The Portland daily press., 1898-04-20
AIMoN AUGUSTUS sTRouT
Died at the Hotel La rouraine in Boston
Yesterday.

Died at the Hotel La rorr.;na IN poston
Yesterday.
The community will be shocked to
near OF the death of Hon Almon A.
Strout, which took place Yesterday after
noon at the Hotel Touraine BOSTON. Mr.
Strout left Portland for California on
March 18th. hoping to recnnerate his
health, ior ne was suffering from physical
exhaustion, caused by unremittina atten-
tion to business. He reached ri Pasco
when his condition became sucb that tho
California trip was abandoned and his
wife and son brought him back to Ros-
ton, where for some weeks he has been
lowering at the point of death at the
Touraine. A few days ago he rallied and
hopes were entertained of his complete
recovery, but it was not to be.
Almon Augusta Strout was horn in
Limington, York county, May 8. 1885.
son of Elisha and Mary (Hagan) strout.
Both parents were natives of Limington
His paternal ancestors were emigrants
from England, who located at or near
Cape Cod, and early came to Maine
where they settled in and about Portland,
His mother was daughter of Walter
Hagan, farmer, whose ancestors settled
in Scarboro. They We're descendants of
the O'Hagan family formerly of the north
of Ireland.
MI. Strout spent his early years upon
farm, and during the winter months
attended common school. After three
years. attendance at North Bridgton and
Fryehurg academies, teaching fall and
winter terms at school meanwhile, he
commenced the study OF law with Joel
Eastman of Conway, New Hampshire,
and ten months later entered the office of
Howard & Strout in Portland, where he
found as a fellow student, Eugene Hale,
now United States senator from Maine,
and with lhim was admitted to the Bar
Of Maine on February Is, 1857. he at
first located in Harrison, where he en-
tered at once upon large and lucrative
practice and acquired considered repu-
tation as O successful advocate in jury
cases. In 1868 he removed to Portland,
where he succeeded to the business of
Shepley & Dana, and in March 1866 he
entered into partnership with Gen.
George +. Shepley, which continued I'M
til the appointment of Gen. Shepley to
the bench of the United States court, in
June, 1859.
In oti
1873, when finding his increasing bust
ness too much to manage without assis-
tance, he formed q partnership with
George f. Holmes, under the firm name
of Strout 6 Holmes. His association
with Gen. Shepley, combined with his
own industry and ability, brought very
large amount of business, and he soon
made his way to the front rank of his
profession both as learned lawyer and
q successful advocate. In 1882 he was
appointed general counsel for the Grand
Trunk railway for New England, which
position he held at the time of his death,
and in 1854 he became counsel for the
Boston Il Lowell railroad, continuing
as such until that road was absorbed
by the Boston & Maine.
In January, 1889. Mr.. Strout opened
an office in Boston, forming partner
ship with William Fl. Coolidge, under
the name of Strout & Coolidge, who had
been associated with him as assistant
counsel OF the Boston & Lowell In jan
uary, 1895, Mr.. Henry F. Strout, his son,
was admitted to the firm. In 1897 Mr..
Strout severed his connection with the
Boston firm, which re-organized under
the name of Coolidge & Strout, and in
November, 1897, he formed new part
nership for doing a general law business
in Portland with G. A. Hight of this
ciated with him in his railroad law work.
Mr.. Strout' sEearly political affiliations
were with the Douglass wing of the
Democratic party. AT the breaking out
of the Rebellion he identified himself
with the war Democrats who labored
for the preservation of the Union, and
finding himself in accord with theRepub-
lican policy he voted for the reelection of
Lincoln and has ever since acted with
the Republican party. His legal and
political experience continued to rapidly
widen. He acted for the United States
az assistant counsel for the distribution
Of the Geneva award and has been senior
counsel for the government in many
important cases.
In 1879 Mr. q Strout was elected repre-
sentative to the state legislature from
Portland, but was deprived of his seat
upon the pretext that although the re-
turns showed his election by a clear ma
jority OF over 600 votes, it also contained
the words, scattering, forty three votes. y
In the contest that followed, which 1e-
suited in the defeat of the Fusion party IS
attempt to control the legislature, Mr..
Strout took a prominent and important
part, serving as chairman of the commit
tee chosen by the Republican members Of
the legislature, to draw up q statement
of their side Of the case, with suitable
interrogations for submission to the Su-
preme Court. The opinion of the court
sustained the Republican side of the con-