Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-08-15
JUDGE TERRYs EvENTFUI CAREER.
His Duel with Frederick and Connection
with AltheL

David :. Terry was born in T id county
Ky, in lss3 He served in the Texas army
| under sam Houston. He went to California
| In '4e, and settled in Calaveras county. In
1855 he was elected justice of the supreme
court of California on the Eatiys American
ticket and upon the death of Chief Justice
Murray, in ls5., Judge Terry became chief
justice. He Was opposed 20 the Vigilance
committee Of ID, and stabbed one of the MEM
bers of the committee, who ! ad attempted to
arrest Maloney, one Of his friends. Terry
was held by the vigilantes. Tut afterward re-
leased He kil.ei Senator Frederick in ls5a
a. the result Of political differences Terry
belonged to what was known as the "chiv-
airy" wing Of the Democrat party. In 1880
Terry was defeated as a Hancock elector al
though his associates were elected sept :
1855, he was sent TO Jail for six months for
contempt OF court by justice Field.
The Killing Of senator Frederick.
.oaa, &c % Ss, go p5oninsIt on the Pacific
| In lSls. while a judge Of one of the California
| courts, he engaged in an acrimonious debate
| with Davii Colbreth Brodeiick then United
| states senator from that state. over the lat
ter's opposition To the sttem 1t to force slavery
| upon Kansas. Broderick a. making strong
speeches against the adoption of the so-called
| Lecompton constitution. an to some Of his
| expressions Judge Terry TOOK exceptions. Hot
| language passed between them. and a meeting
1 under the code" was arranged, which TOOK
4 pldtt IN september. 1893. II that duel BrOl-
| er1ck's friends claim that b. was foully muir
/ dere1, Terry having taken an unfair advan-
/ tage and fired before the word. BrOderick was
/ killed at the first shot. and for a long time
public sentiment against his slayer was very
strong. and he was to a cert lin extent ostra-
cised-
Married Another Mars Mistress
| The last great sensation in which Judge
Terry figured was the case Of Sarah Althea
Hill. who claimed to be the common-law wife
| Of Senator Sharon. Judge Terry espoused
Miss Hills cause and after a long and tedious
| hight in the courts, contested on each side by
| the most subtle devices of which sharp law
yers are capable, he forced a very favorable
compromise. This secured, he country was
astonished to hear that Judge Terry, the peer
| In brains and legal ability. perhaps, of any
lawyer in the west, had married the woman
who had, in open court. ackI owledged herself
| TO be the mistress of another man
| His Trouble with Justice Field.
Judge Terry's prosecution of the claim of
| Sarah Althea Hill brought him into a re-
/ sentful attitude toward Justice Field who
/ last year rendered a decision in the United
| states circuit court. in SAM rancisco DENYING
/ her claim TO be the wife of : laron. Mrs Terry
created a scene in court dur ng the reading of
the decision. charging Justice Field with be-
ing corrupt, and as she rsfused TO remain
quiet, Justice Field directed that she be re-
| moved from court. When a deputy ATTEMPTED
to cary out the order of the court she be-
came involved in personal quarrel with the
official and Judge Terry I'M erfered drawing
| dagger from his vest. He was disarmed,
and both adjudged in cont tempt and COM
mitted to Jail.
Warned by the Newspapers.
In the meantime Justic. Field went TO
Washington to resume hifi duties on the
bench. returning to this C ty six weeks ago.
Newspaper articles were printed intimating
that II would be dangerous for Justice Field
ana Judge Terry to meet per sonslly, as IL was
thought the latter might insult the former
while the fact was also rec ognized that JUS
tice Field would be quick to resent an attack
from Terry, knowing IL could only result
fatally to one or the other. H. view of the lat
ter's record Whether Jud ge Terry had in
tended to provoke Justice field. and draw a
weapon before the latter could turn. is of
course, not known. as Deputy Maggie. who sat
opposite. prevented this by f ring his shot, re-
suiting In the instant death If Terry.
Terry's Characte -istics-
Judge Terry was a man of very strong pas
| sions, soft and tender q woman to those
with whom he associated and trusted, and
| Wild and fierce as a lion towards his op-
| ponents. He had many enc mies-such a ma
sure was bound to have-for he could brook
| no opposition restraint. But he also had
| nosts of friends. and while ne public at large
viii not regard his sudden Heath as a great
calamity. there will be hundreds who win
mourn his sudden and tragic taking OF.