Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 03.pdf/263

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236
The Green Bag.

tenementum and incidentally the law of seisin and disseisin, has secured him many compli ments. In a number of cases he discussed elaborately the construction of wills. His opinion in Johnson v. The People, 113 lll. 99, shows him to be equally interesting, learned, and successful in dealing with ques tions in Criminal Law. He is enjoying life at his home at Metropolis, on the bank of the Ohio River, loved by his neighbors, respected by the people of the State, and comforted by a sufficient fortune. Damon G. Tunnicliff, a Judge of this court, by appointment, from February till June, 1885, the unexpired term of Judge Walker, was born in Herkimer County, New York, August 20, 1829, read law in this State with Judge Walker and Robert S. Blackwell, and has devoted himself exclu sively to the practice of law. He was a Presi dential Elector in 1868. He is now in practice at Macomb, Illinois. Judge Tunnicliff is eminently representa tive of what man has been able to make of himself in Illinois in a life of entire and ex clusive devotion to the practice of law. We have now come to the present bench, which consists of John Scholfield, Alfred M. Craig, David Jewett Baker, Simeon P. Shope, Benjamin D. Magruder, Jacob W. Wilkin, and Joseph Mead Bailey, who were all elected in June, 1888, for a term of nine years. Judge Scholfield was born in Clark County, Illinois, August 1, 1834, where he has ever since resided. He attended the law school at Louisville, Kentucky, was elected State's At torney in 1856, a member of the Legislature in 1860 as a Douglas Democrat, a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1870, and a judge of the Supreme Court in June, 1873, which office he has held to the present time. At the end of his present term he will have served upon this bench twenty-four years. Two years he has been Chief-Justice. In Linder's " Early Bench and Bar of Illinois," it is stated that Judge Breese, speaking of Judge Scholfield about ten years before his elevation to the Supreme Bench,

said : " He is one of the most promising young lawyers in America. I have had a good op portunity of estimating his ability, and know of no lawyer, old or young, that I can place above him." According to the statements of the daily press at the time, which were doubtless true, he was given an opportunity to refuse an appointment as the successor of Morrison R. Waite, Chief-Justice. Judge Baker was born at Kaskaskia, Ran dolph County, Illinois, Nov. 20, 1834. His father, David Jewett Baker, came to Illinois in 18 19, and became United States District Attorney, United States Senator, and the equal of any contemporary lawyer at the Illinois Bar. Judge Baker was graduated at ShurtlefT Col lege at Upper Alton, Illinois, in 1854. and in 1888 received the degree of LL.D. from that institution. On admission to the bar he began practice at Cairo, where he was an Alderman, City Attorney, and Mayor. He was elected Judge of the Circuit Court in March, 1869, and held that office continu ously till his election to the Supreme Court in June, 1888, excepting from July, 1878, till June, 1879, when he filled by appointment an unexpired term in the Supreme Court. On the organization of the Appellate Court in 1877, Judge Baker was selected as one of the judges of the Appellate Court. He sat continuously in that court, excepting one year, thence until his election to the Su preme Court. He has opinions running through about twenty volumes of the Ap pellate Court Reports which were frequently adopted by the Supreme Court in full as their own opinion in the case on appeal. Alfred M. Craig, a Judge of this court since June, 1873, was born in Edgar County, Illinois, Jan. 15, 183 1. He was graduated with honor at Knox College, Galesburg, Ill inois, was Judge of Knox County, a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1870, and at the time of his election to the Su preme Court a wealthy farmer and lawyer. Benjamin D. Magruder became a member of this court Nov. 3, 1885. He was born