Elijah Hise Norton.
From his quiet home in Platte County, Missouri, Judge Norton can look back through the record of his long and well-spent life with profound satisfaction: born in Logan County, Kentucky, Nov. 21, 1821; educated at Centre College, Danville, Kentucky, and at Transylvania University; a member of the Platte County, Missouri, Bar in 1842; a highly popular judge of the circuit court from 1850 to 1860; a member of Congress during the stormy period of 1861-1862; a member of the Gamble Convention, 1861-1863, and of the Constitutional Convention of 1875; a judge of the Supreme Court, 1876- 1889. Midst these public duties, Judge Norton found time to become a highly successful farmer and business man, so that in his chosen retirement he presents the rather unusual spectacle of a man who has been in public life, especially as a Missouri judge, and is blessed with a competency. Judge Norton is a man of strong convictions, and left his impress plainly and visibly upon the decisions rendered during his term. In the volumes published during that period are found a large number of his opinions, many of them in important cases, and covering a wide range of questions. A perusal of them will be profitable to the reader, and inspire an admiration for the in dustry and ability of which they are the fruits. Some of them are: Ex parte Jilz, 64 Mo. 205; Attorney-General v. Miller, 66 Mo. 328; State v. Shock, 68 Mo. 552 (dissent ing); Kitchen v. St. Louis, etc., R. R. Co., 69 Mo. 224; St. Louis v. St. Louis Gas Light Co., 70 Mo. 69; Ex parte Slater, 72 Mo. 102; Gill v. Balis, 72 Mo. 424; Rogers v. Marsh, 73 Mo. 64; Wiggins Ferry Co. v. Chicago R. R. Co., 73 Mo. 389; Dickinson v. Coates, 79 Mo. 250; Farrar v. St. Louis, 80 Mo. 379; Harrison v. Smith, 83 Mo. 210; Ewing v. Hoblitzelle, 85 Mo. 64; State ex rel. v. Corrigan Street Ry. Co., 85 Mo. 263; Bell Tel. Co. v. Julia Bldg. Assn., 88 Mo. 258; Ex parte Marmaduke, 91 Mo. 228; State ex rel. v. Pond, 93 Mo. 606; Sheehy v. Kansas City Ry. Co., 94 Mo. 574.
John W. Henry.
Judge Henry was born in Cynthiana, Kentucky, Jan. 29, 1825; graduated from the Law Department of Transylvania University in 1844; and in 1845 became a member of the Boonville, Missouri, Bar. In 1854 he served as State superintendent of public schools, and in 1864 removed to Macon City, Missouri. In 1872 he was elected judge of the circuit court, and gained a high reputation as a strong lawyer and able judge. In 1876 he was elected to the Supreme Bench. A constant practice before him as a member of that court, and an almost daily association with him during hi? term, and since, have made the impression that Judge Henry is gifted with a singularly active mind, thoroughly trained to the law, and the happy faculty of at once grasping the salient points of a case presented for consideration. He rendered the State great services and delivered a large number of opinions. He was especially well versed in questions of negligence, constitutional law, and statutory construction. The opinions upon which he can well afford to rest his fame are: Johnson v. Beazley, 65 Mo. 250; Duke v. Harper, 66 Mo. 51; State v. Wingo, 66 Mo. 181; Atlantic, etc., R. R. Co. v. St. Louis, 66 Mo. 228; Bliss v. Pritchard, 67 Mo. 181; State v. Doepke, 68 Mo. 208; Wellshear v. Kelly, 69 Mo. 343; Lowry v. Rainwater, 70 Mo. 152; Laytham v. Agnew, 70 Mo. 48; Porter v. Hannibal, etc., R. R. Co., 71 Mo. 66; Ex parte Brown, 72 Mo. 83, Wright v. Bircher, 72 Mo. 179; Hannibal Bank v. Hunt, 72 Mo. 597; Acton v. Dooley, 74 Mo. 63; Russell v. Columbia, 74 Mo. 480; River Rendering Co. v. Behr, 77 Mo. 91; Deaver v. Walker, 79 Mo. 664; Blumb v. Kansas City, 84 Mo. 112; Moore v. Wabash, etc., R. R. Co.. 85 Mo. 588; Siegrist v. Arnot, 86 Mo. 200; McDermott v. Hannibal, etc., R. R. Co., 87 Mo. 285.
Upon his retirement, he removed to Kansas City. In 1889 the Legislature provided two additional circuit judges, to dispose of the rapidly increasing litigation in that pros
