A. D. FOLLETT

By SMITH W. BENNETT, of Columbus

To me, one of the most beautiful sentences in American literature is this:

"Since all must die how glorious it is that some may die in an undying cause.'

It is peculiarly fitting and expressive as applied to "Going West," of Alfred Dewey Follett. The circumstances surrounding his passing were in keeping with his devotion, loyalty and patriotism. On the morning of his death, he had arisen early, and, as was his wont, had gone down town to learn the morning news from the war front. Upon returning to his home shortly after six o'clock, he remarked to a maid in passing, "The war news is all good this morning, Lizzie." He then went to an upper balcony of his home to raise the flag. This was about 6:30. Nothing more was seen of him until about 9:30 o'clock, when he was discovered by a servant in his home upon the upper balcony beneath the folds of Old Glory-dead. A doctor was hastily summoned, but examination disclosed that life had been extinct for some time.

Alfred Dewey Follett was the son of the late Judge Martin Dewey Follet and Harriet Shipmen Follett. He was born March 30, 1858, in Marietta, Ohio, where he continued to reside to the day of his death. A brother and a sister passed away in childhood, leaving the only surviving member of the family, one brother, Judge Edward B. Follett, who is a major in the Judge Advocate Corps of the Army. He was united in marriage to Miss Lou Hopkins, of Parkersburg, W. Va. To this union were born two daughters, Miss Harriet Follett, until recently connected with Smith's College, Northampton, Mass., and Mrs. D. A. Bartlett, nee Jessie Follett, of Marietta, who, together with the widow, survive.

Coming from some of the best of the sturdy pioneer stock of Marietta, he, whom we most familiarly call Dewey, proved himself true to family blood and tradition and became one of Marietta's most distinguished sons. Following his father's footsteps, he chose the law for his professional career and won for himself both honor and distinction. Following his graduation from Marietta College in 1875, of which class he was valedictorian, he took a post-graduate course at Cornell University at Ithica, N. Y., during the years 1877-78. For two years he read law with his father and was admitted to practice in the State of Ohio February 4, 1880. He became a member of the Washington County Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association, in the councils of which he was always a prominent participant and served upon many of the committees of those bodies. He was president of this association during the year 1908. He practiced in all the courts of his native state and of the Federal Districts and Circuits, and was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States. For several years he was chairman of the Board of Examiners, under appointment of the Supreme Court, for the examination of law students for admission to the Bar of Ohio. His activities are well expressed in a sketch prepared and published in the Marietta papers, from which we glean the following:

He was never ambitious for political preferment, but was sought by those high in the councils of his party, because of his wise political judgment and high character. He had the sincere friendship of the political leaders of his state and many of those who were national in character. He seemed content to serve as a counsellor rather than as an office-holder. He served from 1890 to 1894 as City Solicitor of his home city. He was president of the Board of Trade and for many years was president of the Marietta Board of Education, which office he held until shortly before his death. He resigned because of his health. He was vice-president of the People's Banking and Trust Company of Marietta since its organization in 1902. At the time of his death, he was a member of the Board of Trustees of Marietta College. He was a prominent member of Alpha Sigma Phi

Fraternity of Marietta College, and had the honor of serving as the first National President of this Fraternity when it became a national organization about ten years ago.

Among his fraternal connections may be mentioned those of the Masonic Order in the Council and Commandery of Knights Templar. He was a member of the Shrine, Parkersburg, W. Va., and he helped institute the local organization of Elks in Marietta and always took an active interest and prominent part in the charities and affairs of the order.

In church connections he believed that the individual should choose the church or creed best suited to his needs. He had been a member of the First Congregational Church of Marietta since early manhood, and after his marriage attended the Episcopal Church.

It is as a practicing lawyer and member of the bar that the members of this association for many years had learned to know him and to anticipate the joy of these annual sessions which ever were brightened by his presence and inspired by his discussion of every subject that pertained to its welfare. It is therefore proper that we deal with some particularity upon an analysis of him as a lawyer and characteristics which gave him such prominence in his profession. Hon. Hugh L. Nichols, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, says of him:

"An intimate acquaintance of over twelve years with Dewey Follett left certain lasting impressions on my mind.

"He possessed a wonderfully acute legal mind. In the argument of cases he went at once to the very vitals of the cause, and touched only the high spots. His presentation was uniformly refreshing and persuasive.

"His genial personality always stood him well in hand and made him friends and admirers among the profession all over the state. He maintained a cheerful exterior that evidenced a good and honest heart.

"Men of his type, in these days of great and unsolved problems, are to be parted with only in sorrow and regret, and with a feeling of a painful loss."

It is my personal observation that in the days of his health he brought to the consideration of the many questions connected with his professional career, a tremendous energy. He was ever alert. His mind was keen, his judgment sound. He was not an indolent lawyer. He labored incessantly, without any regard to his constitution. He not only had a wonderful capacity for labor, but likewise he had an equally remarkable inclination to labor. His was a busy life.

It may truly be said that his work on the Draft Board of Washington County undoubtedly hastened his end. No soldier on the battlefield served his country more faithfully in the work allotted to him.

It almost seemed as if he knew of the great change that was about to come. He felt that the time was at hand to enjoy that for which he had worked and longed all the years. To travel and study was to be the rounding-up of his life. The time had come when he felt that there was no longer any necessity of continued effort for making money and he had planned, with his estimable wife, that as soon as they could obtain passports they were going to make a trip around the world. But this great pleasure was to be denied him. True to the trust confided to him and of his professional engagements, he permitted his strength to be sapped by devotion to the interests of others.

On his social side he was always a leader. In these relations many honors had been conferred upon him. He was welcomed in any company. He had a broad knowledge of music, of literature and the arts.

I consider it a great compliment to be able to truthfully say of him that he was filled with those tender graces which may be known as the humanities, and association with him disclosed that with his excellence as a lawyer was combined his excellence as a playfellow.

In these few incidents may be found the outstanding facts customarily included in a sketch, which, with apologies to the memory of the deceased, is called a memorial. They cannot serve to "bring back to its mansion the fleeting breath," nor, that

composite of body, spirit, manhood and good-fellowship, known to his friends as Dewey Follett.

We feel how unavailing the effort to put flesh and blood into descriptive phrases or the spirit of personal contact into words and names. The painter has colors; the musician blending tones; but the biographer has but words-words-words. If one could combine all these arts with entrancing skill, he could not create even one causal smile, such as radiated at all times from Dewey.

Let us say of him as Sergeant Smith Prentiss said of General Taylor:

"Let us hope that it may be our good fortune to end our days in the same splendor, and that when the evening of Life comes, we may sink to rest with the clouds that close in our departure, gold-tipped with the effulgence of a well-spent life."