The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-09-07

st. Paul. He continued to serve in
that office until he succeeded his chief
in January 1893. General Childs was
renominated and reelected by his party
in 1894 and was again renominated in
1896 and reelected, serving six years al
firm continued under that name until
ADri! 1905. when ;r. yIickwire went to
New York. Upon his departure the firm
became Childs & Edgerton.
General Cmlds. o1icial relations with
together.
After retiring from public life General
Childs entered into the partnership OF
Childs, Edgerton & Wickwire, and the
the state We're Away: marked by strict
attention to the du g of his office. lie
always declined ret: iners' fees while in
the public service and his constant aim
was always to do his work well and inn
partially. General Childs has been con-
nected with many important cases, both
civil and criminal. In these he distm
guished himself as man of great
breadth and force.
He figured in the William Rose murder
case and also i'm the case of Clifton
Holden, which involved the validity of
the solitary confinement statute, and it
was finally sustained by the United
States supreme court after much litiga-
ton. General Childs instituted several
suits against oil companies when the oil
inspection service was demoralized, and
he succeeded in enriching the state
treasury by large sums collected from
the defendant companies. He repre-
scented the state in the famous Fl. o.
Peterson case, involving the validity of
statute for the removal of county Of
ficers, and achieved complete victory
| for the state. He served the state in
| the matter of Dart, treasurer of Meeker
/ county, who was finally ousted from of
| flee by decision of the court.
Another public service performed by
General Childs was his investigation and
report on the business methods of num-
Der of bond investing companies, which
resulted in their leaving the state. He
! argued the Brown and Redwood county
tax cases before the United States SUI
preme court which involved the con-
struction of grant of public lands and
he was successful in both cases. Togeth-
err with G. B. Edgerton, he assisted the
county attorney of Pine county in sew
eral actions for the enforcement of taxes
against a number of companies and indi-
viduals who had secured long contracts
| for cutting and removing timber from
lands granted to railroads, with view
| to evading taxation. The taxes in all
cases were held valid and were collected.
Another important service performed by
General Childs was in securing the de-
cision of the state supreme court to the
effect that the state is a preferred credi-
tor whenever it has claims against an
linsolvent.
| Another case in which General Childs
was a prominent figure was the Gebhard
murder trial some two years ago at New
Ulm. He put forth every effort in this
case, and his friends assert that never
since then has he enjoyed good health.
The nervous strain, the incessant work,
told on him, and since that time he has
been on steady decline.
| In 1895 he made an exhaustive report
to the legislature upon the Swiss initia-
tive and referendum, which received ia
vOrable comment and was extensively
called for. As an evidence of his literary
work and ability stands his Columbian
address delivered in 1892 before the Min
nesota State Historical society. He also
delivered a eulogy on General John b.
Sanborn before the state historical So
a literary effort, and embraced an his
torical sketch of General Sanborn's life
as citizen, soldier and lawyer.
| General Childs was a member of the
Masonic order. He attended for many
years the Olivet Congregational church
in Merriam Park where he resided. He
was also director in the Second Ma
tional bank, member of the county and
state bar associations, and has often
been affiliated with charitable move
ments in the city. Although General
Childs' charitable work has always been
done in a quiet, transformations way, he
has been very liberal in donating to char
table causes.
General Childs was quite well known
in Mankato. His appearance as the at
torney for the prosecution in the Koch
case brought him in contact with many
people here. A year ago he delivered the
Memorial day address which was a mas
terpiece of oratory.
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