Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-23
THE RORED JUSTICES.
The Sanetum SancfOrum Of the United
states Supreme Court.


states Supreme Court.
| A "sTAR- REPORTER PENETRATEs TO SACRED
PRECINCTS OF THE HIGH TRIBUNAL-THE
RoBING ROOM, THE CONFERENCE ROOM, AND
THE JUDICIAL BATHROOM.
A STAR reporter recently inspected the sane
tum sanctorum of the United States Supreme
Court Guided by Mr.. Mckinney, the clerk
| the reporter passed through the innermost
chambers and recesses of that august tribunal
He stood within precincts forbidden to any but
the final dispensers of justice in the United
States, their officers and attaches.
The clerks offices are common property, in a
manner. They are open to everybody, from
the Attorney General to the humble boOtblack.
The court chamber and the marshals Office are
| also open to the public. But the man woman
who passes beyond those boundaries stands in
danger of being overwhelmed by the combined
indignation of the court. The several attend
ants, who guard these innermost precincts,
stared at the reporter as If they thought that a
PROCLAMATION was being committed.
THE RoBING ROOM.
a narrow passage from the private office of
Mr.. Mckenney leads into the ''robng room,"
which in reality comprises two apartments
The one first entered is poorly furnished, except
the carpet, with old-fashioned stuff which has
been in the Capitol for half century. The car
pet, which was laid last fall, replaced one that
had been in service twenty-five years. A plain
table, two old hair covered lounges of ancient
pattern and chairs, most of them of a similar
style. comprise the furniture. The wall of the
west end of the room is half covered with a
huge portrait of Chief Justice Marshall, a copy
portrait of Marshall, which was left to the court
in the will OF the late Chief Justice Chase look ed
and opposite it hangs portrait of Chief Justice
fancy. In one corner Is a small crayon sketch
OF Lord Coleridge, with the following inscrip-
ton:
Respectfully presented to the Judges of the
supreme Court at Washington by the Lord
on lei Justice OF England, In grateful memory
10Th of October, 1888" And in one lower
corner is the lordly autograph ''Coleridge, Lord
the one on which Lord Coleridge was invited to
a seat upon the supreme bench, next to Chief
Justice Waite. picture of ex,President Lin
coin and of John Jay the first U. s. Supreme
Judge, complete the gallery OF the robing room.
JUSTICE JAYS sCARLET.FACED ROBE.
The Jay portrait is the most interesting OF the
collection. 1t represents the Chief Justice in
his official robe, the scarlet facings and sleeves
of which are IN marked contrast with the SOM
Der gowns worn by his successors It was by
some denied that the Supreme Court dignitaries
ever INDUCED in bright scarlet velvet trim
mings to their robes, but Mr.. Jay, ex-minister
to Austria, anC a lineal descendant OF the Chief
Justice of that name, settled the controversy
by producing the Identical robe, with its gaudy
facings and sleeves, worn by his ancestor. The
smaller front apartment is occupied on each
side by very plainly finished closets, which,
when the court Is not in session, contain the
official robes of the Justices These rooms were,
prior to the completion of the Capitol WINGS
devoted to the public use of the Vice President
and the smaller OF the two was, in those days,
the ante-roOm. Nearly all the furniture looks
ancient enough to have been used by the vice
presidential fathers of the republic, but in fact
the washStand and the chandelier are the only
two articles of the original furniture remaining
door leads from the rObing room into the
main corridor Of the Capitol. and Immediately
opposite is the door OF the justices private en-
trance 10 the court chamber.
HOW THE COURT IS OPENED.
Before II O'Clock of session days the justices
assemble in the rObing room. BY the aid of a
colored attendant overcoats are exchanged for
judicial robes and the coats are carefully hung
upon pegs from which the robes had been re-
spectively removed AT noon, the Chief Justice
leading the procession OF justices, files out of
IN, the ro6ing room across the corridor and enters
wei drilled attendants having opened each
door. As the judicial procession appears the
their feet. Arrived at their respective places
on the bench, the judges indulge In q stately
bow to the bar, which is returned by the latter.
The crier then calls out: "Oyez! Oyer! OyeZ! All
persons having business before the honorable,
the Supreme Court of the United States. are ad-
mOnished to draw near and give their atten-
tion for the court is now sitting" Here the
crier pauses an instant, and with q reverential
bow calls out, III a solemn tone of voice, "God
save the United States and this honorable
court"
The Office of the marshal OF the court adjoins
the court, separated from the chamber on the
Senate side by only few steps through a mar
row hallway. This Office was the old Senate
finance committee room.
THE ATTORNEY GENERALS CUPBOARD
A sharp turn from this hallway leads into q
diminutive apartment which is set apart for
the use and benefit of the Attorney General.
This cuddy was formerly one of the Senate
clOakroOms, and the ceiling is so low that with
plug hat on Gen. Garland could hardly stand
straight in his Supreme Court office. A small
X. WaSlStan0 kon 4 no
furniture. The ex-cloakroOm corresponding,
on the opposite side, is q sort of ready lunch
there to refresh themselves with sandwiches
plain table and several chairs constitute the
furniture.
A HIDDEN PAssAGE-wAY.
The entrance from the marshaPs Office into
the court chamber leads to the rear of the bench
and underneath the old Senate gallery This
space behind the pillars which supported the
gallery Is used simply as convenient private
passage way for the justices and officers of the
court. The fireplaces which warmed the old
Senate chamber are now closed and the hand
some old marble mantels with their superb
carving are hidden from public view. On one
the bas-relief work represents mum Der of small
boys easily and innocently breaking sticks one
by one, from a large bundle. The opposite man
tel represents Hercules vainly endeayoring to
break the entire bundle across his knee. The
motto is United We stand, divided we fall" A
crayon sketch of the court as it existed In 1876
Is hidden in the recess behind the bench.
THE CONFERENCE ROOM
of the court is on the basement floor immedi-
ately beneath the robine room. It is entered
from the corridor through a sort q semi-circu.
lar ante-room. A plain Withstand n sofa Of
ancient pattern and appearance and a table
mrade up the furnishing Of the ante-room: but
around the semi-c2r~ular wall extended a
row OF hooks, Al Regular intervals, each hook
marked with ID name of the Justice whose
coat ana nat hang upon IL during conference
hours. rcm the ante-room the reporter passed
INTO ooable apartment made by cutting out
the wal between two rooms ON both sides of
the rre place. The principal object in the confer
enee room proper Is a long table, such as is used
m congressional committee rooms and ranged
about IL are just enough comfortable arm chairs
10 accommodate the justices. This ia the
conference table whereat cases coming be-
fore the court are carefully considered and
decisions arrived at. At this table, too opinions
which justices have reached upon cases referred
10 them are submitted and read for the consid-
Grafton OF the whole bench. The Chief Justice
occupies the head Of the table, and formerly IL
was the custom for the others to take their
seats nearest 10 him in accordance with senior.
lily OF service but this practice has been discon.
tnued, and now the associate justices take any
seat that is convenient except the one at the
head OF the table. The adjoining room also con-
tains table, and In here it Is the custom of the
Justices to examine models and machinery sub
mitted In cases involving controversies over
patents. The walls of both rooms are shelyed
almost rom moor TO ceiling, and these shelves
are niled with law books, chiefly the statutes of
the dinerent states. There Is no room upon the
walls LOT pictures or ornaments. The steadily
increasing number of law volumes has already
nv tInh Ia