Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-22
DEATH OF WILL A. HARRIS is
CAUSE OF MOURNING
HAD LONG BEEN RESIDENT OF
LOS ANGELES
Body Will Lie In State Until 2:so
O'clock and Funeral VIII
Be Held at This
Afternoon

tnat VIII A. Harris died the night be-
fore thousands of persons were sad
dened by the news. Members OF the
legal fraternity all over the state
politicians as well as the temperance
people and the great mass of people
who had admired him as an orator
grteved that so useful a life had been
cut short in the height of his career
Mr.. Harris death came as a sudden
shock to his family and friends, as 1t
was thought that he was regaining his
strength, which had been sadly taxed
the past year by a continuous run of
hard legal battles.
Mr.. Harris died at Arrowhead Springs
near San Bernardino, Tuesday night,
following an attack of heart trouble.
He had gone to that resort ten days
previous, confident that a few days
rest would improve his health His
sons visited him Sunday and reported
their father in an improved condition.
Monday Mr.. Harris was stricken with
heart failure and from that time stead
lily declined until the hour of his DEATH
Mrs. Harris was notified of her hus-
bands condition and was with him the
last hours. The two sons Lama A. and
Herbert Leslie Harris, both of whom
reside in Los Angeles, were also noti-
fed and went to the springs by auto
and accompanied the body to this city
Prominent Figure
For the past thirty years Mr.. Harris
has been one of the prominent figures
in California.
AS a lawyer and public speaker his
fame was not confined to the states
boundary His last legal battle, the
Haddock will case, will long be remem-
bered for his eloquent arguments,
which, when completed, left him almost
a physical wreck
His argument before the jury, which
proved to be his last, was masterpiece
and at times his weakness overcame
him and he was forced to pause.
At the end he was very weak and
staggered from the court room, never
again to take up legal work He
fought well for his clients, giving his
life's strength.
William A. Harris was born Febru-
ary Is, 1854, on a plantation near New
bern, Dyer county. Tennessee His
father was Major Albert Gallatin Har-
ris of the Confederate army. His
mother was born Miss Elizabeth Has
sell.
His college education was received
at Cumberland college, Lebanon, Tenn.
He completed his study of the law in
the office of Col Grant, one of the best
known and ablest lawyers of Memphis,
Tenn, at that time. He was admitted
to the bar at the age of 10, and in part
HSISilP Will bISSS, HOW VI
Jackson, Tenn, practiced for a short
time at Alamo, Tenn.
District Attorney at %
At the age of 81 he started for the
Willamette valley in Washington. He
spent some time in Indian Territory
and Texas on the way, and stopping in
San Bernardino he determined to re-
main there. He became associated
with Senator John Satterwhite in San
Bernardino, but at the age of 23 was
elected district attorney of San Ber-
nardino county, a position he held for
one year, resigning to go to Leadville,
Colo.
Mr.. Harris lived in Leadville two
years, during the period of greatest ex-
citement in that camp. He then re-
turned to San Bernardino and remained
there practicing law until 1898, when
he came to Los Angeles and became a
member of the Los Angeles bar, re-
naming so until the time of his death.
While in San Bernardino he was for
seven years member of the board of
education, and for two years president
of the board This part of his record
is one of which he was particularly
proud. 1t was largely through his in
fluence that the schools of San Ber-
nardino were brought to a high stand
ard. He was one of a number of gen.
tlemen in San Bernardino who were in
strumental in securing the services of
Prof Alexander Z. Frye. who after
ward, on appointment of President Nc
Kinley, superintendent the reorganiza-
ton of the schools in Cuba.
In Criminal Law
Up until 1895 Mr.. Harris engaged in
practice of criminal law. The first
case he tried which attracted any con-
Nf he
People VS.. Marlette where, as volunteer
counsel. he successfully defended
woman charged with murder, She
shot a man who had attempted an as
sault upon her daughter
The last criminal case of any conse-
quence tried by Mr.. Harris was when
he with Ben Goodrich defended Kid
Thompson. charged with the Roscoe
train wreck.
Mr.. Harris gave a great deal of at
tention to mining cases, and at the age
of about thirty conducted one of the
most celebrated suits ever begun in
this part of the state, known as the
Silver King case. This case was stub
bornly contested through all the courts
and a final decision was had from the
United States supreme court
One of the last cases Mr.. Harris tried
was the Big Three Mining case in Los
Angeles county In San Bernardino he
was connected with the contest over the
will of James G.. Burt and the last case
that he tried before his death was the
contest of the Haddock will in Los An
geles county Mr.. Harris was counsel for
the Red Cloud Mining company in its liti-
cation against s. P. Creasinger.
He was leading counsel for the plaintiff
in the case of Kelly VS.. Potter Hotel
company, in which Mrs. Kelly received
the sensational verdict of 1888 He was
leading counsel in the two cases of YER
non VS.. Southern Pacific Railroad com
pany, in which the first verdict was s27 500
and the second $4,000. These cases had
given him a good deal of prominence as
q, damage lawyer at the time of his death.
although he never made any attempt to
specialize in that line
He had been counsel in many water
cases of large consequence, having had a
hand in determining title to the water in
Lytle creek, and within the last year or
two was one of counsel in the case of
John Burr VS.. Maclay Rancho Land and
Water company. Mr.. Harris was also
counsel for the Yellow Aster people in all
the heavy litigation which finally estab-
lished the rights of Singleton, Burcham