The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-05-20
He Passed Peacefully Away at Austin After a
Short Illness.
ssssssssssssssssss
Austin, Texas, May 10.-Ex. Govorner Oran M.
Roberts passed away peacefully at o'clock tonight at
his residence in Hyde Park after brief indispostion
of few days

Oran Milo Roberts was born In Lawrence
district, South Carolina OF parents in mo1er-
ate circumstances. being the youngest OF six
children. His father was a man of energy
| Industry and liborality. and was possessed OF
much native wit. His mother was a seda,e,
| taciturn woman, Of great judgment and finn
hess, anu iona OF reaulnE, ana the teaching
| OF her children
| The father was OF Welsh, and the motatr
| oil Scotch-lrsh descent Her father, Sam
EWING was captain of cavalry during tie
whole OF the revolutionary war, ana dieu
rev years after peace from exposure in III :;
service.
| oran was only 10 years old when his father
| died. after which he lived with his mother
ana older brother on farm near Ash,illc.
Alabama, cultivated by the two boys ana
few goods slaves. Having previously gone to
OLD heid schools. at the age of 10 he VS.
started to an academy at Ashvlle, taught
by James Lewis. who, 10 six months. aban-
doned the school, after which Ralph =. Lowe,
| graduate OF Miami university, and after
wards governor of Iowa. took him. with three
| other boys, into his law oftce, where, by
the study Of Latin and Greek. he was pre-
| pared to enter the University of Alabama,
which he did on the 18th OF February, 1888
joining the freshman class, then four months
| advanced in session. lie Graduated in DC
comher, 1886. having studied law also In I ,s
| latter part of the session. After the FIRST two
sessions he had ample time To- devote himself
| TO gen eral reading, which was faciltatei by
his being librarian during the senior year
| The society OF Tuscaloosa then the capital
| o. the STATE. and the meeting OF the leEis-
| lature every year, together with HE associa-
| titn with the professors and students, enabled
him to acquire greatly enlareed idea o.
| iren and things, very dif5rcnl from that 0f
| a mountain raised boy.
| Having commenced the practice of law nj
| once in Taladega, he soon removed to Ash =
Vile, St Clair county, where he was raised.
and did reasonably well In that and in III
adjoining mountain counties. continuing his
study of the law, until he moved to Texas In
| the fall OF 1siI.
He settled In San Augustine. partly b.
cause 1t was within ten miles Of his uncle,
Nathan Davis. sr.. respected old resident
who had been the first alcalde of the munich
was then one NJ the principal legal and polit
ical centers Of the whole surrounding coun-
try. in which resided some of the most cmi-
nent lawyers and statesmen OF the republic
and was surrounded by much wealth.
| lie at once followed the circuit with the
judge and other LAWYERS. as was then tho
custom. extending through central Eastern
| Texas. from the Sabine to the Trinity rivers.
| Notwithstanding he had to learn new sys-
| TEN of pleading and practice, and of laws gen
orally. he made such progress in his profess
sion as to he appointed district attorney by
President Houston on the 9th of February,
| 1s4i Just two years and two months after
he came to Texas and that without his nav
ing been a candidate for the office, and knew
| nothing Of his selection until his commission
was delivered to him by n II Darnel. nam
Der of congress from San Augustine county,
| His success In that position was sutnclently
attested by the fact that General Henderson,
who had practiced in the same courts with
| him, upon being elected the first governo
of the State, rendered him tho appointment
| Of district Judge, without any solicitation by
him, or by his frenda, so far as he was
| informed His appointment was unanimously
| confirmed by tho senate, and he entered upon
| the discharge Of the duties OF the office In
I Apri 1886 then not II years Of age.
After leaving the bench he became can
| didato for congress there heing then hut tive
members to he elected in Texas, first In 1shl
| when there being number of domocra'i u
candidates IN the field, and one wb'g c7ndi
| date. he declined in the interest Of the party
| the second time. in 1853 when n fun c N
| vontion met which gave him large ma
| iority hut owing tn misunderstanding OF M
| nrinciples a combination was formed oil lus'
| enough delegates to prevent his nomination
| the leaders In which the very next cay upo'
| heinp properly informed, expressed their re-
| pret that he was not the candidate chosen Al
| tho same time giving assurance OF their sup
mort for any Office he might seek, which war
| subsequently, redeemed
| In the fall Of 1856 Justice hhner L'ps'o,n1
| died while the supreme court was IN sesFl7 u
| ~ Ane.in and WINS buried ~ the state cem
| tery. Chief Justice Hemrhill then 'eSiucn "
| Avet,, aud Justice Y. T. Wheeler IN N'l
| ve.ton Convon,ions had not the maze "oh
/ ,,,ntions fer judicial officers Ihe Iawve
| ,hen In attendance uror the court ~ me-
| irr Ia Austin presented tudsc Ronerts hhn'
| IN fll the vacancy. which wa. rebnohueu "
| fnvorahIy by nominations IN othcr pi'r's Nv
Nv numerous personal solicitations IN o'hf