take shelter from the responsibilities of his wrong acts, under the king's name. Days after the case had been won Scott took Douglas to task for misquotation or mistranslation. Douglas denied that he had so translated it, and insisted that he had only informed the court of the very peculiar metallic formation of the tails of Kincaid's dogs!

Mr. Douglas' physical form was almost as peculiar as his mental structure. His appearance was strongly suggestive of the traditional "Santa Claus." He was short in stature, and like Kris Kringle,

"His plump round belly

Shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly."

His legs were slight and thin in proportion to his upper body, and when in a brown study he had a sliding, irregular and uncertain gait; as if, thinking of quips, crotchets and oddities, his thoughts governed the movement of his legs. His hair, in his later days, was thin, especially in front, and gray. His eyes were gray, small, and deep set in his fleshy face; and always twinkled with merriment. His brow and upper head were large-well arched and suggestive of intellect. He died in February, 1852.

Besides those already mentioned as prominent in the upbuilding of the bench and bar, there are several leading lawyers of the pioneer period, especially those who have been prosecuting attorneys of Ross County, whose sketches are grouped at this point.

LEVIN BELT

Levin Belt was in practice as a lawyer at the organization of the Territorial Court. He was born in England in 1798, but the date of his birth we have not been able to ascertain.

Mr. Belt was first prosecutor for the state, within this county, when prosecuting attorneys were appointed by the court, and paid by order of the court for each term's work, in sums ranging from $15 to $50; which, we believe, were the minimum and maximum compensations for a term's labor, for a period of more than fifteen years.

In June, 1804, he succeeded Wyllys Silliman in the office of president judge of Common Pleas. In the following March he was superseded by Robert F. Slaughter; but was again installed. as such in April, 1807, and continued to hold the place until the close of the year 1809.

While it appears that Belt was a reasonably good and satisfactory judge of Common Pleas, it seems that he failed as a prac

titioner at the bar. And this is not an uncommon fact in the history of the profession. From the bench he descended almost immediately into the mayoralty of the, then, very small Town of 'Chillicothe, with which office he combined that of justice of the peace; and mayor and justice he continued to be for a long series of years.

One story of his construction of statutes, while justice, we must preserve. The Legislature had, for some inscrutable reason, enacted a law forbidding licensed attorneys from "appearing before justices of the peace." Soon afterwards Richard Douglas appeared before 'Squire Belt in behalf of a client and rose to argue a motion to dismiss the case. "Dick! Dick!" exclaimed the 'Squire, "don't you know the law? You mustn't appear before me! Get behind me, Dick, and make your speech!" which order, says the story, Douglas complied with promptly, and went on with his argument.

In physique Mr. Belt was very tall, broad-shouldered, muscular, without surplus flesh, dark brown hair, sprinkled only with gray, even when advanced in life, gray eyes and somewhat ruddy complexion; a tout ensemble which, in the days of his mayoralty, especially, gave great emphasis to his judgments upon, and orders to, the petty malefactors brought before him. We have been amused while pursuing our inquiries about him among our older citizens, to notice the awe yet retained with which he inspired those who, as boys, were brought before him for such crimes as violating "the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday," by fishing, bathing or playing ball. Old George Huffman had been one of these juvenile unfortunates, and when we asked him if Belt was not a large man, Huffman exclaimed: "Large? Why he looked big as a meeting-house!"

Judge Belt removed from Chillicothe to Washington City, about the year 1828, and died there a few years later.

JOHN THOMPSON

John Thompson came from Chambersburgh, Pennsylvania, to Chillicothe in 1806, and entered upon the practice of law with energy and considerable success. He succeeded Levin Belt in the president judgeship of Common Pleas, in 1810, and held that office until the close of the November term, 1823. Within this period a number of interesting cases were tried before him, including the exciting United States Bank tax case, and the trial of the Mounts for murder.

Judge Thompson is represented to have been a lawyer of acute, but narrow, mind; firm to stubborness; of considerable reading and much readiness in the application of his learning; much influ

enced by his likes and dislikes; but, withal, of good morals-"a sanctimonious, religious Presbyterian," says one who knew him well and strictly temperate." In the last characteristic he was almost unique among the lawyers of his day.

The bilious diseases to which this locality has always been subject in the past, assumed, in 1821-23, such intensity that by many it was thought that veritable yellow fever prevailed. Many cases were fatal. Judge Thompson had a large family at that time and became quite nervous in his apprehensions of the appearance of the yellow fever in his own household. Being a judge, of course he formed a theory upon the subject of his fears. All Common Pleas judges have theories upon all possible subjects. This particular theory of Thompson's was that ammonia destroyed the germs of the fever-producing miasma. Therefore he seriously proposed to remove his whole family to, and live in a tavern stable, among the horses during the sickly season! Vigorous protests from Mrs. Thompson resulted in a compromise, however, by which the family was allowed to remain in the mansion, but were all required to spend an hour each morning standing upon the manure pile, and inhaling the ammoniacal fumes that arose from it.

