The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-10-05
JUDGE B F. WEBER.
For Twenty Four Years He Has Worn
the judicial Ermine.

the judicial Ermine.
New Tim, Oct l.-B. f. Weber,
Judge of the ninth judicial district, who,
by his own volition, retires from the Of
flee at the close OF his present term,
will be seventy-threc years of age on
Oct. 6, and is still well-preseryed and
vigorous man.
Judge Weber was born at Shap-
leigh Me-, and in his youth learned the
trade of carpenter while lie was ac-
quiring an education that would enable
him to teach, school. In following the
trade he. had learned, he spent several
years in Massachusetts,, going from
that state to Blue Earth county in this
state in 1868, where he taught several
terms of school and took up the study
Of law under the direction of Fl. S. Will
son at Garden City and at MadeIia
l. Having acquired knowledge of law
sufficient to permit of his being adj
mitted to practice by the legislature. he
came to this city. Being a Yankee
among Germans and the only attorney
in the city, he had monopoly. of the
business until John Lind arrived few
years later and started opposition. Mr..
Weber practiced law in New Tim for
ten years, during which he held the Of,
Of off
OF until 1882, in which year he was
nominated for the office of district
judge.
The convention which nominated him
to the judgeship was held in Turner hall
and was composed of forty-siN dele
gates, all the counties in the district
being represented. There We're two.
other candidates. Summer Ladd of ST..
Peter and Alf Walden of Redwood Falls
Redwood county sent two delegations
to the convention, and in the dissatis-
faction that arose from the settlement
OF the question as to which should sit
in the convention. one set of delegates
walked out Mr.. Weber was nominated
on the first ballot, getting all but nine
of the votes.
The name of Mr.. Weber was placed
in nomination by John Lind. who was
at that time mere boy. At that time
Mr.. Lind said: SIN bis nomination
and consequent election the people will
secure Il Judge whose ability is second
and whose, character as man and a
citizen stands forth unblemished and
respected by all classes. OF him it will
never be said that he is rusty Judge"
Tn the quarter of century that Mr.
Weber has held the office he has full
filed this prediction and to this day,
when he is somewhat bowed with age,
there is the fire of youth in his eye,
and the vigor of young manhood in his
actions. Wear out he might, but rust
out. never.
I. 1t was the lot of Judge W.ebber to
preside over two, trials in which the
prisoner was charged with murder i'll
the first degree and conviction re-
suited The eases were William Rose,
in Redwood county, charged with the
murder of Moses Lufkins, and the Holden
case. also in Redwood. The Judge also
presided in the first trial of DR.. G. r.
Koch, charged with the murder of L. A.
Gebhardt and also OBLIGATED in one of
the trials of Mr.. and Mrs. Tanke for
the murder of John Wellner in Nicollet
county.
Judge Webber is fine sample of the
rugged New Highlander. With a keen
sense of right and wrong and heart
that is tuned to the finest strains of
Justice, he does his duty, looking only
to an approving conscience for justifca-
ton. He has a pleasant though very
modest home on Broadway in this~city.
One sen and his wife constitute his fam
lIE.