from The Sayings, Harrodsburg, Kentucky

Wednesday, February 26, 1896

POSTON

The spirit of Judge Orpheus Sheridan Poston passed peacefully away from time unto eternity, a few minutes after eleven o’clock Sunday night at his room on Chiles Street in this city.  He was in many respects a remarkable man, remarkably eccentric, but at the same time scrupulously honest and truthful.  He was born and educated in Clark County, Kentucky, where some of his relatives now reside.  In 1840 he came to this town and made his home with the family of Ex-Attorney General James Harlan, then a citizen of this town residing at Greenville Springs, the present location of Beaumont College.  He wrote in the clerk’s office and had had access to the splendid law library not only in the study of the law, but in many other ways.  In 1841 he was admitted to the Mercer County bar, and faithfully and successfully practiced his profession here until within a short time of his death.

During the Civil War he resided in Chicago, but did not practice law in that city.  During his long career he was associated with Hons. Ben C. Trapnall, Joshua F. Bell, Judge John G. Kyle and Col. Robert P. Jacobs.  He was never elected to the office of judge, but his well known ability and sterling integrity made him the Judge ex-tempore or special Judge and his opinions were never questioned.  In politics he was a Whig, an American, a Republican, a Prohibitionist and a Populist.  He was a life long Spiritualist and an able defender of his faith.  He did not believe in the inspiration of the Bible or the divinity of Christ.  If an honest man is the noblest work of God, then Judge Poston was par-excellence.  He was public spirited and charitable.  He was one of the original projectors of the Graded School and our city library is a creation of his own.  He was eighty years old and during his long life was temperate in all things and ate less than any other man.  He was never married.  He was frail in body, but strong in mind.  He left a will in the hands of his friend, Judge T. H. Hardin.

The members of the Harrodsburg bar met in the court room, Monday morning, to take action in regard to the deceased member.  Judge C. A. Hardin was called to the chair and Captain C. T. Corn was made Secretary.  The committee on resolutions were Messrs. P. B. Thompson, J. M. Tebbetts, E. J. Polk, B. L. Hardin and J. F. Vanarsdall.  The meeting then adjourned until Tuesday morning.  The meeting was then called to order by the chairman and the minutes read.  The committee asked for more time and were given until Thursday, 2 o’clock, p.m.  A resolution, however, was passed for all the members of the bar to assemble at the late residence of Judge Poston, and to attend in a body the funeral of the deceased.

The funeral took place yesterday at his late residence at 10:30 a.m., and he was interred in the Spring Hill Cemetery by his brother Odd Fellow.