Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1890-02-14
Washington Letter.
February 10. 1890.

building North and South, if he
will stop at point about one hum
dred feet from the Senate Cham
ber where the hall is both dark
and narrow, and glance upward,
he will see over not at all an impos-
ing looking entrance on the east
side. guilt shield, bearing on its
oval face twenty. six stars and Us
many stripes in FURNISHED gold.
This Is the only device giving the
slightest hint Of what lies beyond.
Not an inscription, word or letter
is there to indicate whereto this
portal may lead, but for which it
might be taken as the threshold
of Senate Committee, document,
or file room. Going a little closer,
however, spies through small half
| glass doors the hoary head and
reverential features of very old
negro who sits warder within.
Discovering you as soon as you do
him, he instantly seizes string
attached to the knob of one of the
doors, pulls it, the door swings
noislessly inward, and you are in
the presence of nine very grave
and learned looking men, arrayed
in their black robes of office and
ranged in row behind solid
looking "bench" running across
the rear of the room. These men
are the Chief and eight associate
Justices of the Supreme Court of
the United States, and this is the
Supreme Court room, itself.
| 1t is semi-circnlar in shape, and
runs to round glass dome over
head. On either side in crescent
shape are ranged seats for visitors.
The center, which is rallied off and
| devoted to the members of tie bar
exclusively, is in shape exactly
like the room, and a step or two
more elevated tnan the main floor.
| Across the back end of the room
is the Judges bench. 1t is plain,
but very massive and rich lof king.
On either side of this bench are
the desks for the clerks, crier, etc.
Promptly at twelve o'clock the
IJustices march in solemn process
sion from the ante room on the
left, range themselves in position,
each before his particular chair,
and following the cue of the Chef
Justice, who is in the center, sim
ultaneously sit down. The crier
begins with the nasal "Oyez" and
ends with "The Court is now in
session.
I; A popularity that struck the
writer is the predominance in this
chamber of red and black. The
carpets are red and black, the fur
niture is of red mahogany or black
walnut, red canopy is stretched
behind the Judges, surmounted
by a guilt eagle with ICON ,titu-
ton In one claw and arrows in
the other, looking down on the
black gowned Judges sitting in
red leather chairs, and over all
is spread the red light from the
glass dome overhead.
I The scene, however. is a study
of interest to the looker-on when
the Court is in session. At one of
the little tables, on either side and
In front of the Judges, is an able
and distinguished expounder of the
law, carrying the Court through
the mazes of an intricate and to
him, important, case. He speaks
IN low and subdued tone of voice,
In observance of the practice of
advocates at this bar, and is SO in
terested in his dry, legal reason
ing that he does not observe the
lnattention apparent on the faces
of some of the Judges. They sit,
and sometimes stand, in attitudes
most conducive to ease, and, ex-
ceptlng one or two, are studying
out their decision on a case argued
yesterday or last week. For it is
we'll known that the duty of hear
ing the arguments and making up
the decision in any but the very
important cases is delegated by
the Court beforehand to one of
their number. 1t is only thus that
a docket of one thousand six hun
dred cases is kept down.
The personnel of the Court, too,
is striking. 1t presents about ev-
cry phase of the judicial mind and
physical anatomy. The Chief J US
tice, thin, wiry, and with a face
out of which the very soul of the
man looks in nervous energy.
Miller on his right, broad shouler-
ed, deep chested, and with a face
as solid and staid looking as JUS
tice itself Field Oh the left,
veritable Venetian Dodge. Next
on the right is Bradley, small and
wrinkled and fine specimen of a
dry and withered legal maxim,
who with his five feet and five in
ches and one hundred and fifty
pounds, by the side of Justice
Gray's SIX feet four inches and
three hundred pounds avoirdupois,
Is pigmy to giant. Then Har-
Ian, the hendsomest man on the
bench, sitting next to Blatchford,