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FURTHER APPOINTMENTS

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August, 1854, George P. Stiles was appointed as the successor of Judge Snow. He had formerly been a member of the Latter-day Saints and had been the attorney for the City of Nauvoo. He was assigned to the western district (now Nevada), but soon afterward returned to Salt Lake City and held several terms of court there. He got into trouble with some of the lawyers and in the spring of 1857 returned to Washington.

W. W. Drummond was appointed in September, 1854, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Judge Shaver. Drummond seems to have been a conscienceless sort of scamp, having deserted his wife in Illinois and brought another woman with him to Utah. He was addicted to gambling and openly avowed that his main object in accepting the appointment of judge was to make money. This was said in such a way as to convey the impression that his judicial opinions were for sale to the highest bidder. At Fillmore, where he went to hold court, he got into an altercation with a Jew named Levi Abrahams and left the territory, returning to the states by way of California and Panama.

The summer of 1857 saw an entire new quota of judges in Utah, President Buchanan then appointing David R. Eccles, chief justice; Charles E. Sinclair and E. D. Potter, associate justices. The new judges came to the territory with Col. Albert Sidney Johnston. Judge Sinclair was assigned to the first district, which included Salt Lake City. Chief Justice Eccles established his headquarters at Camp Floyd, and Judge Potter was assigned to the southern district. He soon resigned and was succeeded by John Cradlebaugh, who arrived in Utah early in June, 1858.

From what has been said of Judge Drummond and the "runaway judges," it must not be inferred that all of Utah's territorial judges were men of that class. Henry P. Henderson, a Michigan man, who was appointed associate justice by President Cleveland in July, 1886, was an upright man, a lawyer of fine ability and a conscientious judge. During his stay in Utah he made many friends.

Harvey W. Smith, commonly called "Kentucky" Smith, because he was appointed from that state by President Cleveland in May, 1893, was also a judge "above the average." He was a tall man, with heavy black whiskers, a good mixer, learned in the law and was an honest, fearless magistrate. His service on the bench was short, as his death occurred on November 22, 1895.

Charles S. Zane, who served longer as chief justice of the territory than any other chief justice, was another judge of high character. He was a native of New Jersey, but was appointed by President Arthur in September, 1884, from Illinois. Judge Zane was a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln and when the latter was elected President became his successor in the law firm of Lincoln & Herndon, at Springfield, Ill. Later he was a member of the firm of Cullum, Zane & Marcy, and at the time he was appointed chief justice of Utah he was serving as circuit judge. Judge Zane was removed by President Cleveland in July, 1888, and Elliott Sandford, of New York, was appointed in his place. When President Harrison was inaugurated in 1889, one of his first official acts was to reappoint Judge Zane as chief justice. That Judge Zane made friends in Utah is evidenced by the fact that he was elected one of the first supreme judges when the state was admitted into the Union.

A complete list of the chief justices, associate justices and United States attorneys during the territorial days will be found in the chapter entitled "Statistical Review" in the latter part of this volume; hence it is not necessary to repeat them here.

[Source: Utah since statehood: historical and biographical, Volume 1; Edited by Noble Warrum; Publ. 1919; Transcribed and submitted by Andrea Stawski Pack.]

©2012 Genealogy Trails

FURTHER APPOINTMENTS
.
August, 1854, George P. Stiles was appointed as the successor of Judge Snow. He had formerly been a member of the Latter-day Saints and had been the attorney for the City of Nauvoo. He was assigned to the western district (now Nevada), but soon afterward returned to Salt Lake City and held several terms of court there. He got into trouble with some of the lawyers and in the spring of 1857 returned to Washington. W. W. Drummond was appointed in September, 1854, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Judge Shaver. Drummond seems to have been a conscienceless sort of scamp, having deserted his wife in Illinois and brought another woman with him to Utah. He was addicted to gambling and openly avowed that his main object in accepting the appointment of judge was to make money. This was said in such a way as to convey the impression that his judicial opinions were for sale to the highest bidder. At Fillmore, where he went to hold court, he got into an altercation with a Jew named Levi Abrahams and left the territory, returning to the states by way of California and Panama. The summer of 1857 saw an entire new quota of judges in Utah, President Buchanan then appointing David R. Eccles, chief justice; Charles E. Sinclair and E. D. Potter, associate justices. The new judges came to the territory with Col. Albert Sidney Johnston. Judge Sinclair was assigned to the first district, which included Salt Lake City. Chief Justice Eccles established his headquarters at Camp Floyd, and Judge Potter was assigned to the southern district. He soon resigned and was succeeded by John Cradlebaugh, who arrived in Utah early in June, 1858. From what has been said of Judge Drummond and the "runaway judges," it must not be inferred that all of Utah's territorial judges were men of that class. Henry P. Henderson, a Michigan man, who was appointed associate justice by President Cleveland in July, 1886, was an upright man, a lawyer of fine ability and a conscientious judge. During his stay in Utah he made many friends. Harvey W. Smith, commonly called "Kentucky" Smith, because he was appointed from that state by President Cleveland in May, 1893, was also a judge "above the average." He was a tall man, with heavy black whiskers, a good mixer, learned in the law and was an honest, fearless magistrate. His service on the bench was short, as his death occurred on November 22, 1895. Charles S. Zane, who served longer as chief justice of the territory than any other chief justice, was another judge of high character. He was a native of New Jersey, but was appointed by President Arthur in September, 1884, from Illinois. Judge Zane was a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln and when the latter was elected President became his successor in the law firm of Lincoln & Herndon, at Springfield, Ill. Later he was a member of the firm of Cullum, Zane & Marcy, and at the time he was appointed chief justice of Utah he was serving as circuit judge. Judge Zane was removed by President Cleveland in July, 1888, and Elliott Sandford, of New York, was appointed in his place. When President Harrison was inaugurated in 1889, one of his first official acts was to reappoint Judge Zane as chief justice. That Judge Zane made friends in Utah is evidenced by the fact that he was elected one of the first supreme judges when the state was admitted into the Union. A complete list of the chief justices, associate justices and United States attorneys during the territorial days will be found in the chapter entitled "Statistical Review" in the latter part of this volume; hence it is not necessary to repeat them here. [Source: Utah since statehood: historical and biographical, Volume 1; Edited by Noble Warrum; Publ. 1919; Transcribed and submitted by Andrea Stawski Pack.]



©2012 Genealogy Trails