Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-01-21
W. P. WHITEHOUSE.
A Brilliant Arm of the Maine
Supreme Court.
In Practice in EARLY Life His Ability
Was Conspicuous.
Keen Sense Of Humor Often Displayed Both in
Court and Private Life.

born April 9, 1912. His parents were
John Roberts and Hannah (Percival)
Whitehouse. His first American ancestor
was Thomas Whitehouse, who settled at
Dover, n. H.. in 1908, married the
daughter of William pomffet. town clerk,
and died December 3l707 His mother
was a descendant of John Percival. of
Barnstable, Massachusetts, Besides at
tending the common school of bis own
district, working on his fathers farm. and
attending the high school at China, he
began at the age of sixteen to fit himself
Tor college at the Waterville academy in
February, 1888. Here he made such rapid
progress that lie was able to enter Colby
university IN the following September
without conditions. He was graduated
In 1868, with first class honors, delivering
an English Grafton at commencement and
for which he chose as his subject, Esprit
sans esprit partisan. On receiving his
degree, master OF arts, he was again ap-
pointed from the two OF those who had
attained the first honors to deliver IA
masters Grafton, for which he selected as
subject: Practical Scholarship
Among his classmates in college We're
Gov. Marcollus l.. Stearns, Of Florida;
| Col. +. 5. Hesseltine of the Boston bar,
and DR.. John Q. Marble. Worcester, Mass.
Among his contemporaries were Alfred
Il Buck, Of Alabama, member of the
forty first Congress; j. Manchester
Haynes Of Augusta, speaker of the Maine
House in 1883 and president of the
Senate in 1879; Richard Cuts Shannon.
of New York City, member of Congress:
Col. Il. A. Smith of Indianapolis, soldier
and journalist; Col. H. c. Norman, of
the T. S. army, and George Clifford, jour
nalist and now L. 5. consul at Basic,
switzerland
He began soon after graduation to teach
and he was the principal Of NaSsalbOro
academy for n while Having decided
upon the profession Of law he first entered
the office of the late Sewall Lancaster.
Esd, of Augusta and afterwards con
tinued his studies with Senator Hale, at
Ellsworth. He was admitted to the nar
in kennehec county in October 1865. His
first years practice was in the city CT
Gardiner, with Lorenzo Clay, Esq, as Il
partner. In December of 1866, he re
moved to Augusta, ever since his resi-
dence, and where he formed partnership
with Mr.. Clifford which lasted for few
mouths, until June 1867, when the latter
entered journalism on the staff of the
Portland Daily Press, end subsequently
became editor in chief.
Entering upon a general practice, for
which he was well fitted both by aptitude
and diligcnt application, he soon gained
the confidence of clients and the com
mnnity for integrity and ability. In 1868
he was elected city solicitor. During his
incumbcncy in that office he defended the
city successfully in several important
cases, establishing his reputation for legal
ability by his skill and power as an advo-
cate. In October, 1869, he was appointed
county attorney by GOV. Chamberlain, to
fiji vacancy caused by the death of
Francis +. Webb, Esq. of Winthrop; and
was twice elected afterwards to the same
office, thus serving more than seven years
in all. The experience acquired by a
prosecuting attorney is invaluable to HIM
self, since he hereby completes with many
a BILE lawyers; and equally so to the State
when, in this case, Judge Whitehouse in
creased his reputation by his efficiency
and Jealous discharge of his duties. sup
! pemented by magnanimity for which
his professional brethren have always
given him due credit.
An early case that he thus conducted
was State vs.. kingsburg reported in the
| 5Sth Maine page 339. The respondent
was indicted for procuring one James
| Kitchen to set fire to church in China.
! The motive for this crime was a desire to
| be revenged upon prominent members OF
! the church society who had caused Kings
bury to be punished for repeated viola
tions of the Maine Law. He was a
prominent business man and had the
sympathy and support of many friends,
including all opposed to the law. He was
ably defended by Messrs. Pillsbury and
Clay, and was convicted at the second
trial, in March, 1870, before Judge Dan
forth. who sentenced him to three years in
the State prison.
In the following October (S70) oc
Cured the capital case OF State vs. Ed
ward H. Hoswell, indicted for the murder
Of John b. Latin at Hallowcll, in which
Attorney General Thomas B. Reed made
his first appearance for the government,
ntv-Attorney Whitehou5e prepared the
case for trial and made the opening argu
ment. The trial became noted for the
defense Of momentary insanity as urged
by the counsel for the defendant, Messrs
Pillsbury and Libbey-the last named
afterwards associate justice of this court.
This defense had recently been success
fully employed in the Cole-Hliscock AND
Richardson's Nc Farland cases in New
York. similar cases, where the motive for
the homicide was the prisoner jealousy
Of his wife on account Of her alleged in
timacy with the deceased But County
Attorney Whitehouse, who carefully pre-
nared the case for the state, anticipated
this line OF tina defense and fully exploited
it in his address to the jury, some extracts
of which are given here.
In abiding to this defense, Mr.. White
hnusc said: We are not here in behalf
of the government to defend adultereIs
,ye are not here to bring desolation upon
happy homes or to destroy any OF the
sacred interests of society. Neither are we
here to countenance the doctrine of
assassination or private vengeance. We
are here to ask you to protect society
against all of these crimes by just and
fearless administration of the law. We
are here to ask that when citizen OF
Maine is charged with crime, he shall be
permitted to go in the people court and
he heard, as this prisoner is to be heard
and be punished only when found guilty
nv the Judgment of his peers.
1--WE are here asking that when an afro
H., ed 10