The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-03-09
cna,,ss william Goddard.

Ills SUI l1cuty was WIN uku ouAAA.
hours
For some years Judge Goddard had D.
fered considerable annoyance from physi- !,
cal difficulty to which he attached little inn
portance. Later however it took on diff
ferent form, and in December the judge be-
gan to suffer pain. A few weeks ago ne de-
cided to apply to physician and, while
nothing serious was expected, still there
were certain features that were peculiar and
1t was deemed advisable for him to go to the
hospital where he could be under the best
treatment. Here the case fuctuated, one day
the judge appearing better and another not
so well, until Saturday last when he began to
fail rapidly.
Charles William Goddard was the son Of
Henry and Eliza (Payson Pickering Goddard.
and was born in December, 1926. In this city.
He graduated at Bowdoin College in the
class of 1874 and among his classmates were
Collector S. J. Anderson, Postmaster j. S.
Palmer, Judge w. W. Virgin, d. r. Hast
ings, of Fryeburg, Sheriff H. G. Herrick, of
Saugus, Mass, j. L. Pickard, Ii. D., Of
Auburn, Dr. G. E. Swan, of Calais, Rev.
Arthur Swasey, ID. D., Horatio O. Wheeler,
of Westbrook, Henry K. Bradbury and DR..
A. X. P. Bradbury, of Hollis. On leaving
college he studied law in the Office Of
Howard d Shepley Of this city, and at the
Harvard Law School, and was admitted
to the bar, November, 1886. After three
years practice in Portland he moved to Lew
iston Falls, where he was in active practice
for sixteen years, except from 1861 to 1864
when he was appointed by Lincoln consul
al 10 80 a.. IL
from Constantinople, Judge Goddard was
for short time engaged in professional
business In Androscoggin county. In 1866
he formed cupartnership with Hon. T. II.
Haskell, now one Of the judges of the Su-
preme Judicial Court, and removed to
Portland. He was attorney for Androscoggin
county one year, a member of the State SEN
ate in 1858 and 1859 and president of the Sem
ate the latter year. Upon the establishment
of the Superior Court for Cumberland coun-
ty in 1867, he was made its first judge. He
applied himself with characteristic zeal and
energy to the Inauguration of this court,
drafting the rules himself to govern its prac-
tice, and by his personal effort contributing
largely to its usefulness and success. The
prompt administration of justice he made
the motto Of the court, and the motive of his
own action. While he presided. the delays
of the law were reduced to minimum. The
rules he adopted. and the spirit he infused
nave conspicuously influenced the business
OF this court under all his able success
sors. In 1867 Gen. Chamberlain placed
him on the commission for the EQUAL
lzation Of municipal war debts of this
master of Portland In 1871, and he held
that office for three terms. Later he was
appointed to revise the State Statutes.
a task demanding great labor, sound judg.
ment and critical accuracy. The difficulty Of
this work was greatly increased by the limit
ed time allowed for its execution. But
Judge Goddard proved himself equal to the
burden ne assumed. He performed much
WORK not strictly within the scope Of his
contract. but OF great value to the people of
tne state, as, for instance. tn careful abb
straet OF the sources Of land titles in Maine.
tne Reference Index and Reference Index
table, printed with the revision. OF the
whole ne made full and convenient index,
making reference to the statute law of the
state easy. Experience and the trial of six
years afford most honorable testimony to the
thorough, exact and judicious performance
OF THIS great work, for which less than two
years time was allowed.
:, In 1872 Judge Goddard was appointed by
the president and faculty of the Medical
school in Bowdoih College to the lectureship
on medical jurisprudence and he was subse-
quently chosen professor
;, For some years be had been a director of
.ne American Peace Society and was mem
Der Of the Association for the Reform and
Codification of the Law OF Nations. the Bow
dom Club and Harvard Club in Maine.
Jndge GODDARD was twice married in 1852
3. Little. of Auburn, who died In 1855. leay.
ing one infant son, who survived her a few
weeks; and in 1857, Rowena C. Morrill,.
daughter OF Ex-Governor Arson P. Morrill,.
Of headhsld, BY whom he has had three
whom are graduates of Bowdoin-Anson
and Morrill, = and three daughters. the
youngest dying in infancy, Rowena md
Eliza surviving.
Judge Goddard always took deep and in
telligent interest in public affairs, end by his
frequent communications in the papers of
tne state contributed largely to secure
careful consideration of many measures
touching the welfare of the State
AS lawyer he was conspicuous for cour-
age. perslstency and unwearied diligence.
de made his clients cause his own, and was
specially noted for the minute care with
winch he maintained his side Of every case.
many causes of great publicity. But. In the
famous case OF George Knight, indicted and
convicted In Androscoggin county for the
murder OF his wife. in consequence of the
innrm health Of Mr. Dane. then Attorney
General, the entire responsibility and labor
OF the trial were cast upon Mr.. God dard. who
was county attorney. and who, through
close and vigorous contest of more than
twenty days, in which he was opposed by
the late Judge Clifford and Hon. Charles W.
highest credit to himself
:, In the whole course of Judge Goddards
lie and conversation three points were so
Lromlnent that they could not fail to compel
without being impressed with his indiyidn-
ality, almost originality of view In his
younger days he cultivated the habit of find
ing some peculiar mode of looking at every
question. he wished to be eccentric, and to
be acknowledged as such. But In mature
lie ne felt that it was dangerous habit. and
ne disciplined himself rather in the other d.
rectl0n; the early habit retained no viewer.
70 tne END, sufficient power to lead him con-
stantly TO see truths that lay out of the usu
al current of mems thoughts. Hence his
conversation was always extremely suggest
I've and instructive; and the novelty of his re-
marks frequently gave them the force Of wit.
o. a second point was his reverent familiari-
constant reader of his Bible, he was acc u.s.
toned to read the New Testament in the
original Greek. Few clergymen could saw
wnat ne could, that he had very recently
Revelation in the original tongue. His com
ments on the Scripture were as original as
upon other subjects. As he lay but a fort
night ago, upon his bed at the hospital, he
tOpCdtON HUN luculUIy tQt WQOl6 cOQy0rSa-
tion at the well by Sychar, and made com
ments upon each sentence, startling from
their originality and profoundly impressive
from their business. 1t was not that he had
ever made special study of that chapter:
you could not allude to sentence in the
volume without drawing from him evidence
that he not only remembered 1t but had seen
tice. ''1, nv
The third point to which we have alluded.
IS the severity Of his moral code. 1t was
hard for him to overlook wr0ngdoing. An
Insult or injury to himself, If 1t did not pro-
coed. from malice or wickedness, he could
forgive; but deliberate violation of the
moral law could not be so distant from him
as not to call out his indignation when he
heard of II; He firmly believed in the sane.
was more offensive to him than weak sentf-
mentality which allows pity to overcome JUS
tice. BE was as stern in exacting righteous
ness for himself as from others. Nothing
could be further from his character than
any self-righteousness. Self complacence was
a state of mind beyond his power of inspi-
ration. Yet those things for which he
blamed himself were probably not those for
which men would censure him; for the only
censures of him which were ever heard he
would rather have counted praise, namely,
the complaints of the harshness and severi-
ty of his judgments. Around this rugged.
stern character there clustered, however.
sweet and lovely traits; all the more charm