JUDGE W. H. TEDFORD
When
the Civil war ended Judge Tedford at once returned to his home
in Iowa, and a short time thereafter entered the Iowa State
University, graduating from the law department therof at the
end of two years, with the degree of LL.B. This was in 1869,
and in September of the same year he settled at Corydon, Iowa,
and commenced the practice of law. Within a few years he built up an
extensive practice, and had a leading part in all the
important litigation in the county. The firm of Tedford & Miles, of
which Judge Tedford was a member, in the case of the State of
Iowa vs. Kabrich, 39th Iowa, page 277, first took
the position in the Iowa supreme court, that the character of
one charged with an offence is not in issue, unless he
introduces some evidence relative thereto in his defense. This point was
sustained by the supreme court, making this the leading case
on this point, the same being cited and referred to by all the
leading authorities and text writers on criminal law.
The
Judge has always been a republican and was elected one of the
presidential electors for Iowa in 1884. He was elected one
of the judges of the third judicial district of Iowa in 1890,
and with his associate, Judge Towner, was unanimously
renominated in 1894. The
democratic party in the district ratified the nomination, and
their names were placed on both tickets, so that their
election was unanimous.
They were both again reelected in 1898. As an interpreter
of the law Judge Tedford has had few equals and no superior on
the bench in the state.
In his long career on the bench, his record was
remarkable, his decisions being affirmed in a very large
majority of the very few cases appealed from his court. In no equity case
appealed from him was he ever reversed, so that the bar of his
district finally quit appeals from his court, where the points
involved were of equitable proceedings.
Judge Tedford had done much active work for his party, having spoken in many parts of the state. He has been called upon to address the people year after year in different parts of the state on occasions of importance. He is a member of the celebrated Crocker Brigade Association, and delivered the biennial address at the large reunion of the organization at Ottumwa, Iowa, September 26, 1894, of which address it was said by the Ottumwa Courier: “It was a scholarly and masterful effort. It is unhesitatingly pronounced the finest address ever heard at a Crocker Brigade reunion.”
The Judge
after retiring from the bench because of ill health, some
years after again returned to the practice of law, taking part
in many leading cases in his part of the state, in which he
exhibited all the power and ability of his former days. In 1911 he retired
from practice and is now enjoying himself in the privacy of
his beautiful home. He
takes an active interest in affairs generally and devotes much
of his time to the reading and study of the best literary
works.
He
was married to Miss Emma Thomas of Corydon, June 22, 1875, to
which union was born one child, a daughter named Eva, Born
July 9, 1877. The
wife and daughter belong to the Methodist Episcopal church,
and take an active interest in assisting in the management of
its local affairs. The
daughter was married to C. B. Miles, a prominent young
merchant of Corydon, May 4, 1899, to which union have been
born two children, named Tedford and Mildred.