The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-14

| coe Conkling and James &. Blaine. Mr..
Black was from Maine and greatly ad-
mired Mr.. Blaine. Consequently he
wrote fiery editorials in favor of MIR.
Blaine and in opposition to Mr.. Conk
/ ling. Mr.. Ireland jumped home from
Albany in a hurry and Informed Mr..
| Black that he was Conkling
ofticehoder and could not per-
init that sort of thing to
| continue. Mr.. Black of course gave
up his special task. but in the meantime
he had begun the study of law in the
office of Wells, Dudley & Keck.
| Soon after the Conkling- Blaine episode
Mr.. Smith suggested to him that he
| come to Troy and continue his law
studies here. Mr.. Black took this ad-
vice and entered the law office of Rob
ertson & Foster. He earned his liveli-
hood as a reporter for the Troy Wing
and wrote for legal newspapers. When
he first came to Troy Mr.. Black lived
at the Smith homestead. five miles dis
| tant from Troy, and daily walked to
| Troy and returned 20 the homestead.
His industry was quickly recognized.
/ and he became managing clerk for Rob-
| ertson < Foster. In 1879. four years af-
ter he was graduated at Dartmouth, he
was admitted to practice at the bar.
RAPID ADVANCEMENT.
Partnerships in the firms of Robert
| son & Foster and Smith 4 Wellington
were offered to him. He became
member of the latter firm and remained
| with ii for one year. Then he leased his
present offices on First street and new
er since has had partner. His reputa-
ton as lewyer constantly grew until
| he became known as one of the leaders
at the bar in Rensselaer, county. He
worked ceaselessly i'm the preparation
of his cases until he had thoroughly
mastered them. SO thorough was he
known to be in his work that other
lawyers frequently went to him for ad-
vice. and he thus built up Il large CON
sultation business" He did not
mingle in social life. From his law of
flee he went to his home on Pinewood
avenue and there gained needful rest in
company of his wife and his son Arthur
"a boy now fifteen years old attending
! the High School.
1t was natural that a lawyer of such
ability and with such u painstaking ma
ture should build up large practice.
When the Troy Steel and Iron company,
a gigantic concern. went into the hands
| of the receiver i'm 1893 he became coun-
| sci of the receiver. A little later also
he became counsel of the receiver of
| the Gilbert Car Works company.
ENTERING PUBLIC LIFE.
| And now came Mr. Blacks political
career. In 1883 and again in 1892 he had
made campaign speeches for Benjamin
Harrison, the Republican candidate for
president, all over Rensselaer, county.
| He had hecOme aware, while observing
the course of local politics that
/ hench-men of Senator Edward
Murphy, Jr., of Troy. We're per-
| petrating great frauds at the
polling places He believed that as the
result of these frauds the Republican
party was deprived of hundred of votes
| to which ii was justly entitled; tlklt
| Democratic repeaters polled hundreds
of fraudulent Democratic votes. and
that Democratic inspectors of election
were falsifying the election returns.
But the handspring of this corrup-
/ tion Mr.. Black believed was due TO the
/ alliance of wealthy Republicans with
members of the Murphy machine. In
/ terested in the street railways, the gas
| companies and the electric light COM
pany with the Murphy Democrats,
these Republicans took pains that no
real opposition should be offered by the
! Republican organization to Murphy's
control of Rensselaer, county and the
city of Troy. Mr.. Black induced the
city Republican convention to decide
| that ii was time "to clean house, as
Mr.. Black expressed it, The house
| cleaning consisted in undermining the
| influence of the Murphy Republicans
in the Republican party's organization.
Mr.. Black became chairman of the
| Republican county committee. He de-
clined to make any alliances or deals"
| with Senator Murphy. This was unpre-
! cedented action by Il Republican leader
! in Rensselaer, county. Moreover, he
! induced the Republicans to endorse the
/ nomination of Dennis j. Whelan, then
/ an Independent Democrat for mayor
/ of Troy. in opposition to Francis j.
Molloy, who was Murphy's candidate.
Lastly. Mr. Black induced the Republic
| can legislature to pass a bill granting
| the Republican and the Democratic
parties each two election inspectors
at the polls in Troy The Democratic
governor of the state. at the instigation
of Senator Murphy, vetoed this act.
ROUSED BY MURDER OF ROSS.
The election in Troy followed and
the public is familiar with the muir
| der of Robert Ross, "a Republican
watcher at the polls in Troy. by Bat"
Shea, a Democratic ward worker. What
| the public is not 50 well Informed
about is the great part that Mr. Black
| took in the punishment of the muir
| derer of Ross. Mr.. Black was the or
| ganizer of the committee of public
safety the day after Ross was mur-
dered. He signed the following no
table call:
The citizens Of Troy are invited to as
! semble in the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian
church on Thursday evening, March 8, at
connection with the terrible crime COM
mitted in the Thirteenth ward at yes
terday's election. which has resulted in
the death of Robert Ross.
| ing that the people of our city, without re-
| spe ct to any distinction of party, will meet
| in the place designated and show by their
! presence and words their love for the fair
| name of our city and their appreciation of
| any efforts which may be made to bring
the guilty parties. whoever they may be.
| to speedy justice.
Norman b. SGuires.
Charles A. Mcleod.
| II. Il. Thomas,
| Esek Bussey,
| Frank $. Black,
| Charles s. Francis,
| Seymour Van Santvoord,
| George b. Wellington,
| LeGrand c. Tibbits.
MIR. BLACKS STIRRING APPEAL.
Mr.. Blacks speech at that indigna-
ton meeting strongly illustrates his
character when 1T Is stirred to the
depths by any such terrible occurrence
as the murder of Ross. Mr.. Black thus
spoke plainly about the crime:
| Fellow citizens. l have been asked 10
| speak for ten mnutees but l shall not
cupy one-half that time. | shall have but
| little to say, for | could not express my
sorrow, my Indignation and my shame if
| stood before you until my hair had
turned gray. There has never been i'm
| posed on me a duty to which | felt 50 un-
| equal as do to this which now rests upon
| me in common with all others who still
| have manhood enough left SO that they
| care to assert 1t.
Words are of no avail unless they shall
| stir to action. and the action shall produce
| results. If those results are not now to
| be accomplished then is the city indeed
| lost. If there is such thing as adequate
cause for action, even to the extent of
| revolution, that cause now exists. There
| has just been committed here d crime SO
| shocking and gigantic as to put another
! the face of Il cit lanH ID