Asa Maxson Fitz Randolph
1875-1877 Republican Kansas State Attorney General

CIVIL WAR VETERAN--Union Forces 41st Kentucky Regiment
*************************
Mason (Not known whether his father was Masonic).
*************************
From the Burlington Independent, September 9, 1898
Death of a Burlington Citizen.
On Saturday morning of last week the Topeka Capital announced the death of one of Burlington's most esteemed and respected citizens. The Capital said: "Hon. A. M. F. Randolph, a former attorney general and for eighteen years reporter of the Kansas supreme court, was found dead in bed yesterday morning at 9:10 o'clock. For the past two years Mr. Randolph has been the only occupant of the house at 1012 Harrison street, taking his meals at Captain Spivey's at 1100 Topeka avenue. Thursday evening he did not come to supper, but as he was in the habit of missing a meal occasionally nothing was thought of it at Spivey home. When, however, he did not appear at the breakfast table yesterday morning, Captain Spivey became uneasy and walked over to Mr. Randolph's house. Failing to get an answer to his ring at the door he went around the north side of the house to the window of Mr. Randolph's sleeping room, called to him and rapped on the shutters. Failing again to get an answer, he called Judge Johnson and Henry Dillard, a colored man who was passing by. A shutter slaw was broken, the shutter unhooked and Dillard crawled through the window, opened the front door, and the three men went into the bed chamber. Mr. Randolph was lying on the bed on his left side, turned partly on his face and clutching the sheet with one hand. He was attired in his night clothes. There was no evidence of any struggle and his position was that of a man who had just turned over in bed. The room was apparently in the order that he usually kept it and there were no evidences of foul play. Sheriff Cook and Coroner Westerfield were at once notified, and in the afternoon an inquest was held, the jury returning a verdict of death from natural causes. Heart failure or congestion is supposed to havge caused his death, though he seldom complained of being unwell. Thursday, noon, however, he told N. P. Garretson that he was going home to take a nap as he did not feel well. That was the last time he was seen alive. A memorial service was held last night at the house where he lived, conducted by Dean Sykes and largely attended by his friends and former political associates. When it was acertained that Mr. Randolph was dead a message was telegraphed to his brother, L. F. Randolph, an attorney at Nortonville and editor of the Nortonville News. Mr. Randolph, however, did not receive the dispatch. In the morning he decided to come to Topeka to visit his brother and was on the way when the message was sent to his home. In the afternoon as he was starting to his brother's house a neighbor who met him told him the sad news. This morning the body will be taken to Nortonville by L. F. Randolph. There it will be interred in the family burying lot. Dean Sykes will conduct the ceremony. A. M. F. Randolph was born in Allegheny county, N. Y., January 19, 1829, and was educated at Alfred academy, New York, and Allegheny college at Meadville, Pennsylvania. At the former place Solon O. and T. Dwight Thacher were his school mates. From 1854 to 1859 he taught school at Covington, Ky., being assistant principal of the High school most of the time. In 1856 Allegheny college conferred upton him the degree of Master of Arts. during this time he read law in the office of Stevenson & Kinkead where he was associated with John G. Carlisle who was studying law in the same office at the same time. After being admitted to the bar in the courts of Kentucky in 1859 he went to St. Louis, but soon returned to Covington.
When the war broke out he espoused the union cause joining the Forty-first Kentucky regiment. In 1868, Mr. Randolph came to Lawrence and in November located at Burlington as an attorney. For two terms he was county attorney of Coffey county, and in 1874 was elected Attorney General, holding his position one term. He was then elected to the Legislature and was chairman of the House committee which investigated the charges made at the time of John J. Ingall's re-election. In April, 1879 he became supreme court reporter which office he held for eighteen years or until G. C. Clemens was appointed as his successor. during that time the Supreme court reports are a testimonial of his work. Mr. Randolph never married but lived a bachelor's life. He had a fine literary taste and possessed a carefully selected library, well worn by constant use as his books were his intimate companions.
Shakespeare was his favorite author and he possessed the best editions of that writer whom he loved to read and quote. He has written a number of articles for magazines and edited an edition of "Trial of Sir John Falstaff," which was issued from the press in 1894. Mr. Randolph was well liked by those with whom he came in contact. He was not an aggressive man, but of a sociable and genial disposition and in a quiet way made friends wherever he went. His relatives in Kansas are two brothers and two sisters who live in Nortonville." The sad news of the death of Mr. Randolph was received here with sorrow. No man ever lived in Burlington who was better liked, and on account of his pure character he was elected to office in this county on several occasions. He has always claimed Burlington his home and came here to vote every fall. He also held his membership in the Masonic lodge here and was a member of the Church of the Ascension of our city. In his death Kansas loses a good citizen, one who made a record that will always shine in the pages of Kansas history. Those who knew him loved him and will remember him for years to come.

Additional Information:
Randolph, Asa M. F., jurist, was born in Alleghany county, N. Y., Jan. 19, 1829. He was educated in the common schools, Alfred Academy and Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, graduating at that institution in 1851 and receiving the master's degree in 1856. He was an instructor in the high school at Covington, Ky., during which time he also studied law and was admitted to the bar in Kentucky in 1859. He enlisted in the Union army in the Forty-first Kentucky regiment; came to Kansas in 1868, locating at Burlington; was county attorney of Coffey county, and in 1874 was elected attorney-general of Kansas; was elected to the legislature in 1878; became supreme court reporter in 1879, in which capacity he served for 18 years. In 1893 his "Trial of Sir John Falstaff" was published. He died at Topeka in Sept., 1898.