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A Sketch of the Supreme Court of Ohio. capable on the real point and difficulty of the question involved to throw a flood of light that rendered the difficulty transparent, and discovered the principle of the solution, whether that principle were authenticated by one or many precedents or by none. With all the reverence possible for so strong and vigorous a mind to give to prece dents, still when it came to adjudging cases

where the law was not clear, he gave more heed to the dic tates of his own con science as to what was the right course to be pursued than he did to any or all of the opinions which might ever have been writ ten on the subject. Never stopping to ask what a certain course might do for himself, his sole ob ject seemed to be to find out what was the right, and when he had decided what that consisted in, then would he do that thing though the heavens should fall. MARSHALI. J. Ever mindful of the opinions of others, yet he never allowed such to stand in the way of what he deemed his duty. Once his mind settled as to the right, no power could move except absolute proof were presented to show him wrong. Pure as the snow in all he did, his life was one well worthy the emulation of those who are to follow him. William W. Johnson, born in Muskin gum County, Ohio, August 17, 1826, was a son of Solomon and Elizabeth (Wartenbe) Johnson, the former a native of Con necticut, the latter of Virginia. The pa-

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ternal grandfather was a Revolutionary sol dier, and in 1805 came to Ohio. The family were a race of farmers, and William was reared on a farm in Muskingum Count)', Ohio. But little chance had he to attend the com mon schools, but on the contrary he was compelled to secure what education he had in early life by reading at home such works as were within his reach. He was a hard student, however, devoting all his spare time to the study of books on science and history. Afterwards he attended one term at the Muskingum College, and then taught school in his native count}'. He read law in the office of Charles C. Con verse at Zanesville, Ohio, and was ad mitted to the bar in 1852. In 1858 he was elected judge of the Common Pleas Court of his district, and held that office for fifteen years; he was elected the two last times as judge without opposition, WILLIAMS. which in itself proves the esteem in which he must have been held by the people of his district. His health fail ing him in 1873, he resigned from the bench, and for a time took no active part in public affairs. In 1879 he was elected, on the Re publican ticket, a judge of the Supreme Court of Ohio. Judge Johnson was a hard worker, and gave much thought to the opin ions written by him. Of sound judgment, and reasoning faculties above the average man, and a love of justice which caused him to weigh well each case which came before him.