The Portland daily press., 1893-08-11
Thu LATE JUDGE VIRGIN.
Memorial Services Held by the Su.
preme Court.

in Well Chosen Words Eloquent Re-
ply of Judge Peters-Other Remarks
by Messrs. strout, Walker, yerrill and
Payson.
s. The law trem of the Supreme Court,
Chief Justice Peters presiding, adjourned
at il O'Clock yesterday morning after i'm
pressive services III memory OF the late
Judge William Writ Virgin:
The court room was crowded, many
distinguished men being present from
various parts of the state. On the right
and left of Chief Justice Peters sat
Judge Walton, Judge Foster, Judge Has
kell, Judge Emery and Judge White
house.
Shortly after the opening of the Court,
Hon. S. G. Strout, president of the Cum
berland Bar, of which Judge Virgin was
a member, formally announced to the
court the death of Judge Virgin in a few
we'll chosen words.
Following him Hon. Joseph W. Sy-
monds, chairman of the committee,
moved the following resolution:
That by the close of the life of the Honorable
William Writ Virgin an associate Justice of the
Supreme Judicial Court, period has been set
to judicial career OF eminent ability. useful
ness and devotion to official duty; that the
court has hereby sustained tne loss OF one h OF
whose impartial learning and Judgment have
Illustrated its opinions in many most important
cases; that while we regret the loss to the
court and the profession by his death, we at
the same time feel most deeply the sundering OF
the pleasant relations between the bench and
the bar, hitherto unbrOken during all the period
of his incumbency of the judicial office; and
that the bench, the bar, and the community
alike may well grieve tnat the kind, strong man
the genial companion, nelghbor. frlend t1e
good citizen, the soldier and patriot, the faith
full public servant, the upright Judge is now no
more,
Judge Symonds, in moving the resolu-
ton, made an eloquent address, touching
on the prominent characteristics of the
deceased judge and his pleasant personal
relations with the bench and other MEM
bers of the profession and his fellow citl-
zens. He dwelt at length on the early
life of Judge Virgin and then enumerated
his many services to the state. Judge
Symonds was listeued to with marked
attention.
The resolution was seconded by Hon.
A. A. Strout, Judge A. II. Walker, Byron
D. Verrill, ESQ.,, and Franklin G. Payson,
Esq.
Chief Justice John A. Peters responded
in behalf of the court, speaking as fol-
lows:
Gentlemen of the Bar:
The sentiments expressed in your re-
solution and addresses on this occasion
oL tod INV tho
We feel deeply interested in the tributes
of respect paid by you to the memory OF
our late and much beloved associate,
tributes so graceful and eloquent, dis
eliminating and just.
We have feelingly spoken OF Judge Flr-
gins early personal history, OF his sue
cessfuI professional career, and of the
his country in the late civil war; and we
are happy to concur in the high com
mendations which you accord to his
memory in those respects. We need add
nothing thereto.
To most of us, however, who were his
long time associates on the bench, he
was much the best known as the honor
even in this view Of his character we
can add but little light to the fine de-
lineation of his judicial life which I'VE
have listened to from the bar
1t must be universally conceded that
Judge Virgin possessed in an eminent
degree all the sterling intellectual quail
fications necessary to constitute him a
successful judge. His perceptlve facul,
ties were strong, quick and clear, and
nature had endowed him with sounnd
Judgment and sturdy common sense.
His mind loved simplicity and directness
1t delighted in the Investigation of new
subjects and principles, and in the. dis
covery of new legal lore. And his
memory, valuable accompaniment OF
such qualities, being good and strong,
kept faithful guard over all the treasures
which his studious habits OF investiga-
ton brought to him.
His moral qualities were in admirable
accord with his mental. In the broadcast
sense, in every possible sense, he was a
man of integrity No temptation nor
consideration could allure him to do an
act which he thought could possibly be
deemed Objectionable. He was inclined
to be over sensitive in matters affecting
his own conduct or his interest. He was
sincere and straight forward III Thought
and speech and reverential lover OF the
truth
These mental and moral powers stimu-
lated, as they were, by laud1ple aInpl-
ton and by remarkable patience and per-
severance, qualities which are OF them
selves "sllre masters of victory" IN most
men, with fine physical health and con-
stitution added thereto, were likely to
win for their possessor high professional
and judicial distinction His record was
excellent in all branches of judicial ser
vice. Immediately upon assuming the
duties OF his office he gained an enviabie
reputation as nisi prius judge: His
fine legal sense and other practical ablll-
ties were most valuable in this depart
ment. He had an easy and business-llke
way of disposing of cases with satistac-
tory results. He had the faculty of pre-
senting ideas to common minds in a
manner that would be understood and
appreciated by them. Usually he did not
trouble juries with any presentation Of
general rules and principles, which they
are likely to accept and apply or not, as
they please, and that too according to
their prejudices, but he was himself
skillfuf in applying admittedsprinciples to
the facts of a case, observing Lord
Hale's policy of telling the jury where
the main question or knot of the bust
ness lies" In this way he had good
deal of rightfuli influence in guiding
iuries to right results. He analysed the
evidence in a trial with absolute clear
ness and force. 1t is error to suppose
that the best ability is not indispensable
for a successful nisi prius judge. Really,
a very high grade of judicial skill IS re-