John Barnes (judge)

John Barnes (July 26, 1859 – January 1, 1919) was an American attorney and judge from Wisconsin. He was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 1908 until 1916, and was one of the first Wisconsin Railroad Commissioners. He worked as general counsel for the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company from 1916 until his death.

The Honorable John Barnes
Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office July 1, 1908 – February 11, 1916
Preceded by	Robert McKee Bashford
Succeeded by	Marvin B. Rosenberry
Personal details
Born	John Barnes (1859-07-26)July 26, 1859 Manitowoc County, Wisconsin
Died	January 1, 1919(1919-01-01) (aged 59) Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Cause of death	Stroke
Resting place	Resurrection Cemetery Madison, Wisconsin
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Julia Koelzer (m.1887; died 1960)
Children	Dorothy (McGuire) ^(b. 1891; died 1961) Beatrice (Tormey) ^(b. 1892; died 1932) Fayne B. (Hayes) ^(b. 1892; died 1964) John Barnes ^(b. 1893; died 1972)
Alma mater	Oshkosh Normal School University of Wisconsin Law School
Profession	Lawyer

Biography

Born in 1859, on a farm in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, Barnes was the son of Irish American immigrants who had arrived in the Wisconsin from Canada in 1858. Barnes graduated from Manitowoc High School in 1876 and attended the Oshkosh Normal School, after which he taught school for six years. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1885 and began practicing law in Oshkosh. In 1887, he relocated to Rhinelander, and became the first municipal judge of Oneida County, served as president of the local school board, and prospered in business.[1][2]

In 1905, he was appointed to the newly created Wisconsin Railroad Commission by Governor Robert M. La Follette. In 1908, he was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in a special election after the death of Chief Justice John B. Cassoday. He defeated appointed justice Robert McKee Bashford, and went on to re-election to a full term in 1909.[2] In 1916, however, Barnes resigned to become general counsel of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company.[1][3]

Barnes suffered a stroke at his office in Milwaukee on December 28, 1918, and died four days later, after developing pneumonia.[4]

Personal life and family

Judge Barnes married Julia Koelzer, a childhood friend, in 1887. They had four children together. He was a Catholic and a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Politically, Judge Barnes was a Democrat.[4]

Electoral history

Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, 1908[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
General Election, April 7, 1908
	Nonpartisan	John Barnes	134,642	57.42%
	Nonpartisan	Robert M. Bashford (incumbent)	84,656	36.10%
	Nonpartisan	William Ruger	15,168	6.47%
		Scattering	30	0.01%
Plurality			49,986	21.32%
Total votes			234,496	100.0%

References

1. "Former Justices - John Barnes (1859-1919)". Wisconsin Court System. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
2. "Biographical sketches". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1915 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. 1915. p. 487. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
3. John Barnes, Wisconsin Historical Society
4. "John Barnes dead; dies in Milwaukee". The Capital Times. January 2, 1919. Retrieved May 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
5. Beck, J.D., ed. (1909). "Election Statistics". The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 556.

External links

• John Barnes at Find a Grave

Legal offices
Preceded by Robert McKee Bashford	Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court July 1, 1908 – February 11, 1916	Succeeded by Marvin B. Rosenberry