The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1882-01-24
Barnesville Enterprise.
RETIREMENT OF JUDGE OKEY.
Cane Presentation and Banquet by
the Belmont Bar.

Judge VIM Okey, OF Woodsfeld
closed en- the 18th instant his last tern
OF court at St. Clair,ville During hi
whnle Judicial term of ive years. he los
not single day from the bench by sick
ness or other cause. With the enetg,
Of youth, combined with the wisdom .
age. be has disposed of an immens
am ,unt of the business constantly com
ing into our courts He has proved tt
be an ahler lawyer than his reputation
promised, and became one OF our hes
Judges. BY his Kindness and courtesy
he has won host of friends in Belmun,
The legal fraternity, in token of thei
high appreciation Of his judicial charac
ter aud many private virtues. gave him
IN Thursday night last, at the st. Clail
Hotel, u magnificent banquet, aud at The
same time presented him q beautifu
gold headed. ebony cane. AIS O'Clock
in the evening the parlors OF the ho e
we're filed with the largest Bar meeting
ever held in the county, when Judge
Chambers, master of ceremonies, sent {
messenger to request Judge Okey tt
come down to the parlor to see SONS
friend who had called to meet him Th,
messenger tound the Judge in his room
with Judge Cowen, who, as Judge Okey
had supposed, was making friendly
call on him before his expected depar.
ture the next morning; for until this
moment Judge Okey had no intimaiioI
Of the approaching proceedings Of che
evening. He was ushered into the
spacious parlors of the st. Clair by
Judge Cowen, amidst the assembled
members Of the har and the symphonies
of orchestral music.
- As Judge Okey took his seat, Judge
Chambers arose and hegan to address
the guests Of the evening, when all Other
noises ceased and he continued to ad.
dress him for some fifteen minutes in s
speech charac eriz4d ny dignity an"
courtesy, elab rating in an able and elo
quent manner the idea OF the mutation
of human affairs and the influence the
life of every man eterts IN his time in
sccelerating or retarding The onward
march OF civilization and ameli"rat on ;rr
the immortality Of his life- work, be i
good or had, especialls the former. A
the close of mis- speech Judge Chambers
presented the honored guest with the
cane as token of ihe regard Of be
Bar.
Arising to respond to this unexpected
compliment,J Judge Okev's altering voice
and utterances, Otstructed bv the swell
ling waves of an overfo wing heart,
showed too we'll he was on the point Of
bfing e,.tirelv overcome fby emotion
After few moments. mini again 90.
lhe ascendenc and ne never belnrr
spoke with more eloquence 10 the bes.l'
of his auditors, not so much by the
words spoken, as by that patEos OF the
affections to refined and tender for voca
expression, but communicable to soul,
in unison with the emotional 81 cake:
He plead his perfect surprise and tots
inability to express in words the unne
tied compliment thew had 50 kindly be-
slowed on him, and assured them h.,
had not put them under any obligations
to him, hut that he was inHehied to the
Bar beyond his ahilitv to repay them
for their uniform kindness and forehear
ance and for their invaluable assista1c-
at all times, in the discharge of his re-
sponsible duties He spoke in high
compliment OF the reputation Of thr
Belmont Bar Of the past, and of the Ie-
gal giants Of those days; hut said he
you have such giants in your bar Today
and it is worthv OF the highest reputa.
ton and entitled to front rank am n gsl
the bars of the State; and its members
are we'll qualified to practice in any Of
the courts and cope successfully with the
greatest jurists.
After receiving the hearty congrat
ulations OF all present for his eloquen,
address, supper was announced and he
was then escorted bv Judge Chambers
followed next by Judges Cowen and
Kelly, ana the other members Of the
Bar, according to seniority. to the han.
quoting hal; where, after furnishing the
inner man with the good things so houn
tifully supplied by the hest and hostess
Of the St. Clair, the happy time few
away into the "wee sna hours" in suct
a"feast of reason and aow OF sonl," al
was never before enjoyed or witnessed
by the Belmont County bar.