Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-10-25
JUDGE BONDISDEAD.
Hs PASSES AWAY AT HIS HoMe-IN
BALTIMORE.
sksseh OF His cssssr-His Dscisiess In
ko-kinx. Eieesssn, asd virgin,a
Coupon Cnsss.

A telegram from Baltimore announces
the death In that city yesterday morning
Of Judge Hugh L. Bond. Judge OF the
United States Circuit Court for the
circuit composed OF the States OF Mary
land, Virginia, West Virginia, North and
South Carolina.
Judge Bond had been sick for some
time. and was prohibited by his physi-
clans from attending the recent session OF
the United States Circuit Court of Ap-
peals held here. He. however, held court
In Baltimore last month, and the trouble
which carried him of was an acute attack
and not the disease from which he had
been suffering for so long. His last ap-
pearance in Richmond was at the October,
1882, term of the United States Circuit
Court of Appeals.
Judge Bond was born In Baltimore, Nd,
December 16 1928. and was a son Of Dr.
Thomas Emerson Bond, a. Baltimore ply
sician. who afterwards became a local
preacher in the Methodist Episcopal
Church and editor of a leading Methodist
paper. He was educated at the University
OF New York, and admitted to the bar
of the Monumental City IN 1851. He took
part In the Know Nothing movement,
and In March, 1860. was appointed Judge
of the Baltimore Criminal Court, and on
the 5th of November. 1861, was elected by
the people to that Office.
AS A BALTIMORE JUDGE.
After the attack of the citizens OF
Baltimore upon the Sixth Massachusetts
Regiment in April, 1861, and when the
city authorities decided that no more
northern troops should be allowed to
pass through Baltimore, he charged the
grand jury that those who took part In
the attack were guilty of murder. The
Police Commissioners made an order for
bidding the display of any flag. and
upon seventy-hve Unionists being ar
rested under this order for raising the
United States colors. he discharged them
on writs of habeas corpus. In later
years. when several military commission
ers undertook to sit in Baltimore and try
citizens for offences alH inst the United
States, he charged the grand jury TO
indict the officers on these commissions
In the military service of the government,
especially when the civil courts were
open.
When Governor Swami claimed the
right TO remove the police commissioners
and put Others in their places, the old
commissioners fortified the station-houses,
and the Federal authorities declined TO
Judge Bond arrested the Swami COM
missioners, and held them 10 bail to
keep the peace. Following after the
emancipation Of the negroes under the re-
vised Constitution of 1864. the slave
holders had the children Of the free
negroes brought 10 the probate courts
and apprenticed 10 themselves. Judge
Bond decided that these apprentices were
held in involuntary servitude, and re-
leased, on habeas corpus, all that were
brought before him. About this time
and subsequently he was also prominent
in movements for the education of the
negroes.
THE KUKLUX CASES.
In 1868 when the Democrats obtained
political ascendancy in Maryland, Judge
Bond lost his seat on the Maryland bench
and returned to the practice of law in
Baltimore but in 1870 he was nominated
by President Grant to be judge Of the
United States Circuit, and the nomina-
ton was confirmed. Judge Bond was an
intense Republican and was almost imme-
dlately thrown into antagonism with the
best element of his circuit.
As early as 1871 he was called upon
TO sit at Raleigh in what were known
as the conspiracy cases, involving the
alleged doings of the so-called "Ku-KluX'
organization.
IL was claimed that the "Ku Klux" had
a regular constitution and that eaeh
member before joining the order took the
following obligation,
/ mame) before the immaculate Judge
of Heaven and earth and upon the Holy
Eyangelists of Almighty God. do, OF my
own free Nsill and accord. subscribe 10 the
following sacredly binding obligations:
eide of inGfiCe. hlmHn-
ity. and constitutional liberty, as be-
oueathed TO us in its purity by our fore
fathers.
2. we oppose and reject the principles
of the radical party.
3. We pledge mutual aid to each other
in sickness. distress and pecuniary EN-
barrassment.
Female friends widows and their
households shall ever be special opJects
of our regard and protection.
Anv member divulgTng, or causing 20
be dlvulged. any of the foregoing obiiga-
tions. shall meet the fearful penalty ana
traitors doom, which Is Death! Death!
Death,
These cases attracted great attention
AT the time, and Hons. r. Reverdy John-
son and Henry Stanberry were employed
for the defence. Judge Bond ruled In
substance IOAI lIlt Shlu w."
made up OF ccnspirators against the laws
and that its members were criminals, and
the parties, or many of them, were sent
TO the penitentary under his rulings.
THE ELECTORAL-COLL CASES.
Judge Bond also sat in the electoral
college cases OF South Carolina, which In
volved the question of the acts or the
members OF the State Electoral Board In
South Carolina in counting and canvass
ing the returns OF the election for presi-
dental electors In the Hayes-Tilden con-
fest The Board OF State Canvassers had
been prohibited by the Supreme Court OF
South Carolina from counting and can
vassing the votes cast at said election
and making returns thereof. Notwith-
standing the action OF the State Court
the Board OF State Canvassers proceeded
10 act, and was subsequently for their
conduct fined each $500 and imprisoned
for contempt of court. and they. while be-
ing SO imprisoned. applied to Judge Bond
for writ. OF habeas corpus Judge Bond
released the members of said board, hold
ing that In their conduct they were act
ing under the Constitution and laws OF
the United States, and were entitled to
the protection Of the Federal statutes, and
could come into the Federal Court The
parties were accordingly released and dis
charged.
THE PETERSBURG ELECTION CASES.
Among the early cases of political
character coming before Judge Bond. and
in which the people Of Virginia felt
great interest, were the Petersburg cleo
ton cases, growing out of the indictment
in the Federal Court OF the officers or
election at the municipal election held In
the city OF Petersburg on the I'd OF May,
1884. These cases involved the question
of whether or not, under the fourteenth
and fifteenth amendments, the Federal
courts had jurisdiction to protect colored
citizens in the enforcement OF their rights
to vote at a municipal election. In this
case Judge Bond maintained the right OF
the United States TO sustain such prose-
cutions. and refused TO quash the indict-
ments against the officers. Judge Hughes,
sitting with Judge Bond in these cases,
took the contrary view, and filed an opin-
ion which was one OF his early decisions
and gave him great reputation Tor learn
ing and ability. The cases were then GER
titled TO the Supreme Court Of the United
States, which latter court has long since
sustained the view maintained by Judge
Hughes.
RICHMOND ELECTION CASES.