Edward Sullivain Golden

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Edward Sullivain Golden

EDWARD SULLIVAIN GOLDEN, for
thirty years one of the eminent practitioners at the bar of Armstrong county,
made a name which for years was an honor to the legal profession all over
western Pennsylvania. A resident of Kittanning from boyhood, his live interest
in the welfare of the borough made him one of its most public-spirited citizens,
and though he held no public office except that of school director he was active
in the promotion of every good movement.

Mr. Golden was a: native of Indiana, Indiana Co., Pa., born Sept. 22, 1830,
son of John and Eleanor (O’Sullivan) Golden, the father an Englishman, the
mother of Irish birth. John Golden was a soldier in the war of 1812. He moved
with his family to Kittanning about 1840. Although Edward Golden obtained a
place of foremost distinction among the most intellectual men of his day it was
not because of any advantages of birth or early education. As his parents were
in moderate circumstances he had only such schooling as the boroughs of Indiana
and Kittanning then afforded, and after leaving school worked industriously to
obtain the start his ambitious nature desired, How earnestly he persevered even
in his youth may be gathered from the fact that be gained admission to the bar
of Armstrong county in 1849, before be reached his majority. His studies were
carried on in the office of the late Judge Joseph Buffington, and the promise of
his student days was more than fulfilled in the successes of his long career at
the Armstrong county bar. The memorial of the Court of Quarter Sessions of
Armstrong County, December Sessions, 1890, says: “From the time he tried
his first case he took high rank as a lawyer, showed an aptitude for his work
and a love for his profession. . . . No member of our bar has ever gained a
wider reputation than did Mr. Golden. He was known solely as a lawyer and as a
lawyer his success was in the trial of causes. . . . For nearly twenty years he
was on one or the other side of almost every case on trial and his services were
eagerly sought on all sides not only in our own county but throughout this
section of the State.” Few lawyers of this bar have given evidence of such
natural fitness for the legal profession. His marvelous gifts of memory enabled
him to put to actual use the learning he absorbed, so that he had more resources
than most lawyers when it came to digging out law applicable to the work in
hand. His clear mind and faculty for analyzing cases allowed him to master the
facts readily and judge their importance; and his fluency of speech, a command
of language effective., sufficient, concise., with no unnecessary verbiage to
obscure the ideas he wished to convey, enabled him to present them to the best
advantage. At the height of his practice the development of the oil industry in
this section brought up many legal questions of entirely different character
than had ever been dealt with here previously, and as the fate of much valuable
property and the rights of many different people hinged on arguments hitherto
untried and depended on decisions which were awaited with eagerness, is
precedents, it was natural a lawyer of Mr. Golden’s standing was called into an
unusual number of important cases. It is a fact that “many of the
principles which are now settled and have become a part of the law of the State
have become so by reason of his clear reasoning and untiring energy in the
preparation of his causes.” Thus his work has the permanent value it
deserves. Mr. Golden was zealously devoted to his profession. No details were
ever so exacting, nothing apparently so trivial, that he found an excuse to
neglect anything. He covered every possibility of a case and met emergencies
before they arose. To the research and mental labor necessary in preparing his
cases for trial was added the actual physical work of writing and rewriting his
briefs, and there is no doubt that the mental and physical strain, continued
through years of unrelenting application to his profession, contrived to bring
about the physical decline which made it necessary for him, to relinquish all
his activities for about ten years before his death.

