Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 08.pdf/132

 The Supreme Court of Maine.

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THE SUPREME COURT OF MAINE. VI. By Charles Hamlin. CHARLES DANFORTH, an associate justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Maine for twenty-six years, was a native of Norridgewock, Somerset County, Maine, where he was born August I, 1815. His father, Israel Danforth, a farmer and saddler by occupation, was a native of Washington, N. H., and settled in Maine about 1805. The family is of English origin. Some of his ancestors came to Maine prior to 1700. One of them, Thomas Danforth, was an associate justice of the Superior Court under the charter qf 1 691, as has been stated in the GREEN Bag, Vol. VII, p. 460. Charles's mother's name was Sally Wait. She was a native of Groton, Mass., and removed to Maine about the same time as her husband. Judge Danforth's early education was ob tained in the district and private schools of Norridgewock, and was supplemented by a course of study in the academies at Farmington and Bloomfield. After leaving the academy, young Danforth began the study of law in the office of John S. Tenney, who was then in practice at Norridgewock. How deeply Judge Danforth was indebted to Judge Tenney and how sincerely appreciative he was of the benefits of this early association is amply testified in his eulogy upon ChiefJustice Tenney quoted in the sketch of the latter in the GREEN Bag, Vol. VII, p. 508. Mr. Danforth was admitted to the Bar in Somerset County, at the summer term of 1838, and began practice in the town of Gorham in September of the same year. There he remained until October, 1841. In November, 1841, he removed to Gardiner and opened an office in company with Noah Woods, under the firm name of Danforth and Woods, that lasted until 1854, when Mr. Woods retired from the practice of law.

Mr. Danforth continued his professional pursuits alone until January, 1864, his cases being such as were tried and argued in the State courts. Judge Danforth represented the city of Gardiner as a member of the House, in the Legislature, during the sessions of 1850, 1851 and 1852, serving upon the committees on the Judiciary and Insane Hospital, being chairman of the latter committee. In 1855 he was a member of Gov. Anson P. Morrill's council, and in 1857 was again returned to the House of Representatives. He was then twice elected county attorney, and con tinued to serve in that capacity until his appointment to the Bench of the Supreme Judicial Court, January 5, 1864. During his term as county attorney many criminal cases were tried, but none of a capital char acter. He displayed in his practice at the bar a good degree of legal erudition, logical force and sound reasoning. His arguments were rather of the conversational style, and he never talked over the heads of the jury. He practiced on the rule that success in the trial of cases depends more on preparation in the lawyer's office than any display of oratory in the court-room; hence his cases were always fully prepared. His reputation for honorable and fair practice flowed natur ally and easily from his pure character; and I doubt if he knew how to avail himself of any of the meretricious arts sometimes re quired to prop a weak case. Not that he lacked ingenuity and tact; for he had that invaluable insight, said to be worth a life's experience, which carried him to the strong and salient points in a case, thus drawing attention away from any unguarded angle of his legal fortress. For his silent skill I should call him the Von Moltke rather than