The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-05-17
JUDGE REID'S SAD DEATH.
A Strange and Melancholy Event-The Con-
trOversy with COrneilsOn,

NAVfNAeJ WIN
-
Mt. Sterling Special to Louisville Courier-Journal
So unlooked-for, so sudden, and, withal, so
unaccountable was the death of Judge Richard
Reid, that the whole community stood aghast.
Men could not believe, could not realize, that
Judge Richard Reid had taken with his own
hand his life. He had so much to live for,
they said; he was in the prime of manhood;
honors had been showered upon him; all that
wealth could give was his. A beautiful home;
friends who loved him; a wife that ministered
to his joys, his comforts, and whose bounteous
love made him happy. Your correspondent
drove out to the elegant home of the deceased
In an agony of grief lay Mrs. Reid upon
her bed. For weeks she has been unable to
leave it. Her mental suffering is almost indie
scribable. She stated to your correspondent shat
she had not been out of bed but a few days since
Judge Reds recent trouble. That she had tried
to sustain and comfort her dear husband in his
misfortune, but feared her illness had depressed
him. She further stated that Judge Reid slept
we'll last night. He arose this morning early and
seemed more cheerful than usual; laughed and
chatted with his wife, kissed her and babe her
good bye. Her mother. who lives with them,
went down stairs some minutes later and found
him ut his prayers. After eating his breakfast
he started to town, where he was to meet Colonel
Hamilton, with whom he was going to ride to a
distant portion of the county in the interest of
his candidacy. She states that Judge Reid would
never Garry a pistol until very recently, when, at
the advice of friends, he armed himself lest he
might by some unlucky chance be again
assaulted.
At Frankfort, groups gathered ON every street
and in subdued tones, as if the deed had hushed
them with its awe-stricken horrors, debated the
act from every conceivable point of mans judg-
ment. Every expression carried with it the pro
foundest sympathy, but, however faulty the con
viction, most believe suicide the only escape from
a life Of endless modification. In a group of the
most distinguished citizens, judges and officials,
this evening. it was thought that whilst Judge
Reid acted from the highest moral stand point
still nothing but a general and spontaneous in
dorsement by the people of the State could ever
have sustained him and relieved him of the
deep sense of disgrace and humiliation.
This, said an ~ex-judge of the Court of Ap-
peals, the people did not do. He dis
covered this in the late canvass of the district,
and even in his own county, which he found he
could not carry"
Another Of the gr~oup-remarking of the de-
ceased Judges qualities as a gentleman and the
soul Of honor. ability as a scholar and judge,
and q tenderness of heart that won its way into
the affections of all who knew im-said THE
taking of his life removed the impression of
physical cpwardice, for it requires q brave man
to whirl himself suddenly into the eternal un-
known This was disputed, but all agreed sor-
rowfully and regretfully that under the present
Kentucky spirit, that sets the physical over the
moral man. the deed was not as surprising and
as censurabie as it would otherwise have been.
From Mr.. j. NJ. Atherton, of Louisville, the
following narrative of Judge Reds life was
obtained:
"Judge Reid was about f~orty-fve or ~forty-six
wears old, and was q native of Montgomery
county. He graduated at the Georgetown Ky
College in 1859. with the honors of his class. He
was a good student, popular, amiable and rather
timid. He found his amusement in books and
not in manly sports, shrinking from any of the
rougher amusements of his companions. He
was not a coward. but he was timid.
81 knew said Mr.. Anterior, that he would not
resent Corneilson's blows, because he could not
bring himself to face an emergency of that kind.
His memory was retentive as o student: he had
a fine analytical faculty, and good reasoning
powers, and was, altogether, a man of strong
common sense. His morals were excellent; he
was economical and modest. After he graduated
he was tutor at Georgetown College for W. years,
and studied law at the same time, l think, under
Judge Alvin Duval Then he moved to Mt.
Sterling and began the practice of law. He
married a Mrs. Rogers, a widow, who had one
child, | believe. There was some romance about
the marriage. l believe they had been engaged
before her marriage with Rogers, and that her
ehild's name was Reid Rogers OF, something of
that sort. | think that Judge Reid never had a
child. The lady he married was a woman of
considerable wealth and Judge Reid himself had
a decided aequisitive faculty. He was a good
business man and was in entirely independent
circumstances He was q candidate for the State
Senate a few years ago, but was defeated, and |
believe never held Office until he was elected to
the Superior Bench. His record, so far as /
know it. was perfectly honorable, and I believe
he never did q dishonorable thing on the bench.
| read little of the press accounts of the trouble
with Cornelison. but what | have said Expresses
my opinion on that subject"