THIRD TERM OF DISTRICT COURT, Smith County, TX ***************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Submitted by Peggy Brannon - peggybrannon@hotmail.com 8 June 2001 ***************************************************************** THIRD TERM OF DISTRICT COURT. "Some Biographies of Old Settlers." Historical, Personal and Reminiscent. Volume I By Sid S. Johnson, 1900: Sid S. Johnson, Publisher, Tyler, Texas Chapter V - Pages 21-25. The third term of the district court for Smith county was convened on the 3rd Monday in June, 1848, the Hon. Oran M. Roberts, presiding as special judge. This was the "Old Alcalde," long a citizen of Tyler, who became prominent in Texas jurisprudence as a lawyer and judge and the "pay-as-you-go" Governor of the State. While on the bench he delivered opinions that became standard authority on many legal points, giving Gov. Roberts eminence as a judge of profound ability, adopting a strict economic system of State government that put Texas on the grand march to material and permanent prosperity. Gov. Roberts died a few years ago at his home, at Marble Falls, Texas, to the deep sorrow and regret of the people who loved to honor him. He was an old land- mark that went out to follow Houston, Rusk, Lamar, Pinkney Henderson and other great Texas lights beyond the river. What a halo-cluster of marshal spirits on the other shore? The following composed the panel of the grand jury: Wm. S. Walker, foreman; John Thomas, Wm. McAdams, Johnathan Lewter, Wm. McBride, Wm. H. Stevenson, Agrippa Adkinson, Jno. R. Butler, John Love, Isaac Waters, J. Kelly, R. S. Bradford, Isaac H. Daniels, Stephen Chancey. The appointed bailiff to wait on the court was R. W. Burroughs. The petit jury were as follows: Thomas J. Gardner, Wm. J. Huggins, Wm. Garnett, John B. Gilley, Nicholas Wren, Absolem S. Watts, B. A. Marchant, Thos. C. Stein, Arthur Lott, Daniel H. Lindsey, Elisha Barcroft, John Wolf. These were a grand lot of men in their day and time. The only surviving one, as far as I know, is Col. Wm. J. Huggins, of Lindale, Texas. J. D. G. Adrian held the first justice court in Tyler, presiding with original dignity and honor, carrying many amusing incidents connected with his judicial history. He was eccentric and honest, with limited education, but possessed a strong natural mind and had that redeeming trait, the milk of human kindness. His guiding star in his judicial, as well as his personal life, was justice between man and man. He never hesitated to grapple, and in a moment decide, intricate legal that Judge Story would take days to investigate and decide a great principal involved it it. Justice was his motto and "lawyers could go to h--, and carry Blackstone with them." Adrian was a leading character in his day in Smith county. Along in the fifties he was sent to the legislature with Jack Davis, (Everett Lott being in the Senate), and he made a good working member. Smith county's two representatives were different in shape and attainments. Davis was a cultured man and a lawyer of good ability. Adrian was on the Davy Crockett order with natural strong forces, and a power with the boys "at the forks of the creek." He never hesitated to mount the stump in defence of what he conceived to be right, or denounce what he regarded as wrong. He was "one of the old blue hen's chickens," and proud to assert it. His language was not as fluent as Geo. W. Chilton's or R. B. Hubbard's or had the sweet accents, like honey, dripping from the comb of Pink Hill; but, nevertheless, Adrian always "got there with both feet." He was a stemwinder to mother English, but hit the "bull's-eye" at the other end of the line. Political he pronounced "politikle," and scored heavier along this line. While in the legislature he always caught the ear of the speaker and the rapt attention of the house. At the governor's reception he said the "sylybub was fine, strongly 'conglomerated' with sassafrac," Being a six-footer and a heavy weight, he thought he had "squelched the innards" out of the first spring bottom chair he ever set in. He was rustic and sensible, honest and popular, and died years ago with the esteem and veneration of the people. What he lacked in classics he made up in kindness; what he lacked in literary attainments he scattered sunshine along life's pathway, gladdening hearts by his open handed charities. About this time Smith county played a conspicuous part in state and local politics. Among the men of that day none was more popular and deserving than Capt. Richard B. Long, who is still with us and a worthy representative of the antebellum days. He was district clerk and sheriff of Smith county, and performed his duty with honesty and efficiency, ever mindful of the interest of the people. He is the father of a large family of children. The girls intelligent and bright--the boys steady business man, and leading in the pursuits of their calling. Capt. Long is an old man now, in reasonable health for one of his age, enjoying the respect and confidence of this people. He was at one time among the leaders of business and politics. Dick Long made in life an honest record, playing a good part in its whirls of change and progress. He is now passing the evening of life at his home--a handsome estate--in South Tyler. May he be with us many years to come, and the autumn of life be the serenist to this grand, good man.