The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-03-13

the bench has been at times somewhat storm,
his decisions lave generally been satisfactOr
resort. In addition to his vast fund of legs
lore. he has acquired large store of valui
pie information upon almost every subject {
interest and Importance, and his judgmeI
upon matters OF Importance to himself an
his people is quite clear and well supporte
by the most forcible logic. Upon matters O
no Importance he Will not cOndeScend to CT
ter into an argument, and on that account
IS thought BY some that his opinions ar
sometimes unsettled and unreliable. Man.
anecdotes have been told on him TO ilustrat
this feature of his character, from which tn
following is selected:
While holding court in one of the counties o
his district party was brought before him OF
a serious charge, and being unable to emplo!
counsel, ar attorney was appointed by th'
court to represent him. The trial resulted il
a conviction and the defendant consigned by
the Jury to the penitentiary for the longeS
period provided by statute. In passing sen
| tence upon the inSuppressible convict, the
Judge, feeling deeply the solemnity of the Occa
| sion, proceeded as follows: Uuder the hu
| name provisions of our statutes in cases like
yours where the defendant in criminal pros.
ecution is unable to employ an attorney, it Is
made the duty OF the court to appoint Counsel
| TO represent him. In your case have appoint
] ed the mos able counsel at the bar, that you
I might be properly defended" The indignant
convict retorFed. g Yes, and hill is full of Just
such COUNSEL Without blinking, the astonish,
ed jud replied, ''yes that IS So Jfl;it CO s but
| 1t was the best the court could do under the
circumstances, and wound up the sentence
in short order. He is now growing old, but his
mind retains its wonted vigor.
CAPT. GEO. d. MANIoN, attorney and cOun-
Selor at law, was born in Todd county, ky.,
August Is, 1885; studied law at Blandville in
said state, under Judge Chas. Marshall; came
to Tex"s IN 1857, and began the practice of law
at Athens, Henderson county. Capt. Marion
was elected to the legislature In 1861, from the
district cOmpOS d of Henderson ami Kaufman
counties; serving one session, he enlisted in
a
March, 1862, which was attached to DarnellS
eighteenth Texas regiment Of cavalry. His
regiment being a part of DeShler's brigade,
was captured at the Arkansas Post. Capt.
Manion was sent to Camp Chase as prisoner,
thence to Fort Delaware. Among his COM
rades in prison life were Coils. Mills and Gil
lespie. After the exchange of pri Oners his
regiment was attached to Cleburne'5 division
OF the army OF Tennessee. He was gallant
soldier, distinguishing himself in many well
fought battles, receiving two severe wounds.
After the war he resumed the practice of his
profession at Athens; came to Kaufman in
1871, and has since enioYed leading and lu-
crative practice.
J. ADAMS, attorney-at-law, was born in
COrinth, Miss, July 1, 1877. Came to Texas
in 1850 and settled in the eastern portion of
Henderson county. Applied himself to the
study of law under Hon. r. Q. Mills, of COrSi-
cana and obtained license in Ellis county in
1869. Began the practice of law in kaufman
county the same year. Formed a cIpartner
ship with Geo. ID. Man;On, Esq, in 1871, which
uIlu COHIiultS W tuJO9 ~ luCIdblfS pIdCIlCt.
Mr.Adams ranks among the ablest members of
the bar in Texas.
CAPT j. j. HILL. an eminent counselor at
law, has retired with competency from
active professional life, on account of failing
health. He was born February TO- 1896, IN An
stead, settled by his grandfather, John Hill,
more than century ago. His ancestry on
both lines were re-, farmeFs and noted
OF the first Methodist preachers in America,
who, with his sons, John and Jacob, belonged
to that little band of earnest men who planted
MethodiSm in tile Carnlinas. His grandfather
was also soldier in the Revolutionary war.
Il 1S47, VIM. HILL the father of Capt. j. j.
Hill, settled in Chambers county, Alabama,
he ped Ito till the soil. When he was seven
teen years old his father died. subsequently
Capt. Hill went to school three years, and al
spring Of 49, he obtained license, came to
RuSk, IeAaa the same year. where he con
tinued his studies, and was licensed to prac-
ticelaw in this state. Returned to Alabama in
1853, and followed his profession in Wedowa.
Randolph county, in said state, until the war
broke out, when he volunteered in the Lafayette
ment, the first company formed in that part of
the state which went on duty at Pensacola, Fla.
and from there to Bowling Green, Ky. At the
expiration of twelve months the company was
disbanded and returned home in consequence
of some diSaffection of the officers. both
company and .regimental. Capt. Hill re-
latter part and until the close of the struggle
was engaged in the importation of army sup
plies and munitions of war across the Mexl-
can border. After the surrender he went to
Mexico and obtained from the imperial gov
ernment colonial grant OF land in Eucaf an.
