The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-10-04
A SON OF old VIRGINIA.
Gen. Roger a. Pryor Appointed
to the Bench.
Governor Hill Makes Him Judge of the
Court of Common PIeas--The Interest,"
ing Career of Remarkable Man
Editor. Lawyer, Orator, Lecturers
Politician and Man of Letters.

NEW YORK, Oct. 3.-[Special. I-Gen.
Roger A. Pryor has just been appointed
judge of the court of common pleas by,
Governor Hill to fill the vacancy caused
by the resignation of Chief Judge Rich
ard A. Larremore. General Pryor is n
Tammany Democrat who has had an
eventful career.
The new chief judge of the common
pleas court is &c years of age. He was
born in Dinwiddie county, Va, in 1928.
lie was the son of the late Rev Theo-
derrick Pryor, d. d., and boasts descent
from colonial ancestors on both sides of
the house. He was graduated from
iiampden-Sidney College in 1846, and
from the University of Nirginia. two
years later. He was then admitted to
the bar, but did not practice at once.
dc became editor of the WASHINGTON
Union, and. with John w Fornev. sun
ported the Pierce administra ton. While
connected with that paper ne wrote q
review of the Russian and Crimean war
which provoked widespread controversy
and made him wcll-llnown through the
country. lilo next became editor of the
Richmond enquirer.
In 1882 he was delegate to the Ma
ton convention at Baltimore which
nominated Pierce for the Presidency
In 1875 President Pierce sent him MS n
special envoy to Greece to adjust tho
controversy between the two countries
regarding the American missionary.
Jonah King.
Previous TO that, as editor Of the En-
quirer, ho had led the fight against
Known thingism, and in 1850 he had
successfully opposed William l.. Yancy.
who had made motion in convention
to revive the slave trade. In 1857 he
was made visiting lecturer to the Uni
versity of Virginia.
| lie was elected to Congress in 1853 to
| represent the Fourth district of Virgin
| IN. In 1860 he was reelected, but was
prevented from taking his seat by the
secession of Virginia from the Union.
Immediately following he was elected 4
member of tho Confederate Congress un-
der Provisional Government, and. upon
the expiration of his term, however, he
resigned to enter tho Confederate army.
Governor Letcher, of Virginia, appoint
ed him colonel to begin with; but no
won additional honors by personal BRAY
cry at the battle of Williamsburg, and
was made General in consequence. In
1864 he was taken prisoner by the Union
forces, and confined in Fort Lafayette.
At the close of the war, in 1865,
General Pryor moved to New York,
Wnerc ne mas since lived and practiced
law. When he first came here he con-
nected himself with the Daily News as
editor. The paper was then morning
sheet, and the chief Democratic organ.
While editor he read law, and was soon
admitted to tho bar Since then he has
devoted himself to law practice, and has
written numerous articles for the
American Review and the Forum. He
has contributed much upon law subjects
to the Encyclopedias britannica.
lie has also been in demand as q
lecturer before the literary societies of
various colleges. He was delegate to
the national Democratic convention
which nominated Tilden in 1876, and to
tho convention which renom:nated
Cleveland in 1885,