Year: 1866




disgraceful charge Of Judge UNDERWOOD to


the Grand Jury Of the United States Dis


trict Court at Richmond, which appears in


the New York papers Of to-day, induces me


to inform you and your readers who this


UNDERWOOD is, and what his past history
has been. Here, where he is known, it is


not necessary; but as he is playing so con-


spicuoas a part in an important historical
event, and his personal character and con-
duct are so little known at the distance he
now is from those who know him best, the
public should have some information as to
what kind Of a man he is, and in what esti
1 nation he was held where he for long
time resided He was born in this county,
and remained a resident here until about
| the year 1850. After being admitted 30 the
bar he opened an Office in this village, the
| precise time is rot now recollected, but it


must have been about the year 1888. At
| that time he was a member of the Wing
party, and he soon aspired to be a candidate
! Of that party for State Senator. He failed


to receive the nomination, and after that


whether because Of disappointment or be


cause his ambition could be better satisfied
| by being prominent in the abolition move
ment then started is not known; but the fact is,
from his defeat for Office in the Whig party, he
became a famous abolitiOnist, and down To the
time he left the county hewas an ABBEY KEEL
LEY FOSTER AbOlitiOnist. So much for his
political career until the time he removed


from this county. | said he opened law


Office. He did so, but he never was able as


lawyer to command the respect OF his fel-


low-citizeus. He was without clients and


mainly because he was lazy drone, and be-


cause there was a general feeling in the COM


munity that his integrity could not be relied


upon. So low had he sunk in that respect in


the estimation Of his townsmen that his name


was a reproach, and his presence was con


sidered no compliment, and his character
was no protection to him from open insults


i'm the streets. At one time some mischiev-
Gus boys in this village did TO him what
they would never have thought of doing to
any man Of respectable standing in the viii
lage They drove donkey into his office
and left him there all night


Failing as a lawyer and having plenty of
leisure, he made himself conspicuous in the
abolition movement and occasionally de-
livered abolition and temperance lectures,
until at last, driven to the necessity of doing
something for a living, he purchased some
standing wood and commenced cutting out
wood and ties for the railroad company.
This was about 1877 and in this business his
character for want of integrity and fairness
did not for a momont forsake him; and if it
were worth while, instances could be given
TO show in what utter contempt he was held
bv those having to deal with him. Finally,
starved out, he broke up and went with his
family to Virginia, Fauquer county, | be- |
l., ,,~l1 ,h h
longed TO his wife. So far as he was person
ally concerned, no one having respect for |
himself, cared for him or regretted his |
leaving. 1t was considered happy riddance, |
and when he had gone there was a general |
feeling in this county that It had got rid of |
a nuisance.


Heheld the Office Of trustee ola schooldis- |
trict in this village, and as such was intrust- |
ed with some of the funds of the district, and |
he applied them TO his own use. When call
ed upon his by successor in Office to account |
for the money. he could not do it, and, after
repeated demands upon him for the money |
and falling to get it, his successor sued him
before Justice and recovered judgment |
which, after considerable delay, was collect
ed on execution. On another occasion he
collected money for a client, and, on being
written TO by him TO know if the collection
was made, he replied that the money had
not been collected, and his client was led to
believe by UNDERWOOD that he had failed TO
collect the money; and some time after he
had left the county his client called upon
other attorneys to collect the amount, when
on investigation il was found thatthiS worthy /
whom the war has brought TO the surface, as
a Judge, had collected the money several
years before and had gone to Virginia. lie
of course was called upon to pay over, and
he did so by ins;allments, pleading that he
had forgotten the collection, which no one
knowing him believed for one moment
And while in practice here, among other
stories currently told of him as Characters
tic of the man was one tothis effect: An ig-
nOrant old man wanted to buy or complete
his title to a lot of land in this town, the fee
of which was owned by an estate, the agent
of which resided in Albany. He gave UN-
DERwoOD the money to take to Albany 10
make the purchase or get the deed for him.


UNDERWOOD came back with the contract
or title in his own name and represented to
the old man that he could not on account of
some difficulty get the land for him but he
found that he could purchase it for himself
and did so in his own name, but he would
sell the land to him for an advanced price,
which the old man was compelled TO give in
order to get the land. Enough has been
said 10 show who and what JOHN {. UN-
DERwooD was when in Herkimer, and now
as to what he has been since | have said
he went TO Virginia on lands belonging TO
his wife She is a lady with whom it is
said he became acquainted while teaching
school i'm Virginia and to whom he was
married about 1889. She is Nirginian,
= l,.,,.-,l1,- .,.,,,,.,tnl boipsr Ip,1hla |
cousin of the late Confederate General,
SroNEwALL JACKSON. UNDERWOOD con-
tinucd to reside on his wifes lands until
1886, when he turned up as a delegate from
Virginia in the National Republican Con-
vention which nominated Fremont for
President He, of course, had no constitu-
ents. lie was a selfstyled delegate taking
his seat in that convention, and very natu-
rally such a course on his part excited some
surprise and indignation among his Virgin
ian neiChbors who, ON seeing his name an
nounced rs a delegate to that convention, at
some meeting held in his neighborhood
passed resolutions Indignantly denying that
he was authorized TO express or represent
the sentiment of any portion of the people
of Virginia in that convention. Here was
the opportunity for UNDERWOOD. After
this meeting of his ncighbors, which meant
him no personal harm, he claimed that he
was ostracised from his home, and dared not
return for fear Of his life; and he at once set
himself up and held out that he was
MARTYR 10 the cause Of freedom for having
as a Virginian dared to be a delegate to
Republican Convention.


Ii was enough for him to claim to be
martyr-easier by far than to earn an honest
living on his wife's lands, as he could have
done unmolested had he chosen SO to do.
But his voluntary ostracism was made use
of at the time for political purposes and his
name was made prominent in some Repub-
lican journals at the time, As martyr who
had been driven out of the States by the
slave power. This pretence on his part was
considered 50 absurd as to call forth letter
from one of the most influential citizens of
his neighborhood DENYING that there was any
danger in his returning TO his home, or that
therc was any disposition on the Part of any
one 10 molest him and pledginS him protec-


. 81 q !