Orr Buffington, a leading attorney of Kittanning, writes of Mr. Golden:
“Edward Sullivan Golden was one of the most prominent lawyers of western
Pennsylvania. He and Jackson Boggs and John Gilpin were leaders and rivals, and
were always found joined or opposed to each other in every important case. Mr.
Golden was remarkable for his fertility of resource, alertness of mind, his
general knowledge of law, and for his combativeness; no embarrassment in the
trial of a case, however distressing, would find him unready to extricate his
client from the difficulty. Defeated at one point, he had the skill to turn the
attention of the court and the jury to some other feature of the case, and thus
snatch victory from defeat. He had the happy faculty of recognizing the vital
points of his case and throwing the emphasis where it would do the most good.
These three men and others of less prominence of this bar worked not only in the
daytime but long into the night. Their practice covered the period of the
exploitation of oil in the northern end of the county; litigation was, very
extensive in consequence and, many legal principles were read into the law
through their labors. Before the days of the stenographer they were obliged to
do most of the writing of contracts and briefs – the practice of law at that
period was made difficult by the many technicalities since swept away in the
preparation and trial of cases. From 1870 until 1890 the legal business of this
county was at its height and these three practitioners with others gave this bar
an unusual prominence for one of the smaller counties.”

Mr. Golden had been admitted to practice in all the courts, his work taking
him to Pittsburgh and other large cities of the State. One of the most noted
cases in which he appeared was that of Dougherty against the Commonwealth, a
famous murder trial of 1871, an account of which, is given in 69 Pennsylvania
State Reports, page 286. The case was appealed, taken to the Supreme court, and
when the verdict was reversed was again tried in Armstrong county, and the
prisoner acquitted. Another famous case was that of Karns et al. vs. Tanner,
given in 66 Pennsylvania Reports, page 297, and in 74 Pennsylvania Reports, page
339.

Some time after his admission to the bar Mr. Golden entered into partnership
with H. N. Lee, and the firm of Lee and Golden lasted until Mr. Lee’s retirement
in 1855. His next association was with J. Alexander Fulton, and they practiced,
under the name: of, Golden and Fulton until 1862, When Mr. Fulton gave up
practice and moved to the State of Delaware. Then he became a partner of Hon. J.
B. Neale, as Golden and Neale, Mr. Neale retiring, from the firm in 1871 to make
a visit to Europe. At that time W. D. Patton was a student in the office, and
after his, admission to the bar began practice with Mr. Golden, as Golden and
Patton, this partnership lasting until 1879. It was a severe trial for Mr.
Golden when his physical breakdown obliged him to give up all work, his health
being enfeebled ten years before his death, which occurred in Kittanning Oct. 4,
1890. But his interest in the law and court matters never waned, and he
continued to visit the office of his son Lee after he ceased to attend court,
and kept track of proceedings through his friends. Lawyers had great respect for
his mastery of legal principles, and his memory of decided cases was so accurate
almost to the last that he was of ten consulted as an authority. Though he was
not strong enough physically for practice his mind remained clear until his last
illness, from nervous prostration. Though all of his work was in the line of his
profession, Mr. Golden did not limit his reading and study to legal literature,
his well chosen and much used library showing how wide was the range of his
interest.

Outside of his practice Mr. Golden was active in church work- and in the
matter of public education, and in spite of his busy life he served faithfully
as a member of the school board of Kittanning for many years. Its affairs had
the benefit of his best thought, and he was influential in obtaining adequate
housing and all the necessary facilities which he felt should be extended to the
young to give them a proper start in life. With strong sympathies toward all in
sorrow or want, he was always ready to extend a helping hand to the deserving,
and aided worthy charities by his influence and means. Mr. Golden was a
prominent member of the Episcopal Church at Kittanning, and was a regular
attendant at its services, and served many years as vestryman. Fraternally he
was a thirty-second-degree Mason. For several years he was chairman of the
county committee of the Democratic party, was once his party’s candidate for
county judge, and was at one time mentioned for judge of the Supreme court.

Mr. Golden married Sarah Gates, and to this marriage were born the following
children: Horatio Lee; William, who is deceased; Gertrude, wife of George G.
Titzell, cashier of the Farmers’ National Bank of Kittanning; Charles H.; Edward
S.; Edith, deceased, wife of Arthur Jones; Percy G.; Herbert L., deceased; and
Walter W. and Harry C., twins. The sons Horatio Lee and Harry C. Golden, both
now practicing lawyers in Kittanning, are worthy successors of their
distinguished father.

