William Oren Hillman was a court reporter for the Ramsey County District Court from 1886 to his death on January 7, 1932, at age seventy-two. In memorial proceedings on March 26, 1932, a committee of the county bar association recalled his reputation for integrity:
"His integrity was beyond question. His accuracy was complete. He never lost or misplaced an exhibit. He never made an inaccurate note of testimony or proceedings. His transcripts were never questioned or criticized by either bench or bar, and the well deserved confidence of both bench and bar in the correctness of his notes and transcripts saved both the judges and lawyers many hours of laborious drudgery, for no one ever felt it necessary to check over his transcripts to ascertain if they correctly reported the testimony given.
"His demeanor in court was fair and disinterested and he at all times refrained from indicating in any way his own opinion as to the merits or demerits of any case under consideration. In addition to this he was most accommodating and ready at any stage of a case to promptly furnish transcripts of desired testimony."
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