John Wallace Jones

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It is in his judicial capacity that we see the true qualities and superiority of the man. As a judge, he is upright, impartial, independent, fearless, and decisive in the discharge of his official duties. His judgments on the law and the evidence before him are his honest convictions, which cannot be moved or changed by outside animadversions or criticisms, whether coming from the bar or any other class of men. Judge Jones administers justice, according to law, and not according to his individual notions of equity or what the law of the case ought to be. He indulges in no presumption of fact against a party which the law itself does not create against him. He makes no distinctions in the law against a party which the law itself does not make. He writes no long, plausible opinions, which are really nothing but arguments in favor of the party to whom he gives his judgment and against the other party to the litigation. But Judge Jones, on the contrary, satisfies himself with his judgment by reason of the law and the evidence before him, which will go before the appellate court as they really are, without any coloring from his judicial, official pen.

Lawyer [50]

Despite the obvious esteem in which Judge Jones was held by his peers, in the 1884 election he was unseated by A.W.O. Hicks. Jones contested that decision, which led to a formal case being filed, which was tried before Judge Pike Hall (father of William Pike Hall Sr.). Judge Hall ended up deciding in favor of Hicks, effectively ending Jones's career in the judiciary, but without any animosity on the part of either party. [51] That amity, however, did not extend to all parts of the legal community. At the nominating convention of 1888, Hicks was again the selected nominee for the position of "additional judge," but in this instance, apparently, Jones took umbrage and began campaigning for himself under the noses of his legal compatriots. This confrontation led to a series of letters in the local newspaper from both Jones and his detractors, calling into question one another's characters, motives, and stooping to outright accusations of fraud and election tampering. [52] [53] [54]

Despite his advancing age, in 1891, Jones announced himself as a candidate for the position of representative in the state legislature. [55] Unfortunately, Jones came in third in the democratic primary and was unable to realize his political aspirations. [56] However, Jones did not let that defeat quash his ambition, and in 1894 he again announced his candidacy, this time for judge of the First Judicial District, the same position that he lost to Hicks in 1882 amid such vitriol in the papers. [57] Unfortunately for Jones, he again did not make it past the primary, and this final election ended his political career. [58]

John W. Jones passed away at his home on 6 September 1895 following a sudden onset attack of gastroenteritis. [59] His funeral took place at the old St. Mark's Church on the corner of Fannin and Market Streets, which was "filled nearly to its entire capacity by a vast throng of citizens." [60] He was buried with Masonic honors in Shreveport's Oakland Cemetery on 8 September 1895, in the presence of his widow and all of his living children. [61]

