Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-22
FIFTY YEARS in
LAW PRACTICE
Hon. William Jackson Cele-
brates Semi Centennial
This Month.
TODAY is AN ANNIVERSARY
Remarkable Record in Rock Island
County Courts-FGther of
Park System.

Park System.
1t is so years today since Hon. Will
lam Jackson, senior member of the
law firm of Jackson, Hurst & Stafford,
received his license to practice law,
but Mr.. jackson dates his professional
career from Aug. 20, 1860, when he
took the oath to support the consti-
tuition. This month, therefore, brings
adversary of his admission as a prac-
ticing attorney at the Rock Island
county bar. Two others who have like
Mr.. Jackson enjoyed a half century of
prominence in the courts of Rock Is
land county are E. d. Sweeney, for
many years Mr.. Jackson's professional
associate IN the practice Of law, and
Major H G. Connolly. The latter re-
ceived his license in January, 1860,
and opened law Office in Rock Island.
Mr. Jackson opened an office in Moline
tn May the same year and Mr.. Sweeney
embarked in Rock Island in the July
Immediately following. Mr.. Sweeney
received his license Aug. 8, 1860, and
Mr.. Jackson's license bears date Of
Aug. %, the same year.
Stin fn Active Practice.
OF the three whose professional ca
reers reach the half century mark this
year, Mr.. Jackson is still actively en-
gagged In his chosen profession and he
lays claims, therefore, to being the Oldest
member of the Rock Island county bar
In actual practice. 1t is doubtful, too,
Il any attorney in western Illinois has
taken part in more cases than Mr..
Jackson. A perusal by Circuit Clerk
G. w. Gamble of the dockets of Rock
Island county, shows that he has par
ticipated in 1876 law cases, $40 chan
Gerry cases; has defended in SO Grim
inal cases and participated in the pros
ecution of IL persons for murder, three
for attempted murder and four for lar
ceny The list prepared by Circuit
Clerk Gamble does not, however, in
clude the many cases in which he has
during his long practice been inter-
ested in the county court or the pro-
ceedings in the probate court in the
adjustment of estates in which he has
had part. Added to this record has
been a practice in the circuit courts Of
Is outside counties in Illinois and prac-
tice in the appellate and supreme
courts of the state. This is to say
nothing of the justice of the peace
cases he has tried, which it is believed
total more than the cases in which he
has appeared in the courts of record.
Some Famous Cases.
Mr.. Jackson has, as a matter of fact,
been identified with some of the most
famous proceedings in the history of
the Rock Island county courts, as re-
lates to both the civil and criminal
dockets. One of the most important
of these in later years was the long
series of injunctions in Whiteside and
Henry counties affecting the removal
Of the head office of the Modern Wood
men order from Fulton to Rock Is
land, in which Mr. Jackson was asso-
ciate counsel for the order and it was
largely through his work that the will
of the order to transfer its head
quarters to this city was fin
ally indicated, not only through
ticipated in securing, but through
triumph in a process of litigation that
taxed some of the best legal minds in
the country.
Apart from his active and remark
able career in profession which he
has adorned, Mr.. Jackson has taken a
prominent part in the public affairs of
Rock Island. He has served as post
master, and has declined such places
of preferrment at the hands of his
party as the mayoralty and the state
senate. He has frequently been dis
cussed in connection with the congress
sional nomination of the republican
party, but has never given encourage
ment to the suggestion, the
only Office he has held other
than of a local nature being as a mem
Der of the state reformatory board. He
has preferred rather to devote his
spare time to civic endeavor, and to
him, it may be said in every sense of
justice both to himself and to all 9th
ers who have evinced public spirit in
like direction, is due more than to any
other one citizen the beautiful park
system which has brought distinction
to Rock Island, and of which its citi-
zens are all so justly proud.
Father of Park System.
AS head of the original Citizens