Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 2.djvu/75

 WILLIAM J. COPELAND.

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��greater than those with which most men are endowed, with a keen insight into hu- man nature, and a strong love for the contests of the legal arena, he has the ability to command success in cases where others would see only failure from the start. Without any of the graces of oratory, he exercises, nevertheless, a wonderful power over the jury, through his ready perception of their individual characteristics, enabling him to appeal directly to their understanding and judg- ment, and the earnestness with which he enters into the case, carrying as it does the appearance of a settled conviction of the justice ol his cause.

In a description of Mr. Copeland's phrenological character, recently writ- ten out by Prof. O. S. Fowler, that dis- tinguished phrenologist says: " Power\s your predominant characteristic, and much greater than I often find it. It ap- pertains to your constitution, intellect, will and whole character, so that you have brought and will bring more to pass than any one man in thousands who started evenly with you. This comes from the predominance of your muscu- lar system, whieh renders your mental operations remarkably virile and effec- tive, to which you superadd great mem- ory, especially of facts, faces and places. Are pre-eminently adapted to the study and practice of law. Can be a public man and leader. Are remarkable for looking right into and through things at a glance, and particularly sagacious in spelling out men."

As has been stated, Mr. Copeland has a large practice at the Strafford County bar, being engaged, upon one side or the other, in a great proportion of all the cases coming to trial in the county. In Carroll County, also, he has been exten- sively engaged, having been retained in most of the important cases tried there for several years past, prominent among which was the famous Buzzell murder case, wherein he secured the acquital of the respondent upon his first trial, in

��May, 1875, though he was subsequently tried and convicted of the statutory crime of "hiring and procuring" the murder. In the management of this case, especially at the first trial, Mr. Copeland displayed his remarkable powers to the best possible advantage, manifesting a force of character, command of resources and influence over men seldom shown. His services have also been called into requisition at the Rockingham and Bel- knap County courts, while his practice in Maine even exceeds that in this State. As few men are able to accomplish as much professional labor as Mr. Cope- land, there are few who receive so large an income therelrom — certainly not more than one or two in this State— and should he continue to devote himself exclusive- ly to his profession for the next ten years, he will have gained not only a re- markable reputation for professional suc- cess, but material wealth fully commen- surate therewith.

Mr. Copeland married, in March, 1862, Miss Ellen L. Wade, youngest daughter of Loring and Sarah (Foster) Wade, for- merly of Machias. Maine, and a grand- daughter of Col. Benjamin Foster, Jr.. of Machias, prominent in the early his- tory of that town. By this union he has had three children, all daughters, two of whom are living— Mabelle. born April 10, 1864, and Kate, January 13, 1867. His home is one of the finest and most elegant residences in that section, the abode of comfort and domestic enjoy- ment, and his few leisure hours, here passed, are not without their happy in- fluence upon his busy and earnest life.

In politics he has always been a Re- publican, but has never held office, or engaged in political life beyond the man- ifestation of decided opposition to what is generally known as the '■ machine" in party management, until during the re- cent campaign in Maine, when he es- poused the cause of the new National Greenback party, and made several ef- fective speeches upon the stump.

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