226
The Green Bag.
inee for Governor of the Liberal party. In and the next year made an unsuccessful race i8r7 he was one of eleven who organized for Congress. In 1824 he moved to Charlesthe Grand Lodge of Masons for the State of town, Clarke County, where he resided until Indiana. In 1851 and 1852 he interested j his death. In 1832 he again made an unsuc himself in a projected railroad, only soon to I cessful race for Congress. Governor Noble find his accumulations of years swept away j appointed him, May 30, 1836, judge of the from him, and himself a pauper. The shock Supreme Court in place of Stevens, who had was too great for him to bear, and his mind died; and he sat upon that bench eleven was impaired. His delusion was that he was years. Dewey was a Whig, and Governor immensely rich, and he went about bargain Whitcomb, a Democrat, refused to reappoint ing for houses and lands. In 1869 he was him, as we have seen. After the adjourn sent to the State Hospital for the Insane, ment of the legislature he appointed Dewey with no benefit; and there he died Nov. 7, and Sullivan temporarily, until the next le 1870, in abject poverty. It cannot be said gislature, and then sent in the names of two that Stevens was a great lawyer, although he others as permanent appointments. The stood high at the bar. His painstaking, care, legislature refused to confirm them, and af ter the adjournment the Governor again and industry made him a successful practi tioner, and he possessed considerable power offered him a temporary appointment; but before a jury. As a writer he was diffuse Dewey declined to accept it until he received and prolix, and his opinions contain many an assurance from the Governor that it should be made permanent. No doubt Whit obiter dicta. He was one of the most labo rious judges that ever sat on the Supreme comb wanted to appoint Dewey to a full term; but he was diverted from his course by Court bench. Ashbel P. Willard, afterwards Governor, and John T. McKinney. then a rising young Democrat; but he did not keep his pledge, and Dewey publicly Judge McKinney was a resident of Frank lin County, having his residence at Hrook- charged him with having failed to keep faith villc. He was appointed Jan. 28, 1831, in with him. On leaving the bench in 1847 he resumed the place of Judge llolman. 1 le died in office in May, 1837; and Judge Sullivan succeeded the practice, and he and George V. Howk, him in office. Oliver II. Smith said of him : afterwards himself a member of the Supreme "General McKinney was a fair lawyer, and Court, formed a partnership. Their practice gavo good satisfaction as a judge, but died was large and lucrative. In 1849 he was before he had reached the meridian of life, thrown from his carriage, and his leg was or had been long enough on the bench to broken. He never fully recovered from the develop fully his judicial character. His injury, and was always compelled to use crutches. He died April 25, 1862, and was opinions are sound law." buried at Charlestown. Dewey and Benjamin Charles Dewey. Parke were great friends and companions. Dewey was born in Sheffield, Mass., March His love of a good story was well known, and r>, 17H4, and graduated at Williams Col his wit was keen and incisive. Dewey was, lege with the honors of his class. In 18 16 perhaps, the most original mind that ever sat he settled at Paoli, Ind., and opened an office. upon this bench. His reputation as a lawyer His active mind and genial habits soon was very high when he was appointed judge, brought him a large practice in that and ad and many feared he would not maintain it joining counties; he following the usual habit on the bench; but all acknowledged that of lawyers at that day, " riding the circuit." their fears were not realized. He had the In t82i he was elected to the Legislature, happy faculty of going at once, in a very