The Irish standard., 1909-05-08
DEATH OF JUDGE DoNAHUE.

DEATH OF JUDGE DONAHUE.
II is with feelings of sadness and
grief that the Irish Standard records
the death Of William H. Donahue,
judge of the district court Of this
county; and as a token OF its esteem
the obituary notice that appears Oh
the opposite page.
It was in the carly eighties, after
graduating from the law department
OF the University of Michigan. that
William II. Donahuc arrived in Mime
apolis and entered the law office oc
Mart 3. koon. a friend Of his family,
who subsequently served on the dis
trjct bench. One of the first who
formed acquaintance with the young
attorney was the writer, and for twen-
ty-right years he has held him III the
highest esteem for honesty Of purpose
and purity Of life. A man of irre-
nroarhablr chara cter. he could look Tho
whole world in the face without finch
ing. and had tho courage of expressing
his honest sentiments on every requi-
site occasion. He vas a man Of prin-
ciple and integrity and was recog.
nized as such by all who knew him
intimately. He always associated with
men of his own faith and nationality
and hence he belonged to the knights
Of Columbus and tho Ancient Order
of Hibcrnians.
William II. Donahue made his home
in Minneapolis a t the time when Charles
Stewart Parnell and Michael Davitt
had organized the Land League for
the benefit Of the tillers OF the soil.
Though he had never seen Ireland, the
young attorney took the platform and
delivered many rhetorical speeches To-.
the Irish people, when Irish speakers
In Minneapolis were as rare as black
swans and the daily press was not
very friendly to tho cause he so clo-
quently advocated.
Instead OF becoming a Republican
as other Democrats did when they
moved to this city, Judge Donahuc al
ways remained true to tho Democratic
party and was ono Of the truest fol-
lowers of William j. Bryan from the
day h" delivered his Gross of COLI
speech mp to his third defeat for tn !.
,,ir RI H.
effort to win the friendship OF others,
he had many fast friends on the bench
and at tho bar as we'll as In the com
munity at large. lie may not have
averaged higher than others in his
profession. hut that he was highly
Of by members of the frater-
nifty WAS evidenced ON the day Ct
his funeral. More indges and lawyers
attended tho remains Of Judge Dona-
hue to their last resting place than
were eyer seen before at tho ohscuuies
of member Of the bar of Hcnnepin
county. The courts closed on wedncs-
day in his honor and he richly de-
served tho fine tribute paid to his
memory by his judicial associates.
Rec. Father Cullen delivered the fun
eral Grafton at tho Church Of the I'm
maculate Conception. So highly dl
he esteem his parshioner that NC
went to Chicago to accompany the 80
mains to this city. Father Cullen
said in part:
Death is message from Jesus
Christ himself. and tells Of the resrr-
rection. 1t has special Significance
for those who have followed the teach
ings Of Jesus and who have lived the
life of CYistian nobility Such man
was William H. Donahue. who has
been called. He was first of all a
Christian man. He was prepared 10
co. and it was beautiful to see such
sweet devotion in one who was such a
power intellectually. He lived in .he
presence Of God and in the conscious
ness of His works. He felt the love
of God. Though his life was cut
short it was a successful life. Because
he is gone our memory of him need
not cease, but may be the greater be-
cause of the sorrow
The Irish Standard takes this on
portunity of rendering it's coincidence
to the family and relatives Of the de-
ceased-to his afflicted wife and chill
dren, and to the old mother who sons
over the death of her favorite son in
her far-off Michigan home May God
comfort them all in their bereavement
and may the soul Of the faithful de-
parted rest in everlasting peace.