The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1897-01-30
EARLY WISCONSIN JUDGES.
"Charles Reaulne. Judg de Paix.
Judges DOty. Dunn. Irwin,
Frazer and Miller.
(From the Milwaukee Sentincl)

series o. papers on the Supreme court
of Wisconsin.
From it we learn that the first to
represent the Judiciary in Wisconsin,
SO far as known, was Charles Reaume
Of Green Bay, who came from La
Prairie, near Montreal, in 1892. He
acted for many years rs justice Of the
peace, but by what authority or whose
commission is not definitely known. 1t
ia said he had a commission from Gen.
Harrison. He presided overIhis primi-
tive court with pompous dignity dressed
! in an ancient British uniform, red coat
and cooked hat. lie had once served
az an officer in the English army in
Canada In making arrests he issued
no warrants, but handed his bucktorn
handled jackknife to the constable as a
taken Of judicial power, with verbal
authority to arrest and bring persons
before his august court. His was virtu-
ally the Supreme court of the country
during his official career, as there could
be no appeal. except by going to Vim
Comes, in Indiana, some hundreds Of
miles distant.
Many stories are told of his quaint
rulings He did not stand much on Law,
of which he knew but little, but his de-
cisions rested on 4 sort Of natural JUS
tice that gave general satisfaction. He
would fine men and sentence them to
work ont the fine on his own farm, or
to bring wood and hay for his own use.
He would enforce specific performance
of contracts to labor. compel deserving
laborers to return to their employers,
and adapt his judgments to the most
practical solution of a controversy. One
Of the most pleasing of his official duties
was to attend the weddings of the
French settlers. He drew up lengthy
marriage contracts, had them signed by
the parties and some sixteen witnesses,
and finally byhimself, "Charles Reaume,
Juge de Paix, de 10 Baye Nerte." Then
followed the festivities and the dance
to the music of the violin. The feast
was of vcnison smothered in wild rice
and maple sugar, stewcd sturgeon. fat
ducks; and the jug Of strong waters was
by no means a neglected part Of the
good things served.
The traditions Of Green Bay and the
historical collections of the state contain
many anecdotes of this unique charac
ter. He was fond of brandy and water,
and an Indian dish called pe-we-ta-gah
prepared in oil, composed of dried
venison pounded fine and cooked in
maple sugar and bears oil. Some Of
the Judges" legal papers are extant,
and show crude notion Of legal form
alities. It is said that in one case brought
before him for seduction and breach Of
promise Of marriage, he gave judgment
that the seducer purchase the woman
a calico gown, two dresses for the baby,
and that the constable pay the costs by
splitting a thousand rails tor the Judge.
The old justice lived alone in his later
days and was found dead in his bed,
when about 40 years old. Some of the
auo, uutce of him rcpresont hin, az
having rather low sense of Justice
but all agree that he led jolly, easy
life, and that he was. despite his eccen-
tricities, arbitrary decisions and facile
conscience. warmly beloved by the set
tiers
Until 1923 all that part of the terri
tory Of Michigan now forming Wiscon-
sin had no separate courts, except county
courts ofyery limited civil and criminal
jurisdiction, and justices courts. All
important cases we're tried bv the SUI
preme court at Detroit. Suitors and
witnesses must travel in sailing vessels
some hundreds of miles to attend court
and then only when navigation was
open.
Judge James b. Doty was appointed
judge Of this court and presided over it
until 1888, when it WAS abrogated by the
creation of the territory of Wisconsin.
At the time of his appointment Judge
! Doty was "A. and was, says Gen. Bryant.
lone of the brilliant, able, forceful
| young men whom Gen. Lewis Cass at
tached to himself in his early DAYS OF
power in Michigan" Doty was born in
! Salem. Washington county, New York,
| Nov. ), l7SS. Receiving only a common
school education, he studied law, came
20 Detroit in 1878. and soon became
prominent He held his first term as
judge in Green Bay, in October, 1929.
After his term as judge expired. be was
elected territorial delegate to congress
in 1898 and 1874. He was a member OF
congress from lS49 to 1852. He died in
Utah i'll 1865 IS governor Of that terri
tory.
WhenWisconsin territory was formed
In 1896, it embraced the territory occu-
pied by the present state Of Wisconsin.
Minnesota, Iowa and the eastern par,
of the two Dakotas. The territory WAS
divided into three judicial districts, and
Charles Dunn was appointed chief JUS
tee, and William c. Frazer and David
Irwin associate judges. Chiet Justice
Dunn, native of Kentucky, was abou,
appointed him TO the bench, and at the
time was a resident of Chicago. He had
served with distinction through the
Black Hawk war, and had been elected
to the Illinois Legislature in 1885. He
arrived at Mineral Point, Jnly 4, 1896
and was sworn in as chief justice. The
court held Its first session and organized
at Belmont, in the assembly ball Of the
legislative council, a barn-like structure
that then was called 1.-The state house. =
The court met, chose clerk and, on
motion of one Of the attorneys present
Thomas ID. Burnett was appointed re-
porter. His labors are found in one
small volume known as "Burnett's Re.
ports In the division of the Iudicia
districts Judge Dunn was assigned &c
1 the First district emhrariDp tho conn.