The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-08-06
DEATH OF JUDGE PRICE.
A DISTiNGUISRED MARYLAND JURIsT
PASSES AWAY.

A DISTINGUISHED MARYLAND JURIs-
PASSES AWAY.
| His Valuable Services Upon the Bench =
How lie stopped the Constant Remova
of Criminal Cases from Bali more City t.
| the County-A Famous Charge to IA Gran,
Jury-Sincc lie Retired.
BELAIR, August 3 Elk Judge John
Henry Price died at an early hour hi
morning, at his home, near Darlington
in the eighty fifth Year of his age. Iii
was taken sick last week during tht
excessive hot weather and did not rally
For the past year his health has beef
failing, and he has not been in Bolair fol-
some time. He will be buried Friday
from Memorial Church, Darlington.
SKETCH OF HIS CAREER.
Judge Price was of Welsh descent
| His ancestors came over with William
| Penn, the family name being then Ap
Price. They first settled in Pennsyl,
vania, thence removed to Cecil county,
| afterward to Hartford. John Henry
Price was the son of David E. Price, aud
was born at the residence of his maternal
great-grandfather, Henry Stump, near
Stafford, Hartford county, June s, 1908,
making him over eighty four years old
at the time of his death. He received
his early education at West Nottingham
Academy, Cecil county, aud at Newark
Academy, Delaware, after which he
entered Dickinson College, and graduated
with honors in 1927. He at once began
the study of law in the University of
Maryland, then located on South street,
Baltimore. So rapid was his progress
and thorough his requirements, that he
was admitted to the bar in Hartford
comfy August 10, 1929. Devoting him
self assiduously to his profession, aud
maintaining high reputation for moral
ity, honor and integrity, he soon enjoyed
a lucrative practice. December /, 1929,
he married Grace Williams, by whom he
had two children, both of whom died in
infancy His wife died in 1886, and IN
1899 he married Mary Richie, of Har
ford.
The children born to him were Mary,
John, who married Mrs. Fannie Hill;
Annie, who married John G. Killings
worth, now of St. Louis; Mary Gilpin,
who died; Mary, William, Margaret
Gilpin, who married Rev. E. w. Wroth,
now living in Baltimore, and Isabelle.
HIS FAMOUS CHARGE TO a JURY.
Iu 1865 Mr.. Price was elected by the
people sole Judge OF the Sixth Judicial
Circuit of Maryland, composed of Cecil,
Hartford and Baltimore counties for a
term of ten years. Prior to Judge
Prices election 20 the bench the criminal
docket of Baltimore county had been
burdeued ut each term with removed
cases from Baltimore city. Indeed,
Baltimore County Court had almost
come to be City of Refuge for muir
derers, burglars, thieves. robbers, gam
blers, lottery and policy men, keepers of
houses of ill-fame, and all high handed
violation of law in Baltimore, and who
by removing their cases to the county
either escaped punishment or suffered
less penalty that they could expect if
their cases were tried in Baltimore city.
Judge Price was not long in discovering
his surroundings. His ability as a
jurist, his despatch OF business his I'M
swerving integrity, conscientious and
unflinching execution OF the law and
his sentence of notorious criminals and
offenders, sCoa made him terror to the
evil-doers. At the opening of the court
in 1858 Judge Price delivered = charge
to the grand jury that made him famous.
1t required two hours for it's delivery,
and urged upon the grand inquest the
need of proper ineri52 81" all violations
of the law. Tna-sE:Sssse = news"' ST. ed
extensively, and elicit : ~
from many of the leading az 5,tta s
the country.
Crops and Corrie, the murderers of
Policeman Rigdon in Baltimore, We're
sentenced to death by him. This was
memorable case, growing out OF the
troublesome days of 1888, and the bear
ing of the judge during the trial and in
passing, sentence created a lasting i'm
preston. Thereafter very few cases were
removed from the city to Baltimore
county.
THE END OF HIS TERM.
In 1864 Maryland adopted new cons.
titution, and the judicial districts were
changed. In the following November,
1865, Judge Price was elected by the
people sole judge of the Niuth Judicial
Circuit of Maryland, composed of the
counties of Hartford and Cecil, for a term
of fifteen years. In 1867, under the new
Constitution, the judicial circuits were
changed, and provisions made for three
Judges for circuit, instead Of one.
Under this provision Judge Prices term
expired.
Since that time he had resided on his
farm at Darlington, and for a time
practiced law in Belair. He had been
for many years an active member of the
Protestant Episcopal Church, and was
for long time superintendent ct
the Sunday school in Darlington
where the first Sunday school in that
neighborhood was established by him
in 1886. Judge Price was man of large
size aud fine physique.