Subsequently he was employed by the New
York News, and made a tour through the
south for that paper. In 1865, we find him in
New Orleans, writing for the New Orleans
Times, and afterwards as special correspon-
dent for that paper in Mexico, where lie be-
adi nf n uOV
until the collapse of the empire. His Journal
istic career in Mexico was eventful, the paper
over which he presided living only thirty days,
in consequence of assuming the American right
of criticising the acts of some of the high
dignitaries. For thus exercising the freedom
OF the press his paper was vas s3RPPreSsed lis
nor, and as he expresses it, "given just one
hour to quit the land of God and Liberty"
After all these adventures and restless Pill
grimages, Capt. Hill settled in Kaufman
county in the fall of 1869, where he resumed
the practice of law with remarkable success,
soon acquiring large and lucrative practice;
He became especially distingui he'd in civil
suits in which we're involved large lanuclaims,
and is to-day considered the hardes adyer-
sary to combat in such litlgationS, though he
only takes a case when inclination suits him,
preferring the retirement of private life and
literary pursuits. -Four years ago he closed
his law Office. and since then has devoted his
cultured mind to the more pleasing pursuits OF
literary and philosophical subjects, relieved
by travel, as his health permits.I He has made
social science profound study. During tn
past twelve months he has contributed some
txceIlent dissertations to the press ON this
subject, which he proposes to recast III book
FORM He is at variance with the social, polit-
ical and economic tendencies OF the age, con-
ceiving that the growth of society doesinot coll
duce to the present need of the masses, or
to the perpetuity of our institutions. He seeks
to find out factor il the acquisition and DIS
tributiOn of wealth which can be made to
serve these ends. His views are based on the
primitive property principle, that no one has
the right to own land unless using it; and that
great degree to the equilibrium of society, the
amelioratlon of the condition of the masses,
and the perpetuity ,Gf,,o of republican ItaI1
in calTgng out IS tSs a PrOposon SSe 8e
proposes to lay all taxes on land and exempt
the homestead. Captain Hill is man OF
considerable eIuditioD, and deep tnlnKer ld
potency, and regarding 1t misfortune TO De
either rich or poor, he is in that happy co :
dition to pursue the bent OF his own mlnd
that yeX the world to an alarming degree in
this day and generation.
HON. JAMES S. WOODS, attOrney-at-law, was
born January 9th, 1850, in Tennessee, and
reared from Infancy IN IeXas, ms parents set-
Texas, in the spring of 1850, subsequently re-
moving to Bell county, two miles from the
present site Of Belton. when that part OF the the
removed to Rusk county in 1854 in consequence
of the frequent raids of Indians. The sub
ject of this sketch Was educated at Bon,
ham seminary, in Fannin county. Commenced
the study of law in 1873 without teacher,
taking for his companions the midnight oil,
Blackstone, Kent, Metcalf on contracts, and
Green!eat on evidence. Was licensed to prac-
| tice law by Judge NJ. II. Bonner, who then pre-
sided over the tenth judicial district; settled
| at the county seat in kaufman county April,
| 1875, where he has since been an able and sue
cessful practitioner in his profession. MIR.
| WOois served as representative from tnls
district in the seventeenth legislature, having
| been elected to that position In November,
| 1880 At the close of the term he retired from
d Ilitical life, and since then has been pro
! fessiOnally engaged.
]. d. CUNNINGHAM, attorney at law, was
| born in Hardin county, Tenn, February u
| 1855: educated at Mars Hill high school in 1873
| At the age of seventeen he came to Texas and
| settled in Rockwall county; licensed to prac
| tice law by Judge NJ. Fl. Bonner, in said coun
| ty in 1876. In 1873 removed to Terrell, in this
| County, where he served as city attorney from
| 1879 to 1881. Game to the county seat If kauf
| man county in March, 1888, and is the Junlol
partner of the law firm Of Woods & Cunning
ham.
born in Lawrence district, s. c., December p
| 1895. Removed with his parents to PontotOC
county, Miss, in 1910. Came to Texas in 1850
and settled in Palestine. Read law in Col: 1
| r. Words Office, and was licensed to pract1c,
in 1855 at the Palestine bar. Removed TO Kadf
man in 1859, which has since been his home
and where he commenced the practice OF law
In 1876 he was elected county Judge, and
served for two terms He enlisted in the con
federate service June, 1861, in Col. Greer
regiment, 3rd Texas Cavalry. His regimen
| belonged to Ross Texas Brigade, which d1
valiant service during the war.
JOSEPH HUFFMAsrER, lawyer, born Il
Newport, KY, February 10, 1859. Was a caI
tain in the Confederate army, and served i
the army of Virginia. Came to Texas in 1856
and was licensed as lawyer at kaufman !
1857 Has Dracticed in said county until til