The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-05
HIS MANY ! FRIENDS
Members of the Bar Honor the Mem
DRY of the Late +. W. Cole.
BY A FORMER LAW PARTNER
Letter From General kittreII of
California - Judges Notation
and Speer Preside at the
Meetlng-Biograph

A memorial meeting of the members
of the Silver Bow county sbar in honor
of the late Judge +. w. Cole was held
i'm the court room of Department /. at
O'Clock yesterday afternoon, with
Judges j. j Mediation and w. o. Speer
occupying the bench together. Miles
j. Cavanaugh, chairman of the commit
tee on resolutions, presented the reso-
, lutions adopted at a recent meeting of
the bar. Hon. III. r. Whitehill of Deer
Lodge, a former law partner of Judge
Cole, was present and delivered a feel
ing eulogy for the deceased He read
an extract from a DETER received from
Gen. John II. Kittrelll of ,Frensno, Cal,
who has also formerly been associated
in the law business with Judge Cole.
General Kittrell wrote; II am deeply
grieved to hear of this great calamity
From my intercourse and associations
with the man, / can truly assert that
1 have never known a more. honorable
gentleman than was Fred Cole. My
love and devotion to him was of no or
binary kind; 1t was such as brother
has for brother. l shall cherish his
memory as long as I live and am per-
suaded that you will mingle your tears
with mine over the grave of Fred w.
Cole. The flower of his life has faded,
and, let us hope 1t may bloom again in
a better, held ! shall never cease to
In speaking of his personal relations
with Judge Cole, Mr.. Whitehill said he
could scarcely remember when he first
met the judge, but he got acquainted
with him in Nevada in 1870.
Judge Cole was a native of New York
and graduate of Williams college, He
studied law and was admitted to the
bar In New York CITY, but began the
practice of law in St. Louis. He re-
manned there only a short time. and
went to California in 1868. and soon
thereafter removed to Virginia City,
New, where he became clerk of the
courts for some time, and then opened
law Office and went into partnership
with the late Judge kirkpatrick. In
1872 he was elected a member of the
Nevada Legislature and served through
the term of 1873 with honor to himself.
Later he was the democratic nominee
for supreme judge. but was defeated by
Judge Beatty. Subsequently he was
elected judge of the district court, and
at the close of his term he again re-
sumed the practice of law. When Ne
vada began to decline. he went to San
Francisco. and later to Modesto, where
The entered into a partnership with
General Kittrell. In 1884 he came to
Montana. t.rr. 1885.
Judge Cole was a remarkable man
in many respects. He was not only
1c'ai III tie law, out was we'll VefSeQ
in literature, art and sciences. In him
were mingled the strongest extremes
of the good and the bad, wisdom and
folly, strength and weakness. At the
very beginning of his practice in Ne
vada he showed such a remarkable
knowledge of the law and skill In con-
Quoting his cases that he earned the
well deserved appellation of the little
Napoleon of the bar of Nevada His
Integrity was never aspersed or ques-
toned. He was ever loyal to his
friends. His Smpartiality, learning and
his sturdy independence of character
fitted him especially we'll for the bench,
and he had the unbounded confidence
of the bar. 1t has always been said of |
him that he was one of the best. judges |
Nevada ever had. I'm his death have |
lost a good counsellor and a dear friend |
and sincerely mourn his loss" said |
Mr.. Whitehill in conclusion. .sai. ts
Judge McHatton. in ordering the res |
olutions spread on the records of the |
court, said he was pleased to agree |
with what had been said in memory of |
the deceased to express his regret for |
his uDtimely demise, and to join in the |
hope that he might arise to life in the |
eternal home with a just reward ex-
tended to him for all the good qualities /
he possessed and all the good deeds ne /
had done, and that nothing i'll in his /
life might there be remembered. After |
the resolutions had been ordered spread /
on the court records, the court adjourn
ed for the day out OF, respect for the
of the de-ceaSed ~.