Michigan historical collections. [Vol. 17]

398

ANNUAL MEETING, 1890.

practice of law his main business, but soon after he was admitted to
the bar he turned his attention to other pursuits principally merchandising. Mr. Bennett was elected county clerk in 1838 and was twice
re-elected holding the office for six consecutive years. In 1842 he
represented the county in the State legislature. Mr. Bennett was very
popular as a man, a citizen and as an officer; his name was a household word throughout the county, and any one who did not know
Alonzo Bennett was not up with the times.
John M. Barber came from Chautauqua county, N. Y., and settled at
Niles in 1834, and was admitted to the bar at Berrien in April, 1842,
he remained at Niles about eight years and then moved to the city of
New York. He was for many years judge of the superior court of
that city; every old lawyer feels that he has a personal acquaintance
with Judge Barber.
Thomas W. Frulan lived at Niles and was admitted to the bar at
Berrien in May, 1845; he enlisted in the Uniited States army and served
in the Mexican war. He went to California in 1849 or 1850, and was
-at one time a judge of a court of record of that state.
Franklin Muzzy was born in Maine, in 1816, and graduated at Bowdoin college. He came to Berrien county in 1842; stayed one year at
St. Joseph with the family of Col. Fitzgerald, and in 1843 went to
Niles, and always lived there until his death in 1878. He was admitted to the bar in Maine, and was once a law partner of Hon. Hannibal
Hamlin; he was admitted to the Michigan bar in October, 1846, and
continued in practice to the time of his death. He was elected State
senator in 1858, and was for many years mayor of the city of Niles.
In many respects Mr. Muzzy was a remarkable and peculiar man;
he lived and died a bachelor which fact may account for many of
his eccentricities. Probably no lawyer who ever lived in Berrien county
had as great influence with the court and jury as he. Always ready,
never showing surprise, an opponent not to be courted, but in professional
courtesy always meeting his opponent half way. Before a jury his
appearance seemed to say, "No use, gentlemen of the jury, I am going
to compel you, in spite of yourselves, to view the case as I do," and
he generally succeeded. He was not eloquent as a speaker, but
his earnestness and his apparent conviction that he was right, gave
him great power as an advocate. As a neighbor, Mr. Muzzy was
ever kind and obliging, though not a professing christian, yet no
man in the county gave more liberally to the church and clergy
than he. Hundreds of poor, did they but know their benefactor,
would rise up and call him blessed; he never gave to be seen of men,