The Newtown bee., 1901-11-01


named, as acting subcommittee on
said revision. In 1882 he published a
work entitled "Travels in Cuba and
the Republic of Santo Domingo" and
in the same year he translated and
published an address delivered by him
in Spanish before the Dominican Con-
gress during the celebration of the
seth anniversary of the National INDIE
pendence of that little Republic.
In 1873 Mr. Sherman was elected
judge of the Probate Court by the COM
bination of both parties of his district, |
which was then, as now, strongly DEM
ocratic, and though he declined re-
nomination his name was again
brought forward for the office. He re-
fused nomination for senator of the
Eleventh district when S. P. Glover OF
Newtown was elected in his place on
the ticket, and he then stated in the
Senatorial convention, of which he
was member, that he desired to hold
no office either in church or state. In
spite of this, however, the convention
in 1874 nominated him for senator of
the Eleventh, in his absence and with
out his consent, on Friday preceding
the following Mondays election, of
| which he had no knowledge until late
on the following Saturday, thereby de-
priving him alike of the opportunity
to withdraw in time to name his sue
cessor, or to devote any proper atten-
tion to the canvass; in consequence
his competitor was elected. Mr. Sher-
man was delegate to the Republican
| State convention at New Haven in 1880,
for the nomination of the Presidential
electors, and to his well-remembered
speech on offering an amendment to
the resolution proposing to bind the
Connecticut delegates at Chicago to
vote for particular parties therein
named, he moved to add after the
names mentioned in the resolution the
| words: cor any other man whom the
National convention at Chicago in
their wisdom shall see fit to nominal to-"
His amendment was carried with loud
cheers and applause, and it is believed
that the consequent attitude taken by
the Connecticut delegation largely
contributed to the solution of the
Presidential problem at Chicago.
In 1860 Mr. Sherman married young
Cuban lady, Dona Mercedes Montejo,
daughter Of wealthy sugar planter.
On the breaking out Of the rebellion
in Cuba, in 1868, her only brother, Col
Don Eduardo, fell at the head of his
troops at the siege of Las Tunas, and
shortly afterward her excellent and
venerable father, after having emanci-
pated all his slaves, if not in conse-
quence thereof, was cruelty assassina
ted in cold blood by Spanish hirelings,
and his widow and children and grand
children, having three times narrowly
escaped from houses fired in the night
time and burned to the ground, fled to
the woods for shelter, and lived in the |
forests of Cuba for months to escape |
the fury of war. On learning of their
sad condition Mr. Sherman promptly !
sent for them to take refuge with him
in this country, they having been strip |
ped of their property by coniscation,
pillage and fire. Mrs Montejo, with |
her daughter and son-in-law and six
grandchildren, and two elderly female
servants, in response came to Brook
field in April, 1871, where they remain
ed over two years with him, the chill
dren attending school. Afterward,
for the purpose OF receiving better ed
ucational facilities, he removed the /
family to Danbury, where they remain
ed five years; three of the elder chill
dren, however, were sent to school in
New York City, and one of them is
now practicing lawyer of high prom
Use. About 1871, after 20 years Of sue
cessful practice of his profession in
New York City, Mr. Sherman retired
to his native town, wherT he resided
at the time of his death, dividing his
time between literary and professional
pursuits and the cultivation Of his
homestead farm, which he had enlarg-
ed by purchase and greatly improved.
Living without ostentation, and with
out bOasting of either poverty or
| riches, MT OucTIudl WIS keeIlly alive
to every public Improvement, showing
large-hearted libcrality to every meri-
torious cause. All who knew him in
timately enjoyed his cordial hospital
ity, and, in fact, no person, however
lowly, was ever turned away hungry
from his door. OF the strictest integ-
rity, his word has been his bond in all
business transactions. Though of
pronounced opinions on many subjects,
he has never pushed them unduly upon
the attention of others, and in society
he was always the genial gentleman
'sto the manner born.''
The Sherman family is one of the
oldest in the locality, our subject
tracing his descent from Samuel Sher-
man, who, in 1884, came to America
from Dedham, County of Essex, Eng
land, accompanied by brother, John,
and first cousin also named John. He
> located at Stratford, Conn.,, and the
others settled in Watertown, Mass. On
the ship on which Samuel Sherman
made the voyage was another passen-
ger, Miss Sarah Mitchell, whom he
married after the arrival in the New