The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-24
rnn 1ArE JUDos DUsD1,s NA1A
Io.eentrle,tsss That Made Hipa Fsusus IN
enc Federal Court ortNebrasks.

the FEDERAL Court otINebrhnEn.
L,NcoLS. Mob, Nov. al.-The death Of Judge
Elmer 4. Dundy OF tho Federal Court for the
district OF Nebraska, removes one OF the strane.
est figures that ever occupied q place on the
bench, even in the West, where eocontrlcity Il,
one of the open sesamss to fame. He started
in life Ms an ofice boy for the late Senator WI.
liam A. Wallace of ClearGcld, Pa. He wac
prominent in the days that preceded the admi,.
sion Of Nebraska as q State, and served as
Territorial Judge until 1869, whom President
johnson appointed him Federal Judge.
In those days tho State was torn by political
cliauos that did not always accept the verde,
given at tho polls, but strove, sometimes by foro.
and at other times through the medium OF In.
law, TO secure n reversal. On one occasion, when
the latter method was resorted to. Dundy.
although suffering from q broken leg, insisted
Judge favorable to tho opposition might nut he
permitted to sit in the case;
In mis- court room Dundy was an autocrnt
He nevor hesltated. when the within took him
to interrupt on attorney In the midst Of an
elaborate argument nent,s Sgf1 ,o .rayo t ,ha him to sic
Jury himself. He had q very sharp vi,aRe, and
In lator years his physical peculiarities were
He threw himself with interest into ever
case thnt zane before him for trial, and
i S Mss not sis Sna'nh! t. tor w a.m to co ,1sS
between. q corporation, or a city on one
side and q woman or the heirs OF an estate on
the other-especially in personal injury casee-
the corporation always found hin, on the on.
posing sid This popularity Of the Judge be-.
not infreauent for attorneys for PLAINTIFF In
cases OF this character to induce the plaintiff to
remove to some other r State until after the
Court Jurisdiction.
Judge Dundy was utterly defiant both OF pub.
as umm the opening OF court by The
"oyez" of the bailif. and refused to permit il
in his court, He NO for aatnrasS an uro stisqe,ts Of his
room when court was In session except on tip
toe, and then at the rick of being vigorously
called down. No one. not even his clerks. dared
take the trial docket from his desk or remove
any papers therefrom while court was In ses-
sion. II was the Judges delight to administer
district while In the midst of some learned ar.
gument, and the subordinate officers. District
Attorney. Marshal. clerk and all. trembled
whenever the Judge roared-which was hIs
usual method OF defamation whenever address.
Ash hunter tho Judge held an enviable repu.
tation. Each year he spent his vacation in the
Rockies. and many 2 narrow escape and hair.
Judges record for his thirty years Of hunting. =
curious phases of the mans character. He ap.
pointed his own son as Clerk OF tho District
S GG%ft; and on bis T. % SqSsin a. @ cl. sIm Of e Gsse c,I 1sa,
Court. both lhrRe-salarled oncers. He had
favorites among the attorneys. and one of the
give his client would be TO retain some ono Of
these favorites. as they almost invariably won
their cases. Charges of corruption were not
made, but the mans individuality was 90
strong and his natural bias SO great
tial arbiter in many OF the cases that
came before him. Three years ago, when
{. w. Mosher. q Lincoln banker. pleaded guilty
in his court 70 thefts ageregating 81. o00. 900,
and when public opinion was wildly demanding
that no receive the utmost limit. Judge Duudy
sentenced him to Eve Year,. the lowest punish
ment possible. Just because he liked tho man and
had trained with him in politics. The storm that
burst on his head was tremendous, but he never
gave q sign that he heard or felt it.