Francis Irwin Osborne (May 28, 1853 – January 20, 1920) was the Attorney General of North Carolina from 1893 to 1896.

Biography

Francis Osborne was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 28, 1853. He attended

Davidson College Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after Revolutionary War general William Lee Davidson, who was killed at the nearby Battle of Cowan� ...

before reading law for 2 years in the offices of

Richmond Mumford Pearson Richmond Mumford Pearson (1805–1878) was an American jurist who served as chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1858 to 1878. He was the father of Congressman Richmond Pearson and the father-in-law of North Carolina Governor D ...

, Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Osborne was admitted to the North Carolina Bar in 1875. At age 25, he was elected mayor of the city of Charlotte. He was elected Attorney General of North Carolina in 1893, but, defeated for reelection to the same office in 1896. Osborne served a term as a

State Senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina in the

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...

from 1898 to 1899. He served on 9 standing Senate Committees. After 1899, Osborne resumed his legal practice at the law firm of Osborne, Maxwell & Kearn. Though, himself, a Democrat, in 1901 Osborne defended both North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice

David M. Furches David Moffatt Furches (April 2, 1832 – June 7, 1908) was an American politician and jurist who served as an associate justice (1895–1901) and chief justice (1901–1903) of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Biography David M. Furches was b ...

and North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Robert Martin Douglas during their impeachment hearings. Osborne was of the opinion that the Republican judges' impeachments were unwarranted and an attempted political purge. Osborne's brilliant speech before the North Carolina General Assembly in closing defense of the justices caused both to be acquitted. As reward for his successful defense of the justices, Theodore Roosevelt upon assuming office as President of the United States appointed Osborne a judge of the

United States Court of Private Land Claims The United States Court of Private Land Claims (1891–1904) was an ad-hoc court created to decide land claims guaranteed by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, in the territories of New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah, and in the states of Nevada, Color ...

, on which he served from 1901 to 1904.''History of North Carolina'', Vol. 6, copyright 1919, Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, pp. 283-284 Francis Osborne died at his home in Charlotte on January 20, 1920.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Osborne, Francis I. 1853 births 1920 deaths 20th-century American judges Lawyers from Charlotte, North Carolina Mayors of Charlotte, North Carolina North Carolina attorneys general Democratic Party North Carolina state senators United States Article I federal judges appointed by Theodore Roosevelt United States Court of Private Land Claims judges