Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-01-13
cnIEF JUSTICE rorE REsIGNs.
His Successor VIII BE Elected by the
Present Legislature.

&ASSShV S<S&SAosstSuhSs
Columbia, Jan S.-Chief Justice
Pope has resigned on account of his
i'll health, the resignation to take
effect April Is next. His successor
will be elected by the Legislature,
which assemblies next week.
The letter of resignation transmit
ted to Governor Ansel Wednesday is
) perhaps the most eloquent tterance
of Chief Justice Pope's long, useful
and distinguished career. The letter
follows:
4, Columbia, S. c., January 8, 1909.
To His Excellency, Martin F. An
sci, Governor of the State of South
Ative service is drawing to close,
Wd conceiving 1t to be my duty to
retire from office, hereby tender my
resignation as Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court of South Carolina,
to take effect April Is, 1909. With
love for all the people of our State.
(Signed) Yours, truly, Y. ]. Pope.
AS soon as he received the letter,
Governor Ansel called in person on
the Chief Justice at the Supreme
Court consultation room, and ex-
/ pressed his personal regret that the
Chief Justice felt compelled to give
up his duties, and assured him in th,:
name Of the people Of the State of
the appreciation felt for his services
to South Carolina.
The term which Chief Justice Pope
Is now filling expires in January
1914, the Chief Justice having been
reelected in 1906 for q term Of
eight years. The Legislature will fill
the uneXpired term. The remaining
members Of the Supreme Court, in
: the order OF seniority, are: Eugene
B. Gary, reelected in 1908; Ira B.
Jones, reelected in 1902; G. A.
Woods, reelected In 1904. The Leg
islature may promote one of the AS
sociate Justices to be Chief Justice,
as has been frequently done, as for
instance, in the case of Judge Pope,
or new man may be made Chief
Justice.
Chief Justice Pope has been in
wretched health for about two years,
and last year for whilc was absent
from the Bench, but during that pc
riod he has most Of the time stuck
faithfully TO his post with character
istic fidelity to duty. That he has
worked under physical disadvantages
has, however, been very evident,
and his decision to retire is no doubt
wise from his personal standpoint.
Sketch of His Life.
Young John Pope is native OF
Newberry county, and was born April
10, 1S41. He was educated at the
Newberry Academy, and at the age
Of 13 years attended Furman Uni
versity at Greenville, S. c., gradual
ing from that institution in August,
1860, receiving the degree Of A. B.
Immediately after graduation he be-
gan the study Of law under Judge
O'Neall, but in April 1861, he en-
tered the Confederate army, onlistinc
in Company e, of the Sd South Caro-
lima Infantry Regiment, in which he
was made first sergeant in May, 1862.
He was promoted to first lieutenant
and the adjutancy Of the regiment
AS adjutant he was in the first Bull
Run fight, in the battles around
Richmond, Maryland Heights, ,Sharps.
burg, Antietam, Fredericksburg
Charlottesville, Gettysburg Chick
amauga, Wilderness, Spottsylvania
Cold Harbor, Berryville, Straussburg
tnd Cedar Creek, at the last Oc
which MIME ball entered his left
eye, forever destroying the sight Of
that orb Besides this, he was
wounded in six other parts of his
body, twice by shell at Gettysburg
At the conclusion Of the war he
returned to his home and resumed
the study Of law. He was admitted to
practice In the law and equity courts
in 1866 and was soon thereafter ad-
mitted to practice in the United
States District and Circuit Courts. In
1866 he was elected District Judge of
Newberry county by the Legislature,
and entered upon the duties of that
Office in 1866. In the discharge of
his official duties he never had an
appeal taken from his decisions. He
served until the Radicals" legislated
T'him out of Office in 1868. In 1874
Judge Pope was elected mayor of the
city Of Newberry, and served until
the spring of 1877 when his second
term expired and he declined to run
again, having seen the Indebtedness
Of the city wiped out and its credit
restored.
On December 3, 1891, he was elect
ed Associate Justice of the Supreme
Court, and on January 80, 1896, was
r's-elected under the new constitution
for the full term Of eight year.
On January 20, 1908, he was elect
ed Chief Justice to succeed Henry
). .MCIver, deceased, and on January 23,
50 906, was reelected Chi.1 Justice for
Sthe full term Of eight years.