Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-01
SENATOR 0'GoRMAN's CAREER.
Has Received Unusual Praise From
Colleges, Courts and Citizens.

NEW YORK, April 1.-During the
Twenty-Five years of his activities as law
yer and jurist in this city Supreme Court
Justice James A. O'Gorman has received
| many honors. These honors have come
not only from his political party, but from
his associates on the bench, from his
fellow-members of the Bar Association
and from the various social, educational
and benevolent organizations of the city.
He is the son of Thomas and Ellen
OGorman. and was born not far from
where he lives at present. 31S West 1OSth
street, May 5, 1860. His father was mod
erately we'll off, but died while he was
still boy.
He was educated in the public schools
of this city and then attended the College
ing his education at that institution he
determined to take up the practice of
! law, and entered the law department of
the New York University, graduating in
bar the same month. the Formally taking
place before Supreme Court Justice John
r. Brady, who was then holding term
He Immediately began the practice of
Evening Post building, at Fulton street
and Broadway. He was earnest, ener-
getic and cool headed. His cases were
at first the general practice which
But he soon got the care of several es
tates and his interest in politics and pub
lie matters caused him to be appointed
counsel for several labor organizations as
well. He was twenty-five years old when
he graduated from the law school, and a.
most as soon as he graduated he saw the
wisdom of joining political organization.
fHe joined Tammany Hall, but soon
showed that it had in no way affected
the independence of his political attitude.
Ran Once Against Tammany.
In 1886. when he was twenty-six years
old and after he had been practicing only
four years. the united labor party Of the
eleventh district, where he was living
needed a candidate for justice Of the dis
trict court Of the locality, and he &C
cepted the nomination. Tammany Hail.
his own political organization. and the
republican party as we'll confined on an
other candidate to run against him.
Twenty thousand votes were in the dis
trict during that election. In spite of the
limited support which the united labor
party had and of the combination of re-
pubilcans and democrats against him, he
lost the election by only few hundred
votes, and his run was spoken of as re-
markable; considering the conditions pre-
vailing.
In spite of his unsuccessful candidacy
on another ticket. he remained a MEM
Der of the Tammany organization. He
continued in practice for five years more.
i IN 1889 Tammany placed him on its
trict. He carried his district and served
as the districts civil judge for the next
six years. He administered the court
With vlgor and dispatch which became
notable, and built up substantial repu-
tation for thorough legal knowledge and
sound common sense. He kept OPP his
political affiliations, and in 1896 was made
a delegate to the national democratic
residents of this city thought that some
Thing should be done to perpetuate pa
tr1otlc memories of the Irish rebellion of
TBS \ national Ninety Eight Club
was accordingly formed. and Judge
O'Gorman was elected chairman of its
board of trustees.
His nomination to the supreme court
bench was directly due to the vigor and
dlspatch with which he handled the cases
in his district court. 1t was given him
by Tammany in 1899, and he was elected
and Went on the supreme court bench at
the beginning of the following year.
Beat Van Wyck as Chief.
AS supreme court justice he served the
city continuously for the last eleven
years. The respect with which he has
been held by his associates and by mem-
bers Of his party has been shown several
times. He has always been popular i'm
local democratic circles. and in May 1892,
when Mayor Van Wyck was running for
the office of grand sachem of Tammany
Justice O'Gorman beat him for the posi-
ton by vote of to 4. In 1903 the
Friendly Sons of ST Patrick gave a din
ner in his honor. and Morgan j. O'Brien
presented him with silver dinner serv-
ice of 1oS pieces. In the summer OF 1904
he was talked of as a possible mayoralty
candidate on the Tammany ticket
1t was only last January that his asso-
ciates on the supreme court bench and
the judges of the court of appeals at Al !
bany combined to pay him unusual honor.
The judges of the court of appeals wrote |
to fa}m that they wanted him to let them |
present his name to the governor to fill |
vacancy as associate in their court
But Justice OGorman's own associates
on the supreme court bench here heard |
of the plan, and would not hear of it. |
They wrote to him, importuning him to |
stay with them. using just the same ar |
guments the court of appeals judges had |
used. Justice OGorman decided to STAY
He married Miss Annie NJ. Leslie of |
this city in 1854. He has one son and |