The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-02-03
DEATH OF WILLIAM s. KEEcH.
A Prominent Lawyer Dies From the Eff
fects of Stroke of Paralysis-A
Brief Sketch of His Career
Action of the Bar.

Prominent Lawyer Dies From the Eff
fects of Stroke of Paralysis-A
Brief Sketch Of His Career
Action of the Bar.
Mr.. William s. Keech, who was stricken
with paralysis in his Office in Smedley ROW,
Towson, on the afternoon of January 18th,
died at his residence, on the Joppa road, just
west of Towson, shortly after noon on Thurs
day, 1st instant. His entire left side was al
fected by the stroke and although he was con-
scious for several days and knew those about
him, his physician, DR.. r. @. Massenburg,
gave the family no hope and they were there
fore not unprepared for the end.
Mr.. Keech, who was one of the Oldest and
most highly esteemed members of the Towson
bar, had never been a robust man, although
active and energetic in the discharge of all his
duties. For two or three years his health had
failed rapidly and those who came in contact
with him daily were not greatly surprised
when they learned of the attack.
William Scott Keech was son of the late
Rev. John Reeder Keech and Susan P Keech
and was born August 18th, 1885, in Hartford
county. His father was adescendant OF james
Keech who came to Maryland from England
and settled in St. Mary's county in the seven
tenth century. Rev. Mr.. Keech was rector
of St. Johns Protestant Episcopal Church.
Kingsvlle Baltimore county, and also OF
Rock Spring Church, Hartford county, for
about forty-three years After teaching school
for a time he began the study of law in April,
1855, under the late Henry w. Archer, of Bel
air, and afterward in the office of Mason Camp
bell, in Baltimore. He was admitted to the
bar in 1857 and in October, 1857 settled in
Towson. In 1859 he entered into partnership
with the late Lewis H. Wheeler In 1851 he
was nominated for the Legislature by the
Democrats, but was not elected. In 1867 be
was elected States Attorney and served until
January, 1872. In 1872 he was chosen coun-
sci to the Board of County Commissioners and
served four years. He was later School Com
missioner. In 1878 he was elected to the Leg
islature, and in 1880 was again made School
| Commissioner. In 1882 be was made counsel
to the School Board In 1889 he was an indie.
| pendent candidate for Chief Judge of the Third
Judicial Circuit, but was defeated by Judge
! Fowler.
For about thirty-ive years Mr.. Keech was
member ofthe vestry of Trinity P. E.. Church,
Towson, and was devout and constant at
tendant at the services. He was member of
Mt. Moriah Masonic Lodge, of Towson and
also of Towson Lodge of Odd Fellows and
| Ridgely Encampment.
In early life Mr.. Keech married daughter
of the late Alexander Keech of st. Mary's
county, who survives him. He also leaves
| two sons-Mr. William S. Keech, Jr., member
of the bar, and Mr.. James K. Keech, who is a
theological sutherland one daughter-Mrs
Henry Selden, of Washington.
| When court met on Friday morning, many
! members of the bar being present. Mr.. r. r.
Boarman announced the death of Mr.. Keech
and made speech highly eulogistic of him
| professionally and otherwise. He was followed
by several others who also spoke in terms of
high praise of the deceased. Messrs. r. r.
| Boarman, John T. Ensor, William Grason and
w. M. Isaac were appointed a committee to
draft resolutions expressive of the sense of loss
| the bar had sustained, and the court then ad-
journed until Monday next as mark of re-
spect to the memory of Mr.. Keech.
The funeral will take place at Trinity Church,
Towson, at O'Clock on Saturday afternoon,
and the remains will be inferred in Prospect
Hill Cemetery.
A Prosperous Lodge of Red Men-Fine
Hall-A correspondent writing from Pixies
vile sends the following to THE UNION "For
a month or more the members of the I'M |
proved Order of Red Men, of this place, have
had their hall undergoing extensive improve
ments The main hall has been beautifully |
frescoed the ceiling being light blue and the
walls cream color. This work has been done
in most artistic manner by George Hemling |
and Frank Myerly, two of the youngest men,
bers of the order. A handsome Brussels car
pet has been purchased for this room and is
now ready to be put down. The entire build |
ing has been wired and will be lighted with |
electricity this work having been done by |
Mr.. Charles E; Goodrich, an expert Baltimore
electrician. The current will be supplied by |
the United Railways and Electric Company, |
which, learn is now prepared to light dwell |
lings and other buildings.
