Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-05-15
GATHERED BY THE WAYSIDE
1By Ora Williamms.]

The tributes PAID TO the lale o"ueo
John F. Dillon In the supreme court
the other day indicate that at least IN
the opinion of men fully able to de-
eide, Judge Dillon was certainly one
OF the foremost lawyers of America
| That he was not better known IN Iowa
| was due to the fact that he hao lons
| lived away and because he pelonseo
! to another generation. Chlei JUSTICE
| Deemer, in remarks made at the tlHle'
pretty fully covered the story OF the
| Dillon career, and some passages IN the
tribute ought to be helpful 10 every
! Young 1oWan in what they reVeaI u
| the possibilities of success in this nelo.
The memorial was not only for Judge
Dillon but for Judge Cook, and SO as
word of introduction to remarks con-
corning both, the chief justice said:
Attic Iowa is new commonwealth
so new that 1t has been said IT mas no
history. yet 1t has produced Two re-
markable families for the legal pro1es-
sion, and one distinguished 1urlst anu
text writer who was intimately assocl-
ated with both families, and whose
span of life covered practically three
generations of men. The records OF thls
court bear testimony to the esteem IN
which the Wright family was held, ana
| it is eminently proper at this time 10
place on record memorial 70 tie
worth of a distinguished member OF tle
| Cook clan Each and all OF the men
| whose names we recall We're pioneers,
yet they rose above the dead lift ana
drudgery of those early days and thru
their own efforts obtained culture
and refinement equaled only by those
having the best of advantages and OPP
| portunities."
After a review of the life Of Edward
E. Cook and his father and uncle, Chiel
Justice Deemer said OF Judge Dllloh:
Attic advised to study law, young
Dillon for some unknown reason con-
| cluded to become physician, and SO
at the early age of II years he oesan
| the study of medicine, and after TWO
years of reading and attendance upon
lectures in the first medical school OF
the state established at DavenporD
and before reaching majority he began
the practice Of medicine at Farming
ton, in Van Buren, county, the original
home of one Of his preceptors IN the
medical school, He practiced this pro-
|
count Of physical disability which pre-
vented his riding horseback. and per
haps lurking suspician that he should
have followed Mr.. Cooks advice, ne
concluded to study law. At Farming
ton was young lawyer by the name
Of Howe, who had two law books
Blackstone's Commentaries, and the
Iowa Blue Book of 1s49. These were
| Sn la
Dillon began his study Of the law. HI
quit the practice Of medicine. returned
to Davenport where he opened up {
small drug store. naively remark1nt
that he chose this business because 1
promised livelihod and also for thu
reason that it affords leisure
time to enable him to read law. HI
!, never was In a law office until after h
was admitted to the bar and never at
, tended school, but ne had access to tn
!, books in the Cook and Judge Grant Ii
braries, and In addition to Blaclston'
read and pondered over Kent's Com
mentaries and some Of Judge Story
, works. After little, If any. more thai
years reading he was in the yea
1852 on motion Of Mr.. Austin Corbil
admitted to the bar Of Scott county
|
His career as a physician was not
able for several reasons. First. it CAV
him the title Of Doc which his wifi
privately and affectionately used dow
' to the time OF her death. Second, h
was one Of the founders of the low
, Medical Society. organized at Burling
t ton in the year 1850. Third. it CAV
him an insight into the 1ntricacies @
the practice of his profession and mad
!. him a specialist IN, the medical juris
d prudence Fourth. it gave him an op
d portunity to offer good advice to som
Of the members of the medical profes
sion. A herb doctor in Pennington los
patient and the comm unity becam
a convinced Of the fact that death wa
e due to malpractice. Doctor Dillol
: then 20 years Of age, conducted a
y autopsy and reported that, the ma
: had died of heart trouble, thus allayin
8 the suspicious Of an excited communit,
II But he also discovered that the her
doctor had not treated the man #
IF this trouble at all, and so he took OF
IS casion to advise him that he had bel
8, ter make a scientific study Of anatom
= pathology and the other branches (
the medical science or else abandon h
10 calling. This incident Is the key
.e one of Judge Dillon's marked charat
Is teristics. He always insisted that II
1e law was science and that to mast'
to any profession one must study 1t SC
j. entificauy, historically and analytical
and endeavor to find and apply tn
d. underlying and fundamental prime
pies. Fifth this autopsy also gave hi
he the subject for his paper which he res
r. before the newly formed medical 8
tie ciety entitled Rheumatic Carditis,' h
e. only contribution to medical liter
he ture.
ey After admission to the bar, n
he iDillon became a member Of the firm
es Cook & Dillon, and practiced law
n six years, part II not all Of the til
so being the prosecuting attorney for
as county. In 1858 he was elected d.
trict Judge and served six years in tt
capacity. While on the district ben
of | he read and made notes Of every CO
va emanating from this court In order
lst keep abreast Of the decisions, and thu
~ by few additions and little arrapl
re- ment he converted into Dillon's 10
ro- Digest with which the older memb
OF the bar are familiar. After six ye'
ere upon the district bench he was cleo
~ to the supreme, bench and there
served six years, from 1864 to Is
,us After coming to the bench In the "
In 1855 he was called upon to rearran
revise and codify the charter and
led dinauces Of his home city OF Dav!
zen port. A few copies OF this remain
nts they are OF exceeding interest beca
they present the only thoroughly an,
of tated city charter and ordinances v
m ,.eSerence fo the deciSiOns OF all