The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-04
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SYBPHBNB. RANSOM DEAD
The Patriarch of the New
Jersey Bar Closes His
Career of Devotion
to Duty.
HIS VERY BRIEF SICKNESS
Descendant Ct au Old Revolution
AIRY NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
and Abolitionist.
HIS VERY BRIEF SICKNESS

his home. No. IS Summit avenue, early
Yesterday morning, after q brief illness.
Two wesks ago he was attacked with
gastrit!s. from which he quickly rallied,
and he considered himself sum lieutly re-
covered TO go to his business the next
day. he overestimared his strength,
however. and he soon began to feel the
disease returning. On Thursday mora.
Ing he was stricken with gasEritis In an
acute form. which rapidly developed into
congestion of the stomach.
Stephen Billings Ransom was born in
the town Of Salem. New Loudon County,
Conn. October IL. 1914. His grandfather.
Stephen Billings. entered The Revolu-
tionary Army ia 1777 as second lisutsn>
ant OF the Seventh Regiment of Connsc-
tfcut Militia, and returned home at the
end OF the war u captain. Mr.. Ransom
spent his boyhood 10 working upon mis-
fathers farm and attending the common
schools OF the neighborDood. When he
WAS seventeen years old he began taach-
Ing school ut Haddam aud other places
along the Connecticut River in the wiz.
ter, and working on the farm In summer,
until he reachsd the age Of twenty-ons
years. During this time he managed to
attend the Academy at Colchester for
several terms. where he studied the
sciences and classics.
In the fall of 1885 he left Connecticut
and went TO Virginia with a view of
teaching in that State. But not fnding
employment readily as a teacher he spent
the following winter in travelling
through the States Of Maryland and
Virginia. He wss two mouths In WaSn-
ington, most OF the time listening 20 ths
debates in Congress. Andrew Jackson
was then President, and on the floor Of
the Senate were such men as Daniel
Webster. Henry Clay. John G. Calhoun.
Thomas H. Benton. Garrett D.. Wall,
Thomas Corwin and James Buchanan.
When in a reminiscent mood Mr.. Rao-
som told many interesting anecdotes OF
the skfrm1shss aud battles he witnessed
among these intellectual giants.
HIS JOINING TO E JERSEY.
He came to New Jersey In the fall of
1886. aud engaged In teaching at the old
academy at Mendham, Morris county.
Two years After ward he went to Belvi-
dere and taught there two years. There
he began the study of law with Hon.
Phineas b. Kenney, a prominent lawyer
of Belvidere, who was then County Clerk.
He cast his first vote for the Democratic
candidates for Congress, VINO were de-
clared by the canvassers not elected, but
who were afterward seated bT Congress
on what was known as the "Broad Seal"
question. In 1S41 he removed to New
Nv W 49, SC4abN
he taught school, for six months. and
finally CAV up the profession of teacher
TO follow that OF the law. He entered his
name as a student in the Office of Colonel
William Thompson. of Somerville, and
on Septem Der 5, 1874, was admitted to the
bar AZ an attorney. Fhres years after
ward he became a counsellor. He began
practising law at New Germantown, aud
at the same time did considerable work
as q land surveyor. 1n the spriug of
1913 he moved TO Somerville. the county
seat of Somerset County, and In 1854 ne
removed his office TO Jersey City. Two
years later he took up his residence here.
Shaw's History Of the Bsucn and Bar of
Hudson County, published in 1884. In
speaking of Mr.. Ransom, says:
A TRIBUTE TO THE DECEASED.
From the TN he opened his Office in
Soniarville to the present time, Mr.. RAN
som has had a very large and extensive
li;tgated practice. He has never had au
office business; his work has been that of
an advocate, and his practice has been
very extensive In the various counties, In
the Court of Chancery. Suprsme Court,
Cour; of Errors and Appeals aud In the
United States District and Circuit
Courts.
"rhe law and chancery reports will
show that but few men have argued
more causes in the higher courts for the
last forty years than he."
0oVoFuoF D6ulS. uuQSr dQ act OF En0
Legislature, appointed Mr.. Ransom one
of three special judges to try a large
number of assessment cases which hal
accumulated In Passaic County.
Mr.. Ransom remained with the Demo-
cratic party until the free soil az citation
set in when he Joined that wing of she
party. An Incorporating advocate of
freedom In its fullest sense ne became a
strong abolItlonist AMI 10 aaid to have
been Que of the most prominent mauag-
era OF the underground railroad" by
wuich slaves were assisted G, freedom
During chs draft riots Of 1868 he con-
ceslsd In his house in this city Sam
Williams. an ex-slavs. who guided Que
of General Burnside's expeditions and
who was sent 10 Nj. r .nsam by General
Burnside himself. He wac one of the
few leading spirits In the formation of
the Republican party in his State. when
to be an aooittionist and a republic IN
was fraught with considerable personal
danger During the war he labored
strenuously TO advance the cause of the
Union. Though q personal frisud of
Abraham Lincoln, his convictions UPON
the Justice and nsce,s ty of the smauci-
patton Of the slaves Induced him TO be-
come y delegate to the Cleveland con-
ysntion OF 1864, which nominated FEE
mont for President. At this convention
Mr.. Ransom'S name was spoken of In
connection with the Vice Presidency. but
he would not listen to the proposition.
After Fremont's nomiuatiou,g conference
was held. at which Mr.. Lincoln, the Rs
publican candidate, satisfactorily ass ured
The advocates Of emancipation that he
himself would bring about the desired
result, and Fremont was witndra wn,
FAVORED HORACE GREEDY.
In 1872 Mr.. Ransom advocated che elec-
lion of Horace Greedy principally upon
the issue OF amnesty to tns ex-Confeder-
atss. He was one Of tue founders of the
Prohibition party aud was mentioned
for the second place or its frat National
ticket. but was not nominated. In 1880
he was the Prohibisionist candidate for
Governor in the State aud once he ran
for State Senat from this county and
twice for Presidential elector on the
same ticket When his friends would
speak TO him upon the apparent hops-
iessness of the Prohibitlonist cause ne
would say shat the outlook was NOT mora
hopeless than the Abolitionist movement
looked when he joined II and yet he lived
to see the slaves freed. He was an en-
ergeiic worker In the order OF the sous Of
Temperance and was at one time the
Most WOrshipful Patriarch. the highest
Office In the order. He was also a mem
Der of Newark Lodge. No. ]. of Masons.
On w occasions ne was u candidate for
Assembly on the Citizens Reform tickat
in the old Third district aud was de.
feated each time by a very narrow ma
jofity. The district was dominated by
che old Pavonia Republican CLUB and
adherents of that organization declare
that he Was counted cut on both coca