William H. Gale
William Henry Gale (1829 – February 12, 1899)[1][2][3] was an associate justice of the Colorado Territorial Supreme Court from June 10, 1865, to July 19, 1866.
Early life and political efforts[edit]
Little is written about Gale, and sources differ on his origin. One source says he was from Illinois,[4] but another says he was from New York.[5] A contemporaneous account describes him as being "of New York", but does not indicate whether that was his place of birth or merely his domicile at the time.[6]
It appears that Gale was examined and found to possess the qualifications required for admission to the bar in New York in September 1849.[7] He became involved in Republican politics in New York, albeit with little success. In 1855 he was a candidate for county judge,[8] and in 1858, a candidate for Alderman.[9] He was again a candidate for county judge in 1859,[10] and in 1862,[11] and in January 1865 was appointed a Commissioner of Deeds.[12]
Judicial service[edit]
In June 1865, Gale and Charles F. Holly were jointly appointed to the Colorado Territorial Supreme Court by President Andrew Johnson,[13][14][15] and subsequently confirmed by the United States Senate.[6] Gale was preceded as associate justice by Charles Lee Armour and succeeded by Christian S. Eyster.[16] He resigned because he found his salary inadequate.[5]
Later life[edit]
Gale returned to Brooklyn, practicing law in a solo practice from 1866 to 1874, then as a partner in the firm of Gale & Melvin until 1876, and then in then in the firm of Gale & Van Vieck until 1878. He thereafter returned to solo practice until 1890.[1] By 1890, it was reported that "ex-Judge William H. Gale" had headed an unsuccessful opposition ticket in the Republican primary election for leadership of Brooklyn's Twenty-fifth Ward.[17] In July 1891, Gale was "busily engaged... as a referee under appointment from Judge Pratt" taking testimony in the child custody case of a wealthy New York family.[18] In August of that year, it was reported that Gale's wife Mary had died at their home in Brooklyn, survived by her husband, their son Charles, and their daughter Mary.[19] In 1892, Gale returned to practice in a partnership, with the firm of Gale & Williams.[1]
Gale continued working on matters in Brooklyn as a referee or commissioner in the mid-1890s.[20][21] He died at the age of 71, and was interred in Middletown, New York.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Judicial Conference of the United States, Judges of the United States (1983), p. 175.
- ^ a b "Obituary for William Henry Gale", The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (February 14, 1899), p. 5.
- ^ "Recent Deaths", The American Lawyer: A Monthly Journal, Vol. 7, No. 3 (March 1899), p. 116: "Ex-Judge William H. Gale, Brooklyn, N. Y."
- ^ Smiley, J.C.; Goudy, F.C. (1913). Semi-centennial History of the State of Colorado. Brookhaven Press. p. 654. ISBN 978-1-4035-0045-8. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
- ^ a b Johnson, Andrew.; Graf, L.R.P.; Bergeron, P.H.; Haskins, R.W. (1967). The Papers of Andrew Johnson. University of Tennessee Press. p. 577. ISBN 978-0-87049-764-3. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
- ^ a b "Appointments Confirmed", The Philadelphia Inquirer (January 16, 1866), p. 1.
- ^ "Attorneys and Counselors", The Evening Post (September 10, 1849), p. 2.
- ^ "Political Items", Brooklyn Evening Star (October 20, 1855), p. 2.
- ^ The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (March 29, 1858), p. 2.
- ^ "Republican County Convention", The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (October 3, 1859), p. 2.
- ^ "The County Convention", The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (October 6, 1863), p. 2.
- ^ "Petitions and Communications", The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (January 24, 1865), p. 2.
- ^ Colorado. Supreme Court (1872). Cases Argued and Determined in the Supreme Court of the State of Colorado. S.A. Grant & Company. p. 5. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
- ^ Stone, W.F. (1918). History of Colorado. History of Colorado. S. J. Clarke. p. 179. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
- ^ "Appointment of Associate Justices of the Supreme Court", New York Daily Herald (June 23, 1865), p. 1.
- ^ Lewis, George E.; Stackelbeck, D.F. (1917). Bench & bar of Colorado. Denver: Bench & Bar Publishing Company. p. 24. hdl:2027/nyp.33433008708509.
- ^ "Last Night's Primaries", Times Union (December 17, 1890), p. 1.
- ^ "Cleveland's Fair Cousin", Times Union (July 11, 1891), p. 1.
- ^ "Mrs. William Henry Gale", Middletown Times-Press (August 29, 1891), p. 3.
- ^ "Verdict for Six Cents Sustained", The New York Times (May 15, 1895), p. 14.
- ^ "A New Test: "Probable Increase" a Factor in Condemnation Proceedings", The Standard Union (May 14, 1895), p. 1.