El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-05-18
SENATOR COKE.
Brief Sketch of his Life by Elk Cover.
nor Roberts.

, Gov. Richard Coke was born and
educated in the state of Virginia. He
when young man came to Texas and
settled in the practice OF law at Waco,
at which place be had become proni-
nent in the profession (when [ first
partnership with him in practice Mr..
III. d. Herring, and afterwards James
Anderson. lie was elected TO the Sc
G. ssjon convention by McLennan
county in 1861. During the war he
was captain in Cot. Speights' regi-
ment, VIII CD was most generally COM
manded by Lieut.. Col. james Harrison.
He was slightly wounded in the battle
of BurbeauX, in Louisiana, on Nov. ),
| 1868. He served as captain of his COM
pany during the war, declining to take
promotion, which he could have OBJ
| tanned ii he had wished it. Upon the
urgent solicitation of the citizens of
| his section OF the state of both union
men and seces5ionists in 1865 he was
appointed district Judge of his district
by Gov. a. J. Hamilton. Before he
would received that appointment, how |
ever, he visited Gov. Hamilton at the |
capitol in Austin, bringing with him !
his recommendations, and stated to the |
governor that he was secessiOnist and |
the only regret he had was that he and |
his comrades in the army did not main
tain it successfully and that if he could
appoint him after having made that
statement to him he would accept it.
Gov. Hamilton replied that he only de-
sired TO fill the place with a competent
lawyer and he knew him to be such
one and made the appointment.
In 1865 the caucus composed Of seces-
sioni5ts and moderate union men at
Austin, that nominated the state eZ-
ecutive officers, placed Itichard Coke,
with George F. Moore, George w.
|
Hill in nomination for justices OF the
supreme court of Texas. He was elect
ed and served on the supreme bench !
during the administration OF Gov.
ThrOcknOrton.
During the administration of Gov. :
E. J. Davis, Richard Coke, as attorney,
took an active part in the defense of a
persons who were being prosecuted d
under the laws then passed, by which
he became prominent in middle Texas.
In 1874 he was nominated by the de-
convention held at Austin for \
the Office of governor and after most l.
canvass was elected over his
opponent Gov. E. J. Davis, by about
30, 600 majority.
Under the constitution of1S69 he
had the appointment of the highor n
judicial officers as governor OF the C
state and did much in reforming the T
judiciary. He also with great effort =
put the finances OF the state in the pro- =
;e5s of reformation to restore the pub
ic credit, which had been greatly de- :
pressed by the preceding administra-
ion. In 1915 he was again nominated
md elected governor. and served some
time in that Office. when he was elect =
ID to the senate of the United States,
n which capacity he represented his
state with distinction until de- Il
lined a reelection several years
Lgo.
Gov. Coke was I, large man, possess
ID of broad and vigorous intellectual =,
covers and in all of his public career d
I'D exhibited 2 patriotic devotion to
he best interests Of his state and coun-
~. By his friend,
O. NJ. ROBERTS. y
May II. 1897.