The Mankato free press., 1912-10-04
DEATH OF A PIONEER,
SOLDIER AND JUR|ST
erom Saturdays Daily.

ToH saturdays Oatly.
Judge Loren w. Collins, for sew
enteen years a member of the Min
nesota supreme curt, died at his
home, 2006 Girard avenue south
Minneapolis, yesterday, following a
brief illness. He was seventy-four
years old
The venerable jurist rallied Thurs.
day, but later in the day he grew
worse and at night his physicians
feared that the end was near. His
condition became worse rapidly and
he suffered greatly until just before
the end, when he became semi-con-
scious.
His three sons, Stewart G. Col
lins of Duluth. Louis L. Collins and
Loren F.. Collins of Minneapolis,
were all at his bedside.
Judge Collins was one of the
most prominent members of the G.
A r. in the United States.
Passing of a Pioneer.
The death of Judge Collins
marks the passing of another one
of those pioneers whose work did
much to mold the future of Mime
sofa. Minneapolis has lost several
OF these men in the last year, in
Cluding Judge William Lochren and
Senator w. d. Washburn, all init
mate friends of each other from the
early history of the state.
Judge Collins last illness dates
from September 1S, when he was
seized with an attack of heart trou-
BILE in San Francisco Oh his way
home from the Los Angeles G. A.
R. encampment. Fearing that it
would worry his friends if they
knew his condition, he travelled
home almost alone and since arriv-
ing at his residence on September
21, he gradually failed. Hardening
heart muscles was the direct cause
of death, according to the attending
physicians.
Born in Massachusetts.
Loren Warren Collins was born at
Lowell, Mass, August Z, 1888, the
son of Charles P. and Abigail Libby
Collins. He was educated in the
common schools of Massachusetts
and came to Minnesota with his
father in 1854, settling at Eden
Prairie. The father owned large
farm near the village and for the
first few years Loren worked On
the farm, teaching school later in
the southern part of the state for
two years.
Following this he went to Hast.
ings and entered a law office. In
1861, at the call for volunteers, he
enlisted as a private in the Seventh
Minnesota Infantry. His first serv-
ice was in the Sibley expedition in
1862 against the Sioux Indians He
was elected second lieutenant of
his company and served as lieuten-
ant through the expedition which
terminated with the battle of Wood
Lake where the Sioux were beaten
and the white prisoners recovered.
Was An Officer at Hanging.
At the end of the campaign he
was stationed at Mankato and was
one of the officers in charge at the
hanging of thirty-eight Indians at
that point. Shortly after this he
was ordered south to st. Louis,
which was at that time under mar
tial law, and Lieutenant Collins
was made chief of police of St
Louis, serving in that capacity the
six months the city was under mill
tary control He then rejoined his
regiment and went south with it.
serving in the battle of Nashville,
Tulepo and Spanish Fort. In 1865,
near the close of the war, he was
made brevet captain. He was rec
commended for promotion by Colo
mel Stephen Marshall for gallantry
and efficient service.
He went to st. Cloud in 1866,
and was admitted to the bar and
soon was elected mayor, serving
two terms. He was for ten years
county attorney of Sterns county
and it was said of him that he was
the only republican ever elected to
office in Stearns county, the demo-
cratic stronghold of Minnesota.
He served as member of the Min
nesota legislature from 1881 to 1888
of the seventh judicial district to
succeed James McKelvey. He served
in this capacity until 1887 when
Governor William McGill appointed
him to the supreme court of Min
nesota. He was a member of this
court for seventeen years, being re-
elected at each successive election.
The CoIlins-Dunn Campaign.
In l9U4 ne resigned from the SUI
preme bench to enter the campaign
for nomination for governor of Min
nesota. 1t was. in this campaign
that he carried Hennepin county
and the famous rump convention
was organized by James A. Peter
SON. The rump convention consist
ed of Robert C. Dunn delegation.
1t was necessary to throw out the
entire vote of Hennepin county be-
cause of the contest, with the re-
suit that the republican party in
the state was split and the demo-
Gratis nominated and elected John
A. Johnson.
Mr.. Collins moved to Minneapo-