The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-11-20


ponent upon the Democratic ticket
being Henry Kyd Douglas, of Hagers-
/ town.
While practicing law, Judge Stake
displayed his public spirit by foster
ing many public enterprises. He was
one of the projectors of the Hagers-
| town water works and was its first
secretary. He was president of the
Citizens Development Company, of
Hagerstown, director in the Wind
sor Knitting Company and a large
| shareholder in the Herald Publishing
Company.
Judge Stake in the midst of his
professional duties found time to de-
vote to the study of agriculture. He
was one of the best friends the farm
ers of Washington county ever had.
He was leading spirit in the Mary
land State Farmers Association, of
which the late Gov. William 7. Ham
ilton was the first president snd
Judge Stake the second. At the re-
quest of the Association, Judge Stake
prepared an exhaustive and compre-
hensive report on taxation and fran
ed bill for a new system OF assess
ment, looking to the relief Of farmers.
The bill, however. failed of passage
in the Legislature, although most ably
advocated by Judge Stake and the
Republican members Of the General
Assembly.
Another enterprise in which Judge
Stake enlisted deep concern was the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal. When
he first began the practice of law he
entered into partnership with the
late Lewis Cass Smith and mainly
| through the efforts of Judge Stake,
Mr.. Smith was appointed president
of the canal company.
Judge Stake was member of the
Masonic fraternity, having served as
Past High Priest of Ithiel Lodge Roy
al Arch Masons and Past Master of
Friendship Lodge, A. T. and A. NJ
He was member of st. Bernard Com
mandery Knights Templar, and of
Boumi Temple, Mystic Shrine, of Bal
timore. At the dedication of the Ma
sonic Temple in Hagerstown he deliv-
cred the principal address and at the
laying of the corner stone of the AL
legany county court house, conducted
under the auspices of the Masons, he
rendered a kindred service.
Judge Stake was never married and
his immediate relatives consist of the
following brothers and sisters: John,
William, Mrs. c. II. Downs, Mrs. j.
L. Motter and Miss Elizabeth Stake,
of Williamsport, Md, and Melchor
Stake, of Cumberland.
Aside from his knowledge of the
law, Judge Stake was deep student
of other subjects, particularly of the
Bible. He was a devout lover of ma
ture, most profound thinker, a
graceful and most forcible writer,
possessing the ability to garb his
thoughts in the most ornate diction.
Judge Ferdinand Williams, who is
in Hagerstown, said Sunday night:
The death of Judge Stake comes
as a great shock, not only to his per-
sonal friends, but to the people of
Washington county and the Fourth
Judicial Circuit. Having served more
than ten years on the bench he was
widely known, and his ability as q
jurist held in respect. He was, in
fact, profoundly learned in law and
was remarkably familiar with decis-
ions of the Maryland Court of APP
peals. His memory was of eXtraordi-
nary power, and he was always pre-
pared with some decided case of close
analogy to apply to every question of
fact or law which came before him. "
Immediately upon receipt of the
news of Judge Stakes death a meet
ing of the Bar Association of Garrett
county was held to take suitable &C
ton. A committee composed of
Messrs. E. H. Sincell, Fred. A. Thayer
and Edwin l.. Mitchell was appointed
to draft a set of resolutions which
are appended below;
WHEREAS, The members of the
Bar Association of Garrett have been
grieved and shocked with the intelli-
gence of the death of Hon. Edward
Stake, one of the Associate Judges O.
the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Mary
land, which occurred at his home in
Hagerstown on Sunday evening,
November 16, 1902; and
WHEREAS, The sudden removal of
Judge Stake from his sphere of use
fulness to the bench, bar and people
of this circuit and State at a time
when he had just reached the full de-
velopment of his powers as a LAWYER
and judge, and while enjoying to the
fullest the confidence and esteem of
his friends and those with whom he
was daily brought into close and init
mate contact through the execution
and performance of the duties of his
high and exalted position has cast a
cloud of universal mourning over the
counties composing the circuit in
which he was so well beloved and
II