One of the leading members of the Alameda County bar and a man who has demonstrated his knowledge, understanding and ability in various public positions along lines of his profession is Hon. William H. Donahue, who, following a period of able service as district attorney, was in January, 1913, elected judge of the superior court. He is a native son of California, born in Mission San Jose, February 13, 1870. In the acquirement of an education he attended various public schools in Alameda county and afterward entered Washington College, graduating with the class of 1891. Following this he turned his attention to teaching, becoming identified with the faculty of Hopkins Academy, in Oakland, and later serving as principal of the Pleasanton schools. He resigned the latter position in order to take up the study of law under private tuition, he and Superior Judge Harris pursuing their studies together. In 1900 the well-remembered law firm of Harris & Donahue was established and the partnership proved a success in every particular, the firm becoming connected with a great deal of important litigation.
Judge Donahue began his public career September 29, 1908, when he was appointed by the board of supervisors district attorney of Alameda county. His work in office for the first two years was of such a satisfactory sort that in the election of 1910 he had no opponent and was nominated by the democrats and republicans together, winning election without opposition and having over twenty-five thousand votes clear majority. He made an enviable record in the office of district attorney, handling a great many important criminal and civil cases with exceptional skill and ability. Prominent among these was the Delancy case, which won for him a state-wide reputation. The crime with which he connected Delancy was committed while the latter was acting as attorney for Public Administrator Gray. It consisted of the embezzlement of ten thousand dollars from the Hite Cook estate, which, together with other irregularities, was unearthed by Mr. Donahue after the discovery of the forgery of the name of undertaker, E. J. Finney, to a claim against the estate of the late A. L. Pounstone, a Grand Army veteran who died in the county infirmary and whose body was interred in the potter's field. There were eight indictments against Delancy for alleged crimes committed as attorney for the public administrator. This case was fought in the courts for weeks, and Mr. Donahue, after a skillful examination of all witnesses, bringing out the most damaging evidence, finished the case with a masterly address to the jury which, though convincing to the last degree, was free from malice or vindictiveness and he secured a conviction for the people. Another case in which Mr. Donahue did able and intelligent work was the recent Dalton bribery case, well known to everyone in this part of the country. Upon its completion Judge Brown established a precedent in Alameda county by commending the district attorney from the bench, as well as Assistant District Attorney Hynes and the members of the grand jury. Judge Donahue's record in office may well set a new standard of efficiency for all future district attorneys to follow. His administration came to a close in January, 1913, when, on the retirement of Superior Judge John Ellsworth, he was elected as his successor for a term of six years. His work on the bench has been distinguished by his unusual disinterested, capable and intelligent work and his decisions have been at all times impartial and based upon the principles of equity.
Judge Donahue for a number of years before going on the bench was vice president of the California Bar Association and in 1913 and 1914 was elected by the bar of California as its representative to the American Bar Association meetings.
Past and Present of Alameda County California, Vol. II
Published in Chicago by The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company
1914
Transcribed by Linda Jackson 7/10/2008, Pages 450-452
Alameda County Biographies ~ Archive Biography Index ~ Archive Index
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