Semi-weekly herald., 1908-08-20

the end ever since the warning he re
ceived two years ago. His affairs had
all been adjusted and are In perfec,
order.
Because OF his judicial capabiIity
MS record as attorney for the Denver
Rio Grande railroad at Alamosa,
and his personal characteristics, Judge
sumner was one of the most thorough.
ly respected men In the state. He
had been in Colorado twenty-eight
years at the time Of his death and was
widely known and esteemed. both I'm
Denver and in the Durango district
where he had once served as district
attorney. later succeeding Judge Chas.
u. Hayt on the district bench.
Of late years about half of Indigo
Summers time has been spent in Ala.
mosa and the other half in Denver.
where his family lived. The legal af.
tairs OF the Rio Grande and a splen-
d1d practice which he had built up.
kept him in Alamosa about every alter.
nate week, the weeks intervening he
ing spent here at home. He was n
member of the Alamosa post of the
u. A. r. and always took a deem in.
terest In that organization, having
served as Its commander at one time
BESIDES his g. A. r. affiliations, Judge
sumner was member Of the Delta
Kappa Epsilon college fraternity and
also of the Phi Beta Kappa. an hon.
orary society based on proficiency I'm
college studies.
Personally. Judge Sumner was of N
studious, judicial mind, retiring in dis.
position and given to spending more
time with his books than In any other
form of amusement. His law libraries
both here and In Alamosa. are among
the finest In the state. From every
side yesterday came messages of sin.
cere coincidence, sent to the Sumner
nome by those who had known and
loved him in his lifetime. Railroad
men, attorneys, comrades of the civil
war, all Joined in expressing their sym.
pathy for the loss sustained by Mrs.
sumner. and in commenting upon his
lovable qualities among themselves.
George T. Sumner was born in AID.
pleton. Me-. January 30, 1874. After
preliminary academic education he
entered Bowdoin college. but left to
Join the federal army at the age of
IL, during the second year of the civil
war. while s>rving with one of the
Maine regiments. he was captured and
held prisoner IA Fortress Monroe. from
which place he was removed to hos
pital. For over a year after leaving
the army the young man walked on
crutches, but he returned to college
and graduated with the class of '66,
winning scholarship honors.
His first legal experience was with
a law firm in Omaha. Neb., but after
q few years there, he moved to She
boygan. Wis. and began to build up
a practice Of his own. He was sue
cessful and served for some years as
district attorney there.
1t was in sheyboygan. in 1872, that
Judge Sumner married Miss Rather
Inc Marsh, and 1t was there that both
their children were born. Charles M.
Sumner, the son, is stock broker in
ls, 4 H.
faculty at the University of Wisconsin.
at Madison. Both children have been
notified and are expected to arrive in
Denver tomorrow evening.
In 1880 Judge Sumner moved to
Colorado with his family. and settled
In Durango. His ability soon won him
the office Of district attorney for the
Sixth district, and when Judge C. d.
Hayt retired from the bench, Judge
Sumner succeeded him. After six
years Of judicial service. Judge Sum-
ner retired to his private practice
again and also took up the legal work
OF the Rio Grande railroad in that
part Of the state. He has been occu-
pied In that work ever since, dividing
his time between Denver and Alamosa
Funeral arrangements are being de.
ferred, pending the arrival Of Judge
Summers two children. A sister, Mrs.
Henry Wright. of Schuyler. Neb., is
in Denver this morning. The
only other relative, another sister, Mrs.
George w. Stoddard, OF Belfast, Me-,
has been notified Of her brothers death
but will be unable to attend his fu-
neral
The death Of Judge Sumner came as
. surprise to his many Durango friends
and acquaintances. Few men com
manded the respect Of the people for
honesty more than Judge Sumner and
he was always a loyal citizen Of Colo
RADIO. As Judge Of the Sixth judicia
district. comprising q portion of the
Ban Luis valley at the time of his elec
tson. he rendered excellent service
The writer knew the Judge quite In
timately. having served four years q,
district clerk during his term Of office
and we can say that he was consci
entious and honest in every act whilt