The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-11-08
LAWYER w4KEMAvs DEATH.
Incidents in the Career of the Oldest Mem
Der of the Hudson County Bar.


Der of the Hudson County Bar.
Thedeath of Edgar B. Wakeman recalls
to mind the earliest history of the Bar of
Hudson County. Mr.. Wakeman was born
at Monticello, Sullivan County, New York,
on April 18th, 1916. His early education
was received in an old log school-house in
his native place. The finish of his educa
ton was acquired by teaching school in the
States of Massachusetts and Connecticut.
From Connecticut he moved to Pennsyl-
vania.
my first recollection of Mr.. wakeman, :"
said ex-Attorney- General Gilchrist to
TATTLER reporter last evening, .sdates back
about 1916 then he had left his native
place, and was student at Dickinson Col
lege, IN Pennsylvania, from which institu-
ton believe he graduated.
CAT one time he had a very extensive
law practice, and for good many years
was prominent in city affairs. He gave mn
his practice about the beginning of the
war.
s'Ail his money was made, I think just
about the time he gave up his practice. lie
made it in real estate and lost it in the
shrinkage in the value of property. He
was bachelor, but was connected with
the Gautier family of this city, his brother
having married Miss Gautier"
Mr. Jacob Weart, who was called upon
for some incidents in the life of the vener-
able lawyer, said:
''He took very active part in the forma-
ton of the form and character of the local
government of Jersey City, which at that
time was very small place, and had at
tracted but very little previous notice. He
was Clerk of the city from 1845 to 1846
He was also an Alderman of the city for
three years, and also held the position of
Corporation Attorney for three years. He
was defeated for Congress in 1864, by
General Edwin V. r. Wright
At the Bar he was very highly esteemed
by his professional brethren, and greatly
respected by the citizens of the county.
The acquittal of Spencer, who was in
dicted and tried for murder, was largely
due to the mastery manner in which
his associate counsel. Mr.. Wakeman
NOR in his makeup, which frequently dis
played itself. On one occasion he played
prank upon the Court, citing Dickens
celebrated case of 'sBardell against Pick
wick, in which Mr.. Wakeman said GER
tain principle Of law had been we'll estab-
lished. The judges were not well up on
Dickens and at the end of the quotation
one of the judges said: 'sMr. Wakeman
will you please hold on for few moments;
you have somewhat cornered the Court.
The Court adjourned till it sent for a
copy of the Pickwsck papers, and conclud-
ed that. as Mr.. Wakeman, had said, the
certain principle of law referred was well
established in the csse cited
II remember one suit in which Wakeman
was engaged, said Mr.. Gilchrist. 81 think
it was called the ink case. The counsel
on the other side was ex-Attorney- G eneral
Chatfeld, of New York. In the course of
his argument Chatfeld referred to Wake
man as Long Tom This so enraged
Wakeman that he picked up Nixon's
Digest and threw it at Chatfield with all
his might hitting the latter with consider
able force, but luckily not seriously injur-
ing him"
Mr.. Wakeman was also actively engsged
in the defense of Mrs. Smith and Cove
Bennett, in their famous trial, as well as in
many other Important trials.