The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-03-29
CHIEF JUSTICE WAITE DEAD.
HE EXPIRES SUDDENLY AT HIS
WASHINGTON HOME.
Great Surprise and Regret mt His
Demise.

WASHINGTON, D, c., March 2S, 1885, Chief
Justice Waite died at 6:l0 o'clock, The judge
had been in very fair health until within
few days. He attended the reception given
on Saturday evening last to the visiting au-
thors by the wife of Senator Hearst of Cali
fornia. He there caught cold, and on
Monday he would not have attended
the session Of the supreme court but for
the fact that the decision was to be given in
the telephone case. He was then feeling too
i'll to read his opinion, and it was consequent
ly read by Justice Blatchford. For the last
two days no had remained at his home, and
had had the attention of nurse, and every
care was taken by the members OF his family,
consisting now only Of his son and daughter.
Mrs. Waite went 10 southern California a
month ago. He went to bed at tho usual
hour last night. The physicians regarded
his cold as slight attack of pneumonia, but
it was not thought necessary to watch him
closely during the night About o'clock
this morning, the nurs, went into his room
and found HIM lying upon ono side and feel
ing unable to change his position in the bed,
ns he seemed DESTROYS of doing. The nurse
attempted to assist him, and soon noticed
that he seemed to he rapidly sinking into
condition Of helplessness. The son and
daughter were hastily summoned, but before
they came in the room the chief justice was
dead. His heart simply stopped beating, and
he was gone.
. Morrison Remick Waite was born in
Lyme, CT, Nov. 20, 1916, and traced his
lineage directly back TO England, and to
lament, and as such signed the death war
rant of Charles II. Soon after the restora-
ton, the family came to America. Thomas
Waite, who was born in Sudbury, Mass,
settled in Lyme, Ct, in 1879, and one of his
sons, named Marvin, was an elector in the
first presidential election, and cast his vote
for George Washington Henry Watson
Waite, the father OF the subject of this
sketch, was lawyer of emineuce, who prior
to 1852 served in both branches of the Con-
uecticut legis ature and in the supreme court
of errors of Connecticut. In the year named,
he was appointed chief justice, and held tho
position five years, until reaching the
constitutional limit OF service, 20 years,
he retired to private life, and died in 1862 at
the age of 50 years. Morrison Remick Waite
graduated from Yale in 1887, with class
that included William Evarts, Edwards
Pierrepont and Prof. Benjamin Silliman, Jr.
He studied law in his fathers office, and
later with Samuel NJ. Young at Maumee
City, O., with whom, in 1899, on being adj
mitted to the bar he formed a partnership.
About ten years later this firm removed to
Toledo, o., and established a successful bust
ness Mr. Waite took leading place among
the lawyers of his section, and it was there
that President Grant found him in 1874,
when casting about for a successor to Chief
Justice Chase.
The following official notice of the death of
Chief Justice Waite has been issued by the
department of state:
To the people of the United States: The
painful duty devolves ppon the president to
announce the death OF Morrison R. Waite,
chief justice of the United States, which ex-
allied position he had flied since March 4,
1874, with honor to himself and high useful
ness to his country. In testimony of respect
to the memory of the honored dead, it is or
dered that the executive offices in Washing
ton be closed On the day of the funeral and
be draped in mourning for 20 days, and that
the national flag be displayed at half-mast
on the buildings AMI on all the national YES
sells on the day Of the funeral.
By the president.
II. f. BAYARD, Secretary Of State.