Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-10-14
ETERNITY'S MORN
Breaks for the Stricken Su-
preme Court Justice.
A WELL-D0NE LIES WORK ENDED

Samuel f. Miller Passes to His c.est Full
of Years and Honor-Some Incidents OF
His Career-His Last Talk with Abra-
ham Lincoin-Opinion of the Supreme
Court - Ex-seeretary Beiknap a Vic
tim of Apopiexy-Found Dead in His
Bed-Sketch OF His Life.
WASHINGTON CITY, Oct 14-Associate
Justice Samuel +. Miller died at 1852
last night. The tenacity of life displayed
by Justice Miller was truly marvellous
He had been practically dead man ever
since last Saturday. For nearly sixty
hours he received no nourshment what
ever, and 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 and 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
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.
IL was his habit to go into his office, at
his home on Massachusetts avenue, as
ioon as he had finished his breakfast, and
TO work there upon his cases until the su-
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 drug clerk,
and spent three years in making up pre-
scriptions. He then went toa medical
school in Kentucky and practiced medi-
cine for eight years after he had obtained
his diploma. He found it impossible for
young doctor to get along without
wife, and he had two children before he
When he began TO study law he took up
the study of Latin, and acquired thor
ough knowledge of the language. He how
ever thought that study unnecessary for
young men in the later years of his life.
Opinion of Clay and Blaine.
He knew Henry Clay perso nalIy. and at
one time, in speaking of him in compar-
i,on with Blaine, said: mir. Blaine and
Clay are very much alike. Mr.. Blaine
has the same courage. the same magnetic
influence and the same power over men
that Clay had Their careers have been
much similar Both have been senators,
both have been beaten for the presidency,
both have been speakers of the house, and
both have held much the same idea, rs to
political matters. Blaine has great eX-
ecutive ability, and so had Clay. | doubt,
however, whether Clay would have made
"A good president and still | would have
liked To have seen him elected. | would
like for once to see "A great political party
leader in the White House and am tired
to death of taking characterless men
simply because the politicians hate the
leaders and cannot consent to see them
win the great prize of politics.
The Justice and Abraham Lincoln.
Justice Miller always held a high opin-
ion of President Lincoln. The last time
he saw him was at the inaugural ball at
the time of his second election. Tie pres
idenJ was talking with Charles Sumner
when Justice Miller came up. He turned
TO him with great cordiality aud said:
"How are the justices and their gownsg'
Judge Miller replied that they were all
right and presently Lincoln went on;
"Miller, you were brought up on farm.
I T. -
! judge. "WelI,7 said President Lin
coin, you must have seen the break
| ing OF land and the burn
| ing up of timbe in a clearing. You have
seen the heavy bark fall off from half
decayed log, while out from under the
bark would come great winged ants,
which would waddle off with the funni
| est kind of clumsy dignity. Do you
| know, jud &c, ! never see one of you JUS
| tices with your gowns on but | think of
| one of those ants which we used to see On
| the farm in clearing Judge Miller be-
| lieved in the wearing of the silk gown, and
| he told President Lincoln that he thought
| the busy justices were very we'll COM
pared 10 the industrious ant.
An IncorruptibIe 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 go.
| ing to do beforehand, but 1 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 aracte ristics.
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 laboriug men again
and again. He would talk to any one,
and although he was IA stickler for the
| court, he was plain, common sense ev
| eryday man out of IL.
| GEN BELkNAP'S DEATH