Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-03-30

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The associate justices assembled at II
O'Clock. The attorney general and mem
hers of the bar were pr sent. Inc chair
of the chief u-tice wa, draue with Grape,
hut in no other respect did the appear
ance of the chamber give any indication
of the mournful nature If the O casion.
When the court and the assemblage were
seated, Justice Miller in broken voice
said:
1t smy painful duty TO announce to the
bar OF this court that It honored chief
justice departed this life this morning at
$50 O'Clock This is not the occasion 10
make any EXTENDED observations on the
subiec which will be done in due time.
The court will al ourn until Il O'Clock ON
Monday. April ..
As soon a the sal news had been COM
munlcated TO the senate and house both
bodies al journed.
The following Official notice of the death
OF Chief Justice Waite was issued at =. 10
p. m. 10y the department. OF state:
To me Pro o. or the Hi',d NtIfes.
The painful duty devolves upon the
president TO anno1nce the death at an
early hour this morning at his residence
in this city, of Morrison Il. W ate, chief
justice of the nited States which exalted
office he has filed since March 4, 1874, with
honor TO himself and high usefulness TO
his country.
In testimony Of respect TO the memory
of the honored dead. it i ordered that the
executive offices in W Washington be closed
on the dav Of the funeral ami be draped
in mourning for .O days, and that the
national flags he 81 played at halt-maSt on
the public buildings AMI on all national
vessels on the day of the funeral.
BY the president,
(Signed) T. +. BlYARp,
T Secretary of state.
Washington d. C., March D. 1855.
Born at Lyme, Conn, Nov. -, ISIS, he
had studied law under his father, then
chief Justice Of Connecticut. l-:3 ne
entered Nale college. whence he gradu-
ated in 1887 in the same class with William
Evarts and Edward tierrepoint. After
reading law for five years he emf grated
from Connecticut 70 Ohio. and concluded
his preparation for the bar in the office
of Samuel NJ. Young then leading law
yer Of Maumee CITY. @. In N39 he was
admitted TO the bar and Immediately
formed a partnership with Mr.. Young
In l>49 he was ected &c the hio legisla.
ture. and in the same year removed 10
Toledo, where Young x Waite built up a
very large and remunerative law prac-
tice
1t was not until l~72, however. that the
people at large knew much of the man
who has for so long been the most i'm
portant official in the government not
excepting the president.
When in lS72 Hamilt Fish, then secre-
tary of state under Grant, cast about 10
select three counselors TO represent the
United States before the Geneva arbitra-
ton commission, his choice for one fell
upon Morrison Remick Waite of Ohio.
The nomination occaSioned no little sur
prise; for while 10 was desired that the
best legal talent of g country should
uphold the rights Of the United States in
the Anglo-American difficulty, there were
few who had any assurance that Mr..
Waite stood above mediocrity in his rro.
fession. Indeed, Mr. ii h himsel was not
mil 70 "a IF Mr. oil a nh ~ hut had
in great measure, depended on the adj
vice of his friend, ecretary Delano
The appointment was made and in
December, 1872 he started for Geneva
From the first conference of the tribunal
of arbitration TO the asst meeting he dis
tinguished himself as a lawyer. He had a
very important part in the management
of the case for the nited States, and his
great ability, coupled with his sincere
and honest character, won the confidence
and respect OF those with whom he was
associated. Throughout Europe his ar
gument for the 7 ulted States received
unstinted praise as mastery vindica-
ton OF the American claims. on his re-
turn TO this country after the sue
cessful close of his labors at Geneva he
returned TO his Ohio home
Resuming the practice OF law in Toledo,
Mr.. Waite continued TO reside there until
1874. In that year the death of Chief Jus
tice Chase caused a vacancy in the SUI
preme bench, and Morrison X. Waite was
chosen 10y President Grant to be tho
seventh in that long line of distinguished
justices who have held the chief Justice
ship of the United States.
Not a dissenting voice was heard i'm tho
senate chamber. hessrs. sumner Sher-
man, Wade and Thurman spoke in favor
OF him, and he took the oath OF office
March 4, 1874. Entering immediately up-
on the discharge of his duties, he contin-
ued todispense Justice with uniform impair
TALLY until on Monday, March % when
he went home after the decision had been
rendered in the famous telephone case.
In 1876 his name was mentioned in con.
lnection with the republican nomination
for the presidency. He Immediately pub
lshed a letter OF declination the brevity
and point OF which were alike creditable
to his intellect and high character.
Chief Justic Waite's wife was his second
cousin, and her name hefore marriage
was Amelia Warner. She came from
Lyme, Conn, where Waite was orn, and
she was a beauty and belle in early life
She was the great-grand aughter OF Col.
Samuel SeldeD, n distinguished officer Of
the revolution. or m ny years she has
been an invalid, necessitating her with
death Mrs. Waite was in Los Angeles
Cal, whittier she had gone 10 escape the
rigors OF the winter.
The chief ustice was an active member OF
the Protestant pscopal church He mad
an absolute nor or of all kinds and species
of speculation. and one of his proudest
boasts was that for every dollar which he
had earned he had given a sufficient enuiv-
alent in labor. OF his five children, three
are living. ne son is superin tenden, of
the Cine matt n Muskingum Valley road.
Another son IL LAWYER at toledo, and his
third child. daughter remains at home
He was made an LII. d. by Yale col ego in