The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-09-19
JUDGE O'NEALL, CITIZEN OF
LATTER DAY, is LAUDED
One ~ Makers OF State History is
Described by Sparsanburg Man
Who Knew Him


ception Of one or two school histories,
the story does not come down later
than 1888.
The men who made history in this
state from that date 10 the end o.
the Civil war are little known. Among
them Judge O'Nesll. He tells much
of the prominent men Of the day IN
his Bench and Bar of the state, ana
, Annals Of Newbesry.
). In the first volume OF Bench ana
Bar. there is sketch of MS life. hv-
I identity written by some one from
facts furnished by the judge. The
facts here given are taken from that
sketch, except few concerning him
which I have learned from others.
He was born on Bush river, April
10, 1893, in Mulberry district {now
county, Of Quaker parentage. His
father failed in business and he was
: left to shift for himself. Went to
school at FIVE years of age and stu
died very hard. A library was started
in Newberry in 1904. The be-, took
advantage Of the opportunity 20 lead
IS many books as he could. He had a
good mind and committed = men,
ory in one hour the ninth chapter OF
Second Kings. In 1903 he went to
New5erry academy. In 1911, enter
ed the junior class of the South Caro-
Ina college. In the war Of 1912, was
appointed Judge advocate OF tn" 10Th
brigade of militia, and Went INTO
camp on Pocataligo river. In 1914
he was admitted to the bar. opened
an Office in Newberry and from the
start had a large and lucrative 2rac-
tice. In 1916 was elected member
! of the house of representatives. was
appointed an aide on he staff OF
Governor Pickens with the rank OF
lieutenant colonel. In 1917 was
elected trustee of South Carolina t1l-
leee and served OF the board i.r for
ty years
He married Miss Helen, daughter
of Captain Sampson Pope. Judge
o,Neall served four years as speaker
of. the house of representatives. In
the meantime, he had been elected
brigadier General of the 10th brig
ade and afterwards major general Of
the Fifth division.
When we consider his great devo-
ton to the law and his taste for. lit
erature, we wonder at his military as
pirations. In 1928, was elected as
sociate justice and, afterwards one OF
the judges of the Court OF Appeals.
Afterwards president of the. Court of
Z Appeals and Errors. In 1S46 received
She degree of LID. from Columbia
cllege, District of Columbia, and
rom Wakeforest, N. C. In 1847 was
lected president of the Greenville
kilroad which he completed to with
seventeen miles of Greenville, and
IS also president of the Newberry
sicuitural society until his death
1888.
Remarkable Life
Dying at the age OF seventy years,
what remarkable and useful life he
Nedi In that time the poor boy of
Bush river accomplished much for his
state along many lines.
Perhaps am the only one in Spar
tanburg who remembers Judge
O'Neall in the flesh. He was rather
Assout, with perfectly white hair and
oddy complexion. l have heard sew
Eal anecdotes concerning him, of
indefatigible labors on the Bench
Bar and lectures on temperance.
At one time he held one of the
CHEST Offices in the Temperance
bvenent in the United States.
Illustrative of mis- great industry,
when the judges met in Columbia and
others went out for frolic, Judge
. .o'Neall remained in his room, would
write al of his own DEGREES, then
tumble around the papers of the 9TH
er judges and write theirs also.
In connection with the Rev. John
c. Landrun, he delivered many lee
lures on temperance. He and Mr..
Landrum were very close friends.
Mr., Landrum named his oldest son,
the historian, after Judge OsNeall. /
have heard that these two men did
much to elevate the citizenship Of
this county, especially the upper sec
ton, and / have also heard that
Judge O'Neall never sentenced q pri-
soner without giving him lecture or
temperance. Whether it was law,
&o,opo~,,oa ~ ,o;1ro,ds h;c 3ofpract