Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-08-19
SUMMONS
A. 5. HUMPHREYS
At EARLY HOUR
Continued from page one)

ceived in the public and private
| schools OF Columbus, and he complet.
ed his schooling at Soule College, New
| Orleans. 49,.
Always gifted and a hard student.
both in his boyhood and adult days.
Judge Humphreys was admitted TO
| the bar before he was q years old.
taking the oath before the justices of
| the supreme court Of Mississippi He
was the youngest man ever admitted
| to the bar in that state, and his ex.
animation received excellent comment
from the justices OF the high tribunal
His knowledge of the law and OF
the best things in English literature
gave promise at that time that he
would become the successful attorney
which ne later made of himself He
rractised Law in Columbus for about
two years and, about the time he had
attained his majority, moved to Pres
colt, Ariz., where he opened an office
and resumed his practise. ..... ...
Judge Humphreys made distinct
success Of his legal work in Arizona
From there he moved to Honolulu,
reaching this city 90 years ago. IT,.
His career in Hawaii was notable,
but varied from stormy to exceedingly
quiet periods, the latter including the
last few years of his life when. large
ly on account of impaired health, he
almost effaced himself from the pub,
lie eye. In the transition period be-
tween annexation and the creation of
territorial government. Judge Hum
phreys took an active part in organic
in" the Republican party here. He
told preliminary meeting, called to
uscuss the question of national part,
les, that if the Republican sympathi-
zers did not act promptly the other
fellows" would get all the offices. At
the first election the Home Rule party
obtained control Of, the legislature,
Republicans forming the opposition
under a governor of their party.
Judge Humphreys, who had mean
time become one of the first set OF
circuit judges appointed by President
Mckinley under the Organic Act,
tried to control the dominant party
during the memorable initial session
of the territorial legislature, making
his house the rendezvous of councils
tive. This course brought him severe
public criticism, as it was considered
improper on the part of member OF
the Judiciary. His controlling own
ership in the Republican, a morning
daily edited first by his brother-in-
law, Arthur tombstone, helped to get
him further into hot water. Then
came the famous Gear contempt of
court case, which furnished Honolulu
with one of its periodical but ephemer
al sensations. For the publication OF
a cartoon rejecting upon the judicial
character of Judge Gear, a circuit
court colleague of Humphreys. Walter
G. Smith, editor of the Advertiser, was
cited for contempt. Judgec lum-
phreys and Gear, presiding together
for the occasion, found Smith guilty
and sentenced him to Imprisonment
until he purged himself of the offense.
The sentence was put into effect, but
the offending editor was released
after short sojourn in Jail, well TAX
en- care of by Sheriff Henry, under a
full pardon granted by Acting Coy
ernor H. E. Cooper. s...:.
Other episodes in which the lawyer |
figured with strategic and forensic |
ability were the disbarment proceed |
ings against several attorneys for al.
legged footing OF the Sumner estate, |
and the strike of Inter-Island Steam
Company's captains and |
mates. The latter was the last occa- |
sion in which he was strongly in the |
limelight, but since then he has been |
a counsellor of counsellors' in many |
important cases AS Judge, Hum
phreys was prominently what the lie.
gal fraternity calls quick" his con-
yersance with the books and his
memory being remarkable. Il
His intimates say of him that Judge
after the events, made no
warmer friends than the very per-
sons whose feelings he had rasped In /
the heat of his professional share in
various unpleasantnesses such as
hose herein briefly mentioned.
Judge Humphreys is survived by a
widow, a member of the well-knoWn
Along family; two daughters, Frances
and Marie, and twin sons, Abram and
Caldwell. Other surviving relatives
include half-hrother, Col. William D.
who was an officer in the
Confederate army and now living in
Columbus, Miss; and a second half
BROTHER, John w. Humphreys, also