The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-10-17
ETERNITY'S MORN
Breaks for the Stricken SUI
preme Court Justice.
A wELL-DoNE LIFEs WORK ENDED

Samuel II. Miller Passes tn His Rsst Full
His Career-Opinion of the Supreme
Court - Ex-secretary Belknap n Vic
tim of Apopiexy-Found Dead in His
Bed-Sketch of His Life.
WASHINGTON CITY, Oct. l4-Associate
Justice Samuel +. Miller died at 1852
last night. The tenacity Of life displayed
by Justice Miller was truly marvellous.
He had been practically n dead man ever
since last Saturday. For nearly sixty
hours he received no nourishment what
ever, aud did not speak or open his eyes
or give any sign of consciousness. Breath
ing with the greatest difficulty, almost
suffocated with phlegm and distorted in
feature aud frame by the force of the par
alytic action, he nevertheless lived on
nearly three days after the doctors said it
was impossible for him to live more than
an hour or two longer.
a Hard Working Jurist.
The paralytic stroke of Justice Miller
was surprise to every one in Washing
ton. His constitution was apparently one
of iron, and for years he worked more
than twelve hours out of the twenty-four.
1t was his habit to go into his office. at
his home on Massachusetts avenue, as
soon as he had finished his breakfast, and
to work there upon his cases until the SUI
preme court met at noon. During his
whole career as supreme court justice
he massed scarcely day in attendance
upon the court when it was sitting, and
he worked far into the night writing his
opinions and passing upon cases after his
return from the Capitol.
He Made His Own Career.
He was self.educated man. and he
never had the advantage of college train
ing. Like Justice Bradley he was very
fond of mathematics, and he kept up his
mathematical studies during his latter
years. He started life as a drug clerk,
and spent three years in making up pre-
scriptions. He then went to a medical
school in Kentucky and practiced medi-
cine for eight years after he had obtained
his diploma. He found it impossible for
a young doctor to get along without a
wife, and he had two children before he
decided to give up medicine for law.
When he began to study law he took up
the study of Latin, and acquired a thor
ough knowledge of the language. He. how
ever, thought that study unnecessary for
young men in the later years of his life.
An Incorruptible Court.
He said not long ago: II am inclined to
think very highly of the purity of
the American bench. We decided
cases last year which would have
enabled any member of the court. by
taking advantage of the views he had of
the majority of the judges, by limiting
them to his wife or to some influential
friend, to have made million dollars
But you will find none of the judges a
cent richer from such source and no
whisper of that kind has ever been heard.
All kinds of schemes are planned by spec
ulators to find out what the court is CO.
ing to do beforehand, but l am glad to
say that there is no instance on record of
justice of the supreme court violating
the trust which.he has sworn to keep in
violate"
Personal Oh
Justice Miller was very simple in his
habits. He often rode out to the Capitol
and back in the street cars and the scent
herdics and passed up the fares for colored
washerwomen and laboring men again
and again. He would talk to any one,
and although he was a stickler for the
court, he was plain, common sense, ev-
eryday man ont of il.