Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-05-01
MELVILLE W. FULLER.

is free from any stain wi.ate-c" He has been lifelong Democrat. Mi. Townshend thinks that the president has made good selection as the country affo .'s. and that EIr. Fuller will not disappont t!ae expecta- tions of any of h:s friends.
 Judge Cooley, chairman of the interstate commerce commission, said the appointment most excellent He telegraphed MT. Fuller his congratulations
 Melville Weston Fuller is a slim, wiry look ing man, rather below the middle height. He has silver gray hair and 8 dropping gray mustache. He dresses well and is consid- cred exceptionally good looking. His face is fresh and unwrinkled, his B years notwith- standing. He is popular club man, and goes good deal into society. He is one of the best known lawyers in the northwest. As politician he commanded the respect of both parties
 His father was Frederick A. Fuller, of Au- gusta, Me-, in which city Melville was born on Feb. il, 1888. His mother was daughter of Chief Justice Nathan Weston. He at tended school at Augusta, and graduated at Bowdoin in the class of 1853. One of his classmates was B. J. Phelps, the United States minister to England. After leaving college he studied law in the office of his uncle, George M. Weston, at Bangor. He also attended lectures in the law department of Harvard university.
 In 1856 he was admitted to the bar, and at once began the practice of his profession in his native city. He was elected to the city council, and also for time filled the office of city attorney. These were the only offices he held up to the present time. While filling these he also edited paper called The Age. He stopped only two or three years in Augusta. The wonderful growth of Chicago was then being noised abroad with much vehemence, and MT. Fuller decided to move to that city.
 His talents were speedily recognized, and in very short time he was known as one of the foremost men at the Chicago bar He took some active interest in politics, identify ing himself with the Democratic party, but always holding the respect of both sides. In 1861 he was elected member of the state constitutional convention. In 1862 his popu- larity was demonstrated by the fact that he was elected to the legislature from strongly Republican district.
 He was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions of 1864, 1872, 1878 and 1880. He would have been again elected in 1884 but for the machinations of the notorious Joe Mackin, who got himself chosen instead, in order as he said, s'to make the reformers sick" Very soon thereafter Mackin got five years in the penitentiary for perjury relating to ballot box stuffing, and he is there yet.
 MT. Fuller's name is identified with many celebrated cases. One peculiar trait of his character is the width and scope of his knowl- edge. There seems to be no subject that can by any chance arise in a law court on which MT. Fuller is not thoroughly posted. A striking illustration of this occurred during the trial of Bishop Cheney, of the Reformed Episcopal church. About fifteen years ago the Rev. Charles B. Cheney, then rector of Christ Protestant Episcopal church in Chi cago, was arraigned before Bishop White house on charges of heresy.
 The prosecution was conducted by $. Corn ing Judd, then and still the chancellor of the diocese. Mir. Judd, like MT. Fuller, was one of the ablest men at the bar. He is also by the way, an appointee of President Cleve- land, being now postmaster of Chicago. Mr.. Cheney was defended by MT. Fuller, and dur ing the course of that remarkable ecclesias- tical trial MT. Fuller showed knowledge of ancient and modern ecclesiastical law and precedent that was a wonder to the church and legal the profession.
 MT. Cheney was found guilty, but his con- gregation held to him notwithstanding, and he is head of the same church still-now known as Christ Reformed EpiscopaIand holds the rank of bishop in the new denomi- nation.
 MT. Fuller was warm and intimate friend of Stephen A. Douglas, and in 1860 was chosen by the citizens of Chicago to deliver the address of welcome on the occasion of the great Douglas reception in that city. That address lives in history as a peculiarly brill iant and scholarly production.
 MT. Fuller was married twice, each time to lady of considerable wealth and stand ing. His first wife was Calista O. Reynolds. His present wife is daughter of the dis tinguished banker, William F. Coolsaugh, | who ended his overburdened life on the stepa