The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-03-24

contend with, and he came out Of each cas-
with added laurels.
During his occupancy of the prosecutins
attorneys Office, which extended through
four years, Judge Hooker was engaged il
many important cases, including four muir
der trials. He prepared his cases with great
care and painstaking research and conduct
ed them in court with rare skill and ability
One secret of his success was his force OF
character and conceded integrity, which al
ways commanded for him the respect Of TIE
court and jury.
In 1876, Judge Hooker declined to be re-
nominated as prosecuting attorney and hung
out his shingle as private practitioner. The
energy and ability which he had displayed
in official positions had won him q large
place in the regard of the people of Eaton Co.
and lucrative practice gravitated toward
him at once. His success as a lawyer was
very marked, and for year and a half he
practiccd as an attorney at the bar.
In the spring of 1878, Judge Phillip Il.
Van Zile, who was then Judge of the Fifth
judicial Circuit, resigned to accept the APP
pOintment of the United States district at
torney for the territory of Utah. Judge
Hooker was appointed to Gil the vacancy
caused by Judge Van Tiles retirement He
occupied this position until he resigned to
take his present position on the supreme
bench, being reelected by increasing ma
jorities in the fall of 1868, spring of 1881
and in 1887.
During his eleven years. service upon the
circuit bench Judge Hooker won an enviable
reputation as conscientious, impartial and
just judge. He presided at some of the
of the state, among them the Barnard murder
trial, the notorious Pugsley case, the Car
veth wife poisoning case and the famous
Perine litigation-all of which are familiar
to well informed attorneys The rare judg-
ment and firmness displayed by Judge
Hooker in some of these more notable cases
attracted the attention of the county. His
prompt and decisive suppression of disorder
in the Barnard trial was made the subject
of a leading editorial in the Chicago Times,
and the example was commended to Judge
Cox of Washington, who was then presid-
ing at the Guiteau trial. OF his rulings and
decisions in the Carveth case the Detroit
Tribune at that time declared that it was
most opportune reinsurance to the people
that Michigan courts were performing their
legitimate duties with fairness and prOmpti-
tude and as worthy of highest comnenda-
ton.
AS sound jurist Judge Hooker has made
brilliant record. A large number of his
Eases While ON the circuit bench were car
ried to the Supreme Court, but the appeal
generally resulted in confirmation Of the
decision rendered by him. This was due
partially to the fact that Judge Hooker VS.
as painstaking student as a judge as he
had been as an advocate, as well as to his
exc pit ional clearneS of vision and ability
to perceive the truth though hidden behind
a mass of plausible fallacies.
The fifth judicial circuit is the largest in
population in the state presided over by one
judge, but no citizen ever has cause to COM
plain that he is deprived of his ''day in
court" Sixty-eight per cent of Judge
Hooker's cases that were passed upon by
the Supreme Court during his six years
term ending Jan. 1, 1888, were affirmed.
During said term, the cases commenced and
brOu0ht into fba oourfc I'm bIs oirouit avar-
aged about 600 year and motions
800 year, making total of 5000
cases and 1880 motions. During his
term he presided at fifteen murder trials,
but not one of which was reversed. Of
these cases only four resulted In acquittal.
The seasons of his courts were always char
acterized by industry, economy and digni-
ty. The scales of justice were held at even
poise by an incorruptible hand, and the
rights Of the humblest citizen weighed as
fairly as those of the wealthy and the repre-
sentatives of corporate power.
Judge Hooker was nominated by the Re-
publican state convention last fall to ill the
vacancy on the supreme bench caused by
the resignation of Judge Morse. He was
elected over the combined opposition of the
democratic and populists' parties, their
strength being concentrated upon Judge
Newton.
Although Judge Hooker has been on the
bench but little over two months he has
already taken high standing among the Su-
preme Court Justices. The Michigan SUI
preme Court has contained many illustrious
jurists, and the decision of its Cooley,
Graves, Christiancy, Campbell and others
are known and relied upon all over the union
but IL has never obtained such emfnence
that additional lustre cannot be conferred
upon it. Judge Hooker is just the man to
sustain the reputation which the court has
gained and his record in the past justifes
the inference that even before the brief
term for which he was elected last fall Is
out he will have distinguished himself still