THE members of the order here take great |
the finest of its kind in the State outside of
the city of Baltimore. 1t is a threestory |
building, with mansard roof. The first floor
has ticket and cloak room, banquet hall, Ii
brary and kitchen the second floor ticket |
or hat-box, ladies' and gentlenien's toilet
rooms, and an auditorium, with stage, curtain,
etc., and the third floor has an ante-room and |
very large lodge room, with the necessary
closets. A dumb waiter runs from the kitchen
to the third floor
l<s<ls-a hasl
and is entirely free from debt, end has a very i
substantial wampum belt, commonly known
as cash. The present membership is about |
one hundred and they deserve much credit for |
the success that has crowned their efforts. / |
do not know of another association that has |
made so much advancement in time so COM
paratively short"
The Nice Young Man Cost Him Twenty |
Five Dollars.-A letter from Washington to |
the Baltimore american, dated February LIST, |
says: "Older than the memory of the most de-
crepit veteran in confidence circles is the game |
successfully worked on d. H. Twining, of |
Greenwood, Baltimore county, Nd. in this
CITY today. He was defraudeG out of $25 by q |
trick whose details have been published over |
and over again. Twining was waiting at the |
Baltimore and Ohio Station for his train, when
he casually formed the acquaintance OF q |
pleasant young man. The latter entertained
the Marylander with anecdotes and, when he |
| finally said that he wanted to go to his room
nearby to get valise which he had forgotten,
| Twining accepted an invitation to accompany |
| him. The stranger gave the name of Stanley. !
| Two blocks from the station another man
wanted to borrow $25. Stanley was so sorry |
he did not have the change. The newcomer,
| Thompson, showed check for 81 600 with the |
signature of big Baltimore firm. Twining
! offered to let Stanley have the money, and |
was given the 81, 900 check to hold as security.
He still has the check and the police are look
ing for Stanley and Thompson, who disap-
riy,ir
| had been transferred to Thompsons pocket"
Mr.. Twining is a farmer in good circum-
| stances and well known here. He is man
| much above the average in intelligence, and
| was one of the California pioneers of 49, His
friends are surprised that he should have been
| so easily duped.
Another View of the Vexed Question
| A well known minister, writing to THE UNION
about another matter, concludes his letter as
| follows: by the way, we in the twentieth
| century notwithstanding all the discussion to
the contrary. have been amused at the state
ments of distinguished men, in mistaken
| conception of the matter, and wonder how
| they will let themselves down when they dis
| cover the error. The trouble is in handling
whole century at once we are liable to have
more theory and less of practice than the sub
| iect really demands. But divide century
| into decades and the matter is plain. The first
decade of a century reaches to, but does not in
clude, the year ten. The year one of a century
is not reckoned until the year is past. Other.
wise the Christian era was year old when 1t
began to be. Or TO be more ineligible, a
child born in 1890 completes decade in the
nineteenth century, and be begins another de-
cade in the year 1900. If he begins decade In
1900, then, as matter of course, he begins
century at the same time, and the century
which he begins is the twentieth century"
Next Visit of Seventeen-Year Locusts.-
A letter from Westminster says Seventeen
year locusts are due in portions of Maryland
and Pennsylvania in 1902, and they can now
be found several feet below the earth's surface
in large numbers and apparently of full size.
The first to note this fact in this county was
Valentine Menchey, near Manchester. Mr..
Menchev was digging we'll on his premises,
its location being under an old apple tree
and close to the line of fence. When the
workman reached depth of two and a-half
feet he noticed his flock of turkeys feeding vo-
raciously on something thrown out of the ex'
cavations with the earth, and upon examina-
ton found the locusts in large numbers. ne
ro.barad ohot1f q Mint If them and mt them in