New Britain herald., 1920-01-07
Was 45 Years of Age and Had Been Asso- ciated With Police Court Since 1907
REGARDED AS VERY
 CAPABLE OFFICIAL
His Death a Distinct Loss to City, is Opinion of Legal Fraternity Here.

l Judge James T. Meskill, of the city l and pollc> cour. wat found dead in
 bed at his nome a. 3S Linwood slreev
 carly this morning by his sister, Mrs i 4 tnlz Young, with whom he lived 1 He had been stricken with an attack l Of heart trouble during the night. For several weeks Judge Mesl1ill had been suffering from pains in his side. but
 1t was attributed to a stomach disor- der. Medical Examiner Harry A. Elcock viewed the body and pro- nounced the death due to heart trou-
 ble. The news of Judge Meskilrs death was received with surprise and extreme regret throughout the city, and those who were intimate friends of the judge were stunned at the an- nOuncemen;.
 Appeared We'll Last Night.
 He was at his office yesterday at he rode to his home with James J. Watson, g warm personal friend, to whom he appeared to be in the best of health and spirits. Reaching his residence Judge Mcskill chatted with
 Mr. Watson in his usual happy frame of mind and spoke of some duties that were to attract his attention to- day. Several times during the past Judge Meskill had mentioned of the pains that bothered him. but the eX- tent Of his sufferings remain untold. On Monday his sister watched him as he left his home to go to his office and he appeared hen if his heart was giving him some trouble. The difficulty in which he walked up the hill of LinNood street to the trance to Walnut Hill park seemed
 to indicate that the judge was suffer-
 ing more than he would tell.
 Lifclon. Resident oi City.
 Judge Mesklll was a lifelong resi- dent of this city. lie was the of the fate Matthew and Katherine Me Mahon Mcs1ill and was born July
 10, lS74. He attended St. Mary's pa
 rochial school and the New Britain High school. While in the latter in sti-ution he distinguished himself as q student and also on the athletic field. He will be remembered by
 mary as a member of the famous football eleven of 1894, which defeat ed ali the High and preparatory schools in this section. With Thom- 1 ns Maloney. Fred Jost and another player named Wheeler. hc formed ;L quartet of players that stood out as the greatest four the scholastic world in these parts.
 Graduat"d From Yale in '97.
 He entered Yale after graduating from the High school, where he re- mtined for year. He then entered i the cn plo,- of the North ,e Judd Man
 ,f;,cturi,g com panS- bidins his tim e
 r a year with the study of law in
 e office of Lawyer William F. De anoy, now postmaster. He again en- i tered Yale and was graduated from 1 the Law school in 1S97
 i Entering practice in this city, ! Lawyer Meskill formed d partn ershi D l with Charles E. Erickson in the Le- 1 lend block at the corner of Comm CT i cal street. Later he became aSsocia t.
 ed with the late Judge John Walsh ! and Judge James Roche. The firm
 became known as Walsh, Roche and 1 Mcs5in. It was later dissolved and 1 Lawyer Mesl1ill became ;l partner of 1 Lawyer Harry Watrous. At the death l of Judge Roche and with the late 1 Judge Walsh he joined with the new ! firm of Walsh Mesllill and Roche,
 the latter being a son of Judge Roche. i This firm has conducted law offices 1 in the McCabe block on Main street. l Named Judge in 1907.
 i Judge Meskill was named deputy judge of the police court on June 1, 1907, and served until June, 1909, be-
 coming judge when Judge James F. | Cooper. was named corporation coun- = sel. following the death of F. l.. II un ] gerford. He had served continuously ! in the ca pacity since. As judge of l the local tribunal he rendered deci- | sions with impartiality and in a dig 1 nified and judicial manner. He was fair to all and the sentiments eX- l pressed by locel lawyers and those of | other places who have had occa sion to appear before him, in both the pO- lice and city court, show his capabili- 1 ties were appreciated.
 Renamed By Democrats.
 During the 1913 session of the 1 General Assembly, with a republican | house and a democratic senate, with Governors Simeon E. Baldwin, also :t democrat, the judgeship of the city I and police court was one of the mat 1 tors for disposition before that body. ! The republican house acted favorably
 on the names of Judge James T. Mes | kill and Judge John H. Kirkham, as 1 Continued on Sixth Page)