The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-02-16
Ex-JUDcE JOHN HANDLEY
Much Regret Expressed Throughout
the City at His Death.
LEAVES AN IMMENSE ESTATE
1t Is Supposed to BE Worth About 81.
5OO,OOO-Funcral Will Take Place
Tomorrow AfternOOn-Scrvic ccs
at St. Lukc's Church.

The death of ex-Judge John Handley,
which was announced in The Tribune
yesterday morning, was the great
topic of discussion about the city yes
terday, and there was a general ex-
preston of deep regret at his demise.
Mr.. Handley had for long time
| suffered greatly from stomach and
other troubles, and his death was d.
| rectly due to affections of the digestive
| organs. At his bedside when he died
were DR.. w. Il. Allen, DR.. N. Y. Leet,
| Franklin Howell and John II. Rich
| ards.
The executors named in Mr.. Hand
| ley's will yesterday assumed charge or
| his affairs They are his attorneys, ii.
w. Palmer, of Wilkes-Barre, and
Lemuel Amerman, of Scranton, and
John II. Richards, who was for years
cashier of the Merchants and Mechan-
| les bank of this city, of which MIR.
| Handley was for years president. Up to
| the time of his death he continued to be
one of the largest individual owners or
/ the stock of that institution. The exact
amount of his estate his executors re-
| fuse to make known, but 1t Is believed
| that II amounts to $2.5OO,OOO. lie car
ried insurance policies aggregating
| 100000. His real estate in this city
consisted of the Wyoming House, with
the stores attached to it on Lacka-
wanna and Wyoming avenues. The
plot of ground occupied by these build
ings is the largest owned by any indi-
yidual in the center of the city, and
| . hi inlnlIhtD1lV hiring
half a million of dollars if placed on
| the market
Refused Offer of S2s0.O00.
| Another property owned by Mr..
IIandley is the marble block at Wyom-
ing avenue and Spruce street for which
he refused an offer of $250,0OO. He
owned the buildings occupied by the
Merchants and Mechanics and Scran-
ton Trust and Savings Bank buildings,
| the buildings at All and 226 Lackawan-
ma avenue, besides lots on Penn avenue
and coal land in Minooka and Peckville.
| In the south he also had extensive
interests. On the Kanawa river in West
Virginia he owned 1900 acres of land,
| the great part of which is underlaid by
coal. A mining town on this tract OF
land has been named after him. At
| Winchester, Va, he owned large
hotel and other property.
| Mr.. Handley was born in Dublin, Ire
land, on Jan. Z, 1895, and was there
| fore 60 years OF age. He emigrated to
this country at an early age, but of
his antecedents or boyhood days but
little is known. as he was very reticent
| oh 10 a iG
as a self-educated man, never having
had the advantages of a liberal educa-
tion in either school or academy, but
he had a. fine, intellect, a good memory,
and was an Omniverous reader, and be-
fore reaching manhood he had acquired
a better education along practical lines
than many graduates of universities
possess.
When young man he obtained q
| position in one of the departments a,
Washington, where his towering form
and dignifed bearing attracted much
attention. He had for companion &
young man who was one inch taller
than himself. and the judge often tolt
with evident enjoyment of the days
when he was a department clerk anG
with his companion was invited to heaG
all manner of parades on account OF
their size.
Came to Scranton.
In the dark days when war clouds
lowered over the land Mr.. Handley
came to Scranton with the intention OF
making 1t his permanent home. He
had read law while a clerk at Washing
ton, been admitted to the bar and wher
he came to Scranton he took up the
practice of his profession, and soor
became a most conspicuous figure at the
Luzerne county bar,
He had n genius for politics and lead
ership and rapidly acquired a strong
following among the Democrats of tbs
county. He made scores of warn
political friends throughout this vale,
who adhered to him so strongly tina
they became known as "Handley Demo
Gratis" Among those devoted follower!
were many of the most prominent o
the old-time merchants, each of whom
in turn was a leader of some magni
tude among his immediate neighbors
and 1t was these men that made Mr.
Handley an important factor in thu
politics of old LuZerne and of Lacka
wanna after it was organized. Mr.
Handley in 1874 sought the Democratic
nomination for judge of old Luzerne
His opponent was George Bedford, o
Wilkes Barre, and they contested TO
the honor of nomination with righ
good will. The strong personal follow
ing of the Scranton candidate told II
the struggle and he was successful anC
found himself pitted against the lat
General Osborne. who was the Repub
lican nominee. The man from Scranton
was again successful, and In January
1876, took his seat on the bench of Lu
zerne county.
ractcristics as Judge.
In 1879, after the creation of Lacka
wanna county, he was assigned to ac
; as president judge here. He was {
man of naturally digniiied bearing. l
was not studied effort and he neve
appeared stiff or stilted. He possessed
most courteous nature and great kind
ness. and never wounded the feelings o
the members of the bar II 1t could b.
avoided. TO young practitioners h
was especially kind and made their patl
as smooth as possible He never Gale,
attention to errors in papers presente,
to him, no matter how glaring the.
might be, but saw that they were pu
.. In proper form without any one beini
the wiser. Frequently during the tria
of an important case when the cour
room would be crowded he would motto
some law student struggling for a posi-
; ton where he could listen to the detail
of the trial, and calling a tipstaff woult
direct that seat be procured for tn
, young man.
To those who had business with tn
, courts, especially Jurors and litigant
from the rural districts, he displaye,