John Burnett
March 2, 1901; Oregonian, p 1 (portrait sketch)
"John Burnett Dead"
Corvallis, Or., March 1

   John Burnett, ex-Supreme Judge of Oregon, a Democratic warhorse, and who had resided in the state since 1858, died at his home here today. Mr. Burnett had also served as Circuit Judge, Presidential Elector, County Judge and Legislator. He was considered one of the most able criminal lawyers in the state. Death was due to heart trouble. He had been sick about two weeks.

   John Burnett was born in Louisiana, Mo., July 4, 1831. His father died when he was 15 years old, leaving a widow and five children, with but little means. Young Burnett helped his mother to support and maintain the family. He was for a time engaged as a clerk in a store in his native town; but after a year he tired of the confinement and left his employers to work on a flatboat on the Mississippi river, boating wood to St. Louis, and giving his earnings to his mother.

   In the Spring of 1849 he was offered an outfit to California by a relative, and though less than 18 years of age, he accepted and started across the plains to seek fortune in the gold fields. He engaged in mining and soon earned enough to pay for the outfit, and sent the sum to his friend by the first opportunity. He followed mining for two years with fair success, and then returned to his native state, when, in 1853 he again crossed the plains with a band of cattle. After selling the cattle he engaged a second time in mining, working for two years in Nevada County, when his health was impaired and he gave up his search for the yellow metal.

   In the Spring of 1858 he came to Oregon and settled in Benton County, where he had since resided. The next year he was married to Miss Martha Henton. About that time he began reading law at Corvallis with the late Colonel Kelsay. After a year of study he passed an examination before a committee composed of Colonel Kelsay, Hon. J. C. Powell and Hon. Richard Williams, and was admitted to the practice of law in the Second district by Hon. R. E. Stratton, the presiding Judge. He soon afterwards opened an office in Corvallis and engaged in the practice of law, where for years he enjoyed a lucrative practice.

   He was a Democrat of the Jackson-Benton school, always opposed the Calhoun doctrines, and was ever ready to "give a reason for the faith that was in him." In 1868 he was a successful Democratic Elector for Seymour and Blair, upon the same ticket with Hon. J. H. Slater and Hon. S. F. Chadwick, both deceased. In 1870 he was elected county Judge of Benton County, and in 1872 was the Democratic Candidate for Congress, but was defeated by Hon. Joseph Wilson by a small majority. In 1874 he was elected Justice of the Supreme Court and ex-officio Judge of the Second Judicial District, winning over Hon. John Kelsay and Hon. L. F. Mosher. In 1878 he was elected State Senator from Benton County for a term of four years, resigning in 1880 to accept the Democratic nomination for Supreme Judge. In 1882 he was appointed by Governor Thayer to the Judgeship of the Second district, to fill out the unexpired term of Hon. J. F. Watson.

   Judge Burnett's service on the bench and in the Legislature have made his name familiar throughout the state. For a long time he stood in the front ranks of his profession. During his life he was engaged for the defense in a great number of murder trials. It is said by his friends that his efforts in behalf of L. D. Miller, James McCabe, Charles Williams, Frank Reid, William Skelton, James Wheeler, William Abrams and Asa Burbank in their several trials for murder as well as other old-time murder cases, gave him a foremost place among Oregon advocates.

   The surviving members of the family are: The widow, two daughters, Mrs. Ida B. Callahan and Ms. Robert Huston, of Corvallis, and two sons, Bruce Burnett, of Corvallis, and Brady F. Burnett, of Washington.