Semi-Weekly Tobacco Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tennessee), 30 June 1896, Tuesday

JUDGE SCALES DEAD

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A Prominent Citizen Passes Away at an Early Hour This Morning.

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Had Been in Failing Health Quite a While—Native of Virginia—Short Biography—Funeral and Burial.

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Saturday's Daily.

Judge Joseph Watkins Scales died at his home on Madison street extended at 4:30 o'clock this morning. The deceased had been in bad health for a long while, suffering from senile dyspepsia and his death was anticipated by relatives and near friends.

Judge Scales was born in Orange county, Va., 63 years ago. He had been a resident of Tennessee about thirty-five years, and of this city about twenty years. Judge Scales removed from Memphis to Clarksville, and while in the former city was one of the leading members of the bar, being at one time a judge of the county, but for the past ten years he had not been actively engaged in the practice of his profession. Up to last year he was president of the National Real Estate Association and of late years had been quite extensively engaged in large real estate deals jn Florida and throughout the south, as well as in English investments, etc.

For a long period Judge Scales had been a strict communicant of the Episcopal church, being the senior vestry man of Trinity church.

In 1873 Judge Scales was married to Miss Hattie Barker of this county. Their union was blest with three children, Joseph, Barbara and John.

During the late war Judge Scales rendered service to the south as captain of scouts, under Gen. Beauregard, in the campaigns throughout Tennessee, Virginia and Northern Mississippi.

Besides his immediate family, three sisters and a brother survive Judge Scales—Mrs. Robinson, of Hot Springs, Ark.; Mrs. Gray, of Holly Springs, Miss.; Mrs. Humphries, of Florence, Ala., and Dabney M. Scales, of Memphis.

The funeral services will be conducted at Trinity church at 4 o'clock to-morrow afternoon by his rector, Rev. Dr. Miller, and the interment made in Greenwood Cemetery. The following gentlemen will act as pallbearers: G. N. Byers, T. D. Luckett, J. L.. Glenn; W. A. Settle, Clay Stacker, M. Savage, W. M. Daniel and M. W. Quarles.

Judge Scales was a christian gentleman, who had friends in all classes and walks of life. In his death the city and section lose a good citizen and true man.

The sincere sympathy of many friends and relatives are extended to the widow and children of the deceased.

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Semi-Weekly Tobacco Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tennessee), 3 July 1896, Friday

JUDGE J. W. SCALES.

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Tributes of Respect From the Clarksvllle Bar and Trinity Church Vestry.

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Joseph Watkins Scales was born in Orange county, Virginia, August 1833. During his childhood his parents removed to North Mississippi. He received his education at the University of Mississippi, graduating in both law and literary departments with honors. He ranked high in his classes, and up to the time of his death preserved his knowledge of and love for the classics. He was a ripe scholar and a man of varied and accurate in formation.

During the war he rendered valuable services to the Confederacy in the cavalry under Beaureguard, serving as an officer of scouts in Georgia. Alabama and North Mississippi. After the war he practiced law two years at Bolstrop, Tex. He came home on account of his father's death, and afterwards became a member of the law firm of Kortrecht, Craft & Scales, of Memphis. He was lawyer of ability. He mastered every detail of his cases and possessed the faculty of taking infinite pains. He was elected by the Memphis bar to act as special judge in a great many cases when the regular judges were incompetent, and also served as city judge for several years.

In 1873 he married Miss Hattie Barker, of this county, and in 1877 he came to Clarksville and was a member of this bar for several years. For the past ten years he has been prominently connected with real estate transactions, both in this country and England. During the years 1893-94 he was president of the National Real Estate Association.

Judge Scales was an elegant and courteous gentleman of the true southern type, as kind and gentle as a woman, as simple as a child. He was a life-long christian and a devoted member of the Episcopal church. Christ was his master, and he served him without ceasing. His life was a blessing and association with him a privilege.

"His noble living for the ends

God sent him—duty underlying,

Each thought, word action; naught transcends,

In lustre soon his nobler dying."

Resolved, That in the death of Judge Scales the members of the Clarksville bar have sustained the loss of a sincere friend and companion; that we extend to the family our profound sympathy; that these resolutions be spread upon the minutes of the Montgomery county courts.

Dancey Fort, Mich'l Savage, Boyd Johnson, R. H. Burney.

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Tribute of Respect.

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Office of the Vestry, Trinity church, Clarksville, Tenn., June 27, 1896, The death of Judge Scales having been announced, a meeting of the Vestry of Trinity church was called to meet Saturday, June 27, when the following minute was made, and the resolution added adopted:

By the death of Judge Joseph Watkins Scales, for so many years identified with the work of this Vestry, and for twenty years the Senior Warden, this Parish loses one of its most eminent laymen, an efficient officer and zealous promoter of its interests and welfare. It is pleasing to remember that it was characteristic of Judge Scales that amid the avocations of life, the church to him was not secondary, but always first and above all else, and therefore every duty imposed on him by both Vestry and Parish was discharged with conscientious care and faithfulness. In the deliberations of the Vestry he was a wise counsellor and adviser, his charm of manner winning for his words a ready and respectful hearing. So useful and efficient son of the Church will be sadly missed in our work, and we therefore record on the minute look of this vestry our deep sense of loss in this going out from us of our dear brother and co-laborer, and adopt the following resolution:

Resolved, that inasmuch as the vestry has heard with great sorrow and regret of the death of our beloved brother, and while we deplore his departure from us, we take comfort in the thought that he has gone before "in the communion of the Catholic church, in the confidence of a certain faith, and in the comfort of a reasonable, religious and holy hope."

Resolved, that copies of this minute and resolution be sent to the city paper for publication and also that a copy be sent to the family of the deceased with the assurance of our sympathy and prayers.

[Signed.] W. J. Miller, Rector, J. W., T. D. Luckett, Jr. Warden., Bowman Ewing, Treasurer, Chas. W. Hodgson, Sec'y., W. A. Settle, Chas. Anglen, Clay E. Dean, J. T. Rabbeth, I. P. Gebhart.