The herald., 1897-01-17

turn, and not much of a giver-out of
opinions.
Both of these gentlemen practiced law
and rode the circuit together for years.
Mr.. Creighton outlived his contemporary
by as much as fifty years Mr.. Baldwin
Cied early, and confirmed the remark of
Lord Kames, that genius is often the
prey to every passion. Mr.. Baldwin'S
name is now almost a myth. He lives
only in the recollection of the few who
survive him. He was the earliest law
yer and one of the best that ever stood
before Ross county jury. Aged people,
who sat upon juries when he spoke.
speak with unbounded applause of his
immense talents. And they are compe-
tent Judges. The most rude, unlettered
man could appreciate the eloquence of a
Clay or Henry equal to the most re-
fined scholar. In natural endowments
he is represented as fully equal to his
eminent brother, Judge Baldwin OF
Pittsburg. He has left nothing behind
him to show the power of his mind. /
find his name al speaker of the house to
the laws of the first general assembly
of our state. 1t was no small compli-
ment to him that so close an observer as
Aaron Burr advised Blannerhassett TO
retain him as counsel in case they should
be tried in Ohio. Tradition has not failed
to hand down some OF Mr.. Baldwin 5
wild prarks and hurnors. 1t is said that,
after arguing a case all day in the court
house, he became SO disgusted with the
want of brains in the court, that 20
show his contempt of the whole judicial
system, he on that night, with his fol-
lowers, burnt the constitution of the
state in a tar barrel. Another anecdote
is related of him, as follows: The old
relic of neutrality-suspicious. for
debt-had not at that time been blottedi
from our laws. MIR. Baldwin, perfectly
reckless about money matters. had be-
come embarrassed and some unfeeling
ShylCck had him arrested and put in
prison for debt. The Jail at that ime
was a small log building, containing one
room, and in that were confined a
number of persons awaiting their trials,
charged with crimes Of various kinds
Mr.. Baldwin, justly indignant at being
placed in such company, resolved to
have q general Jail delivery. So, after
the jailer had retired to rest and sup
posed all to be asleep, Mr.. Baldwin as
sisted the prisoners to cut through the
logs, and after he had, got a space big
enough, he directed them to fly. But"
said they, "Mr. Baldwin, won't you 30
with us?" mot at ALL" said he; II am
an honest man." So they fed. In a
few hours he woke the jailer up and told
him that he had let his birds out. At
this the jailer became furious and
threatened MIN WIN the terrOrS OF the
law. Every WELL" said Mr.. Baldwin. .
II will show your commissioners, by a
suit, what power they have to place me
with a set OF scamps." 1t may readily
be believed that after that they never
disturbed him.
One more anecdlote: Mr.. Baldwin re-
ceived a legacy of several hundred dol
lars from New Haven, all in coin. He
placed the money on a table; then hired
a negro man with bell to go around
and notify his creditors to come and get
their pay, and they rushed in according
ly. He never looked at their bills, buo
showed the money toward them equal 10
the amount they claimed. 1T is Ques-
tionable If any of that legacy was left.
But let me hurry on. I have yet 10
portray some of the leading features of
Mr.. Creighton's career as a lawyer. He
is associated with Mr.. Baldwin in this
sketch because they were the pioneers
and in point of time, the earliest law
yers of this bar. At one time Mr..
Creighton stood decidedly as the first
jury lawyer in the country. Indeed, he
never had sufficient credit allowed him
as an advocate. No man here ever had
the Influence before a jury that he had,
and if the records shall be searched of
causes that he tried before jury, will
venture the assertion that he won more
verdScts than any of them He had great
adroitness and great sagacity and knew
exactly what Sopics to touch on before