The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-09-04
OUR COURTS OF JUSTICE.
The Superior Court.


The superior court OF Pennsylva-
MIA was established by an act of the
legislature approved June "a, 1895.
Annual sessions of the court are held
in Scranton and in various other cit
les of the state. 1t is a court of ap-
pellate Jurisdiction to which appeals
from the lower courts in civil cases
involving small amounts and all
criminal cases, except murder, may
be taken. This court also passes
upon Orphans court matters. In the
first Superior court that sat in Scran-
ton were Chief Justice Charles E.
Rice and the following judges: Jas.
A. Beaver, Howard j. Reeder, George
B. Orlady, John ]. Wickham, Edward
N. Willard and Henry ]. Mccarthy.
Since then Judge Henry ]. Mccarthy
was succeeded by Peter p. Smith
of the Lackawanna county courts,
and on the resignation of Judge E.
N. Willard the latter was succeeded
by w. d. Potter. The present judges
in the Superior court are: Chief JUS
tice Charles r. Rice, J. J. Henderson,
Thomas A. Morrison, George b. Or
lady, John B. Head, James A. Beaver
and William d. Porter.
United States Court.
An act OF Congress passed Aug. 5,
1886, provided that two sessions of
the United States District and Circuit
courts of the Western District of
Pennsylvania should be held at
Scranton. In pursuance of this act
Justice Bradley of the United States
Supreme court formally opened the
same on September 6, 1886. A fine
building to accommodate the postof
fee and these courts was soon, there
after, through the efforts of Congress
man Joseph A. Scranton, erected at
Washington avenue and Linden
street.
A large number Of lawyers, Off
cials and citizens attended the first
meeting of this court held in Scran-
ton, among whom were Hon. George
w. Miller, United States marshall;
H. d. Gamble, clerk of the circuit
court, S. C. McCandless, clerk of the
district court, and VIM. A. Stone
United States attorney. The court
appointed T. F. Penman deputy
clerk; Jacob B. Snyder, crier; Albert
S. Newton, William Frantz, E. J..
Williams, P. G.. Walsh, and Jacob
Ritter, bailiffs. Addresses were de-
livered by Justice Bradley, Hon. F.
w. Gunster, president of the Lacka-
wanna Bar association; Hon. w. A.
Stone and Hon. H. w. Palmer.
The seventy-two members of the
Lackawanna bar were on motion of
Hon. w. H. Jessup admitted to prac-
tice in the United States courts for
the Western District of Pennsylva-
MIA.
When Judge McKenna in 1891 re-
signed as Circuit Court Judge, Judge
AcheSon was appointed his successor.
To fill the vacancy thus created in
the district judgeship, Hon. James A.
Reed, of Pittsburg, was appointed to
the Office and presided at the session
of the court here on March 2, 1891.
Judge Reed sat here in United States
courts for several years and was sue
ceeded by Judge Burlington of Pitts
burg, who continued to preside until
1901 when the Middle District was
created.
Middle District Court.
On March 2, 1901, Congressman
VIM. Mcconnell secured the passage
of the act creating from parts of the
Eastern and Western districts OF
Pennsylvania, the Middle District and
providing for sessions of the courts
at Harrisburg, Scranton and vii.
! Transport. On March 20, 1901
Judge Archibald was elevated to the
bench of this court by appointment
of President Mckinley, and contin'
ued in the office until Feb. l, 1911
when he became one of the judges
of the newly created Commerce
Court by appointment of Presiden
Taft, with the rank of circuit judge
which position he now holds.