Arizona republican., 1921-09-01
THURSDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER I. 1921.
Doubtless there are times aUheY controversy becomes e necessary eUil. But Jet us remember that tt IS aaa evil.
 Dean Stanley. :
Judoe Albert C. Baker

All Arizona will learn with the deepest regret of the death of Judge Albert c. Baker of the supreme court There is taken of the ablest jurists of the Southwest, and may say without institutng invidious comparison, the foremost lawyer of the state. position conceded him in part by his ability. skill and success and in part by his long and continuous service of something more than forty at the territorial and state bar. We believe there is other who has served so long.
 Those who his contemporaries forty years ago had long since passed yielding to bodily infirmity age had retired But Judge Baker age seventy-six retained all of his mental and much of his physical alertness. The quick of his step had not perceptiby slackened and certainly had observed any dulness of his a lawyer judge Within he has written opinions which regarded as classics
 No man ever lived more constantly and inti- mately with the law. The importance of to him lay not in the amount of money that might be involved in the material consequences to the liti- gants that might He concerned only with the application of the law to it and he deeply concerned with that that he aban- doned consideration of it until he had sought every for law relating to 1t.
 at least two important within the last year he had conclusions that appeared final Yet he was quite satisfied and he continued in vestgations which at length led him to reverse his preconceived opinions.
 Judge Baker would lawyer give f-hand opinion in the most trivial matter. At great expenditure of time he would follow through his books the law 1t had been interpreted.
 Judge Baker of strong opinions. Such man of is biased. but bias guarded against by him in his decisions. We recall walk ing with him hour night while chief jus tce of the supreme court, he trial judge of the Third district in murder The jury out. The murder which had been resolved upon night before it was committed. There was greater and colder reconciliation The victim shot down in the street the morning. the derer following up placed pistol at his head and fired helpless crawling. he begged for his life.
 Yet there had been such provocaton for the kill ing previous character of the murderer had been so good the character of the victim had been offensive. that very large majority of the citizens sympathized with the defendant and hoped that way might be found to save him from the gall lows. if acquit him. Judge Baker shared that sympathy but whatever the mitigating circum- stances, they were not the law in the cir cumstances surrounding the homicide, could recog- nize. instructions left the jury only the alter native of disregardng them. Yet Judge Baker, we felt sure from his agitation that night. hoped that the instructions would be disregarded.
 As a lawyer his clients always felt that he had given them every service humanly possible. As a judge. we believe that reasonable litigants went court feeling if they had lost that the laws against them.
 Judge Baker than judge and a lawyer, a good husband and father, and good citizen.