KONOK JUDGE 50 



YEARS ON EENCH 



(Continued froi.i Pase One) 

 ization which took place in front of 

 the Second church in what is now 

 Codman square. There were two 

 companies one of which was armed 

 with hand saws and the other with 

 three cornered files. At the given 

 word there was a clash, those with 

 the files drawing them across the 

 teeth of the saws. "* 



Mr Willis told of the establishment 

 of the first fire department, giving 

 the names and locations of the fire 

 engines. These were provides, earry 

 in 1800 owing to a series of incen- 

 diary fires which destroyed much 

 property. 



Judges William Merritt and Mi- 

 chael H. Sullivan, made splendid ad- 

 dresses setting fo\rth the fine quali- 

 ties of Judge Churchill, which they 

 had found out by many years of con- 

 stant association. 



Walter Deane, a well known botan- 

 ist, told of his associations with 

 Judge Churchill in botany, which go 

 back to 1880. He told of the many 

 hours that Judge Churchill had put in 

 to collecting one of the most remark- 

 able collection of wild plants, in this 

 country comprising something like 

 18,000 sheets. He related many in- 

 teresting stories of the tramps that 

 he and the judge had taken all over 

 New England in search of wild plant 

 life. Some of these were perilous 

 and filled with adventure. They in- 

 cluded being chased by a bull who 

 came upon them unexpectedly and 

 was the only time, Mr Deane said, 

 that he ever knew the judge to run 

 away from trouble. He said that 

 Judge Churchill's collection of flora 

 was well known all over this coun- 

 try as one' of the largest and one of 

 the best in existance. 



Captain Charles T. Reardon of the 

 Fields Corner police station told of 

 the co-operation that' had always ex- 



isted between himself and the judge. 

 He said that thj lawfulness of the 

 commimJty was due to :ha 

 quite as much, as to the police for 

 without the co-operaticn of the judge 

 the police could do nothing. He 

 spoke of the men comprising the new 

 police force in very favorable terms, 

 showing by comparison, the good 

 work they were doing. He also told 

 of the good, wholesome living condi- 

 tions that exist in Dorchester and 

 these he said were due very largely 

 to the court. In fact, he said, the 

 good living conditions that had ob- 

 tained for the last 50 years, were a 

 direct reflectin of Judere Churchill's 

 presiding over the local court. 



N. Thomas Merritt was in fine 

 form. He told many laughable in- 

 cidents that had occurred during the 

 22 years that he was clerk of the 

 court. He had an unique way of de- 

 scribing these which made everyone 

 roar. Mr Merritt paid a fine tribute 

 to Judge Churchill with whom he 

 had been associated for so many 

 years. 



Alpheus Sanford, the present clerk 

 of the court, also paid a splendid 

 tribute to the judge, whom he char- 

 acterized as being particularly sharp 

 and able almost instantly to size up 

 witnesses. 



Judge Churchill was the final spea- 

 ker. He had been taken completely 

 by surprise when ushered into the 

 dining room where his many friends 

 and associates were gathered. He 

 was taken there under a pretense 

 and did not have the slightest idea 

 that he was going to a celebration of 

 his own anniversary. 



When he arose to speak he was 

 visably affected. He said that he 

 did not know what offense he was 

 charged with, that after hearing the 

 many witnesses against him, there 

 was only one thing that had been 

 charged and that was being a tramp. 

 He said it was futile to put up any 



defense after so many had testified 

 against him and he was the only one 

 there to appear in his defense.. He 

 therefore would have to plead guilty 

 throwing himself on the mercy of 

 the probation* officer as many others 

 had done in the past. 



"There are many things that have 

 been said and, of course, I cannot 

 plead guilty to all of them — modesty 

 would forbid it," he said. "It is a 

 pleasant thing to be spoken kindly of 

 by neighbors so unanimously. I ap- 

 preciate it. I sincerely than¥ you all 

 for the expression of your kindness, 

 good will and affection, and for this 

 token, which has just been presented 

 to me." 



Judge Churchill caused much laugh 

 ter when he said he remembered 

 there was some criticism when he 

 was appointed because he was too 

 young. 



"Why, they said I was a mere boy. 

 only 25 years of age and not tested in 

 the profession of the law," but some 

 how I was appointed. "It has taken 

 me 50 years to overcome that and 

 now there is a new complaint. Some 

 say that I am too old, that I am an 

 old foggie, that I ought to step aside 

 and let someone else have my place. 

 I have not decided to do this, as yet." 



This remark was greeted with 

 rounds of applause which must have 

 demonstrated to the judge that there 

 is a widespread desire that he re- 

 main where he now is. 



The judge paid a fine tribute to Al- 

 vin Phillips, retired court officer who 

 was unable to be present owing to 

 illness. 



The judge said that the first in- 

 quest held by a local court, after the 

 old coroner law was superseded, was 

 held by him in .the Dorchester muni- 

 cipal court. 



The boiler on a small pleasure 

 craft on Silver Lake. Plympton ex- 

 ploded, the victim, Mrs Cynthia Phi; 

 lips, a native of Dorchester being 

 brought here after the accident 

 where she died. This gave the juris- 

 diction of the case to the Dorchester 

 court, just after the legislature had 

 passed the new law. In closing the 

 Judge thanked all present for their 

 attendance and said that his appre- 

 ciation of the honor accorded him, 

 was very great. 



