The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-10

Before another month has ended, the
County Court system Of Virginia. hoary
with age, antedating the Commonwealth
ttpclf. Will hnvo become a memory OF
the past. u
All over tho State, judges and clerks
I und court officials generally are prcpar-
ing for Il change that Is revolutionary In
rs effects. The ancient regime, born in
colonial days, when the land was young,
will be swept aside to give way to q new
order &C things, under which but one
Judge and one clerk will administer the
affairs. criminal and chancery. Through
many long years the County Court has
been essentially tho tribunal Of the pco
pic; the center Of local history the
Il assembling ground Of tho cOuntryman
and his farm neighbor. Around It the
" traditions and the records of the years
were gathered; 1t Will now Itself be-
i come Il record of the past. Its leave of
4 life, from this point, is short, and the
numbered hours Will soon bring its cS-
Il 5siatence to a close &i8
In the majority OF cases tho chansc@ts
Imminent. Tomorrow the County Courts
viii begin their last term Certain cases
will be disposed Of Immediately and then
. the books Will be closed for good and all.
and made ready for the tran nffer. week
later the Circuit Courts will gather and
& wind mp their work, under the present
jurisdiction. Just two weeks from that
date-on February 1st--thc new Circuit
4 Court armed with the powers OF both OF
1hr old tribunals will enter; and VIII
assume the rclns Of government. Old
judges will 90 out, and new ones VIII
take the bench; IN Il number of In
stances changes in cerkships Will also
occur.
The Henrico Court.
The passing of the County Courts Is of
particular interest locally. In tile effect
4 the change will have upon the affairs OF
1icnrico county.
The January term of the Hcnrico Court
will begin tomorrow morning and VIII
probably be brief No grand jury has
J. been summoned a few cases will be
tried. and everything will be made ready
for tho transfer. The docket Will be
gotten In shape and everything else will
be arranged On the Monday following
tho Circuit Court Will assemble and do
likewise. Both judges will bid farewell 10
the bench and one Of tho clerks goes
out.
The new Circuit Court will meet on
February 1st. 1t will be presided over
by Judge r. Carter Scott. named BY the
Legislature for the new position, The
clerk of the county will be Mr.. Samuel
y. Waddill, heretofore clerk OF tho Con',-
ty Court, Mr. John e. Broaddus, for the
past ten years clerk OF the Circuit Court.
will retire. Judge B. r.. Wexford, Of the
Circuit Court, and Judge y. Ashby Wick
ham. of tho County Court, VIII both
leave the bench. Both have been faithful
and efficient officers, ana have Won tho
respect and esteem of the county.
Sketch of It.
Henrico was ono of the eight original
shires into which tho colony OF Virginia
was divided in 1854. 1t has had eight
county clerks since the government was
established after tho war. The County
Court has existed from colonial times. a.
record in tho archives shows how upon
tho accession Of William and Mary in
the seventeenth century, the County
Court ordered the reading OF a proclama-
ton. the beating of drums and tho
blowing of flies.
Tho court was first held In Varina
District in 1859 it was moved to what Is
h now Twenty-second and lain Streets. IN
1919 It was honorcd In Il new building,
which upon the evacuation Of Richmond
in 1866 was burned, The courthouse was
rebuilt and demolished in 1885, when thc
present fine structure was erected.
AZ first tlhs court was distinctly y pco-
plc's body, Tho laws were administered
(. l.y a board OF magistrates, eHclcd Dy
I ,opillar vote. On court day the county
people assembled and transacted all Sorts
ut affairs. All the prominent people III
the sectlon turned out, In 1870 the IN
.lerwood Constitution went into effect
nnd the judgeslip MAS established judge
Il C, Minor WAS the first judge. he
was succeeded by Edmund Wnddill. Ir,
WIG served from 1850 to 1854. Judge
Minor then took pllargc again, and occu-
ncd the bench until 1904 IN tho latter
wear Judge r. .sshby Wickham WAS
elected The present clark of the court
Is Mr. Samuel r, Waddlll, who has held
the Office since 1871.
Famous Cases.
A number of famous cases make the his
tory OF the ancient court OF Hcnrlco
one Of unusual interest,
Most famous Of f%ull VAS the trial Of
Jetel Phillips, who was examined before
TIC court and then sent 10 the Circuit
Court Squire George W. Thomas was
cne of the Defendants lawyers, and
Phillips confessed his crime to him after
he was sentenced TO he hanged. lho
murderer had married u girs-Who n,lrsed
4 lin in q serious Illness lie brought her
10 Richmond and for Il brief period they
lodged at tho Virginia House here. Phil
lips said to Squire Thomas that he was
~ smddsnlv seiZed with all insane desire