The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-05-13
EIGHlY-1HREE YEARS OLD
TIE HON. HIRAM WILEY, OF
EAST HIDD. 4M,


The Hon. Hiram Wiley, Of East Had.
dam, who has his office in Hartford
with the law firm of Sperry & Mclean,
is one Of the Oldest members of the bar
in the state. He will be eighty-th
years old May 20. He has been promi-
nent member of the general assembly,
having served in both branches of that
body from eastern Connecticut. He
was state attorney from New London
county from 1854 until 1861 and was
! United States district attorney from
1861 until 1870, serving under President
Lincoln and Johnson. Mr.. Wiley has
been the mayor Of New London. He
was one of the first graduates of Wes-
leyan university In Middletown. He be-
San his legislative career in the house
! from New London in 1S47. The survi-
vors of that house include Chauncey
! Rowe of Pennington and Major F. M.
Brown Of Hartford. Chauncey F.
cleveland, who has been the governor
of the state, Loren p. Waldo and w. w.
Eaton of Tolland county. and General
William H. Russell, the founder of the
Russell Military school In New Haven,
were members of the house in 1S47. La
fayette f. S. Foster was the speaker,
Clark Bissell held the governorship and
Charles ]. McCurdy, of Lyme, was the
acknowledgement. Afterwards he
was made a judge of the supreme court
General Russell held a high place in
military lines of activity at the time,
and tho school which he founded be-
came widely known. Long after the
civil war 1t was center OF decided i'll
terest in the state. Ex-Speaker Allan
w. Paign, of Bridgeport, and John Adj
Olson Porter, who died in Pomfret last
year, were among Its noted graduates
after the war. Both gentlemen were in
the institution at the some time. Gov
ernor Cleveland, who was In the guber-
material office in 1912 and 1S4S, was the
uncle of the Hon. E. S. Cleveland, of
Hartford.
At the outset Judge Wiley was
brought into contact with leading men
of both political parties. In 1857 he was
again member of the house from New
London. The Hon e. A. Buckley, the
father of Governor Morgan G. Buckley
and of Lieutenant-G Governor William
H. Bulkeley, was the speaker Of the
house. Alexander Holley, Of Salisbury,
was the governed. In the two houses
were Judge Nathaniel Shipman, now of
the United States circuit court; James |
E. English, Charles r. Ingersoll. ex-
Speaker Charles II. Briscoe of Enfield |
and Judge Dwight Looms In 1859 !
Judge Wiley was a member Of the
state senate from the old Seventh dis |
trict The Hon. Augustus Brandegee
was in the house from New London tina |
year. Thirty years after his fret SER
vice in the house Judge Wiley was
again elected a member, being chosen
rom the town of East Haddam. The
Hon. Lynde Harrison was the speaker
ind Samuel l.. Bronson, who was the
candidate fer governor Of
he state last fall, was member of the
rouse from New Haven A. Chamber
tate officers; Ell y. Weeks Of Litch-
ield and Thaddeus Fl. Spencer Of Suf-
ield were also members. The Hon. r.
}. Hubbard was the governor and
Francis B. LOOMS the lieutenant-gov-
rnor. Judge Harrison, as speaker, ex-
ended special courtesies to Judge Will
ay, giving him places of responsibility
n the commltteeships
Judge Wiley has been on terms of p
ntimacy and friendship with the lead
az members of the republican party
ince its organization, and has wide
throughput the etate.
lie is one Of the Oldest living gradu-
ties Of Wesleyan graduating In 1889, 9
al he CO.. IJt1H11a rd L
aceived his diploma from Yale. Judge ]
Wiley expects to be at Wesleyan at the
this year, when Presi-
ent Mckinley win be the guest Of the 6