Person:Sidney Smith (24)

Personal History

Judge Sidney Smith (1829-1898)

Summary Biography:
1829 born, Washington county, New York
1849 academic education completed and began the study of law with Church & Davis in New York City
1851 admitted to bar in Albion, NY
1856 in Chicago with law firm Goodrich, Farwell & Smith
(1859-1863 Goodrich elevated to superior court of Chicago)
(1870 F,F&S dissolved when Farwell was elevated to circuit court of Chicago)
1870 Smith in solo practice
1879-1885 elected chief justice of the superior court of Cook county (Forrest Oscar Murdock (1863-1926) clerked after graduating from Yale then partnered with Joseph Muhlke in law practice)
1885 republican candidate for mayor of Chicago, the election was so close it was contested by his supporters
1886 Smith, Muhlke & Murdock law firm
1898 died

Biography of Judge Sidney Smith
Cook County, IL Biographies

SMITH, SIDNEY - Born in Washington county, N.Y., May 12, 1829. At the age of twenty years he completed his academic education and began the study of law with Church & Davis, who were at that time among the ablest lawyers of New York city. Two years later he was admitted to the bar at Albion, N.Y., where William K. McAllister, long after associated with him on the bench in Chicago, practiced law for so many years. He came to Chicago in 1856, and a few months later became associated with Grant Goodrich and W. W. Farwell, forming the firm of Goodrich, Farwell & Smith, which was for a long time regarded as one of the strongest legal combinations in the northwest. Mr. Goodrich was elevated to the bench in 1859, and served as one of the judges of the superior court of Chicago until 1863. When Mr. Farwell was chosen judge of the circuit court in 1870, the partnership was dissolved, and Mr. Smith continued the practice of his profession alone. In 1879 he also was the recipient of judicial honors, being elected chief justice of the superior court of Cook county. During the six years that he was on the bench his record was that of a just judge and profound legal scholar, in 1885 he yielded to the earnest solicitation of many friends and citizens and became the republican candidate for mayor of Chicago. Although defeated at the polls the election was so close that it was contested by the supporters of Judge Smith, who claimed that his opponent had been elected by fraudulent votes. Since his retirement from the bench Judge Smith has been engaged in the active practice of his profession, and is now the senior member of the law firm of Smith, Muhlke & Murdock.

FROM:
The Handbook of Chicago Biography
Edited by John J Flinn
The Standard Guide Company
Chicago 1893

Sources:
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L2VP-HGT
http://www.onlinebiographies.info/il/cook/smith-s.htm

WikiTree.com Page
Family Search ID L2VP-HGT