Carthage Republican Carthage, Illinois March 1913
PASSING OF A ROMAN
JUDGE GEORGE EDMUNDS, RIPE IN YEARS, PASSES TO HIS REWARD-A LONG LIFE OF REMARKABLE ACTIVITY
Judge George Edmunds, who died in Chicago Illinois, at the home of his daughter Mrs. T.J. Scofield, on February 27, 1913, was a native of the state of New York, having been born at Lockport on April 10, 1822. He studied law in New York, but a few years after attaining his majority, he left the old community and came to the new and promising state of Illinois, choosing Nauvoo as his residence. Believing that Nauvoo would become the great city of the state. Soon after he reached Nauvoo or about that time, the trial of those indicted for the killing of Joseph Smith occured at Carthage and Judge Edmunds, with the interest of a young lawyer in a trial of that magnitude, came to Carthage and was present during part of the trial.
Judge Edmunds began at once the practice of the law, his chosen profession with the ardor, enthusiam, industry and energy which characterized his life from early youth until he became physically incapacitated for work.
To the lawyer just coming into possession of Vol. 255 of the Reports of the Illinois supreme court decisions, with the advance sheets of Vol. 256 and part of Vol. 257, on his table, it is interesting to know that the name of Judge Edmunds appears in Vol. 10 of these reports, ordinarily designated 5th Gilman, containing the decisions for the December term, 1848, at Springfield, and the June term, 1849, at Ottawa. This was a case between Fidelio C. Sharp, plaintiff, and Edward A. Debell and others, defendants, disposed of at the September term, 1847, of the Hancock circuit court. R.S. Blackwell, O.H. Browning and N. Bushnell appeared in the supreme court for Fidelio C. Sharp and Judge Edmunds. C.A. Warren and O.C. Skinner for Edward A. Debell. Judge Lyman Trumball, afterwards famous as a stateman, delivered the opinion of the court. It was a prophecy of his future success in the higher courts that Judge Edmunds won this case.
In Vol 11 of the Illinois Reports the name of Judge Edmunds appears in connection with at least two cases. Adam Swartz vs. Thomas L. Barnes, and Jeremiah Smith vs. Robinson. In Vol 12 the name of Judge Edmunds,either alone or as one of the firm of Warren & Edmunds, appears as an attorney in at least four cases, disposed of at the December term, 1850. At this time Judge Edmunds was 28 years of age. Without particularizing further, it is sufficent to say, that from the time of these earlier cases until four or five years ago, no attorney in Hancock County and few in western Illinois, appeared more freguently then he, in the supreme court of this state.
The characteristics of Judge Edmunds as a lawyer are worthy of mention and imitation.
He had remarkable powers of concentration. When the writer was reading law in the office of Judge Edmunds, B.T. Scofield and W.C. Hooker, he was impressed with the ability of Judge Edmunds to isolate himself from his surroundings and fix his attention absolutely upon his work in which he was engaged,. In that day lawyers did not inhabit suites or a whole floor as they do now but two or three lawyers occupied one or two rooms, working most of the time in the same room. And so Judge Edmunds and the other two attorney's and the boys reading law with them, occupied one room. Judge Edmunds and Judge Hooker working on opposite sides of the same table, each as unmindful of the presence of the other and as fully absorbed in his work as if seperated by impenetrable walls.
This great power of concentration enabled Judge Edmunds easily and throughly to master the facts of a case to condence the same into terset statements and to present the same before court ordinary with great force and directness. The same characteristic led to conciseness of statement in papers and pleadings without the omission of anything material. It was this power the offspring in part of necessity which enabled the lawyers of the former days to accomplish so much, which everything had to be done by the tedious and painstaking use of pen and ink.
Judge Edmunds loved work and he loved to go to work for works sake. Even when his eye sight in a measure him and his work had to be done at disadvantage, he toiled on with that energy and industry which marked his whole career.
Misfortune or adversity did not overwhelm him, but under such circumstances, he deliberately turned his back upon the past and went resolutely and bravely forward.
Judge Edmunds was a high minded, honorable practioner of the law. he kept faith with his brethren at the bar. He treated the court with respect. He waived none of the rights of his client, but gave him the best of his service and did not desist from the contest until the case had been won or the supreme court had spoken the final word against him.
To us of the present day it is a thrilling thought that one with whom we have been associated in the practice of law or as a neighbor or friend, was himself, in the earlier years of his life, associated with and a friend of such men as Abraham Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas, Lyman Trumball, E.D. Baker, Samuel H. Treat, S.T. Logan, A. Williams, O.H. Browning, N. Bushnell. A. Wheat, and scores of others of the professional and political giants of the elder day, most of whom preceded him to the other world.
And yet this incessant worker, in his profession found time for attention to political and civic affairs and to those matters pertaining to the good order and proper government of the community. He was opposed to licensing the sale of liquors, he was against corruption in the management of public affairs. He attended to his own busines and was not an intermeddler in the affairs of others. He was charitable in judgement, courteous toward an opponent and faithful to his friends. The law student or young lawyer was free to go to him for advice or assitance, and was never turned away empty handed. He had many admirable qualities which commended him to the attorneys and all others with whom he was intimately associated.
Judge Edmunds was a Mason, in good standing and having respect and confidence of his masonic brethern.
It was fitting manifestation of regard that the attorneys of the Hancock County Bar and the Masons of this vicinity assembled on the funeral occasion to follow the body of their deceased friend to its appointed place of rest.
Judge Edmunds left two children. Mrs. A.N. Cherrill, and Mrs. T.J. Scofield, who was present at the funeral service, which took place at the residence of Charles J. Scofield of this city. The burial was at the old cemetery at the side of his wife, the mother of his children.
C.J. SCOFIELD

AN ADDED APPRECIATION
The editor herewith wishes to supplement Judge Scofiled's fine analysis of Judge Edmond's character with a personal appreciation.
In 1876 Judge Edmunds, having attracted wide attention by his ability, indomitable energy and ingenous fighting capacity, was asked to take the management of the R.V. Railroad, afterwards known as the Keokuk Line or "Long Line"-as familarily used, to distinquish it from the "Short Line, " from Hannibal through Bowling Green. The Long Line was then in process of building from Hannibal southward through Louisiana to St. Peters, where it was to connect with the Wabash for St. Louis, the matter of securing money to complete this extension, the problem of solving the physical difficulties of construction-running as it did along the river and subject to overflow and freshets from the numerous creeks and rivers it crossed and the difficulty of overcoming the prejudice to the road by the residents who were wedded to river transportation,-called for a mind and heart and body dismayed by any earthly difficulties. Judge Edmunds proved himself to be the man for the place. He successfully negotiated the funds, completed the road to St. Peters and turned the road over in good working condition to A.L. Griffin of Cleveland, who continued its much beloved president until his death.
It was in that year the writer came first in personal contact with Judge Edmunds. Obtaining employment on the road under him, he saw something of the magic that brouht order out of chaos under his management and noticed with pride the loyalty and respect given him by his employee.
Later the writer was a frequent visitor at the Edmunds home and will always bear in pleasant rememberance the judge's general hospitality, his invariable courtesy and his kindly sympathy for young people.
He sought the friendship of younger men and often expressed his great pleasure in their companionship. One of his delights, especially near the closing years of his residence in Carthage , was to entertain young people in his home and the writer counts as gain the many evening he has spent with Judge Edmunds under the influence of of his genial personality and inexhaustable fund of philosophy and reminiscences.
Our good friend has passed on. Peace to ashes.