This biography may be fittingly closed with the sympathetic and appreciative
tribute of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church:

The Rector, wardens and vestry of St. Paul’s Church desire to extend to our
dear friend and her children their heartfelt sympathy in the trouble that has
come to their home in the death of husband and father and our long-time
associate, Edward S. Golden, which occurred on Saturday evening, October 4th,
1890.

In so doing they deem it fitting to note some things in the life of their
late associate which it will be a pleasure to his family to read and of which
they desire to preserve some memorial in the archives of this Parish.

The story of his life has been fittingly told by others in the public
prints after his death, and is known to all. The report books of this State
for the last forty years are a standing witness to his distinguished position
at the bar, to his marked ability, his deep knowledge and to his varied and
extensive work in his chosen profession. Without the aid of wealth, influence
or early educational advantages, he hewed out for himself a place in the front
ranks of his professional associates and maintained his position among men of
strong intellect and unquestioned ability. His capacity for doing work was
unbounded; he seemed to know no such thing as fatigue, and his industry and
close application made him a wonder to those about him. To these he added a
naturally quick and bright mind, a marvelously retentive memory, unflinching,
boldness and courage in the advocacy of his cause, and with all these his
success at the bar was pronounced from the first

Those who came to him with a story of trouble or need he was always ready
to assist, and this readiness to aid was so well known that his kindness was
often abused.

He was an ardent friend of education and all that concerned our public
schools. His own hard struggles in that’ line when a young man made him
especially ready to extend a helping hand to the ambitious and deserving young
men and women who were trying to get an education. There are many living today
who can attest the material help he thus extended. His interest in the subject
was well evidenced by his long connection with our public schools; for years
he was a member of the board and in the busiest days of an engrossing practice
he gave to them his time and interest. In their management be was progressive
and fully abreast with the spirit of the times. It was largely owing to his
influence and to this progressive spirit that years ago the then very advanced
step was taken of purchasing the present site for our school and erecting the
large building which, was afterwards burned.

In this Parish he was deeply interested and concerned for upwards of forty
years. In his younger days he was a teacher in the Sunday school and
afterwards for years its superintendent. He encouraged the young to attend by
his advice and the force of his example, and for years never failed to be
present at its sessions, although doubtless often worn out by the exacting
work of his unusually busy life. In the affairs of the Parish he took an
active interest, giving freely of his means, his time and his hearty
co-operation in all its work and filling for years a position as member of the
vestry. In him the rector always found a cheering and sympathizing supporter,
and, while others might falter or complain, he was always ready to encourage
and sustain. His home was open to them and theirs and to him they could look
for cordial and hearty support and co-operation.

His was in every sense of the word a busy life; the amount of work he did
was simply enormous. His extensive practice and the responsibility and care
carried for years would have broken down most men far earlier than it did him
– but his will power and endurance kept him up long after many another would
have sunk under the load. Gradually, however, an overtaxed body had to give
way, and to him who hardly knew what the words vacation and rest meant, came a
long and enforced period of inactivity. Who can tell how sore a trial it must
have been for this busy worker to feel be could work no more? At times, almost
constantly, he was subject to the severest physical pains; but all these, his
suffering, his enforced idleness, he bore in an uncomplaining spirit, never
growing restive under it but with a meekness and patience which betokened that
the discipline of pain and sorrow was working out its chastening mission. To
those who are left and will miss him, to his life companion who will
instinctively turn to seek him- in the places that once knew him and know him
no more, we extend our earnest sympathy, feeling sure that in their sorrow
they will not be left alone, but that He who visits “the fatherless and
widow in their affliction” will be to them what He has always been to
those who seek Him, “A very present help in time of trouble.”

St. Paul’s Rectory, 27th October, 1890.

Source: Pages 432-434, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People,
Past and Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed September 2001 by Vaughn Davis for the Armstrong County Beers
Project
Contributed for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)

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