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 A Sketch of the Supreme Court of Ohio.

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dinary run of lawyers' handwriting. He character as a lawyer was his wonderfully prized these volumes highly, and up to the clear statement of the question at issue, and later years of his life he was in the habit the happy faculty he had of eliminating of going through them and making marginal everything not strictly pertinent. He served notes and references to later decisions which as Common Pleas judge during the time caused any change in the law as made in when the Supreme Court, which existed prior to 1852, as lawyers expressed it, the text. traveled the circuits and heard cases and When he left his home at Litchfield, Con necticut, after having been admitted to rendered their decisions, _ and afterwards,

when the system was the practice of the maintained, although law, he went to Cin in a modified form, cinnati about 1828, after the adoption of and was employed in the Constitution of a lawyer's office there, 1851, when one of the but as the work to Supreme judges was which he was as required to be pres signed was purely ent at the sitting of clerical and consisted what was then called in drawing deeds and the District Court in contracts, and copy each circuit, — the ing pleadings, it was District Court being very distasteful to composed of two of him, and after re the Common Pleas maining there a few judges and one of the months he went to Supreme judges. Portsmouth, Ohio, And it was a fact where he opened an much commented on, office, in which place that term after term he resided until the of the Supreme Court time of his death. and afterwards the He built up in Ports District Court would mouth a large prac be held in Judge tice, and rapidly atjohn welch. Peck's circuit, and tained the reputation there would not be a case for hearing taken of being a careful, able and well trained law yer. He was elected Common Pleas judge in up from the court over which he presided. Judge Peck was born jn Canandaigua, 1848, which office he continued to fill until he resigned to take his place upon the Supreme New York, on April 17, 1804 and died on Bench, to which he was elected in 1858. December 30, 1877. His best monument is He was a model Common Pleas judge, his his decisions-, contained in the volumes of the State Reports referred to. These decisions being singularly clear and display ing wonderful insight and ability, and he decisions display great industry, research possessed the happy faculty of being able to and reasoning power. In his private life he make his decisons so plain and clear that was a quiet, unassuming man, of great sim litigants themselves were satisfied with what plicity of manners, the best evidence of real ability and force of character. he decided, even when the result was unfa W1ll1am Y. Gholson was born Dec. 25, vorable to them. One great feature in his