The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-10-05
IS COURT OF LAST RESORT
County Judge Tells Interesting Stories
Of History of the Court and Urges
Attorneys to See Importance of It's
Work in Safeguarding the Public.

sFWhile the individual may be stand
ing before st. Peter with the book of
life open before him, making his expla-
nations as to why he should be admitted
to the Kingdom of Heaven, his earthly
affairs are spread out in book form in
the county court to the gaze of any
one who wishes to Investigate and pass
| Judgment This was the way that
Judge George W. Taylor of the county
court summed up the Importance Of the
probate court in speaking before the
| Kenosha Bar association at the monthly
dinner at the Hotel haywood this aft
ernoon. FThe county court was the
first court established, so far as Ke-
nosha county is concerned and it may
be said that it is the last court for
the transaction of it's people," con
tinued Judge Taylor. cit matters not
what man has appeared to be in the
community so far as his business and
finances are concerned, all the glamour
and show is stripped away and his fnan-
cial affairs stand naked in the gaze
of all people when his affairs get into
the county court. It is the one court
that most men come to sooner or later. -
Judge Tayler's address was one of
the most interesting ever made before
the attorneys of Kenosha county. It
broke away from the academic recital
lnG %la 4o11 e "a
into the interesting history of the court
and proposed remedies for existing evils.
He reviewed the famous fight that Pike
River made way back in 1886 to secure
showed that at that time the balm that
was given to Pike River for the loss of
the county seat was the assurance that
forever the county judge and the sheriff
of the county should come. from Pike
River. He recalled the fact that Will
liam Bullen, one of the first pioneers
of Kenosha, was named as the first
county judge of Racine county. He
told of the old records kept in Racine
county until 1850 when Kenosha county
took up its separate existence and had
court Of it's own. Judge Taylor de-
clared that records of the County Court
from 1850 to 1885 were unsatisfactory
and incomplete. He told the legend Of
one county judge who had made it his
practice to carry the records of his court
in his hat. The judge on one occasion
lmbibed a little too freely and when his
hat blew off as he staggered down the
street the records were blown to the
four winds of heaven. cit is needless
to say commented the judge, "that
during his administration the records
were not complete
The speaker paid high tribute to the
memory of Judge Edward FL. Martin
who became judge of the court in 1885
and sought to bring order out of chaos
and established the present form of
keeping the records of the court.
The judge made strong appeal to
the attorneys for the best possible CO.
operation between the court and the
lawyers in the settlement of cases in
work had such strong bearing on real
estate titles that it should exact the
most careful attention of every attor-
ney. He spoke of the courts delays
in settling claims against estates and
urged that legislation be enacted giving
the men handling estates the chance to
make an earlier settlement of claims
He spoke especially of guardianship |
and declared that the practice Of ap-
pointing guardians without the most
careful thought must be hurtful He
urged the attorneys to take care of |
this branch of work before bringing
the matter into the court holding that |
the proper selection of guardians for
minors and incompetent persons by the |
attorney representing estates could re-
move much of the troubles which have
followed attempts to secure the settle /
ment of guardianship. He spoke of t
the advisability of taking up all pro- /
bate work. at regular term days in order
that the records of the court might be /
kept in an orderly and regular manner.
In concluding his brief address Judge
Taylor said: "The handling of the in
sane, tuberculosis, feeble minded, poor
and other similar cases are matters of !
little interest to the ordinary practicing
lawyer because he seldom comes into
contact with these cases. Probably |