1914 Biography - Charles Austin O'Niell

O'Niell, Charles Austin, associate justice of the supreme court of Louisiana, was born in Franklin, St. Mary parish, Sept. 7, 1869; the son of John A. O'Niell, of Tipperary county, Ireland, and of Isabella Margaret (Burnham) O'Niell, of London, England. Col. John A. O'Niell was a highly educated and cultured Irish gentleman, who served in the Crescent regiment in the Trans-Mississippi department, Confederate States army, from the beginning to the close of the Civil war. He took a keen interest in public affairs was appointed a member of the council of the city of Brashear (now Morgan City) when that municipality was created, and was afterwards elected to succeed himself. He served 2 terms as sheriff and several terms as treasurer of St. Mary parish, and was one of its most prominent merchants. He was a leading spirit in all public movements tending to the good of his people. Although Charles Austin O'Niell was one of a large number of children, his father managed to bestow upon him a classical education. In his childhood he was stricken with typhoid fever, which required his walking on crutches from the age of 6 until he was 16 years old, and left him permanently lame. He attended the Tulane high school, in New Orleans, for 3 years, then went to the Christian Brothers' college; in Memphis, Tenn., from which institution he graduated with the degree of bachelor of arts, in 1890. Returning to New Orleans, he took up the study of law, and graduated from the law department of Tulane university, in 1893, with the degree LL. B. He practiced law in St. Mary parish, with success and distinction until 1908, when he was elected judge of the district court, serving 1 term of 4 years. He was induced to become a candidate for justice of the supreme court, to succeed Chief Justice Joseph A. Breaux, whose term was then about to expire. Although there were 5 other candidates for this exalted position, the most prominent jurists in Louisiana, Judge O'Niell came very near having a majority over all of them in the first primary, and in the second race with the next highest candidate, he was nominated by an overwhelming majority, as the candidate of the democratic party, and elected without further opposition. He was inducted into office April 6, 1914, to serve until the first Monday in April, 1926. In June, 1914, the judge's alma mater conferred upon him the degree of doctor of laws. In 1904, Judge O'Niel married Miss Bettie Singleton Gorby, daughter of Capt. M. T. Gorby, of Franklin, La. They have 8 children.

Extracted 2020 Nov 01 by Norma Hass, from Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form, published in 1914, volume 3, page 730.

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