Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-04-04
LATE JUDGE PATTON.

Appeals and the Ohio County Bar, last
Saturday, Judge Okey Johnson deliver
ed the following eulogistic address upon
the late Judge Patton: He said:
GENTLEMEN OF THE BAR-The testi-
monial and resolutions which nave
been read have deeply affected the court.
The occasion that called them forth Is
one of peculiar sadness. When, after
lingering disease has wasted the mental
and physical powers, and death seems
almost a relief, il is hard to be COM
PEELED to realize that the friend or broth.
er is dead, and to give him up, but
how much harder is II to comprehend
the fact that the dear friend with whom,
i'm the full health of matured manhood,
we 50 recently talked is gone beyond
our reach, and that We can never looK
upon his face again. One short week
ago our brother sat i'll that chair, now
draped in mourning, and IN the as
charge of the duties he had assumed de-
livered two opinions of the court; now
he is forever gone from earth. But yes
terday he was in health; now, from
disease of the heart that his friends
knew not of, he is dead. tCut down
before the powers of the extra
ordinary mind with which ma.
ture had endowed him had reached
their zenith. We are unable to pluck
flowers of rhetoric with which to adorn
his casket; let those do that, who knew
him not so well and loved him less than
we. 1t is our painful, yet pleasant duty
TO speak the unadorned truth concern
ing our dead brother. We may speak
il in pIainness now for his ear Is deaf
TO praise. and his heart beyond the cruel
sting of detraction. He was one OF the
Youngest men who ever occupied seat
upon q bench OF last resort BY appoint
ment of his eXcellency, Gov. Jackson
he succeeded Judge Moore, who resigned
on the lst day of June, 1881. On that
day Judge Patton took his seat on this
bench before he was thirty-eight years
old. Young as he was he had acquired
an enviable reputation at the bar OF MS
State, and 50 well was that reputation
founded that none objected to his APP
pOintment for want of ability to fill the
position. His ability as lawyer was
known and recognized. Being a worthy
son of the Hon. John NJ. Patton, one OF
the ablest lawyers of the Old Common
wealth, and the SOn-in-law, OF the dis
tmguished Senator Caperton al this
State, and being of studiOuS habits and
well trained in his profession, he had
much to recommend him to the position
to which he honorably aspired. The
court knew him well, as a lawyer and
cave him a cordial welcome to the
bench, to its tolls, and conflicts and
hOnOrs. The hopes Of his friends were
4 - l,l a.
the ability to fully sustain himself, in
his new position. .\fter ten months, 81
the closest associate with orr brother on
the bench, and in the consultation room,
we are glad to he able to testify 10 his
ability and worth. In the consultation
room, he was able, earnest and some
times excited in the advocacy OF his
opinions, yet uniformly courteous, ant
kind to his brethren, and always frank
enough to yield, To the straight o!
argument, if he found himself in
error. He was not only we'll
qualified for the position Ofthe appcilat'
court by reason of his learning aS a law
yer, but he had that other and superior
qualities of one, who in the last instance,
sits to decide questions affecting the
property, liberty and life of the citizen;
he had fine sense of moral rectitude;
he had not only the ability to discern
the legal rights of citizens, but he had
the moral stamina, indispensable i'll an
upright Judge, to decide according To
the law, and the right, against all intin-
ences of every kind whatever. The
hopes INDUCED when he was appointed
that he would sustain himself upon the
bench, have been more than realized.
He had a bright future before him. He
had so commended himself to the bar
and the people, by the discharge of his
duties, that he would scarcely have had
for-
ward, without Il single doubt, to his
triumphant election TO the position to
which he had been appointed. When
Judge has grown gray in
the service, all his powers
fully maturcd, and his reputation for
judicial lore fully established and recOg-
niZed abroad rs well as at home, and
the call comes TO him to leave his work
and he ut rest, like Il shock of corn fully
ripe, he is gathered into the garner, and
his friends, while they regret his de-
parture, yet feelthat his work was done;
but when We see Il man like our brother
with fine abilities and high legal attain
ments, having alreadyat the commence
ment of his judicial career, distinguish
ed himself, and before him opens such =
wide field to go on and on to greater
heights reached i'll judicial learning,
suddenly cut down, we feel sadness, SOr-
row and regret, that he was not per-
mitted to reach the highest point of
which he was capable, and to have
volumes Ofhis learned opinions aS beacon
lights to the bench and bar. But God
knows best; he has taken him from us
without a stain upon his character, or a
blot upon the ermine he won. He left
him with lis long enough to appreciate
Judge. and TO love him
as brother. His was lovely charac-
ter. His attachment to his family, his
now bereaved wife and two orphan
children was touching and beautiful.
His love and kindness shown to his
brethren of the bench, will ever be
green in our hearts, until we join him
on the other shore, where memory will
not be necessary reminder. Farewell
dear brother, may We not cherish the
hope, that when God SO suddenly
reached down and took thee and the re-
alization came DER thee that death WAS
present, thou cOuldSt say
Heaven morning breaks
And earth : vain shadows i"c
In life, in death
., Lord abide with me-"
The resolution and testimonial of the
bar will be spread upon our records and
be prominently preserved and an official
copy furnished to his family aS trih-
ute To our departed brother.
This court will now adjourn.
DIED.
SMlTH-On Monday, April ;, lSS2, AT IL
O'Clock \. ", SARAH, wife of John Smith,