Soon after leaving the bench Judge Thompson removed to Louisiana, just south of Port Adams, Mississippi, where he purchased a plantation and a few negroes. There he spent the brief remainder of his life, and died in 1832 or 1833.

JOSEPH SILL

Joseph Sill was born in Granville, New York, in 1784. He graduated from Middlebury College, Vermont, and entered upon the study of the law, gratuating from the Philadelphia Law School. He came to Chillicothe in 1810, and, after the completion of one year's residence in Ohio, began the practice of law, which he continued here for half a century, although he survived a number of years after having relinquished his business.

Mr. Sill was an accomplished scholar. He ranked second to B. G. Leonard, of all the men who had practiced at this bar, in his attainments in history, mathematics and the classics; although in law learning a number have equalled and some excelled him. It was his habit, throughout his very long life, to review daily some parts of his Latin and Greek literature, and work out some of the propositions of higher mathematics.

A marked deficiency in Mr. Sill's "make-up" was his want of confidence in his own powers. He would scarcely ever try a case until forced to do so; and then would seek the assistance of other lawyers much inferior to himself in learning and ability. His

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conversation was often strikingly brilliant with genuine wit, and his frankness in the expression of his opinions was in marked contrast with his timidity in his practice in the courts. He was elected to the Legislature in 1818, and in January, 1819, offered a series of resolutions, which were adopted by the General Assembly, and were the real initiative of the system of canals, afterwards constructed in Ohio. He was an enthusiastic whig in politics, and a zealous republican and Union man after the whig party became disorganized; but, we believe, he never sought political preferment from either party. Mr Sill served two terms as prosecuting attorney, commencing 1819 and 1829, respectively.

Mr. Sill lived to the very great age of ninety-one; and died November 25, 1875. He was rather under medium size and weight. He had regular and pleasant features and a mild expression. His eyes were dark hazel in color, and he had a curious habit of closing them when talking to any person. His hair was originally very dark and when it began to grow gray, Mr. Sill began to dye it. This dyeing he kept up for the remainder of his life, and sometimes with ill success. But he was an excellent and honest man; and a good, though rather a timid lawyer.

CHARLES W. GILMORE

Charles Ward Gilmore, second son of William Y. Gilmore, was born in Chillicothe on the 3d day of April, 1827. He graduated from Miami University (where he was class-mate of Oliver P. Morton and George E. Pugh) in 1846, and read law in the office. of Scott & Caldwell. He was admitted to practice in 1849. He was elected prosecuting attorney in 1856, and held that office for twelve years thereafter by successive elections, and it is generally conceded that he was the best and most successful prosecutor the county ever had. He was also city solicitor several terms. He died suddenly of apoplexy on the night of October 31, 1873, within an hour of the close of a trial in Common Pleas in which he was counsel.

At the bar meeting, held upon the occasion of his death, Judge Keith said, "in philology, belles lettres, and general reading he was head and shoulders above us all. In some departments of knowledge I felt like a child alongside of him. He had a fine, clear, and discriminating mind, and was remarkably well up in the science of law. In criminal law he was very superior."

Judge Thaddeus A. Minshall said that he "could bear testimony to the high order of Mr. Gilmore's intellect. He was, indeed, a ripe scholar, and of most cultivated taste, and in these respects was far superior to any member of this bar."

JOSEPH MILLER

Joseph Miller was born in Chillicothe in September, 1819, and was admitted to the bar in 1841. He was prosecuting attorney in 1845-46, and as such prosecuted Henry Thomas for the murder of Frederick Edwards. In 1856 he was elected by the democratic party to represent this district in the Thirty-fifth Congress, and to this day has been the only man born in Ross County who ever represented a district of which Ross County formed a part, in the Congress of the United States. During his term the contest for and against the extension of slavery into Kansas and Nebraska was raging. Miller voted with the South on this subject, and as a considerable number of his party had, by this time, become heartily tired of pro-slavery pretension and arrogance, his re-election became obviously impossible. But after he had been defeated President Buchanan, in March, 1850, appointed him chief justice of Nebraska Territory. In 1861 his successor was appointed by President Lincoln, and Mr. Miller returned to Ohio in very bad health, and died May 27, 1862.

THADDEUS A. MINSHALL

Thaddeus A. Minshall, whose death occurred the 22d day of November, 1908, was one of the leading practitioners at Chillicothe and in Ross County. He served as prosecuting attorney in 1865-66, after making a fine Civil war record as captain of the Thirty-third Ohio Infantry, and after serving as judge of the Court of Common Pleas, from 1876 to 1882, rounded out his professional career in substantial form as judge of the Supreme Court of Ohio for three terms. He served there with great distinction and his opinions while judge are considered by lawyers as admirable expositions of the principles of law there invoked. Judge Minshall was a native of Colerain Township, born in 1834, and was admitted to the bar in April, 1861.