The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-11-15
In Memenoria111 of Judge
MLSeverance of this CITY


be became at once prominent, in the
Minnesota valley. He subsequently re-
moved to Mankato, where he became a
partner of the Hon. ID. A. Dickinson,
who was soon elected Judge of the
sixth judicial district, and later became
one of the judges of the supreme
court of the state
| Companion Severance removed to st.
Paul in 1881, and was for a short
time, engaged in law practice with w.
| p. Warner, Esq, of that city, But
he soon returned to Mankato and
on the elevation of Judge Dickinson
to the supreme bench, June %, 1881,
he was appointed by Governor Pills
bury, to fill the uneXpired vacancy
Though now affiliating with the dem
ocratic party, yet such was his rec
ognized ability, that he was nominated
by republican convention, and for
three successive terms, of six years
each, without opposition, was elected
to the district bench.
As a judge, Companion Severance
had few, if any equals, and certainly
no superior in our state. We do
not disparage the supreme court by
saying, that his superior never sat
on that bench 1t is fact, given
on the highest authority, that fewer
of his decisions were reversed by the
supreme court, than that of any other
district Judge in the state.
He never allowed his personal feel
inos to interfere with the stern de-
mands of justice. He was possessed
of Roman infexibility of character.
His long years of service and constant
fairness, endeared him to all the mem
bers of the bar. To young lawyers, he
was one of the most helpful of judges.
His mind and his habits were emf
nently judicial. In those qualities
which 90 to form great Judge, we
; can not fairly name his equal, in the
state. His memory will long survive
with courts and bar, for the eX-
traordinary merit of his judicial char
: acter. There was not a tingle of the
; demagogue in his composition; but he
was ever open, manly and brave.
For many years he had been sorely
afflicted with double goitre. This
enlargement of the glands of the neck,
increased in later years, till it Slapped
his vitality. While he had serious
misgivings as to the outcome, he
resolutely insisted on an operation
: A few hours after he was removed
from the operating table, on the 10th
of July, 1907, the destroying angel
dismissed an arrow to his heart, and
: all that was mortal of Martin Juan
Severance ceased to exist.
l Companion Severance was married
June is, 1858, to Elizabeth p. Van
), Horn. a most estimable lady OF
4 Chickopee, Massachusetts, and q daugh
: ter of Lester Van Horn, of old knick'
> erbocker ancestry; who were among
I the first Dutch settlers of New York
The widow still survives and resides
: at the old homestead in Mankato. TC
y this union, three children were born
I Winthrop G., who died in Mankato
u at the age OF thirty nine; Frank q.
| engaged in railroading in Nebraska
0 and Nettie j., now the wife of William
c.. Henline cashier of the German
: American Bank of Mankato.
| But no notice of this singularly able
{ man, would be, in any sense, com
9 plete which did not include observa
i tions upon his intellectual power, hi
y culture, and his personality. His ca
e pacity was of the highest order. His
, memory was quick and retentive. Ill;
d imagination was vivid and creative
e His reading was vast and varied. Hl'
knowledge of history, both ancient ant
e modern, was indeed most remarkable
u His written compositions are models
1 of concise and classic finish. Mex
e to Cushman X. Davis, he was tn
= most finished and polished writer TIN
Is state has yet produced. Between thes'
C two eminent men, a singular friendship
le existed. 1t is to be profoundly re
l. GREETED that Judge Severances admir-
able compositions were chiefly devotet
Is to elegics and eulogies upon the dis
+ tinguished dead of his profession, ant
u are lost in the dusty tones of cour
T. reports, where they are cruelty con
II signed to oblivion. They are seale'
/ to all save the legal profession. Hi
conversation was rich in fancy AM
e learning. His sarcasm was fearful, bu
/ sparingly used. Those who venture'
D to attack him, have reason to remem
Der his repartee, as a man who ha
u touched an electric eel, is conscious o
: the response. OF diction, he wa
L master, and the structure of his sen
III fences were as finished as those o
/ Burke himself.
:, In religion, like Franklin, he be
lieved in his God and his Immortality
:, but had little mercy on sects, agains
- whom he sometimes hurled violen
anathemas. His vast and varie'
: knowledge, endowed with history of al
times, and especially well provides
!, with the personal portion of historical
: lore, made him very interestin
= talker on proper occasions. He wa
fond of curious and recondite knowl
:, edge, a prodigious reader of books an
ferreted out all manner of odd litera