The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-04

William Logan Martin. Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives. and for twenty years prominent in the public life of the State, is dead at his home on Montgomery street. Stricken with violent and acute at- tack of pneumonia. he grew steadily worse until he breathed his last at 10:4s o'clock last night.
 The gloom of his desperate illness has been upon the legislators in the closing days of the session. He laid down the gavel of his office of honor and trust on Monday last, never to take it up again
 The men who had honored him above their fellows, heard daily. al- most hourly. from his bedside. but the news they heard was uniformly disquieting and alarming.
 No man among them doubted that he had weakened himself by the con- scientious and energetic application to his duties of speaker--the same con- scientiousness which has characterized his private and public life.
 Health. Undermined by Work
 Since he was called to the chair of energetic in meeting every responsi bility of the high place, and his fellow members of the Legislature fear he had, through his Iabors, weakened his strength too much to meet the violent attack of pneumonia which beset him. Friends and loved ones could do noth- ing but wait and hope until hope could no longer be entertained.
 MT. Martin Is survived by his widow and six children. two sons and four daughters. Mrs. Martin was formerly County, Alabama. His children are Mrs. Harry c. Abell of New York City; Thomas w Martin, Assistant Attorney General of Alabama; William l.. Mar tin, Jr., a cadet at West Point, and Misses Kathleen, Helen and Susie Mar tin.
 Life Rich in Acc0mpIisbments.
 MT. Martins public life has been rich in accomplishments. He never trod the primrose paths of public life where the honors were accompanied with high emolumepts and small duties His work for the State has been in the laborious and exacting places, where the labor has been arduous and the greatest returns have been in the satisfaction which comes with duties well done
 Conscientiousness has characterized MT. Martins whole life. It mattered not whether he was young man dis charging the duties of a Register in ChGncery, or the Code Commissioner of Alabama Every duty was discharged with zeal and fidelity. Though he laid down to rest in the meridian of life. as Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives, his greatest accomp- lishment was the drafting of the Code of 1896 of the State of Alabama.
 Drafted Code of 1896.
 The Code is an instrument of which ;he bar of Alabama has been justly proud The Alabama lawyers have been accustomed to boast of this Code "as the best Code of any State in the
 A compliment to the Code has al- ways been accompanied by a compli- rnert to MT. Martins ability and con scientiousness in it's preparation.
 MT. Martin was q man who cared but little for the limelight of public life He was never aggressive in thrusting himself forward for office or exertiug himself to win the applause of the public. In public, as in pri- vate life, he was essentially modest. and he was content with discharging his duty so as to meet the appreciation of his conscience rather than to take a forward place, for public approval. In whatever capacity he has served, he has managed to win unqualified praise for his accomplishments.
 -NakZ been familiar with the public life and with public men. said since this session began, of Mir. Martins service as clerk: .He was the best legislative clerk 1 ever knew. l have known many. but never knew any to equal him."
 Returns to Law Practice.
 After the expiration of his five years term as Attorney General. Mir. Martin entered upon the practice of law in Moutgomery He maintained, however. an ofice at Scottsboro. with Hon. Vir- gil Bculdin as a partner. His practice at the bar of Montgomery was broken only by his distinguished services as Code Commissioner in lS96
 In recent years. he has been assUcia- ted in the practice or law with his son rThomas w Martin, Assistant Attorney c,aneraI of Alabama. MT. Mar in had The highest regard and esteem of his fellow attorneys of the Montgomery har He devoted himself unremitting- Iv to the practice of his profession, and v9as known as one of the most jealous, If one of the most modest. lawyers of the state.
 Mr. Martin last year announced him aaIf as A candidate for Representative