The Portland daily press., 1900-09-25

Judge Thomas III. Haskell.
characteristic of the man, he insisted
upon going to the court Saturday morn
ing to receive the report of the grand
jury and to arrange the details of ad-
journment. The grand jurors were ex-
cused until the next term. the traverse
juries were discharged finally, and the
trial ooket was continued to the Decem-
Der court. Almost the last words of
Judge Haskell spoken from the bench
were, "This is the first time in my SER
vice of sixteen or seventeen years that I
have been compelled to adjourn court on
account of Sickness
Thomas Hawes Haskell, associate JUS
tice of the Supreme Judicial court Of
Maine, was born In the town of New
Gloucester, this county, on May 8, 1842,
and was therefore fifty years old at
the time of his death. Judge Haskell s
father was Captain Peter Haskell, of
New Gloucester, and his mother was Miss
Betsey Hawes, native of Massachusetts,,
daughter of Captain Thomas and Betsey
Whitman Hawes, Of Weliheet. Betsey
Whitman was a sister of Chief Justice
Whitman. OF Massachusetts. Captain
Peter Haskell, an old time militia OIL Ger
and prosperous farmer, was a son of Peter
HASKELL, senior, who married Salome
Parson, daughter of Colonel Isaac Par
sons. Colonel Parsons came to New
Gloucester from Gloucester, Mass. in
1861. He was the leading man in that
portion of Cum berland county in the
days before the Revolution. 1t was he
who discovered a method of planting
corn so that it could be raised successfully
on the newly cleared ground; and thereby
conferred a great boon upon the strug-
CLING settlers. His farm was at what is
now Gloucester Lower Corner, and
descended to the Haskell family through
the daughter SaIome, who married Peter
Haskell, senior. Mr.. Charles p. Haskell,
brother of Judge Haskell, lives now on
the old place, and the original home of
Captain Parsons is still standing.
Judge Haskell was educated at Norway
Liberal Institute, whence he was gradu
ated in 1869. He did not have a collie
giate education. He had prepared for
Bowdoin, but after leaving the Liberal
Institute, he enlisted in the Union army
in 1862, serving as sergeant OF Co. I, 25th
Maine regiment, commanded by Colonel
Francis Fessenden. He was in later life
a mem Der of Bosworth Post, @. A. r.
Judge Haskell began the study of law
in 1868 in the office of Judge Morrill,, Of
Androscoggin county. He was admitted
to the bar in 1866, and in 1865 came to
Portland where he formed a partnership
with the late Judge Charles w. God
dard. This partnershi was dissolved
after a year or two. Later he formed a
partnership with Hon. William W.
Thomas, now minister to Sweden.
In 1873 ne formed partnership with
Judge Nathan Webb, then United States
District Attorney and now q. S. Dis
trict Judge. This partnership, under the
style of Webb g Haskell existed until
1882, when Judge Webb was appointed to
the Federal bench. Judge Haskell then
formed q partnership with Edward Wood
man, Esq. under the name OF Haskell &
Woodman, and the partnership continued
uuUl1 1Cotg Wu0I bnO SOu1OI luOL1U6L VI
the firm was appointed to the Supreme
Bench of Maine. He was success1vely
reappointed, and his present term would
have expired in 1906 had he lived. He
succeeded Judge Joseph W. .Symonds on
the bench.
Judge Haskell served by appointment
of the Governor, as County Attorney of
Cumberland County in 1870, 1878 and
1879.
In 1881 considerable agitation arose in
the State over the conduct OF the Reform
School, and Governor PIa1sted appointed
Judge Haskell one of a commission to
Investigate and report. He drew the
report, and secured in the legislature of
1888 the laws which refounded the adj
ministration of the school, created the
position Of woman matron, and estab-
Iished the letter box whereby the boys
are enabled to get attention to legitimate
complaints.
In 1878 Judge Haskell edited Haskell's
Reports of Fox's Decisions in the United
States District Court.