Oxford eagle., 1890-02-06
D. S. District Iud0e R. a. hin.

the United States District Court
of Mississippi, arrived in the
city yesterday morning 1ad reg
tStered at the Peabody. Jadge
Hill Is one of the most popular
judges that has ever occupied
the Federal bench ia liisSissip
pi He is in many respects a
very distinguished aad model
character He was a great
friend of President Andrew
Johnson, and was appsnted by
lijm to the JgJgeship in the ear
ly part of 1906. Judge Hill
owned a small farm near Oxford,
and prastieed law, though he
hsId never made himself famous
at the bar. Tie was q close stu
dent, however, a man Of ine
equIpOlse. frm, but kindly, aud
u friend of the people, though
he was always opposed to seees
sion and e0tneided with the
Union eause so far as secession
was an issue He doubly en-
deared himself to the people OF
Mississippi, for he stood be
tween them and the crushing
rocks of reconstruction like q
giant. la the days when pas
siOn was riot and the people.
those who had fought for the
South, were being arrested and
dragged into the Federal Courts
on the tiimsiest pretenses, be
stood between them and their
prosecutors like a just Judge In
deed. The radicals swOre ven
gance against him and would
have had him removed if posi-
bic, but his record was too
clean. and even the frenzy and
flnattcism that ruled at Wash
lngton In those days dared not
attempt to displace him. In the
days of hukluxism, when hun
Greds of the best citizens in the
State who had never had any
thing to do with the movement
were dragged into the Federal
Court, Judge Hill, deaf to the
passions and preJudiccs that
swayed the prosecutors, dealt
out even an exact justice to all
NO guilty man ever escaped the
court, nor was punishment ever
visited upon aB innocent mar.
Judge Hill is Eow about 50
years old, but hale and active
He holds i've courts in the State
and is engaged actively nearly
the year round. He left the
city Last night for Washington,
and his object in going there is
to urge upon Congress the pas
sage of the bill whit h has long
been pending for the appoint
ment of another District Judge
in the State Of Mississippi. The
State Is already divided into
three districts. but there Is but
one Judge. Judge Hill will in.
sist on the appointment of a
judge to hold the courts at
NIeksburg, Jackson and Missis
sippI City, leaving to himself the
large districts of Northern and
Eastern mississippi Tue Judge
says that while he does not mind
the work, there IS too much O.
it for him to dispose of as care.
fully as 1t deserves.
| Iii the bill :s passed who dC
you think would get the appoint
ment for the Southern District
Judge y was asked by u Com
mereiaI reporter.
That's a kuotty question:
said he. Seen. Hooker anC
Judge Morgan both tried to gei
the bill passed, for the publ,
business demands it. I shall bt
absent two weeks. which, by tn,
way, will be the longest vacation
| have had in some time. Nc
sir, Em not thinking of retiring
IA | might have done any tine
within the past eight or nint
years. Fm feeling too vigorou.
and have too much work befor,
me-"
Bill Saunders is one man abov,
all others that has vexed tn,
life of the amiabEe Judge. anS
still he has been overland tt
~Old Ball, as he is Familiarity
called. BSll II the most famou.
moonshiner In the State. Hs
lives on the border of Lafayette
and Poutotoe counties, away oui
In the hills, and he is hard te
catch United States Marshal,
I have worried themselves silly
In trying TO capture him, ant
they have succeeded on a mum
ber of occasions. In the pasi
fifteen years Bill has been !
prisoner in the United State.
| Court about twenty times, aut
has served numerous terms o
short duration in Jail. SoLe o
them have been more than sil
months in length.
Time and again he has work.
ed the sympathy racket success
fully on the Judge, and gone
scot free, with the promise that
he would 20 aud sin no more
The first time he was arrestee
he said that his wife had lust
given birth to twins, and the
Judge let him go. 4 year after
ward he was arrested for ~moou
shining ana again said that hi:
wife had another pair of twins
and again the Judge let him go