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/484

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES Rom N ov. 4, 1825* in Montoursvillc, L y ­ coming Co., Pa.* at the mouth o f LoyaUock creek* Jolm G. Freeze w as a member o f an old fam ily o f German descent* originally settled in New Jersey, and established in this part of Pennsylvania by his grandfather, Peter Freeze, who located in Northumberland county with his w ife and family soon after the Revolutionary period, l i e lived and died at Tuckahoc, that county, and w as a farmer by occupation, l i e w as a soldier during (he Revolution, being enrolled in the body ol Colonial militia known as the "Je r s e y Line.” Jam es Freeze, son o f Peter, learned the trade o f miller and followed the business for many years o f his long life, dying at Blooms­ hurg at the age o f eighty-(wo. H is wife. Frances ((iosse)* ]>assed aw ay at the age o f scvcnty-fivc. T hey arc buried in Rosemonl cemetery, Bloomsburg. John Gosse Freeze had the licst educational facilities (his region afforded in his day. Be­ sides attending the common schools he had (he privileges o f private schools at Turbotvillc and Greenwood, the Milton Academy and tbe DanviUe Academ y. H is father, holding ideas on early training much in advance o f popular opinion in his time, also engaged private tutors for him, so that the boy received an excellent classical training. A fte r a brief ex­ perience as a school teacher young Freeze turned to the law, commencing to read with Joshua W. Comly, at Danville, in 1846. On A pril 19, 1848, he w as admitted to the G)himbia county l>ar at Bloomsburg* and fo r over sixty years following w as one of the foremost legal practitioners in the county, retiring from practice only a .short time before his death. On the cighty-scvcnih anniversary o f his birth, however, the Colonel was in court* and handed in a petition of the l^ehigh Valley Coal Company. On that occasion he received the congratulations of the court. Though a prominent figure in county a f ­ fairs* and influential in politics. Colonel Freeze held few public offices, but it Is signilic.ant that he was frequently called to positions whose duties carried grave responsibility, their proper performance being of vital in­ terest to his fcUow citizens. In 1863 lie took the office o f register and recorder o f Colum­ bia county and filled it for tw*o successive terms, a period o f six years. In 1872 he was chosen a mcml>cr of the Constitutional con­ vention, but resigned in favor o f Hon. C. R. Buckalew. H e served on Governor Bigler's staff with the rank o f licuten.int colonel, by appointment, hence hts title.

425

Regarding his ability und reputation as a law yer it is cas^’ to form an opinion o f Ctflonel Freeze by the importance of the cases intrust­ ed to him, the grc.at value o f property involved the earlier part of his Ic^al career he was lead­ ing cxninscl on one side or the other in many of the suits concerning land titles, the famous ejectment cases involving the ownership of coal lands in the low’cr part of the county, notably the cclchrate<l Iliggs-Docblcr und I .oiigenbergcr-McRcynolds cases, which be­ gan in 18O3 and were continued, in one place or another, until 1885. Ju d ge HI well was then presiding over the courts o f Columbia county, and his sense o f cractice extended lH^yond the limits o f Columna as he gained recc^nition hy his skillful handling o f difficult situations. In the famous M olly Magxiire trial o f 1H77. he had charge of the defense* and though H ester. Ttdly and M cH ugh were convicted and hanged the ( olonci alw ays held to his convnction that Hester was only technically guilty of the mur­ der o f Alexander W. Rea. It was character­ istic o f him that he never fought a case on technicalities, and though he w*as faithful and conscientious about availing himself o f every ail vantage to the interest o f his own clients he preferred to win his cases on their merits and through his extensive knowledge of the law, the application o f which he knew so well. A shrewd adviser, he w as equally cajiable as an advocate in court. Though he w as a formid­ able 0]qK>ncnt his distaste for trickery made him an honorable foe. and his fairness, coupled with unfailing courtesy, gained him a popular­ ity which never waned, l i e had neither scorn nor impatience for young and inexperienced lawyers, to whom he was alw ays generous and kindly, and among his colleagues he was Iooke<l upon as a most desirable associate. F o r many years there w as scarcely a session of the Supreme court at which he did not have business which required his presence. On .April 28. i<g)5. Colonel Freeze was the guest o f honor at a complimentary banquet arranged by members of the bar o f Columbia
 * md the standing o f his clients themselves. In