Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-02-25
HIS CAREER.
A SHORT BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF TIL
LATE JUDGE G. W. THOMPSON.
His Prominent P.ri in the History and Politics
Virginia, and a Brief Outline Of His Public
Services IS 8 Jurst AID Statesman.

CIfUos - u oAu oGSsAdus
The announcement was made yesterday
of the death of Judge George W. Thomp-
SOD, which occurred at his late residence
out the National road at twenty minutes
before one o'clock Friday morning. In
his death, Wheeling and the State loses
one Of its most prominent and respected
citizsns. The prominence of the deceased,
who for so many years rendered valusble
service to his State and country in beth
public and private capacity, merits more
than a mere passing biographical sketch Of
his earlier days.
He was q son of John Thompson, q ma
tive of Ireland, who came to this country
with his wife, Sarah Talbot, said to be .
first cousin OF President Andrew Jackson.
They settled on Wheeling creek in 1888.
and raised q family Of six sons and four
daughters.
The deceased was born in st. Clairs-
Vile, May IA, 1906, and gained his early
education at the Jefferson College, nov
Wash-Jeff College, where he graduated in
1924. lie then studied law under the late
VIM. B. Hubbard, at that time q success.
fol lawyer ut st. Clsirsville. Judge
Thompson was admitted to the bar in
1926, after which he went to Richmond to
fuslher his studies, returning to st.
Evansville in 1923, where he acquired and
held q large practice until 1887.
In politics Judge Thompson was an ar
dent and active Democrat, taking an active
part in sustaining General JIckson's proc
lamation against the notification of South
Carolina in 1888. In 1887 he came to
Whe cling and entered upon the practice Of
law, in which he remained until his cleo
ton to Congress in 1851. In 1888 the
Judge was honored with the first appoint
ment of q distributing postmaster at
Wheeling, under President Van Buren,.
Then it was the consolidation Of the dis
tributing agencies at Washington, Pa, and
Il lnesville, O., took place here which rem
dered Wheeling the most important postal
town in the west at that time.
In 1912, when the controversy between
the b. g. o. road and Wheeling was in full
force, as to making the latter place the ter
minus, Judge Moses C.. Good and Judge
Thompson were appointed q commission
to visit Richmond and watch the move
ments of the company. Judge Thompson
differed from certain views taken by his
colleague as to the policy to be pursued.
and made an open attack upon the com
pany before o full committee Of the Legis-
lature, resulting in the defeat Of their ap-
piication for a right Of way which would
nave taken them from Wheeling al
together.
Judge Thompson was further appointed
in a joint commission TO settle the juris-
diction of the Ohio river between Virginia
and Ohio. He was appointed United States
District Attorney by President James X.
Polk between 1874 and 1S48. In 1852 he
was elected to a judgeshipin the Twentieth
Judicial Circuit, and ably OBLIGATED
In circuit and district courts. Dur
log his term in Congress The
Judge introduced q bill and secured its
passage in opposition to q previous decree
by the Supreme Court Of the United States
for the abatement and removal Of the
Wheeling suspension bridge. This was an
important achievement and probably one
of the finest Constitutional distinctions
ever made between legislative aud judicial
power, as it set aside the effect Of a Judi
cial decree of that Court by an act Of Con-
gress, and secured the foundation for all
future legislation on crossing nayigable
streams in the United States.
10 1860 he was reelected to the Judge
ship in the Circuit and District Courts Of
Virginia. He held the Office till 1861,
when his removal was effected 10 conse-
quence of his refusal TO take the oath Of
office to support what he con~scientiously
believed TO be the unconstitutional action
of those who undertook to set up the pres
ent State of West Virginia. He then re-
tired to private life, and afterward found
agreeable occupation for his active and
deeply penetrating mind by welding the
pen Of an author. In 1865 he
published o work entitled 1.-THE
Living Forcss," to identify the
forces of nature as representative of
the spiritual aud mental forces by which
all things were made. lie followed in
1870 with another volume on the same
subject, entitled "Deus Sempcr," and later
with 1.-THE Administration of Good aud
Evil" which virtually might be termed o
summary Of his other warks and which
was in defense of Professionalism against
Atheism and Catholicism, embodyin an
extensive range Of ideas in a condensed
form. Besides these the Judge has writ
ten many other works of q character not
so extensive, both in prose und verse,
among which were many historical sketches
of local and general interest; while his
local philosophical writings, both in prose
and verse, were numerous.
Judge Thompson was married in 1892 10
Elizabeth, second daughter Of the late
Daniel Steenrod, ST., Of Duchess county,
N. Y who still survives him, by whom he
had a family Of six children. Eve Of whom
are alive, as follows; Mrs. Hon. J. N.Cam-
den, of Parkersburp; Col. w. Z. Thomp-
son, of New York; Col. George w. Thomp-
SOL, of Parkersburg; Mrs. DR.. l.. B. Bush
field, Of New York, and Col. d. s. Thomp-
SOD, of Wood county. The old Steenrod
house, q mile and a half east of Wheeling
on the National road, where Judge ThOmp-
son haas resided Cor years, was built back
in 1919 and for many years afforded o hoe
pitable shelter for thousands Of travellers
along the National pike, and it is one Of the
mos. interesting historical spots in this Sec
ton to day.
The funeral Of the deceased will take
place from his late residence Monday after
noon at 2:30 o'clock. The funeral WAS set
for Sunday afternoon, but it Was learned
that Col. Geo. W. Thompson and family,
who were in Florida, could not reach
Wheeling before Sunday evening, hence
the change. The interment will take place
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