OUR CLARKSBURG LETTER.

Burglary–Personal–Judge Lewis Health–Gossip

The Wheeling Daily Register., January 22, 1878

Correspondence of the Register.
CLARKSBURG, W. VA., Jan. 20

Excerpt
Judge Lewis is better to-day, the 20th, and there are hopes of his recovery. His brother, A. A. Lewis, of Weston, and his son from the University at Morgantown, are here.

HON. CHAS. S. LEWIS IS DEAD.

The Wheeling Daily Register., January 23, 1878

It is with a pang of unusual regret that we announce the death of this excellent citizen. A dispatch from JOHN R. BOGGESS, Esq, brings the melancholy intelligence that Judge LEWIS passed from earth last evening at 10 minutes before nine o’clock, at his home in Clarksburg.

During a long and active life, CHAS. S. LEWIS filled a number of responsible public positions; and at the time of his death he was Judge of the Court of the Harrison Circuit. Every position to which he was ever chosen by the partiality of his fellow citizens, he graced with his learning and dignity of character. The State has few men it can so illy spare as he.

Judge LEWIS has been a sufferer for a number of years from an afflection of his breast and lungs, but under all his sufferings he has patiently borne up and gallantly performed the exacting and intricate duties of his official position, until quite recently.

We do not know how much of a family he leaves, but we do know that the number of those who will sincerely mourn his loss is very great.

FUNERAL OF JUDGE LEWIS

The Wheeling Daily Register., January 24, 1878

A telegram received from JOHN R. BOGGESS, Esq., yesterday afternoon, informs us that the funeral of the late Judge CHARLES S. LEWIS will take place from his residence in Clarksburg, to-morrow (Friday) afternoon, at two o’clock. The people of that city will testify their respect and affection for their late distinguished fellow-citizen by a general attendance at the funeral.

JUDGE LEWIS’ SUCCESSOR.

The Wheeling Daily Register., January 28, 1878

The death of Judge CHARLES S. LEWIS will devolve upon Governor MATHEWS the duty of appointing a successor to serve until the next general election, which takes place on the 8th day of October next. Under an act passed by the Legislature two winters ago, the Governor is empowered to fill a vacancy such as is presented in this case, where the portion of the term yet to expire is of greater duration than two years, only until a successor can be elected at the succeeding general election and be qualified. As the term for which Judge LEWIS was elected will not expire until-January 1, 1881, the Governor’s appointee will only serve until a successor is elected on the 8th of October next and qualified; and he, in turn, will be elected only to fill out the unexpired term of Judge LEWIS.

That is to say: the Governor’s appointee if he desires to hold the office for any length of time, as would be natural any one who would accept it at all, will have to run the gauntlet of an election in 1878 and again in 1880. It would pay no lawyer who is worthy of the position to abandon his practice and take a seat upon the beach simply until next fall, nor even for two years from next fall; but if he could feet a reasonable assurance of an election at each of these periods, it would give him a term of nearly eleven years, which would be worthy of acceptance.

Surmise

We have heard no surmise as to whom Governor MATTHEWS will probably tender the appointment; in fact we take it for granted that he has not yet given the matter such consideration as to warrant him surmising himself who he should tender it to. There will be no lack of good names from which to make a selection, however, if we are to believe what we hear on the subject. Clarksburg will present several of her favorite sons, among whom we hear Hon. JOHN J. DAVIS and Hon. GIDEON D. CAMDEN mentioned; Fairmont will present able material in the persons of Hon. JAMES MORROW, Jr., Hon. A. BROOKS FLEMING and J. C. McCOY, Esq., and we presume both the Morgantown and the Tyler County Bars will be represented in the list of applications.

As Clarksburg has judged Israel, lol these many years, until her Judges, living and dead, are as numerous as Brigadier Generals were said to be in Washington during the war, and as the Fairmont lawyers believe they have quite as good raw material out of which to manufacture a Judge as is possessed by her sister city, notice has already been served that the case will be contested inch by inch on the part of the town which is not ornamented by the presence of an ex-Judge among her citizens. We do not, of course, expect to see any unseemly squabble over the matter, yet there will doubtless be some earnest work done in the premises.

The Weekly Register., January 31, 1878

Excerpt–
Judge Charles Lewis, died at Clarksburg on the 23rd, inst., and was buried the next day. Resolutions of Respect were passed by the Marion Bar. Judge Lewis used to reside in this place.