The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, 1902-09-21
THE SUPREME COURT BENCH.
The Resignation Of Judge Hal. Lewis
From That Position Necessitates
an Election.


The vacancy caused on the Supreme
Court Bench by the resignation of
Judge Hal. Lewis has precipitated
an election which is of paramount in
terest to the people of Georgia.
Among those whose names are
prominently mentioned is that Of
Judge John S. Gambler. whose rela,
;ionship to the present governor Of
The state makes his candidacy and
previous record a matter Of news inter
est 10 the people Of the state. We give
below a summarized history of his
political career, believing that cur
readers will be anxious to know all
that is possible in regard to the can
didates who aspire to the Supreme
bench
Judge Gambler was born in Carroll
county, Ga. in 1861. He is brother
o. Bishop Warren A. Gambler, asa G.
Gambler Of Atlanta. and Ex-Congress-
man Milton A Gambler, of the Fifth
Congressional District He is also
Arst cousin Of the present chief exec
utive Of this state. In 1887 Judge
Gambler was appointed Solicitor Gen
eral CT the Stcne Mountain Circuit by
General John r. Gordon. and at the
next session of the Georgia Legisla-
ture vas elected to fill the same q.
fee without opposition. In February.
1886. on the death Of Judge Richard
Il. Clark. Judge Gambler was appoint
ed by Governor w Y. Atkinson 10 fiji
ais unexpired term as judge Of the
Stone Mountain cireuit In October
Of tn same year. Judge Gambler was
elected. without opposition. to the.
same Office by the Georgia Legisla-
ture In 1900, Judge Gambler was re-
elected by the popular vote of the peo,
pie carrying every county in his cir
cult with the exception Of one, that
being the one in which his opponent.
one of the most popular lawyers in
Georgia, resided His home county,
DeKalb. gave him a larger vote than
was received by tn. governor and
state house ticket which had nc oppo-
sition. !.
While attending to. his own courts.
Judge Gambler nas found time to as
sist many of the other judges in the
state.
AS judge OF the Superior Courts Of
the Stone Mountain Circuit, he pre-
sides over the criminal branch CT the
Superior Court Of Fulton county. When
he went upon the bench Il required
twenty eight weeks to dispose Of the
criminal business of this county
Under his administration last year
court only sat in Fulton county
for eight weeks. thus reducing the
expe nzes Of this court from $4,000
to less than $1,000 per year. While
the records Of the courts show that
there was % per cent. less crime in
1891 than there was in 1896
When he went on the bench there
were city and county courts in most
OF the counties CT the Stone Mountain
Circuit All Of these courts. with
the exception of one have been
abolished, and at the same time
the Superior Court sessions in each
county in this circuit have been re-
duced from one.half to two-thirds of
the time that was formerly required
to dispatch the business Of these
courts. No old cases are on any Of
the Gockets in this circuit.
Judge Gambler has been Judge Advo-
cate General Of the Georgia State
Troops and Colonel Of the Fifth Regl-
meEt and was Colonel Of the Third
Georgia Volunteer Infantry in the
Spanish American war.