The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1907-01-01
THE MEMORIAL
Adopted by Members Of
the Stark County Bar
Association
FOR LATE JUDGE RICKS

County Bar association, called
meeting of it's members yesterday af-
ternoon in court room No. 2. to take
action regarding the report of COM
mittees appointed on occasion OF the
death of Augustus j. Ricks.
Talks were given relating to the de-
ceased by F. l.. Baldwin, William A.
Lynch, Judge Harter and Robert H.
Day, and the following resolutions ap-
proved Many of the members of the
association we're present.
The committee appointed by the
December "a 1906, to draft a suitable
memorial to the late Judge Kicks, re-
spectfully submits the following:
Augustus j. Kicks, a resident of
Massillon, an honored member of this !
bar, and one of it's most active prac
titioners from November, 1875, to,
March 10, 1878, having died in New
York City on December %, 1906, we,
his brothers at the bar, desire to
place on record this humble tribute
to his memory.
Born in West Brookfield, in this
county, on February, TO- 1843, he with
| his parents moved to Massillon in
1853 Graduating from the high school
there, he spent the year 1861 at Ken
yon college, in 1862 enlisted and be-
came lieutenant in Co. E. 1O4th
regiment, Ohio volunteers, served with
singular ability and bravery to the
end of the war, then read law with
Judge Anson Pease in 1865; in 1866
went to knoxville, Tenn, where until
1870, he practiced law as a member
of the firm of Baxter, Champion &
Kicks, returning to Massillon In Feb
| ruary, 1857, to marry Miss Emma
Atwater; was then for FIVE years en-
gagged in publishing a daily newspa-
per in Knoxville; again returned to
Massillon in 1875, to become a part
ner of Judge Pease in the practice of
the law, among other cases taking an
active part for the defense in the cell
ebrated trial here of Mrs Amelia
Richardson, for the alleged murder Of
her husband in 1877-certainly for ar
! ray of counsel, interest and intensity
of effort the greatest lrial in the
; county for over fifty years; in March,
1878, was appointed by Judge Baxter.
his former partner, gclerk of the
United States circuit court tor the
Northern district of Ohio, and later
by Judge Martin Welker, clerk of the
United States district court also; and
in June, 1889, by the appointment OF
President Harrison, on the recommen-
dation of President Mckinley, then
congressman of this district, he be-
came Judge of the United States dis
, triet court for the district above men
toned, which position he held until
he died. His ten years residence in
Knoxvlne was in the early days OF
+ reconstruction after the war, when
5 sectional and party feeling ran high
O. and the constant exercise OF mora
0 and physical courage of the highest
0 order was demanded and in his life
0 and work there he never for one mo-
ment finched. While living there h'
0 time. the secretary of the Ku Klux in
0 yestigating committee, when he wrote
U also to his own and other newspa
U pers especially TO the old Cincinnati
v Commercial.
v His clerkship marks the beginning
of what may be called his public ca
y reer. The rapid and great growth o.
= the population and business of th'
. state, and especially of the city o
~ ~ Cleveland, in the sos, immensely in
~ creased the work of the federal courts
N in commercial, patent, railroad, mar
NJ inc, in fact all kinds of litigation
N which made necessary the referenc
NJ and hearing out of court of many mos
N important causes. The early hearing
20 and reports of Mr.. Kicks, as refere
20 and master commissioner. SHOVE
10 him possessed of exceptionally hig
10 ability, Judgment and rectitude in tn
10 line of work, so that the hearing G
DO later cases fell to him naturally an
acceptably. General recognition
his ability and success in these sem
judicial positions, coupled with his /
I'd gal training and practice, and hi
n high character as man, pointed
as him as the proper person for judge {
OF the United states district court
no the early part of 1889, on the retir'
a. ment of Judge Welker from the pos
er ton, which it was known in the ia
%, of 1888, would then occur.
10 During the first four years of h
on service as Judge, his work was Ii
- borious, painstaking and console
- tious. No research was too great,
~ "a hearing too long or too tedious
az enable him to form his judgmen
ow
en- us.. vo,,- IoInts are stl1