WV-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 00 : Issue 50 Today's Topics: #1 HISTORY: The First Circuit Court o [PTyler107@aol.com] ______________________________X-Message: #1 Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2000 00:49:41 EST From: PTyler107@aol.com To: WV-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <4f.178a3db.25f4a0f5@aol.com> Subject: HISTORY: The First Circuit Court of Lincoln County Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The West Virginia Heritage Encyclopedia, Supplement Vol. 7, Hardesty's Lincoln County, Published by Jim Comstock, Richwood, WV 1974 The first circuit court ever held in the county convened on the 1st day of April, 1867, the Hon. William L. Hindman, judge of the 8th judicial circuit of West Virginia, presiding. Previously, on the 18th day of March, 1867, he had appointed Benjamin F. Curry clerk of the court. W. H. Tomlinson, James H. Ferguson, T. B. Kline, W. H. Enochs, A. Vance and L. A. Martin, attorney's of this State, were, on their own motion, granted a license to practice in the courts of this county. Judge Hindman then appointed L. A. Martin to prosecute in behalf of the State; he took the several oaths prescribed by law, and then, on his motion, James H. Ferguson was appointed his assistant. It was at this time that the first grand jury that ever sat as a jury of inquest for the body of Lincoln County was impaneled. It was composed as follows: E. F. Harmon, foreman; Anderson Bias, B. B. Wilkinson, D. M. F. Keenan, James Johnson, Henderson Drake, Henry Peyton, J. D. Smith, Hiram Adkins, Goldsberry Adkins, Andrew Adkins, Mathias Plumley, William Cooper, Anderson Adkins, Adam Cummings, Joseph A. Griffith, Zachariah Priestey, William A. Pauley, Peter L. Holstein, Silas Elkins, and Henry B. Griffith. After receiving their instructions they retired to "consider of their presentments." Soon, however, they returned and reported two true bills of indictment, one of which was against R. M. Lusher for obstructing the highway leading from Barboursville to Logan Court House. There being no further business, the court adjourned, and Lincoln County, with her governmental machinery in complete working order, entered upon her career as one of the component factors of the "Little Mountain State."