Judge and Suffragist. In childhood, he attended London Seminary in Kentucky. After his family moved to Butler County and he completed his formal education, he began reading law at the Wichita office of Sluss and Hatten. He was admitted to the Kansas Bar Association in 1881 and shortly thereafter began practicing law in El Dorado. In 1883, he was the youngest man ever elected a Butler County Probate Judge and served in that capacity for four years. In 1900 he was elected judge of the 13th District Court of Kansas. In 1905, he presided over a notable antitrust case, Board of Railroad Commissioners of the State of Kansas v. Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. In 1907, he also presided over the "St. Louis World's Fair Incubator Baby" kidnapping case, which received national coverage. A strong supporter of women's suffrage, he wrote and presented a resolution endorsing same at a Kansas Republican State Convention and despite opposition from his own party leadership, a vote was called and the resolution carried. Immediately afterwards, he canvassed Butler County on behalf of women's suffrage. In 1912, after suffrage passed in Kansas, he appointed the United States' first-ever female bailiff, and empanelled the first all-female jury in state history (second in United States history), to sit on the case of H. H. Boeck vs. Carrie M. Schreiber. After retiring from the bench, he returned to private law practice in El Dorado.
Judge and Suffragist. In childhood, he attended London Seminary in Kentucky. After his family moved to Butler County and he completed his formal education, he began reading law at the Wichita office of Sluss and Hatten. He was admitted to the Kansas Bar Association in 1881 and shortly thereafter began practicing law in El Dorado. In 1883, he was the youngest man ever elected a Butler County Probate Judge and served in that capacity for four years. In 1900 he was elected judge of the 13th District Court of Kansas. In 1905, he presided over a notable antitrust case, Board of Railroad Commissioners of the State of Kansas v. Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company. In 1907, he also presided over the "St. Louis World's Fair Incubator Baby" kidnapping case, which received national coverage. A strong supporter of women's suffrage, he wrote and presented a resolution endorsing same at a Kansas Republican State Convention and despite opposition from his own party leadership, a vote was called and the resolution carried. Immediately afterwards, he canvassed Butler County on behalf of women's suffrage. In 1912, after suffrage passed in Kansas, he appointed the United States' first-ever female bailiff, and empanelled the first all-female jury in state history (second in United States history), to sit on the case of H. H. Boeck vs. Carrie M. Schreiber. After retiring from the bench, he returned to private law practice in El Dorado.
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