Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-08-16
JUDGE CUMSIIN DEAD.
Career of an Eminent Judge and a Sue
cessful Lawyer.

Judge Ii. II. Cummin, member of the
food relief commission appointed by Gov
ernor Beaver, died at Cresson, Sunday
morning at eight o'clock of Brght's dis
ease. The body was taken to Williams
port, his late home on a special car ten
dered by the officials of the Pennsylvania
road. The remains were accompanied by
Mrs. Cummin and her daughter and son.
! Hugh Hart Cummin was of Scotch
Irish ancestry, and was born May 25,
1S41, at Liverpool, Perry county, Pa. He
was educated in the public school at his
native village and afterwards became
teacher in the same institution. Until
1869 he lived in Liverpool. In that year
he removed to Williamsport, where be
has since resided.
His legal reading was done in the office
of the late George White, and in August,
1864, he was admitted to the Lycoming
county bar. He enlisted in the army in
1864 and vert to the front, serving until
the close of the war, when he returned
home and formed a partnership with his
former preceptor, under the firm name of
White & Cummin, which continued until
Mr.. Whites death, which occurred in
1868.
For ten years Mr.. Cummin continued
alone the practice of the firm, which had
become very lucrative. In 1878 he was
elected President Judge of the Lycoming
county courts. He was the peoples can
didate and after a hot fight secured a
handsome majority. When elected the
business was two years behind, but the
dockets were soon cleared, and the
county's business has since been kept up
to date, though the expenses of the courts
were reduced about one half
After having made a record on the
bench second TO none in the Common.
wealth, Judge Cummin retired early in
the present year and resumed the prac-
tice Uf his profession, which he neglected
when his city was devasted by the flood
of May 3lst, and devoted his whole time
to the relief of his unfortunate neighbors.
He was chairman Of the Citizens Relief
Committee, and so well did he perform
his work that Governor Beaver appoint
ed him a member of the State Flood Com
mission, and he was by that body unani-
mously chosen us their resident represen-
tative at Joanstown.
tie at once took up his residence at
Cresson, so as to be near the scene of his
labors, and it was while engaged in his
arduous labors that he was stricken with
the disease that terminated in mis- death.
Judge Cummin was married in May,
1869, to Miss Charlotte White, of Viii
Transport, who survives him with one
son, who has recently finished his fresh
man year at Harvard College.
The Body of Rev. Mrs.. j. 4. Ranney.
Rev. J. \. Ranney and wife, of Kala-
mazoo, Michigan, were on the Inflated
Day Express, on the day of the flood.
Mrs. Ranney got from the train at East
Conemaugh and was caught IN the water
and drowued. Her husband was one of
the few that remained in one of the cars
that was not washed away and escaped,
4 few days after her son, Mr.. d. A. Mat
thcws, of ST. Paul, MINI, came here and
after careful and diligent search failed
to hear any tidings OF his mother.
On Saturday last accompanied by his
brother, Mr.. w. F. Matthews, of Kansas,
ne again came here and renewed the
search. The brothers discovered in the
room at Alma Hall, where the found val
uables are kept, watch and chain,
which they recognized as belonging to
their mother. Further search revealed the
fact that the watch had been taken from
the person of Il woman found on June
18th and taken to the MillviIle morgue
aad inferred the same day on Prospect
The description of the body from which
the watch was taken did not, however,
seem to describe the mother, but the
brothers found the grave on Prospect and
had the remains eXhumed.
They identified them as those of their
mother by two finger rings and the cloth
ing. The remains will be taken to Kala-
mazoo for interment,
Mr.. and Mrs Ranney were taking a trip
east, the objective point being Vermont,
their native State. The sons, who found
her, are children Of her first husband.
A High Mass was celebrated in st. CO.
lumba's Church, Cambria, yesterday
morning for the repose of the soul of Mr.
Patrick Boyle, of Prospect, whose fu-
neral occurred the afternoon before. A
large number of the neighbors and
friends of Mr.. Boyle attended the services,
thus showing in what high esteem he
was held in this community. The cele-
brant was Rev. Father O'Donnell, of Vii
onona College, Philadelphia, nephew
of the dece ased The services were very
impressive. Father O'Donnell will re-
main in town few days to visit among
his friends, when he will return home.