The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1890-10-23
JUDGE MILLER NO MORE
HE BREATHES HIS LAST AT HIS
WASHINGTON HOME.
The Venerable Justice of the Supreme
Court Dies Painless Death-Gen. Bel
KNAPP, President Grants Secretary of
War. Dies SnddenIx al Mashington.

The Venerable Justice of the Supreme
Court Dies a Painless Death-Gen. Bel
KNAPP, President Grants secretary of
War, Dies Suddenly at Washington.
Washington dispatch.
Justice Miller died tonight at eight
minutes of II o'clock without struggle,
and apparently without pain. A few
minutes before he died the phlegm in his
throat gradually accumulated and his
frame Quivcred. 1t was evident that the
end was fast approaching, and the MEM
bers of his household who were not in
the sick room were hastily summoned to
his bedside. Besides Mrs Miller and her
son, Irving, there were present DR.. Cook,
j. w. WOOlwOrth, an old friend of JUS
tice Miller, who had just arrived from
Omaha, the family servants, and Chief
Clerk McKenney of the Supreme Court.
Soon after death the face of the JUS
tice, which had become somewhat drawn
during the last day of his illness,
changed to a perfectly natural condition,
and he looked as if in quiet sleep.
Samuel Freeman Miller was born in
Richmond, KY, April 5, 1916. His
father emigrated there from Reading
in 1912. His mother was the daughter
of parents who had removed to Ken
lucky from North Carolina before her
birth. His early years were spent upon d
farm, but the drudgery of agriculture
was source of discomfort to him and
employment in a drug store gave him
the opportunity for reading medicine.
He graduated in the medical department
of Pennsylvania University when %
years of age, and entered upon the prac-
tice of medicine in Knox County, Ky. He
had been married in the meantime and
had begun the study of law, and was adj
mitted to the bar in 1847. In 1862 Presi-
dent Lincoln appointed Mr.. Miller as
Associate Justice Of the Supreme Court,
which position he retained to the time of
his death.
During the twenty-eight years Justice
Miller had resided in Washington his
was a familiar figure on the streets. I'm
til within the last few years Justice
Miller was in the habit of walking to
and from the Supreme Court. Only on
great public occasions did he use car
riage. He was so democratic in his ma
ture that he derided much of the pomp
and fripDery Of official life. He was fire.
Quently heard to say that walking was
good enough for him.
Justice Miller was gluttOn for work
During the dinner hour and for an hour
succeeding it he engaged in social con-
verse with his family and with such
guests as might be present. Then he re-
tired to his office in the basement and
labored frequently far into the morning
hours. In spite of his "A years his move
ments were as lively as those of a man
of SIS or 60. He was of giant mold phys
ically as well as mentally, and man OF
herculean strength.
His bold, bluff, hearty way of speak
ing even when a young man threatened
on several occasions to get him into Sc
rious trouble. He did not shrink from
any physical encounter, although he
never engaged in one. His moral cour-
age was superb. Soon after he was
seated on the bench of the Supreme
Court he had occasion to rule on some
matter of law that would either ruin or
enrich his old law partner, Col. Balien-
ger. He promptly decided against him,
however, on the merits of the case, and
an arrangement followed which was
never healed His genius for the inter-
probation of the law was almost infalli-
BILE. While he was the best-natured man
in the world, he would, as a prominent
attorney said this evening, hang his own
father if it was legally the thing to do
and he was called upon to decide the
matter. He was looked up to by every
member of the Supreme Bench, from
the Chief Justice down to the newest
member of the court.