The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1885-11-19
L MOI s NORTH CAROLINIANS
MEN NORTH CAR
oII\i HAS PRODUCED.
SLetcb Of the Late Judge AIlmand A.
Nckoy, who Died at Ills Resldence IN
,Iiutou November Ith, at g A. NJ.

,-i,n promised to furnish the CHRONICLE a
-krrcIl of the late Judge McKoy was una
BILE to comply with ispromsc by the press
If business engagements. lie sent us,
fn4cvcr. the dates of moment in his life
and some data about the funeral. Luckily
fL,. editor of the CHRONICLE had known the
.Iudge for several years and knew much of
hi, character and is enabled to furnish the
following sketch Of his life, which though
imperfect and hastily prepared, is his csti-
mate of the late esteemed and respected
Judge.
ALLMAND ~ MCKoY, who for the past
eleven years has travelled the circuits Of
North Carolina aS Superior Court Judge.
was born iii the county Of Sampson i'll
1925. Born Of honorable and respectable
parentagc he inherited with the heirlooms
of the family IN innate honesty and cour
tc,v which have ever characterized him i'll
his intercourse with his follow men.
After reaching mans estate Judge Nc
k0v for several years taught school in and
near Clinton. In this, his first work, he
WAS as faithful and conscientious in the
discharge of his duties as he was in the
trial Of the most important cases that
afterwards came before him. This eNpe-
ricuce in the schOol-roOm was of service to
him in many ways, chiefly in developing
to very high degree the patience for
which he was noted
Determining to make the law his profess
sion he applied himself diligently to the
study of Coke and Adams and Blackstone
and the other standard authorities, a
knowledge of which, then as now, was re-
qulste to admission to the bar. Master
Iug the elementary branches and obtain
mg his license, Judge Mckoy did not fol
low the example of 50 many young men,
no Tli I n hn Inn
tive teaching that "a prophet is not without
honorsave in his own country pitch their
tents among strangers, but conscious of
his rectitude and of his abilities to serve
his people, he began the practice of law in
the home of his ancestors, in the town in
which he had been raised, among the pco-
pie who kn wing him. knew how to APP
preciate and to honor him. Time proved
the wisdom of his course.
The writer believes the career of Judge
Nckoy teaches a valuable lesson to Young
men who sustain the opinion that to win
success they must give up the associations
OF youth and go to a new and unknown
country. There is no greater error than
this. If young man has lived an upright
life and is strong in his devotion to right
there are more chances of success in the
home OF his nativity than elsewhere. There
he will find kind and sympathetic friends
who Will watch his progress with pleasure
and pride, and there he will find a helping
hand to aid him when success seems to
eIude his grasp. True it is that if young
man has sown a bountiful crop of wild
oats it is sometimes better to begin his
life work among people who do not know
of his bad habits, and yet even then it is
doubtful if he can achieve better results
anywhere, with the same application and
the same uprightneSS of life, than in the
home of his boyhood. This of course is
true only where there is an opening in his
own town IN the profession or business of
his choice. Often young men find the av
enucS to success so narrow or so complete
ly filled in their home that it becomes nee
essary for them to seek other places Of
abode Then wisdom dictates change of
habitation. Happily for Judge Mckoy he
had as boy and young man won the con-
tdence Of his people and there was field
III his own county for the practice of law
He therefore followed his love of home,
county and State and lived and died within
sight of his birth place.
When Judge MckOy came to the bar
there were not a few distinguished lawyers
who travelled the circuit which embraced
Sampson, Duplin and Bladen-the only
counties in which he practiced. Among
them We're James Cochran Dobbin,
Of Fayetteville, Secretary of the Navy un-
der President Pierce, and who in the
words of the scholarly DR.. Henry E. Shep-
herd chad sounded all the depths and
shoals of honor, had attained the loftiest
digrities and developed elocution as
chaste and voice as winning as that of
Canon Farrar and who wore the white
flower of blameless life" Henry W. Mil
Ier, of Raleigh, of whom Hon. JOS. J. Da-
Wis says, she was stately, eloquent-often
grandly so; Judge Person, of Wilmington,
learned in the law, Il distinguished jurist
and urbane gentleman and Warren Wins
low, of Fayetteville, who was Speaker Of
the House in 1861, G believe) and when
Gov Ellis died was thought to be Cover
nor of the State until Gov. Clark was
elected Speaker of the new House.
Meeting these distinguished lawyers
at the courts and appearing with and
against them in important suits, Judge
Mckoy early developed into safe and pru-
dent counselor, an earnest and logical adj
yocate, and a diligent and untiring stu
dent. As a young man he saw that if be
conducted his cases to a successful issue
when opposed by Miller or Winslow OF
Dobbin he would have to prove himself
learned in the law and skillful in the man
agement of the interests of his clients.
The association with these gentlemen and
often conflict with them in the court
room was a source of much good to him,
and stimulated him in his earlier days to
j full development CT all his powers. Pos
sessing in high degree the confidence of
the people he was not many years in build
! ing up "a large and lucrative practice
Faithful to every interest of client, frank
u his intercourse with the people, and
III orning to resort to the tricks of the pet
logger, he grew yearly in popular esteem
confined himself to the study and prac
!, of his profession but when called by
II Lpcople to represent them in the Gen
Assembly of 1878 he accepted the
u and made an acceptable and usefu
- lator, and gained considerable repu
Ie In the Constitutional Convention
VI when the State was re-admitte(
lhue e Union he was chosen to agaif
Nh his people. In 1868 he was nom
iiia' " the Democratic Convention fo
SO the Federal Congress. He made
"s Il 5 and aggressive campaign, bu
strict at that time was Republi
PoI'',l, 1n' ,efeated by Oliver 81. Dockery
40 III e was elected Judge of the Su
go feath cot, and until the day of hi!
fought with great acceptability. H'
,ho hencb4 discharge of his duties OF
,Ios Tho same conscientious princi
Ian the 8 thoroughness of investiga
stmn nrba1legree Of patience, and the
had markednd uniform courtesy, thai
80,