Judge Perkins, who had received the
nomination of the Democratic party over
Hon. Isaac Blackford, was elected for the full
At the State election, on the 18th day of Oc-
tober, in the year 1858, Judgs Perkins, who
had again received the nomination of his par.
~ for this high office, was reelected for the
further term OF six years.
This term expired on the 3rd day of jan
uary, 1855, and Judge Perkins, who was de-
feated with his party at the general election
in October, 1864, retired from the bench and re-
Sumed the practice of the law in the city of
indianapolis, and continued in the practice
until the oath day OF August I'm the year 1872,
when lie was appointed by His Excellency,
Conrad Baker, the then Governor of this State
to succeed Hon. Frederick Rand, VINO had re-
signed, on The bench of the Superior Court OF
Marion County.
Judge Perkins accepted this appointment,
and, at the State election in the ensuing Octo-
Der, he was elected, without opposition, for a
full term OF four years This highly honor
sition, WIS flied by Judge Perkins until the
close of The year 1876, and on the 3D. day of
January, 1877, he passed 10 the Bench OF this
Court, TO which he had been elected at the
State election in the month of October, 1876.
where he continued 10 serve until the date OF
his death-the 18th day of December, 1879.
His service as Judge of this Court was con-
tinuOuS from the 2ist day of January, 1876,
TO the Sd day OF January, 1855, lacking few
days only of nineteen years, and which
added To his last service, wanted but small
fraction OF twenty-five years; and If he had
lived until the end OF the term for which he
was last elected, and part of which he had
served, would have covered near the full
fourth of century.
ice, as q Judge of this Court, was exceeded in
length by that of Judge Blackford, yet, in the
marked changes and IN the strange and stir
ring events which took place and followed
each other in quick succession, and in the
new, important and difficult questions that
came up to be examined and passed upon, it
far surpassed, in interest and Importance, that
comprised in the term OF Judge BIackford.
OF the industry which distinguished Judge
Perkins career on the bench, and the ability
displayed by him in the discharge of his high
trust, during al this Time, il is not necessary
for me to speak.
him, contained in thirty-nine volumes of our
State reports, which are familiar 10 Your Hon.
ors and to the members of the legal profession
in this state, sufficient evidence OF tn at
labor, research and talent.
BIT the memorial which hold IN nay hand,
to be presented to this Court, speaks of these
matters, and of all others affecting his rela-
lions in life necessary to be mentioned or re-
ferred to in this presentation, in words forci-
BILE. distinct and impartial. and which become
the occasion.
He was blessed with length of days. The
DAYS of the years Of his life reached almost the
allotted time OF three-score years and ten; and
his labors continued until near the end.
1t can hardly be deemed exsggeration for me
to say that he fell like solder-died at his post
crowned with the honors OF his profession,
and holding at the time its highest trust in the
State.
AT a meeting of the Bar Association of the
city OF Indianapolis, called after his death,
which was held in the Court House on the 18th
day of December, in the year 1879, and partici-
pated in by the members OF the bar OF this
State then in that city, this memorial was
adopted. By a resolution passed at that meet
ing, Ii was made my duty TO present this me-
mortal to this Court, ana to ask that IT be
spread upon its records, which now 90. with
the wish that those records and this memorial
may be as lasting as the ages.
The memorial referred to in the foregoing
remarks, ald presented TO the Court, is In