The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1902-01-25
OPELOUsAs. PARISH OF LANDRY. JANUARY 25.
Death of Judge CulIOm.


ing at 5 O'Clock, aged 78 years,
and was buried in the public GEM
etery at Opelousas on Sunday, the
9th inst.
Edward Northcraft Cullom WAS
born in Opelousas Sept. IA, 1924.
His faher, Francis Cullom, moved
to and settled in the parish of
Avoyelles when he was s years old,
and opened up cotton plantation
in the canebrake, where the son
worked with the hands. At the
age of II years he was placed
at school in Mansura. He re-.
manned there one year. In 184l his
father employed private teacher,
Jas. T. Mackay, who fought IS
months, and in 1S45 he was again
placed under a private teacher.
In the same year he entered Frank
lin College at Opelousas. He re-
mained there but five months,
when the college went down. On
the 1st of March, 1916, he entered
Centre College at Danville, Ky.
He remained but one session Of
five months, owing to his fathers
financial embarrassment. Con-
tinued his studies, however, seclu-
ded in the garret of his boarding
house, until April, 1S47, when he
took up the first volume of Black
stones Commentaries in the law
Office of Jeremiah I. Boyle, a
practiclng lawyer in that beautiful
town. His father being unable to
send him money, he subsequently
went IN the country, in the neigh
borhood of Danvilie, and got up
u school which he taught salts
factorily for about "a months.
Feb. 80, 1S46, he married Miss
Mary J. Gilmore, of Danvllle.
He obtained in March, 1859, a
license to practice law in Ken
lucky, and in the early part of
November of that year he re-
turned to Louisiana, where he
took up the study of the civil
law, and with it resumed the
functions Of a country pedagogue
in Bayou Chicot, in the northern
part of the parish of St. Landry.
On Sept. Z, 1850, he was licensed
by the Supreme Court of Louis
lana, at Opelousas, to practice
law. On April l, 1851, he opened
his law Office in partnership with
his father in Opelousas. He sus-
ceeded from the start. Edited
the St. Landry Whig in 1852 and
1858, he being an ardent Whig in
politics. Was elected to the lower
house Of the general assembly in
the fall of 1858, as a Wing.
In the fall of 1855 his father
died, and in the summer of 1856
he left St. Landry to establish
himself at Marksville. He soon
got into a fair practice, and in
1858 was elected to the district
court bench, his district then
comprising the parishes of Ra-
pides and Avoyelles. Was re-
elected in 1861 and again in 1865
the last time without opposi-
ton. He was each time run and
elected as an independent candi-
date. In the beginning of 1858
he settled in New Orleans to
practice law. In 1872 he was
efficient in the effort to establish
Liberal party in the State, and
was nominated by it as a candi-
date for the bench of the 9Th dis
trict court of the parish Of Or
leans. He was elected, and as
judge served four years. AT the
expiration of his term he again
began the practice of law ane
formed a law firm composed oi
himself and Henry G. Castellanos
a very eminent criminal lawyer
Their practice soon became heavy
He remained in New Orleans un
til the fall of 1883, when it be
came necessary for him to leave
the city, family health requirin
/ it, and settle on farm which ht
/ owned in AvoyeIles. In 1894 b.
] was commissioned by JudgesDol
A. Pardee, Of the circuit court o.
the United States, as one of tn
circuit court commissioners TO
| the western district of Louisiana
During a period of nearly fit.
years he had been writing forth
press, having a decided penchan
! for that kind of intellectual exer
else. He was by nature a man O.
the people. He possessed market
| individuality, and never sacrifice
a principle for temporary advan
tages. In politics he was indie
pendent, never voting for can
didate simply because he was
nominee of party.
He returned to Opelousas Dec
%, 1889, where he followed th
practice of law until about thre
years ago, when he removed t
Lake Charles.
d For sale, three large black jacks
i Is hands high, standard measure
Ia, 8 and Z years old. Guarantee
.Is,1re foal getters and good pei