The Supreme Court of Tennessee. rial writer of great force. He was always a prominent factor in the deliberative bodies of which he was a member, standing high in the United States. Senate during his brief term of service there. As a lawyer, he never examined a wit ness, always intrusting that to his associ ates. But when the evidence was closed, he had a better grasp of it than any lawyer
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in the case, or the judge on the bench. As an advocate, he had few equals. As a judge, he did an immense amount of work, taking not only his regular allotment of cases, but also such as were submitted on brief. His most valu able judicial work was in the construction of the Constitution of 1870. Many new pro visions were found in it, particularly those regarding the caption and passage of acts, and those inhibiting special legislation. There were many cases involving these questions. Judge JAMES W. Nicholson usually pre pared the opinions in them, and they uniformly evince a large broad-mindedness. He was one of the best constitutional lawyers that the State has ever had. He was a voluminous writer, and his opinions are always strong. James W. Deaderick was born at Jonesboro', Tenn., Nov. 28, 1812. He came of good family. His father, a Virginian, had served in the Revolutionary War. After his removal to Jonesboro', he was President of the Jonesboro' branch of the Bank of Tennessee. His mother was a Delaware woman. Her eldest brother, Joseph An-
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derson, was one of Tennessee's first United States Senators, was made a United States District Judge, and was afterward Comp troller of the Treasury of the United States. Judge Deaderick was educated at East Ten nessee College, Knoxville, Tenn., and Cen tre College, Danville, Ky. He married at Danville the granddaughter of Gov. Isaac Shelby, the daughter of the first white fe male child born in Kentucky. After his marriage he left col lege, and settled in what is now Hamblen County, Tenn., lead ing a life of ease, being possessed of an ample fortune. The finan cial depression of 1837 bankrupted him be cause of obligations incurred as surety. He then became an Indian agent in Iowa. After a short stay there, he returned to Jonesboro', and began the study of law under Judge Seth J. W. Luckey. He was ad mitted to practice in the year 1844, being then thirty-two years DEADERICK. old. His professional advancement was He was not a great lawyer, but he slow. was a well-educated man and a well-read man. His close application to the study of his cases, aided by a courteous manner and a high character for honesty, in the end brought him a good business, and gave him a high standing in the profession. He served in the State Senate in 1851, being Chairman of the Committee on In ternal Improvements, then the most impor tant of the body. This Legislature enacted what is known as the Omnibus Bill, under which many of the railways of the State were
