Kickham Scanlan (Kickham Scanlan)

Kickham Scanlan

Lifelong Republican Judge Scanlan, a lifelong Republican, had been a judge of the Circuit court since his first election in 1909. He had been reelected in 1915, 1921, 1927, 1933, 1939, and 1945. By appointment of the Illinois Supreme court he had sat in the Appellate court for many years. Mr. Scanlan was born in Chicago on Oct. 23, 1864. As a youth he was taken to live in Washington, D. C., for a time and attended the grade and high schools there. Then after being graduated from the University of Notre Dame he studied in the Union College of Law and the Chicago College of Law, receiving an LL. D. from the latter. He was admitted to the bar in 1890. Honorary Degree Notre Dame conferred upon him an honorary degree of LL. D., and he began his private practice in Chicago with the late Luther Laflin Mills and the late George Ingam. During his earlier years he also served with ability as an assistant state’s attorney. Mr. Scanlan’s name was associated with several famous criminal cases. Among these were the two Cronin murder trials, the Graham Hanks jury bribing case, the McGarigle trial, and the Hammond-Shayne case.  In 1922 as chief justice of the Criminal court Judge Scanlan in charging a special grand jury declared that some of the labor unions in Chicago had come under the control of gunmen, ex-convicts, and racketeers who were terrorizing the union members, intimidating court witnesses, and extorting money from industry. His address marked the beginning of a battle against labor terrorists.  Defeats Machine  In 1921 a former city hall machine sought to defeat Scanlan in retaliation for his decision ordering eight school board trustees and attorneys for the board held for contempt of court. He was the one issue in the 1921 judicial battle in which the first coalition ticket defeated the efforts of the old machine to raid the courts. Judge Scanlan was a member of the American, Illinois, and Chicago Bar associations and of the Chicago Athletic club. (bio by: Scott McManimen)

Born

  • October, 23, 1864
  • USA

Died

  • March, 03, 1955
  • USA

Cemetery

  • Calvary Cemetery
  • Illinois
  • USA

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