Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-04-10
DEATH OF JUDGE IA. w. snEFFEY

dence in this city at twenty minutes after five
O'Clock on the morning of t. 9Th instant. He
only lacked four days of being seventy-foul
| years old. For several months past, Mrs. Shef
fey had been in very feeble health, which was
a deep affl ction to her husband. Some weeks
since the judge was con1oed to his room 10
consequence OF general debility. but recovered
sufficiently to again appear in his on g. aud
To meet the friendly greetings OF the people
who we're deeply sol icltous concerning him
His bouyancy of spirits and remarkable
energies were evidently falling. as could be OBJ
served Turing the several days of recent pleas
ant weather when he was out for a walk and
would stop for a few minutes along the walk
| way, to exchange salutations with friends.
Without any apparent difficulty more than
was Indicated by general feebleness, from the
Sd instant, when he was out of his residence
| for the last time, he rapidly declined and
quietly oreathed his last at the time announc
| ed.
The deceased was the son of Major Henry
| L Shelly. brother of hon. Daniel Sheffey
who acquired property Interests in the South
west, particularly in the Wythe Lead Works.
aud introduced his brother. the father of Judge
Sheffey, there in the management of the bust
ness For several years, the works were man
aged entirely by him. aud, rs the records show,
very successfully. Major Sheffey married Miss
Margaret White. of Washington county. a
| member of a leading family of that county still
identified with the valuable property his ia.
ther controlled in its inc pIeucy.
BEFORE and after his uucle's death. Judge
Sheffey pursued his boyhood studies In Staun-
ton. In this interval. he had won the esteem
of Gen Smyth. who represented the south
western district of the State in Congress. and
resided in Wythe In the Valley OF Cripple
creek q few miles from the residence of Judge
Sheffey's family. Under his patronage. his
you hful friend had the advantage of a short
residence at the National Capital, duitnP
VIII CHI time he made the Acquaintance of many
Of the leading members of both houses of Con-
gress. He completed his literary course at Yale
College.
Qualifying himself for the legal profession
he was admitted to tho bar of the Augusta
Courts In 1910. and arly occupied a prominent
position in the practice here, and in the sur
70 1ndiug counties, and In the State. He was
elected in 1916 as one of the delegates
from Augusta county to the General As
sembly. which position he continued to
hold till 1850. when, with the late Judge Fultz.
he was chosen from Augusta TO represent the
district OF Augusta. Rockbridge. and Highland
new Constitution. The other delegates were
Capt David E Moore, and the late Gov. ] etch
er, of Rock bridge. and Mr.. Adam Stephenson
of Highland. In the Legislature be was iden
Iifled with the Internal improvement party and
was among the ablest of It's advocates. In The
convention he was no less distine uished in his
advocacy of the white basis of representation
and other measures adopted as the policy of
that reform movement.
In the closing hours of the Convention one
Incident of his services in that body will be
mentioned The consideration of a jury sys-
tenn had not been completed, and The evening
before adjournment, a member moved that
the whole question touching the Jury system
he referred 10 Judge Shstfay as Committee OF
pne IL report the next morning al O'Clock Ia
the convention. After sitting up ali night h.
brought In report which was adopted by the
Convention as it caue from Judge Shefty
without the dotting OF an /. or the crossing OF d
t..
AT the election for Governor. Lieut. Cover
nor, and Attorney General. In December, 1851.
tor the first time In tue history of the Stale,
those ffjaes were I'LL ed bY the direct suffrage
# the people. judge Sheffsy was then the
Wing candidate tor the State senate and wa
= ected Al the same time tie people also vot
ID upon IN, adoption o the new Fopstituti"r
Eh CT was rat fed by a iargt mai riiy. Bis
Ia IN the senate was for Two years, The
nsti;ution apportioued 10 Augusta Senator
and three members of the House of Delegates
Judee Sheffey was a candidate for reelection
in 1853 but was defeated by few votes by d..
,N.m R. Harris the democratic candidate
The Wings only elected one member OF the
legislature that year. Col Boliver Christian
N,I Tna Cir In
ner, democrats. being the other two delegate
elected. All three wee then very young men
and that campaign was the commencement Of
sneir public careers.
Judge sh.ffey continued to devote himself
a-siduously to his profession, but was soop
again returned by the people rs a member Of
The House of Delegates. In 1861. Iov. Kemper.
who was then memb Der of the House OF Dele
gates from Madison county. and the speak er Of
the body, resigned to accept the command of s.
regiment in the Army. and Judge Shefey was
chosen his successor, and presided over thai
nody and its successor. elected in 1853, till Its
| dnal dissolution April 4th, 1855.
10 Gov Pierpoint, who assumed control over
me State under the Alexandria constitution
ate the surrender of Confederate power, was
vested the g.. appointment OF the jud lclary of tht
state. He designed to place the late Judge
Thompson on the Supreme BEECH, and ap-
pointed Judge Sheffey to The Circuit Couri.
which position he held till Congress abolished
| the State Govern ment in 1857 and placed the
| people entirely under Military power.
Retiring from the Judgeship and resuming
| the practice of his profession. in association
with his friend, Captain James Bumgardner.
| Jr, VINO came to the bar of the Augusta courts
quite a young man aud was his partner before
aud since the war. in which Capt. Bumgardner
served conf nuously, 1t became the senior law
firm practicing in our courts. and from the
lime when first formed more than thirty yea s
have elapsed. Judge Shefey was at the time
of lis death the senior member OF The bar. and,
excepting Hon. Alex Fl. II. Stuart. the oldest
Of the resident lawyers
The law firm of Shelley and Bumgardner
conducted very large business. and both part
| ners. at home and abroad. were continuously
| engaged. AS counsel for the Baltimore and
Oniu, and Valley Railroads, much OF their
time was thus employed. With all this legal
| work constantly on hand, Judge Sneffsy still
found time to keep 10 his regular and valuable
| course of lectures which he annually delivered
before the law class of Washington and Lee
University.
In June 1875. the Augusta National Bank was
| organized. He was then called to become The
| President OF that Institution aud annually has
| been unanimously continued In that station
| of nigh responsibility.
In March, 1888. the Equity Life Insurance
| Company of this city was organized. of whict
| Association he was the President aud flied The
ogri ~ his dea'h.
1t IVES MOI only on The political arena in BIZ
prime of his manhood and during the !oriy
years or more of his Distinguished professional
career, that Judge Sheffey was a cOnspicuou,
figure among men. From carry life he was
commuulcapt Of the Episcopal church, and :
xralous Christian. and, commencing many
years ago, Was leader amongst the ables
OF the lsymeu in the State and general conven
lions II the Djoces4 he Vas tns senior Yes
tryman of trinity church, and his Christian
Example, his cnar. Ties and penevoieuce vii oe
| rene lnbeIed and will rauk him as wor by q
association with the brightest exem ,,lars q
| those virtues.
n inf