Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-16
Judge H. b. Tompkins.

The announcement that Judge II.
b. TOmpkins is about to move to At
lanta to pursue his chosen profess
sion will be received with feelings of
regret, not only by his fellow citizens of
Savannah with whom he has been so long
officially and socially identified, but by his
professional brethren and friends through
out the Eastern Circuit, over which he
has so long and worthily presided as
Judge.
Few public men as young as Judge
TOmpkins have made a brighter public rec
ord, and few in the responsible
ties and cares of exalted official
position have left purer eX-
ample of devotion, zeal and unselfsh
expenditure of time, talent and labor for
the public welfare. AS Judge of this cir
cult his administration of the law, which
il became his duty to infOrce, was ever
firm, and guided by an enlightened and
careful study of its grand objects, the
peace, we'll being and happiness of So
ciety. To the performance of his
bOundless energy, and gave TO his
office the strength of a young manhood
and vigorous intellect trained in a school
of severe study and discipline. In the
years he occupied the position of Judge
Of this circuit he won the admiration of
his professional brethren and those with
whom the position he held brought in
contact with him. His legal decisions
were seldom interfered with by the higher
courts, and his judicial record contains as
few errors Of law or judgment as that of
any lawyer who ever adorned the bench
in Georgia.
We do not know the particular reasons
that have caused the retirement of Judge
Tompkins from a post he was so well
qualified TO fill, but we can readily surmise
that young man, with every qualifica-
ton to distinguish himself, 10 make himself
famous as an advocate, and with a bright
prospect beyond in which to indulge this
high ambition, would hesitate 70 cOnfne
his powers, youth aHd energies to the
comparatively monOtOnOus routine of
judicial life and duties, Whether the
subject of this brief sketch has felt thus
or not, such feeling is natural, and has
been experienced by other men placed in
similar circumstances.
Judge TOmpkins is a Southerner by
birth, utilization and education. He was
born in Barbour county, Ala, in 1874,
his father being a citizen of that State and
a lawyer. but originally from Edgefeld
District, South Carolina. His mother,
who was Miss Bethune, was
from Middle Georgia. Judge Tomp-
kins entered the Confederate army at
the age of seventeen as a private,
fought CALAMITY through the struggle, and
came out at its close a Captain in the
Twenty-secOnd Alabama Regiment with
three wounds, one received in front of At
lanta. In 1868 Judge Tompkins came to
Savannah and entered upon the practice
Of his profession, to which he devoted
all the zeal and enthusiasm of
a strong will and determination to sue
coed. On the LIST Of January, 1879, his
ability as an advocate and his knowledge
Of the law caused Governor Smith to fill
the vacancy OccasiOned by the resigna- !
ton of Judge William Schley by Offering
him the Judgeship, to serve out the term,
to January, 1877, when he was reappoint- |
ed by Governor Colquitt for the full term
of eight years. He resigned on the Goth |
March. 1879, and entered the practice of |
his profession with Mr.. B. A. Denmark. |
but was shortly after again called to the |
responsible duties of the bench to fill out |
the unexpired term of Judge William B. |
Fleming. He declined to go before the |
Legislature in November, 1882, for re- |
election, having determined upon the active |
practice Of his profession at the bar. |
Judge Tompkins married in Feb |
ruary, 1882, Miss Bessie Ade- |
laide, daughter of Colonel /
George A. Washington, Of Robertson /
Tennessee. He contemplates
moving TO Atlanta in January, where he
will pursue his profession. We are sorry
to lose Judge Tompkins from our midst,
and feel assured that thousands of his fell
low citizens in Eastern Georgia will join us
in this regret, AT the same time we extend
to him hearty wishes for his future sue
cess and happiness in his new field of
labor and effort. Atlanta can have no bet
ter accession TO her citizenship or her So
ciety than Hon, II. B. TOmpkins.
The German wants cheap bacon, Bis
narck SAYS he can't have IL The Amari- |