The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1892-11-24
JUDGE MERRIMON'S DEATH.
The Body Of Deceased Lay in State in
Raleigh.
THE TRULY WONDERFUL CAREER

lah HULL WUNUGhE UL Uhnhhl
J OF Man Who Never Received More
Than Fourteen Months Schooling
! in his Boyhood-A Farmer boy who
Rose to be a UnitedfStates Senator
And Afterwards a Chief Justice
RALEIGH, n. c., November Is.
The remains of the late Chief JUS
tice Merriman lay in state all yester-
| day morning in the Supreme court
room. In the procession which con-
veyed them there from the residence
| were the four associate justices, Shep-
| perd, Avery, Clark and MacRae, Clerk
of the Court Kenan, Gov. Holt, Secre-
| tary of State Coke, Auditor Sanderlin
and Senator Ransom; the honorary
| pall-bearers, MessTs. Thos. G. Fuller,
Sam'l. MOrdecai, ArmiStead Jones, Ed
| Chambers Smith, Chas. NJ. Busbee and
| John Devereux, Jr., representing the
bar; and Messrs. w. J. Upchurch, Ru-
fus S. Tucker, Chas. Ell. Belvin and
| Jos. j. Brown, representing the citi-
| ZenS, and many others.
The casket was placed in the center
of the court room, which was draped
| in mourning. 1t was covered with
flowers, nearly all snowy chrysanthe-
| NUNS, in beautiful designs. At the
head was a crown of these flowers, in
the center the "Scales of Justice"
| and at the foot, with wings outspread,
a pure white dove esurmOunted a pillar
Of flowers. The remains lay in state
until 3 O'Clock, and were viewed by
hundreds of people.
At this hour the funeral was con-
Quoted from the EdentOn Street
Methodist church. The services were
conducted by Rev. J. n. Cole, the
DIR. F. L. Reid Many other minis
| ters were in the pulpit.
Among the members of the family
present were Branch Merrimon, of
Greensboro, Nat Atkinson of Ashe-
vile, and Lee S. Overman of Sails
bury.
Augustus Summerffeld Merrimon
was born in Cherryffelds, Transylva
MIA county, Sept. Is, 1880.
His father was Methodist minis
| ter who moved to North Corolina
| from Virginia, and his mother, Miss
Paxton, was d niece of Judge Paxton
! of the North Carolina Superior
Court.
In his boyhood days Judge Merri-
| mon worked on the farm or in the
saw-mill. His early education was
| exceedingly limited. He studied by
himself on the farm until his father
sent him to Asheville where he stud
led for fourteen months. He lad no
further school advantages.
He studied law and was admitted to
practice in 1852. He became success
sively coutny attorney andmember of
the House of Commons of Buncombe
county.
Along with another rising young
lawyer of that time, Zebulonn T
in 1860, but when the State did leave
the Union he enlisted as a private in
Capt. Z. B. Vance's company, but ar
irving in Raleigh, he was made quar-
termaster with the rank of Captain.
He next became solicitor of his dis
trict, and in '66 became a Superior
court judge, but resigned during Re
construction rather than obey orders
from Gen. Candy.
He presided over the famous "John-
SON. will case in Chowan, in which
Cows. Graham, Bragg and Vance,
Judges Smith, Heath, Gillian, Messrs.
S. j. Phillips, B. f. Moore, P. FL. Win
ston, Copeland, Battle and Eaton pre-
sented an array of talent never before
or since gathered in a single cause in
North Carolina. His every ruling in
this case was affirmed by the Supreme
court, Judge Read writing the opin-
ion.
He was, after his resignation, a
member of the noted firm Of Merri-
| mon, Fuller & Ashe.
In 1868 he declined nomination by
| the executive committee for the gov
ernorship, and was the same year de-
| feated for associate supreme court
| Justice.
He was one of the first to apply for
| writs of heabeas corpus for the pris-
oners in the ''Kirk'' war. He was
| counsel for the State in the impeach-
| ment of Governor Holden.
| In 1871 from Wake he was candidate
| for the convention together with ID.
M. Barringer, Gov. Bragg, and Green
III. Afford but was defeated and the
convention was not called. In 1872 he
| was nominated for Governor and
made thorough canvass of the State,
but was declared defeated by a small
majority by Governor Caldwell.
In the legislature ensuing the elec'
tion of 1928 the United States Sena.
| torShip was warmly contested be
| tween him and Governor Vance
After long contest Judge Nerrimor
succeeded and served his full term O.
six years 1873-1S79.
After the expiration of his term ht
resumed the practice OF his profession
in Raleigh till 1883 when upon the
resignation of Judge Ruffin he was ap
pointed by Gov. Jarvis Associate
! Justice OF the Supreme Court. Thi
| appointment was ratified by an cleo
tion by the people and he continued
to fill the post till the death of Chic
Justice Smith Nov. IA, 1889, when h
was appointed Chief Justice by Gov
Fowle. He was unanimously nomina
ted by the Democratic convention il
1890 and elected by majority of owe
40, 600 votes.
At the age of p Judge Merrimol
married Miss Margaret Baird, of Bun
sons and three daughters.
RALEIGH, Nov. 17.-Justice Shel
herd was sworn inyesterday to succee
Chief Justice Merrimon and Hon. A
Burwen, of Charlotte, to succeed Ju:
tice Shepherd.