The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-03-02
BENCH AND BAR
PAY TRIBUTE TO
WILLIAM ]. Magic
Prominent Legal Lights of State
Honor Retiring Chancellor
with a Banquet.
ANCESTORS FROM IRELAND
1FOUGHTlAGAlNST GEORGE Ill.
.fter Three Decades as Judge
Will Replace Single on
Elizabeth Office.

Rarely has such a tribute been paf1
the members of the New Jersey
r as that accorded to William j.
gle, who until January IA was cEah-
81 OF the State, at a banquet in his
or at the Waldorf-Astoria in New
!, last Saturday night. For fifty
s Mr.. Magic has been prominent in
egal circles of Union County, and
early three decades he has been
e Chancery bench. Fully $50 mem
IF the bench and bar assembled
tables. Among them were At
sGeneral McCarter, Governor
Chief Justice Gummere, Justice
4, ce-Chancellor James e.
Vice-Chancellor Eugenc Sc
Justice Parker and Justice
On Mr. McCarter's left wero
Tor Mahlon Pitney, former Gov
riggs. DIR. Woodrow Wilson,
otncellor Edwin r. Walker,
ncellor John r. Eme7y and
1orErancis j.. Swayze.
blasd, sincere, kindly and unas-
bo he has devoted the best part
Ntseful life to the serviceE of the
Nose who have been associated
DIN for many years look up to
respect him. for, although he
re,er spectacular, he made loyal
Lei
t5f those who has known him
10th in public and private life,
king of the ex-chancellor, says:
re is no chicanery in his char
He was never dictatorial. He
played to the gallery. He was
rving in the path of duty. and,
igh not an orator. was sound in
tent and clear and concise in de-
There may be some who would
e more applause, but none who
such respect"
) former chancellor is of hardy
stock, his f~orefathers coming here
in the seventeenth century from
.lorth of ireland. One of them
hit for the colonies in the Revolu-
and since then the family has
prominent in the State.
Father n Clergyman.
lie ex-chancellor's father was the
David Magic. who was pastor of
Second Presbyterian Church, Eliza
for Eorty-fiye years. William .Je
,ornt in Elizabeth on December 0,
He studied in private schools in
I city but entered Princeton College
1852, being graduated in 1856. He
sht school in svirgipia for a while
then took up the study of law and
5 elected borough clerk of Elizabeth.
t place being, at the time too small
be made a city. He studied under
Chetwood and the late Chancellor
hanson, and for some time practised
ne. From 1866 to 1871 he served as
secutor of the pleas of Union County,
ing formed a partnership with Jo-
h Cross, a former president of the
late, and at present a United States
trict' Judge.
Served in Legislature.
Mr.. Magic was elected to the
Senate and served until 1878. His
iciaI career commenced in 1880, when
was appointed a Justice of the SUI
me Court by Governor Mcclellan.
was reappointed by Governor Green
l. Goyernor Werts, although both ex-
tiyes were Democrats and Mr.. Magic
S a Republicans On March l, 1897,
Griggss named him as chief
tice to succeed the late Mercer Beas-
and the Senate confirmed his NOM
ton. Early in 1900 he was named as
Incellor by Governor VOORHEES, to fill
caused by the death of
.xander t. McGill, being appointed
the full term as chancellor on jan
", 1901.
.mong those who studied law under
/ are Ex-Governor Voorhees,, who had
honor of naming him to office, and
lge Lewis II. Schenk, of Somerset.
Ir. Magic will open a law office in
He lives in an old-fashioned
nsion at 656 North Broad street,
ere much OF his time is spent in
dy.
\ any crowd the ex-chancellor Would
ract attention. He is tall. quick of
p, sprightly and active. He has
chit blue eyes. His checks are ruddy
/ he is as erect as a many of forty.
family consists Of a son and daugh-
The daughter. Miss Henrietta o.
kie. lives at home. The o is pro-
sor Of physics at Princeton. His
e died fifteen years ago.