References

  1. Last will and testament of Benjamin Jones. 7 Jan. 1865.
  2. "Fayette's Picturesque Personalities". The Montgomery Advertiser. Montgomery, Alabama. 19 June 1937. p. 4.
  3. Benjamin Jones (Lawrence Co., AL.) homestead patent no. 16825 (https://images.findagrave.com/photos/2011/10/36346154_129479428439.jpg)
  4. "Judge John W. Jones". The Shreveport Times. Shreveport. 7 September 1895. p. 4.
  5. 1 2 "Court Records". The Shreveport Journal. Shreveport. 10 September 1895. p. 1.
  6. "John W. Jones", United States census,1850;Shreveport, Caddo, Louisiana; roll 230, page 17, line 42, Family History film 004193964. Retrieved on 2024-10-31.
  7. Soldier’s Certificate No. 654-518, J. W. Jones, Sergeant, Company H, 5th Louisiana Volunteer Infantry, Indexes to the Carded Records of Soldiers Who Served in Volunteer Organizations During the Mexican War, compiled 1899 - 1927, documenting the period 1846 – 1848, Record Group 94; National Archives Building, Washington, DC.
  8. "Notice". The Caddo Gazette. Shreveport. 28 May 1853. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  9. "Committed to Jail". The South-Western. Shreveport. 6 September 1854. p. 3.
  10. "The Board of Trustees". The South-Western. Shreveport. 9 May 1855. p. 3.
  11. "The Board of Trustees". The South-Western. Shreveport. 13 February 1856. p. 3.
  12. "Proceedings of The Board of Trustees". The South-Western. Shreveport. 12 March 1856. p. 2.
  13. "Proceedings of The Board of Trustees". The South-Western. Shreveport. 7 May 1856. p. 3.
  14. "Proceedings of The Board of Trustees". The South-Western. Shreveport. 22 October 1856. p. 1.
  15. "The Board of Trustees and The Railroad". The South-Western. Shreveport. 24 June 1857. p. 2.
  16. "Proceedings of The Board of Trustees". The South-Western. Shreveport. 22 October 1856. p. 3.
  17. "Proceedings of The Board of Trustees". The South-Western. Shreveport. 25 July 1855. p. 3.
  18. "Proceedings of The Board of Trustees". The South-Western. Shreveport. 3 October 1855. p. 3.
  19. "The Board of Trustees". The South-Western. Shreveport. 10 October 1855. p. 3.
  20. "Proceedings of The Board of Trustees". The South-Western. Shreveport. 12 December 1855. p. 3.
  21. "Proceedings of The Board of Trustees". The South-Western. Shreveport. 9 January 1856. p. 3.
  22. "Proceedings of The Board of Trustees". The South-Western. Shreveport. 21 January 1857. p. 2.
  23. "The Board of Trustees". The South-Western. Shreveport. 20 September 1854. p. 3.
  24. "Proceedings of the Board of Trustees". The South-Western. Shreveport. 25 July 1855. p. 3.
  25. "To Owners of Slaves". The South-Western. Shreveport. 22 August 1855. p. 3.
  26. 1 2 "Proceedings of The Board of Trustees". The South-Western. Shreveport. 12 November 1856. p. 3.
  27. Boissoneault, Lorraine. "How the 19th-Century Know Nothing Party Reshaped American Politics". Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  28. "Meeting of the American Party". The South-Western. Shreveport. 21 May 1856. p. 2.
  29. "Minden, LA., May 23, 1856". The South-Western. Shreveport. 28 May 1856. p. 2.
  30. "American Party". The South-Western. Shreveport. 6 August 1856. p. 2.
  31. "American Meeting". The South-Western. Shreveport. 27 May 1857. p. 2.
  32. Brock, Eric J. (2001-01-31). Eric Brock's Shreveport. Pelican Publishing. p. 90. ISBN   978-1-4556-0386-2.
  33. "Notice". The Shreveport Times. Shreveport. 6 October 1858. p. 4.
  34. "John W. Jones". The South-Western. Shreveport. 5 January 1859. p. 3.
  35. "James J. Weems". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. 1 July 1846. p. 3.
  36. "Shreveport". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. 9 January 1885. p. 1.
  37. "Judge John W. Jones". The Galveston Daily News. Galveston. 7 September 1895. p. 1.
  38. Shaw, Albert, ed. (October 1895). "Record of Current Events - Obituary". The Review of Reviews - An International Magazine. Vol. XII, no. 4. New York: The Review of Reviews Co. p. 408.
  39. "John W. Jones Attorney at Law". The South-Western. Shreveport. 7 June 1865. p. 3.
  40. "Louisiana in the Next Congress". The South-Western. Shreveport. 26 July 1865. p. 2.
  41. "Proceedings of the Board of Trustees". The South-Western. Shreveport. 9 August 1865. p. 3.
  42. "For Trustee". The Daily South-Western. Shreveport. 18 March 1869. p. 2.
  43. "Municipal". The Daily South-Western. Shreveport. 7 May 1869. p. 2.
  44. "Municipal". The Daily South-Western. Shreveport. 18 May 1869. p. 2.
  45. "Parish Officers". The Daily South-Western. Shreveport. 28 May 1871. p. 1.
  46. "Police Jury Proceedings". The Daily South-Western. Shreveport. 14 September 1872. p. 1.
  47. "The Board of Health". The Shreveport Daily Timespage=3. Shreveport. 5 September 1878.
  48. "When Will the Term of Office of Judge J. W. Jones Expire?". The Shreveport Times. Shreveport. 13 December 1883. p. 2.
  49. "Judicial Muddle in the Twelfth and Third Districts". The Shreveport Times. Shreveport. 6 March 1884. p. 2.
  50. "Hon. Jno. W. Jones". The Shreveport Times. Shreveport. 11 November 1883. p. 4.
  51. "The Judgeship". The Shreveport Times. Shreveport. 5 June 1884. p. 4.
  52. John W. Jones (13 April 1888). "Judge J. W. Jones' Claim on the Judgeship". The Shreveport Times. Shreveport. p. 2.
  53. Montfort S. Jones (14 April 1888). "A Reply to Judge J. W. Jones". The Shreveport Times. Shreveport. p. 1.
  54. John W. Jones (15 April 1888). "Judge Jones' Rejoinder". The Shreveport Times. Shreveport. p. 7.
  55. "For Representative". The Shreveport Times. Shreveport. 22 December 1891. p. 2.
  56. "The Primary". The Shreveport Times. Shreveport. 6 January 1892. p. 2.
  57. "Hon John W. Jones". The Progress. Shreveport. 21 July 1894. p. 4.
  58. "The Two Primaries". The Shreveport Times. Shreveport. 30 August 1894. p. 4.
  59. "John W. Jones Dead". The Weekly Caucasian. Shreveport. 12 September 1895. p. 1.
  60. "Burial of Judge Jones". The Shreveport Times. Shreveport. 10 September 1895. p. 4.
  61. "Notice". The Shreveport Journal. Shreveport. 8 September 1895. p. 5.
The Honorable
John Wallace Jones
Mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana
In office
1854–1858