The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-10-24
HISTORICAL SKETCH
OF the Sixteenth Judicial District of
Pennsylvania.

ne UlstIlCJ WAS COnStltutcu "
an Act of Assembly approved the
29th of March, 1924, and was com
posed of the counties of Franklin
Bedford and Somerset. The Cover
nor was authorized to appoint 8
President Judge. The terms o.
Court as fixed by this act were fol
Franklin, 2nd Mondays of January
April, August and November, to
continue two weeks if neces
sary.
For Bedford, 18th Mondays of Jan
uary, April, August and November
to continue one week.
For Somerset, the Mondays follow
ing those in the county of Bed
ford.
John Andrew Shuttle was then
Governor. He appointed and com
missioned John Todd, esq, of Bed.
ford, as President Judge of the
District.
Judge Todd presided until the 2Sth
of May, 1927. He was then ap
pointed a Judge of the Supreme
Court to succeed John Bannistel
Gibson, who had on the 10th of that
month been appointed Chief Justice
in place of Chief Justice Tighlman
deceased.
Judge Todd was born and reared
! in Connecticut He came to Bedford
in the year 1900. He taught
school for a year or two and was
admitted to the Bar in 1903. He
was Democrat in politics, and was
to a certain extent ostracised
socially by the persons who
then claimed to lead and give
tone to society in Bedford, who
were Federalists. He served
as Clerk to the County Commits
sioners in 1906 and represented
Bedford county in the House of Rep
resentatives of Pennsylvania from
| 1910 to 1913, and was twice Speaker
of the house. He also served term
in the Senate of Pennsylvania and
was Speaker of the Senate in the
sessions of 1S14-15 and 1S15-16.
He afterwards served term in Con-
gress. He was for many years the
leading lawyer of the Bedford Bar
and pains taking, methodical, and
industrious. He resided for a num-
| Der of wears in the weather board.
ed log house which yet stands Oh
the public square opposite the Court
House, and is now owned by
Moses A. Points, Esq. Judge
Todd died in March, 1880
aged 80 years, and is buried in the
Presbyterian graveyard at Bedford
He was married to Miss Hanna, OF
Harrisburg, and left three children
daughters, one of whom married
Judge Samuel Gilmore, another John
II. Briggs ESQ.,, of Harrisburg, and
the third Mr.. Kerr. of Harrisburg.
His opinions as a Judge of the
Supreme Court are found in the 18th
and 18th Sergeant < Rawle's Re
ports, and in 1st and ID Rawle.
He was public spirited citizen
and was largely instrumental in re-
pairing the Bedford Water works
about the year 1924 and in bringing
the water from the spring that is 10
Gated on the hill above the house
now occupied by Mr.. Peck on the
Bedford Springs property. The
pipes used were pine logs, and the
water ran free to all from several
running pumps located in different
parts of the village.
1t is said that young Todd came tG
Bedford without a shilling, carrying
his pack upon his back-that he
pledged his only pair of silk stock.
ings for his supper, lodging and
breakfast, at the tavern at Bloody
Run, the night before his arrival
Those were the days OF knee breech'
es and silk stockings on dress occa-
sions.
He kept precise and minute ac.
count of his receipts and expendit
ures. monthly. When l was read.
ing law in 1S4S, his papers, which
had been in case in the commits
sioner's office, were moved into the
entry of the court house and became
scattered about. | remember to
have picked up one of his account
books of the year 1916, or therea-
bouts, which showed that many o.
his professional fees were one and
two and three dollars, and it was
only now and then, and rather rare
ly, that he got fee of ten dollars.
An illustration of how soon the
memory of man Of prominence
and Importance in his day and gen
Grafton fades out and becomes al
most entirely obscured, occurred in
Bedford three or four years ago, in
connection with the name of Judge
Todd. A stranger inquired at the
hotels and stores and houses gener-
ally in the centre of the town, and OF
the persons whom he met on the
streets where he could find the grave
of Judge Todd. He was unable to
find an individual who knew that
such person had ever lived in Bed
ford, or who had ever heard of him
at all.
Judge Todd was succeeded by Al
exander Thompson, who presided as
Judge from August 1927 till Novem-
Der 1S41. Judge Thompson was ad-
mitted to practice at Bedford in
1917 and resided for some years in
Bedford. He died at Cnambersburg
in 1S47 and is buried there in the
beautiful grave yard of the Falling
Spring Presbyterian Church, on the
banks of the Conacocheague-the
Westminster Abbey of Chambers
burg. He was the father of DIR.
Thompson, of Frostburg, Maryland,
lately deceased, and of Frank
Thompson, Vice President of the
Pennsylvania Railroad.
Judge Thompson's term expired
(under the limitation of the censti-
tuition of 1885, on the 1st of Janua-
~ 1912. He was succeeded by Jer-
emiah Sullivan Black Of Somerset,
who was nominated by Gov. David
r. Porter and confirmed by the Sem
ate in Jan. 1912. He presided as
Judge until 1852.
Judge Black was born the 10th of
Jopparv 1910 on Tho farm of his