The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1900-10-10

a new feature in the form of a likeness
every week of some prominent Brook.
havenite, copied from late photo
graph by Fosby, Brookhaven's expert
and accomplished photographer, and
in connection Herewith brief bio
graphical sketch of the subject.
Hon. E. F. Brennan, with whose pic
ture this feature is introduced, was
born in Glenties, Donegal Co., Ireland
June 29th, 1852. He attended the pub
lie or national schools until ii years of
age, when he entered college at Kill
raine and became classmate of Right
Rev. Roderick O'Donnell, present
Bishop of Raphole, Ireland. His
mother died when he was years old
and his father came to this country
and settled in the coal regions of Penn
sylvania, where he died in 1870, having
meanwhile married a second time.
Mr.. Brennan came to America in
1863 at the age of II, landing at Port
land, Me. He studied as an ophthal-
motologist and optician for two years
and then followed that profession in
Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Caro-
lima, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida,
Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky
for ten years. He taught school in
Scott county, Virginia, for four years
and afterwards in East Tennessee,
South Carolina and Georgia. In 1879
and 80 he taught penmanship and
bookkeeping in Copiah county, Miss.
He was married to Mrs. B. G.. Flood,
of Brookhaven, Oct 3lst, 1881, his wife
dying about eight months ago. For
several years after locating in Brook
haven he engaged in merchandising. He
was elected alderman in 1884. In
1886 was elected mayor and was re-
elected in 1888, serving two years
each term. While serving as mayor
his second term Mr.. Brennan studied
law under the tutelage of Judge H.
Cassidy, and was soon afterward licen-
sed, since which time he has risen to a
high rank in his profession and enjoys
an extensive and constantly growing
practice. He is generally admitted to
be one of the finest civil lawyers In
South Mississippi, and his capacity for
work is simply prodigious.
Irishman- like, he has always taken a
lively interest in matters political, and
while a Republican in politics, enjoys
the rare distinction of being the only
man in Lincoln county who is consult
ed by the leaders of all parties, and
who takes an active part in shaping
the local policies of all parties. He
was nominated for District Attorney
of the 7th Judicial District by the Pop
ulists in 1895. No man appreciates a
joke better than he, even when it is at
his own expense, and he enjoys telling
one in this connection. 1t was the
policy of the Populists that year to
make up their ticket entirely of farm
ers, and taboo all town and profession
al men. When it came TO nomi-
mating man for District Attorney,
however, it was discovered snag had
been struck and that it was impracti-
cable to enforce the rule. In the
midst of this embarrassing dilemma a
practical headed member of the coun-
ty mass meeting proposed that, as the
office of District Attorney was non
political one, about the best way out
of the difficulty he saw was to nominate
Lawyer Brennan, of Brookhaven, for
the place At this critical juncture
Abel X. Smith, chairman of the Lin
coin county Populist Executive Com
mittee, arose aud in all seriousness
and solemnity declared that he was
very much averse to departing in any
particular from their original purpose,
but, he continued, "as there are nc
lawyers growing on corn and cotton
stalks out in the country and we are
bound to take some man in town for
that office if we get one, l guess Mr..
Brennan is about the best we can do
and Imove that he be nominated" II
was no sooner said than done, and that
is how he came to be the Populist nom
inee that year for District Attorney.
Mr.. Brennan was nominated for Con
gress by the Republicans of the 7th
Congressional District in 1898. He is
now serving his third term as county
attorney and second term as attorney
for the city of Brookhaven. He is
broad gauged in his ideas, progressive
and enterprising in spirit, and every
wise and practical suggestion to ad-
vance the material interests of town
and county finds in him a ready sym
pathizer and active champion. He
is Roman Catholic in religion, genial
in disposition and generous to fault
though his right hand seldom knows
what his left hand does.
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