The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1889-07-31
TIE DEAD J0RlsE.
Al Interesting Sketch Of the Life OfJaoge
y Jao. 2, Clarke.

The SID taking of of Judge Jno.
I. Clarke caused deep and genuine
sorrow all over the state. Many
have been the tributes paid him
by all classes, and in several places
the bar has met and passed reso-
lutions bearing testimony to his
worth as a man and jurlst,
His remains were carried to
I Lumpkin and put to rest in the
family cemetery there.
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
Judge Jno. I Clarke was born
at Eatonton, Putnam county, Ga,
in january, 1884.
About three years after his birth
his parents removed to Lumpkin,
Stewart county, where he was
raised. His father was promi>
nent lawyer and citizen, and at
one time a man of large means. The
son was given n thorough educa-
ton, graduating at Mercer in 1858
with the highest honor. He ct
once began the practice of law,
with his uncle, Judge Marshall J..
Wellbcrn, who was a member OF
congress and one of the most wide>
ly known men in the country,
On May Cd, 1885, John T.
Clarke married Miss Laura f,
Fort, a grand neico Of DR.. Tom.
lirsop Fort, of Millodgeville.
For some years he had not been
in the active pursuit of his profes-
sion, but in 1856 he again began
the practice of law.with his father,
in Lumpkin, meeting with great
success.
He was ordained a minister OF
the Baptist church in 1858, and
WIS Immediately called to the pas.
torate of the Second Baptist church
of A tlan,a. In this field his la.
b,rs had a large harvest, but after
three years he was compelled to
relipquish, because OF serious
throat trouble, induced by con
slant speaking.
IN 1868, being thtn only %
years Of age, he was appointed
judge of the superior court OF the
Paiaula circuit, vice Judge Per>
kins, deceased. lie was with one
exception, the youngest man who
ever held such a position in the
state. At the following session
of the legislature he was unani>
mouslY confirmed for the full
term
At the end of that term, the
mode of election having changed,
he was chosen by the people for a
second term.
In 1868, General Meade, then
commandant of this post, issued
an order forbidding the courts to
allow anybody to serve upon any
jury unless he could first make ats
tidavit that lie was a regularly reg
istered voter under the reconstruct
ton act. This rule excluded Il
large portion of the best citizens
Of the state, who could not
take the iron clad oath.
The general also ordered that the
! jhry>box and The list be revised
by throwing out all unregistered
voters, and then that the list should
be made up Unfortunately from
the lists Of registered voters. Judge
Clarke openly refused to enforce
both of these provisions of the
order. He selected jurors in all
sorts of cases, civil and criminal,
according to the laws of Georgia
and forbade the county authori-
ties to NEEDLE with the jury boxes.
Ger eral Meade issued an order
that any civil officer who failed or
refused to execute his order should
be tried by a military commission
and punished at discretion. In
defiance of all this Judge Clarke
persevered in his course and held
bis courts strictly in accord with
the Georgia law and Meade, by
special order in April, 1868, re,
moved the judge from Office, Judge
Augustus Reese, of Madison shared
the sane fate. These were the
only judges in Georgia who we're
expelled from Office in that way.
In 1869 Judge Clarke was chos~
en- by the state democratic CONVEX
ton as elector at large, with Gen.
John B. Gordon, for Seymour and
Blair. Later he was elected to
TIE state senate from the eleventh
Is,tr.a4 c.. al 49,. - 1870 r-o