Bridgeton pioneer., 1901-01-03
CUMBERLAND COURTS.
The January Term of the New Gen.
tury Brings Many Changes From
Former Years, and the Session
is Now Fully Open

is Now Fully Open.
We, who have been attending Court
during the past fifteen years report
ing the various cases that were
brought to the attention of the
bar, have noticed many changes.
Pretty much everything has changed
about the place excepting the atmos-
phere in the Court room.
Various changes have been made
in the room and building. Steam
heat has been introduced and the
Kissing pet cocks make lively music
these cold mornings.
The bar enclosure has been changed
about considerably until now there
is about the most mi xed up, uncom-
Portable, unhandy and crowded con-
dition of affairs that has ever been
arranged, There has been no change
in pretty much everybody sitting up
in the bar enclosure, excepting the
officials and members of the bar who
should be there, and the reporters
table is always used as everybody's
hat rack.
The changes that are really notice
able to us, are however, brought to
mind because of the absence of the
late Judge Ludlow, from his accus-
toned place upon the bench.
A few years ago, Judge Reed came
upon the bench, a young man, and
no better Judge has ever graced the
chair than he Then he went into
the Chancery Court, and Governor
Ludlow stepped from political honors
to judicial distinction. He was a
little different from anyone we have
ever had here. He had a fine sense
of humor and an abundance of prac-
tical sense which he drew upon gen.
erously in the conduct of his cases.
We will never have another just like
him, and he Will be missed 1t was
during his encumbency that we had
the privilege of having Judge Gum
mere here. Judge Ludlow was de-
tained, and the celebrated Tren-
ton jurist came. What a magnif-
cent tpye of man for Judge. He
showed his ability all through the
session and it was evident that his
reputation as a jurist was fully de-
served.
And now we have Judge Garretson,
the most recent appointee to the
Supreme bench; Hudson county
Democrat, whose fame as lawyer
goes over the entire State. He is
grayer now than when we first
noticed him at the bar, but he is
straight as an arrow, dignified. sharp
and short, and delivers himself
promptly and without slightest dis
affection. This will not be his Dis
trict. He comes here but temporar-
lily to fill the vacancy caused by
death.
And then in these past fifteen
years, the Lay Judges have stepped
aside, relegated to home and freside,
and Law Judges have taken their
places. Cumberland has had two.
Judge Hoagland stepped from the
Prosecutors Office to take the place,
and for ten years was a capable pre-
siding officer of the lower Courts. w.
A. Logue went into the Prosecutors
office when Judge Hoagland left it,
and now both are out of official life.
giving their entire time and atten-
tion to their immense private prac-
tice.
\ 1t is Law Judge Thomas w.
Trenchard we have to-day, and his
reputation is fast building. He is an
IDEAL Judge and he commands the re-
spect and admiration of the entire
bar, and few of his legal colleagues
but bespeak for him a place upon the
Supreme Court bench little later.
James Hampton Fithian is Prose
cutoH and the youngest man who has
ever filed the place. He is success
full and gaining experience with
every term.
Sheriff Hendee has followed his
predecessors. He came after Chees-
man, who succeeded Shinn, and
Whitaker was his predecessor.
Uncle Kenny" Shaw was there in
the days of Judge Reed, and before
him was Sheriff Williams.
County Clerk Betchner came after
ten years of William B. Trenchard
and before him was the late Francis
Godfrey. The long service of Court
Crier Lewis Young was ended with
his strange, lonely death, and now it
is John Clevenstine.
And SO it goes, on and on, with
endless changes all the while, and
the years have brought us to the
opening of the new century.
The January term is upon us,
with the sessions of the various