Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 12.pdf/217

education at a local school and at the age of sixteen he was placed in Marshall Academy, of Huntington, West Virginia. Subsequently at the home of Honorable John I. Van Meter, in Pike County, Ohio, he received a three years' course of instruction under private tutors, later attended Jefferson College, Penn sylvania, and in 1853, graduated at Union College of New York under Dr. Eliphalet Nott, a celebrated educator and Presbyterian

divine. In the fall of 1853, he entered the Virginia State University where he began the study of law, completing the course in 1856. In that year he was ad mitted to the bar, located at Point Pleasant, West Vir ginia, and began his career in the legal profession. He tried his first case before the late Honorable George W. Sum mers. It was the defense of a man charged with arson, and it was generally believed that he was guilty and would be convicted, and C. P. T. though the state was ably represented, young Moore conducted his client's cause with such consummate skill and ability, and his argument to the jury was so clear, powerful and pathetic, that the prisoner was acquitted. His conduct of this, his first cause, was long a theme of conver sation among those who witnessed the trial, and he at once stepped into a fine practice. He has, on more than one occasion, remarked that he has never surpassed his maiden speech delivered in the defense of his first client. He seems to have acted in the belief that

this first appearance on the criminal side of the court was the tide in his professional career, and happily he took it at the flood. In 1860 he was elected commonwealth's attorney for Mason County, which position he held until the outbreak of the Civil War. After the close of the war, he continued the practice of his profession up to 1870 when he was chosen the regular nominee of the Democratic party by acclamation for Judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals, and so popular was he with the masses that the Republi cans declined to name any person to compete with him in the election, but nominated him also by acclamation — something entirely without parallel in the whole history of our judiciary in the State. Judge Moore drew the long term of of fice, being for the full term of twelve years, and he re mained a member of the court until his resignation, which MOORE. was reluctantly ac cepted in the year 188 1 . He was one of the most conscientious judges that ever graced the bench of our Supreme Court. Like Chief Justice Hale, one of the most illus trious of English jurists, he never entered upon the consideration of an important case without first invoking the aid of the Supreme Judge of all mankind to assist him in coming to the proper and righteous deci sion. He preferred equity practice, for the reason, assigned by himself, that in law cases Jie was frequently called upon to prosecute