The Monroe journal., 1921-04-22
GUILF0RD BAR HONORS
LATE THOS. ]. JEROME
Mr.. bradshaw Read Beautiful sketch
OF Splendid Character of Native
of Union County.
A SCHOLAR AND ABLE LAWYER

N1A aUE0At4AAtA AtA1
special meeting Tuesday in the
court house honoring the memory of
Thomas ]. Jerome. says the Greens
boro News. G.. s Bradshaw read a
memorial gotten up by a committee
composed of himself. John ~ Wilson
and Spencer b. Adams The meeting
took place al ESQ y. m, Judge 7. b.
Finley. presiding over Superior court,
suspending court until about 3:l5 p.
m. for the occasion. In addition to
the memorial read by Mr.. Bradshaw.
A. Maryland Cooke. Judge Adams.
Lee Fentress. Judge Finley and X. x.
King. president OF the Guillord bar.
delivered brief. but beautiful tributes.
Mr. Bradshaw read the following:
Thomas Jefferson Jerome was
born in Union county on the End day
al October. 1859. He was the son OF
Capt T. ~ jerome. who vas cap
tain in the regiment OF Col James I.
Morehead. OF this county in the Con-
federate army. After attending the
common schools in his county and OBJ
tanning such limited education as
these schools afforded he taught for a
while. After such preparation as he
was able TO make with the limited
advantages at his command. he en-
tered the law school of the late Col.
George ~ Folk. one Of the ablest law
yers of his day in North Carolina. In
the year 1884 he obtained his license
TO practice law and located in Abe
marie in Stanly county While in the
practice at Albemarle he wrote nov
el. Klu Klux Khan No. 40 upon
which he bestowed considerable la
Dor. In the year 1891 he was happi-
~ married 10 Miss Cora Ross. of Stan
ly county. who with two sons and one
daughter survive him.
Writes Law Digest.
soon after locating in Albemarle
in conjunction with Samuel j. Penn
berton. solicitor of that judicial dis
triet. he prepared the first edition of
PembertonJ Jerome Criminal Code and
Digest. which has run for four edi-
tions. II is generally known that he
did practically all the work in pre-
pairing the first three editions of this
valuable work which has been almost
indispensable to the profession as a
guide to the criminal law of the state.
In the fourth and last edition he had
the valuable assistance of his son. Ed
ward +. Jerome. After remaining in
the active practice at Albermarle for
some years. he moved TO the city of
Atlanta, Ca, where he entered the
practice under the most favorable
auspices and was succeeding finely UNI
til his health gave way and he was
compelled to leave Atlanta on account
of the climate. From Atlanta he
moved TO Monroe, where he became
member of the firm of Adams, Je-
rome and Armfield Here we see his
greatest activity as lawyer while a
member of this firm. This firm in
addition to large general practice
was counsel for the Seaboard Air
Line Railway company and il fell to
the lot of Mr.. Jerome TO do the trial
work for this Arm in several coun-
ties. He was at this time in the re
NTH of his strength and power and
up until 1907 enjoyed an extensive
and lucrative practice in the counties
of Stanly, Union. Montgomery and
other neighboring counties and APP
peared in nearly all of the important
litigation in those counties.
His Practice ut Salisbury.
On the LIST day OF January. 1907,
he moved to Salisbury, where he
formed partnership with A. b.
Price and while there he was general
counsel for the Aberdeen and Ash
boro railroad and other corporations.
Among other important matters he
appeared as counsel for the receiver
of the Whitney Power company in its
litigation and his brief in one of
these cases reported in $50 North
Carolina page 81 was adopted by the
highest court as basis for its opin
ion. While in Salisbury his health
began again to fail and he was ad-
vised by his physicians to abandon his
strenuous work. While in that Judi
cial district he was endorsed at one
time by large number of lawyers
for the nomination for judge of the
superior court but declined to make
the race. In February, 1915, he
moved to Greensboro, where he lived
until his death on the 18th day OF
February, 1921.
''Mr. Jerome was devoted TO his
profession and was never tempted to
seek political honors except in two
instances. In the year 1898 he was
elected state senator from the county |
of Union and in the year 1900 he
was a candidate for the Democratic |
for attorney general of
the state.
I'm the preparation of his cases
Mr.. Jerome was diligent. tireless and |
thorough and while sometimes tech
meal and tenacious and persistent in
he was always fair, court
eous and considerate. In his prime
he held high place among the lead
ers OF the bar in the counties in
which he practiced. He was of genial
nature and kindly disposition. easily |
stirred and quickly moved by the hui
nan touch of brotherly love. He en-
joyed the fellowship and social func-
lions of his brethren OF the bar. Mod
EST to the verge of timidity he never
,ourted notoriety nor tried his cases
in the newspapers. And yet he was
to excel and scale the
heights of success.
Author of "The Christ"
His fine character was without
guile and untainted by envy or NAL
ice. Before leaving Salisbury he met
with financial reverSes and nnfortu- L