Some Kentucky Lawyers of the Past and Present. at thirteen, a lawyer at twenty-two, a sen ator at thirty, and governor of Kentucky at fifty-one." Of the present bar, Samuel Boles and W. L. Porter are leaders.
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death." He was one of the ablest lawyers in the country. Says Mr. Marmaduke Morton: "He made a superb chief justice of the court of appeals of Kentucky, and some of his decisions are cited as legal classics." A curious habit of Judge Hise's RUSSELLVILLE. was to pull hairs from his head and brows Dr. David Morton, a greatly beloved min while reading and put them between the ister of the M. E. Church South, in a me leaves of books, where they were found long morial of Logan County, said, "From 1792, years after. A friend said : " You can always for a period of seventy-three years, men tell what books Judge Hise liked best as named Ewing represented Logan County in they are always full of eyebrows." the legislature, State and national, in the Judge Edwards said of Henry P. Brodconstitutional conventions, and were promi nax : " He was the best read lawyer of my nent on the bench and at the bar. Their acquaintance, and his honesty, integrity and arrival in Logan County was an era referred uprightness were proverbial." He was twen to as ' the year when the Ewings came and ty-six years a circuit judge. When the brought the law with them.' circuit courts were first established, the "In 18o i Reuben Ewing was a judge of associate judges, usually non-professional the first court of quarter sessions and in men, were chosen from each county to sit 1803 an associate justice of the first circuit with the presiding judge. For these men, court. Ephraim Ewing, one of the great men it is said, Judge Brodnax had great con of southern Kentucky, was judge of the court tempt and plainly showed it. When deciding of appeals in 1835 and chief justice in a question he would turn to each of them 1843. He was a man of commanding and say : " What do you guess?" presence, massive intellect and sterling in Ninian Edwards was a distinguished law tegrity. Presley Ewing was a brilliant law yer and chief justice of the court of appeals, yer and member of Congress, although he and going to Illinois to live, he was twice died at thirty-two. His eulogy of Henry governor of that State. A story is told of Clay was printed in the school speakers and how he came to be governor. Gov. Scott regarded as a classic. Robert C. Bowling, had appointed him to the Kentucky appellate a lineal descendant of the Ewings, was a bench about the time President Madison circuit judge for ten years." George made John Boyle governor of Illinois. Washington Ewing was a member of the Judge Edwards had purchased large tracts Confederate Congress, and Judge Bowden of land in Illinois and proposed to Judge says, " As a lawyer, singularly successful. Boyle that they should " swap " offices. So In years he only lost one case. He was al each resigned and was appointed to the ways a leader, his quaintness attracted, his other's place. candor disarmed, his kindness won and his Of the present Russellville bar, George convincing speech bore him onward to cer B. Edwards is a prominent member. James tain victory." Henry Quincy Ewing was a H. Bowden is engaged on one side or the fine lawyer, and, Judge Bowden said, "in other in every prominent Logan County many respects the most remarkable man case. He was presiding judge of the su the country ever produced." perior circuit. Wilbur F. Brovvder is an able lawyer and It has been said, " It seldom falls to the fortune of any man to be more deeply ranks high. One of his interesting cases mourned than was Judge Elijah Hise, at his was Cardwell v. Perry, wherein an ante
