Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/100

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

and Hamilton C o l l i e. N ew Y ork, after which he read law with his father, and w as admitted to the bar on Sept. 4, 1874. H e w as elected district attorney in 1878 and again in 18 S 1, filling the office with much ability. H e was possessed o f an even temperament and quick perception, and w as considered a safe and careful counsellor. T he death o f Ju d ge Little again made a vacancy on the bcn<m of the district to be filled by an appointment bjr the governor. There were a number o f aspirants among the Republican members of the bar. and strong influences were brought to bear. On March 30th Governor Pertnypacker appointed Charles C. E van s, Esq., o f Berw ick, as president judge, to serve until Jan u ary, 1907. H e was nominated by the Republican conventions of both counties (0 serve fo r a fu ll term. In the Democratic party the candidates fo r the nomi­ nation were John G . Harman and Grant Ilctrin g, both o f Bloomsburg. The Montour county primaries were held first, resulting in a vote o f 1,030 fo r H erring and 528 fo r Harm an, giving the former twenty-three dele­ gates in the convention, and the latter five. I'he following week the Columbia county pri­ maries were held, when Harman received 2 4 8 4 votes and H erring I,9 t2, thus giving the conferees to Hannan. T his resulted in a deadlock, and in September the case was carried to the Democratic State executive committee by M r. Harman, a fte r every effort to secure an agreement by the conferees had failed. The committee after several hear­ ings decided (hat they had jurisdiction, and nominated M r. H annan, to which M r. H er­ ring filed exceptions in (he Dauphin county coun, and a fte r hearing the cou n decided that H am ian’.s nomination w as invalid, thus leav­ ing the Democrats without a nominee. Roth candidates filed nomination papers. This maiic a (hrce-corncred fight, which resulted in the election o f Judge Evans, the Repub­ lican and Prohibition candidate, by a plural­ ity o f 241 votes in the district, E van s receiv­ ing 4 4 7 4 votes. 3.325 in Columbia county and 1.14 9 in M ontour; Harman, 4,233, 3.578 in Columbia .and 655 in M ontour; Herring, 2.936. t.964 in Columbia and 972 in Montour. Thus for the first time in its history has the district had a Republican president judge elected for a full term. Ju d ge E van s’s term will expire in Jan u ary, 19 17. JcDC.K GR.aNT H e r r in g, who served from August, 189S. to Jan uary, 1899, was a son o f G coigc A. Herring, and was born in Centre township. Columbia county. H e graduated

at (he Bloomsburg Normal School in 1879, and at Lafayette College in 1883. He read law with E . R . Ikeler, h.sq., and was admitted to the bar in February, 1885, entering into partnership with his preceptor at once, and so continuing until Mr. Ikcler's elevation to the bcrKh. H e served four years as collector o f internal revenue o f this district during President Cleveland's administration, and as State senator from 1890 to 1894. A man o f strong personality, a brilliant speaker, and an able law yer, he acquired a large clientele. In 1907 he moved from Bloomsbuig to Sunbury, and entered into a law partnership with Hon. S . P. Wo1 ’eiion which continued fo r several % years, when it was dissolved, and Judge H er­ ring engaged in practice by himself. In 1 9 1 1 his health began to fail, and in 19 12 he went to Europe to visit his daughter, who w as stud>nng music in Berlin, and to seek medical assistance. White in Germany an attack of his old complaint resulted fatally, and at his own request he was buried there. H is death occurred on Aug. 4, 19 12, in Bcrchtesgaden, Bavaria. J u d g e C i i a r i. es C. E v a n s was bom in Briarcreek township, Columbia county, Jan. 10. i8c8. H e graduated at the State Normal School at Bloomsburg in 1877, and at L a fa y ­ ette College in 18 8 1. H e immediately entered llic law office o f lio n. Simon P. W'olvcrton, at Sunbury, and J^uly 14. 1883. was admitted to the bar o f Northumberland county. In August. 1883. he commenced the practice o f law at Berwick, where he continued to prac­ tice until his appointment to (he bench. Ju d ge Evans has made a good record on the boich. H e is careful and conscientious, o f even temiK'rament, and his opinions show that he makes exhaustive rcscarcn in arriving at legal conclusions. Like all judges, he has hail some o f his decisions reversed hy (he higher courts, but in this rc.spcct his record will compare favorably with most of the judge.s of the State. He has been called a number o f times to hold court in W ilkes-Barre. Scranton, Philadelphia, and other places. JU D ICIAL DISTRICT

The territory now embraced in Columbia county was form erly a part o f NorihumberLand county, and was included in (he Eighth judicial district, composed o f Northumber­ land. Union and Luzerne. L ater on it w as placed in the Eleventh judicial district with Montour. Luzerne and W yoming, and again with Sullivan and W yoming in the Twenty-