The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-14
5 MINNEAPOLIS NEWS. 5
PASSED AWAY IN PEACE
JUDGE SEAGRAVE SMITH IS
NO MORE
terday MOrninG-The Jurist In
a ComntOse Condition During the
Inst Twenty-FOur Hours of His
LIfe-FntaI Illness the Result or
nm Operation.

Judge Seagrave Smith, of Minneapolis, died
yesterday morning at about o'clock, with
out rallying from the comatose condition in
which he lay during the last twenty -four
hours of his life.
Judge Smith was taken ill some months
ago with an abcess and an operation was
necessary. His life was despaired of then,
but his wonderful recuperative powers bore
him up, and he recovered, and again bsgan
his work. saying that he felt better than
he had for some years. Two weeks ago he
was taken i'll again, and was obliged to give
up work. He gradually grew worse, until
the physicians gave up all hope of his re-
covery- some days ago.
Judge Smith had been a sufferer from
diabetes for many years. and it was a set
ting in of gargrene which caused his last
sickness, painful as such Illnesses always are.
Or. W. A. Hall attended him until the last.
The death of Judge Smith yesterday
announced from full bench in the district
court after which an adjournment of court
was taken until Monday morning Those
present were: Judges c. B. Elliott. w. A.
Lancaster. John +. MCGEE, Edward M. Jane
city.
Judge Elliott spoke for the bench, and
said: .'Genilemen of the Bar. 1t becomes
my painful duty to announce to you the death
of Judge Seagrave Smith, senior judge of
the Fourth district Out Of respect to his
memory this court will be adjourned until
Monday morning at $3.50 O'clock
The sheriff then formally declared an ad-
journment of court
The funeral services over the remains of
Judge Smith will be held at the late resi-
dence. 1915 Hawthorn avenue, Sunday, at Ia
O'Clock noon. From the house the remains
will be removed TO Hastings, Mimi, where
they will be inferred.
JUDGE SEAGRAVE SMITH.
Judge Seagrave Smith has been one Of
the most active public men in the history Of
Minnesota. Up to almost the day OF his
death, he was actively at work, and when.
at nearly 20 years of age he laid down the
burdens and cares of life, it was to step
from the judicial bench to the sick room,
and from thence to the eternal rest
He was born of Welch-English parentage
at Stafford village Tolland county, Con-
GGu and SeR arv IL ls the only eh Of the os
Welch branch of Smiths that were early
settlers at Scituate, Mass. During the early
years of his life, the young man worked
upon his fathers farm attending the sum-
mer and winter terms of the public schools
until he was fifteen years OF age, when he
George ". Pendieton, a Baptist Clergyman
at whose church the Smiths attended. For
three years he studied the higher matha-
OF that time entered the Connecticut liter
airy institution. at Suffield, from where he
graduated in 1S4S.
enter into business with him. but the young
preferred the study of law. to which
his father was very mucn ayerse, ana the
result was that the parent withdrew any
more financial support AT this, the son
obtained school and went to teaching.
obtaining means for his support for the pre-
llminary studies. Sept. 10. 1S49- he en-
rolled himself as a student In the law ofiice
of Alvin P. Hyde. at Stafford. Aug. ID. 1852.
Connecticut. In 1851 and 1852 he was clerk
OF the probate court of Stafford. He desired
to go West in 1852, but his mother did not
want him to leave, and, in order to induce
him to remain at home, his mother pre-.
vailed upon his father to give him $1,000
with which to purchase a law library, anu
and opened law office in October, 1852 He
remained there until the spring Of 1851.
and he removed to the territory OF Mime
sofa. During his residence in Colchester
he elected town clerk, and register OF
deeds. In 1855 he was elected on the Demo-
cratic ticket as a state senator from the
Eighth district. He was clerk of probate
court for Colchester district up to the time
Early in the spring Of 1857, Mr.. Smith
settled at Hastings. in Dakota county. WIN
his wife and two children, and entered into
There he remained until 1877, when he re-
moved to Minneapolis. While in Hastings
he was attorney for the Hastings 4 dakota
Railway Construction company, and the
Chicago, Milwaukee st. Paul. He was
elected county attorney of Dakota county
in 1857, in 1850 county commissioner, In
1861 judge Of probate, holding the ONCE
six years. In 1867 he was elected to the
state senate for a term of two years, in
1873 county attorney, and in 1875 was de-
feated as an Independent candidate against
Ignatius Donnelly, Democratic nominee for
state senate. and lost by only a small
margin.
In Minneapolis, his was a notable
one. Coming here in 1877, he entered into
partnership with w. E. Hale, the firm dis
solving in 1880 Fer three years he was in
business alone and then he went in with
s A. Reed. That firm was in existence
until he was appointed Judge of the dis
trict bench fer the fourth judicial district,
which position he held at the time of his
death, by repeated election. During his
residence in Minneapolis he held only the
position of city attorney for two years, 1887
10 1889, by election at the hands of the city
council. He was defeated several times,
in 1869 for attorney general, in 1871 he de-
clned a nomination to the district bench.
in 1894 he was defeated by A. H. Young,
III 1858 he was defeated by James GILLIAN
as chief Justice of the supreme court, and
again in 1894 he failed to secure an cleo
ton at the hands of the PEOPLE for the SUI
preme bench.
Judge smith was strong character
among the judges of the bench Ssd bench
and bar. had great consideration for his de-
cisiCns- He has been presiding judge in
many important cases, notably that OF
Harry Hayward, whom he sentenced to he |
hanged. and the larceny case AGAINST