Lyman's History of old Walla Walla County, Vol. 1 / Embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties

by William Denison Lyman

CHAPTER VIII

WITH THE LAWYERS, JUDGES AND DOCTORS

A special interest always attaches to the legal, judicial and medical representatives of any country, and especially a new country. The lawyers and judges necessarily play so large a part in the creation of laws and the founding of institutions that their history is well nigh co-extensive with the development of their country. The physicians are so vital an element in the home life and the general conditions of their communities, that their history also comes near being a history of these communities.

We are presenting here several special contributions from representatives of these classes of citizens. We have had occasion at many points in the progress of this history to name prominent representatives of the bench and bar, and of the medical profession.

We present first a sketch of the early Walla Walla bench and bar by one of the foremost lawyers of the city, who is himself also a member of a family which has, perhaps, been more closely identified with the bench and bar of this section of the state than any other. We refer to the Sharpstein family, and we have the privilege of here presenting this article by John L. Sharpstein:

The intention is not to make this matter relating to the first judicial district of the Territory of Washington such a complete history as would be demanded if it were written more exclusively for the use and information of attorneys. The judicial system which existed in the Territory of Washington prior to its admission as state possessed some characteristics which in the present time would be regarded as peculiar. There were originally three district courts established under the acts of the Congress of the United States, and which were known as territorial district courts. These courts had jurisdiction of all matters, both civil and criminal, other than probate causes and each county in the territory had its own probate judge who was not necessarily a lawyer. The peculiarity referred to above was the fact that the Supreme Court was composed of the judges who were the district judges, so that the same judge who presided in the trial of a case in the lower court also participated in its final decision in the territorial Supreme Court.

As originally constituted there were three judicial districts in the Territory of Washington. The first judicial district consisted of all of Eastern Washington. Subsequently Eastern Washington was divided and a new district was created which was known as the Fourth Judicial District, with its presiding judge resident at the City of Spokane. The District Court in the First Judicial District was organized at Walla Walla on June 4, 1860. Judge William Strong, who afterwards became a practicing attorney at Portland, Ore., was the presiding judge. The first attorneys admitted to practice in this court were Edward S. Bridges and Otis S. Bridges. They were admitted on June 4, 1860. John G. Sparks was the next attorney admitted to practice, and the date of his admission was June 5, 1860. W. A. George was admitted on April 15, 1861, and his practice at the bar in Eastern Washington probably covered more years than that of any other attorney who has ever practiced in this jurisdiction.

At the organization of the court a grand jury was impanelled and included in the members of that grand jury were W. S. Gilliam and Milton Aldrich, both of whom afterwards became prominent in both business and political affairs in Walla Walla County, and were among the most useful and respected citizens of that community.

As originally constituted the territorial District Court comprised all of Eastern Washington, but by division the territorial jurisdiction was gradually reduced so that the southern half of Eastern Washington practically constituted the first district at the time of the admission of the territory as a state. After the first organization of the court and the appointment of Judge Strong, among the presiding judges were E. P. Oliphant, James A. Wyche, James K. Kennedy, J. R. Lewis, S. C. Wingard and William G. Langford. William G. Langford was the last judge prior to the admission of the state. Judge Wyche, Judge Kennedy and Judge Wingard after their retirement from the bench made their homes in Walla Walla City, and were useful and respected members of that community until the dates of their respective deaths.