Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-27
THE LATE JUDGE NELSON.
Bar of United States Circuit Court Pays
Tribute to His Memory.


United States for the district of Massa-
| chusetts met in the circuit court room
at Boston Wednesday noon to receive
the report of the committee on resolu-
tons on the death of the late Judge
| Thomas L. Nelson of this city. Alexan-
der S. Wheeler was elected chairman of
the meeting, and Charles Theodore Rus
sell was the secretary. The memorial,
| prepared by ex-United States District
Attorney Hoar, was presented by Mr..
Dabney, reciting at length the career of
Judge Nelson from his boyhood down
to the time of his DEATH His diStin
guished services at the bar, his fair
ness and inpartiality as a judge, and
his estimable qualities as a man, re-
ceived eloquent recognition. Mr.. Dab
ney also paid a personal tribute to the
memory of the deceased Judge, and ne
was followed by Causten Browne C. w.
Clifford f. P. Fish, Judge Almy of
Cambridge, e. p. Carver, Elmer P.
Howe and United States District Attor-
ney Jones, all Of whom united in words
of praise for Judge Nelson.
The court was then announced and
the resolutions were read by Attorney
Jones; Judge Webb, in responding on
behalf of the court, saying:
LIE Is IN Iuu Will
the resolutions the bar has presented
in honor of Judge Nelson. His life was
filled with faithful and honorable work,
and affords an example Of unpretentious
usefulness which must be valued more
and more, the more it is examined and
known. The feeling of his judicial asso-
ciates toward him Is shown by these
few words from a letter written by
Judge Aldrich, when the ti1ings of his
| death were received: of course, / can
not do otherwise than view his depar-
ture as loss to our judicial family, but
above and beyond [ gIfeve for the loss
of a friend, ] had become to be so fond
of him and to enjoy so much his lack of
pretension, his bright epigrammatic
sayings, his honesty, his frankness and
his courage. 1t needed no long time to
| learn his honorable nature, and his
| great ability. and to form for him SEN
timents of confidence, affection and es-
TEEN. In consultation he was courteous,
thoughtful intelligent and learned.
While supporting his own views regard
ing questions that arose with the earn
estness Of deliberate conviction, he lis
tened attentively and respectfully to
those who differed with him, and was
ready to consider and weigh all reason
ing leading to conclusions differing from
those he had himself reached. He had
no pride Of opinion which stood iB the
way of his yielding to the force of ar
guments and authorities, and when per-
suaded by the propriety OF so doing
pleasantly surrendered his Impressions
and acceded to the opinion Of others.
Quite as frequently, by his acute anal
ysis of authorities and his persuasive
reasoning on different questions, he
brought others into agreement with him.
1t was in professional pursuits that
he found his highest satisfaction and ac-
On lie 9A6 n,
istration Of the Office of city solicitor is
remembered by the citizens Of Worces-
ter with gratitude and pride.
To his intelligent and sustained inter-
est and labor the establishment and the
richness of the valuable law library Of
Worcester county-a law library which
he regarded with pride, as not surpassed
in the country-nust be almost wholly
credited. He gave willing and valuable
| assistance to the public library of Wor-
| cester, of which, for six years, he was
a member of the board of directors, and
for five years the president.
That Judge Nelson did not withdraw
| or hold himself aloof from the business
and other interests of the community is
evident from his membership of the
board of directors Of the Central Ma
tional Bank from Oct. 6, 1862 to the close
of his life; Of the directors Of the Mutual
| Life Assurance Company from January,
1865. Such long retention in these offices
gives greater assurance of the high es-
TEEN accorded to him, than the resolu-
tons of respect and honor to his MEM
Dry adopted after his death. He was also
a member of the Worcester Fire Soci-
ETY.; trustee of the Worcester County
Institution for Savings, and for many
years the Commissioner for Massachu-
sets of the Providence & Worcester
railroad, and member of the American
Antiquarian Society.
After a brief sketch of his life, the
| tribute concluded as follows:
He was man of pure life. of yigor-
GUS intellect, of refined and elevated
tastes, and Of true and affeetionate
heart. We remember him with love and
honor. We can praise him sincerely
without feeling warned to maintain
silence regarding any side of his charac-
ter or any phase of his nature.
1.-THE resolutions Of the bar are or
dered to be extended in the records of.
this court"