The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-25
: WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
nAvID DAVIS ON THE BENCH AND
IN THE SENATE.

How Ee Dealt With Reporters Rev
er5v Johnson Discomfted-His Char
itv-Putting a Professional Eeggar
70 the Test.
From the Ne,g York Tribune
WASHINGTON, March 15.-Justice David
Davis was appointed to the supreme court
bancb by Abraham Lincoln. He was born
and brought up in Stockbridge, Mass. He
was one of the great judges who has sat
mon that bench. He was one Of MIR. Lin
coins most trusted advisers. He was noted
for his sterling common senss, his high sense
of properiety, and his great ability to see
claarlv what was best to be done. His
Knowledge Of the law was profound. His
decisions were noted for their clearness.
He was man of tremendous figure. His
body was Falstaffian in its proportions. He
weighed nearly 800 pounds. He had large,
round head set upon q short neck. His
face was broad, especially at the base His
forehead was high, thinly shaded by gray
ish-brown hair. His nose was large. His
mouth was enormous and thiu-lipped. HIS
full. broad double-chinned face was
smooth-shaven down to rim of ight-gray
whiskers, which ran around from ear
70 ear under his jaws. He had a
deep. full voice and great dignity
of manner. He followed rigidly all of
the old-fashioned habits acquired in early
rural life. He was always moderate in his
expenditures. He became rich and left
large property when he died. His rule for
acquiring money was simple. He said:
Save part of your income every year and
invest it in real estate" He did this, even
when he had an income Of not more than
$500. He went to Illinois when the state
was Young, and through his system acquired
lands around the negnbornood Of Chicago,
which ultimately made his estate valuable
He was on the bench for nearly twenty
years. He was there during q most ex-
citing time, when the bench was reorgan-
lied and increased for the purpose of giving
the famous greenback decision, Involving
the question of whether or not the green
backs we're legal tenders. He was there at
a time when great values were often de-
termined by few words from the bench.
Advance knowledge of the ereenback
decision would have been worth hun
dreds of thousands of dollars to any one
Yet, to the credit Of this court, it must be
said that none of the justices betrayed the
secret Of their position. even to their most
intimate friends. In the days following the
war, when scandals concerning public peo-
pie were common and newspapers sought in
every direction to find testimony for furth-
er sensations no publication was ever more
affecting in the integrity of the justices of
this court.
have heard Justice Davis tell many in
teresting stories OF attempts upon the part
OF various individuals to obtain forbidden
information. No more delightful story was
ever told by the judge than the call which
he once received from an Irish reporter of
the New York Herald, who came to him
just before the greenback decision was
delivered. The papers were full of the
possibilities involved in this de-
cislon. Enormous values wavered
in the balance awaiting positive informa-
ton. The judges never mentioned the sub
Ject to one another except within the re-
cesses Of the consultation room. Outside
Of that room their faces took on a look of
stony reserve whenever any one sought
remotely to lead up to the subject or to
discuss questions which might indirectly
bear upon this most interesting subject So
great is the reputation for dignity and re-
serve Of this court that the experienced
lawyers who were most intimate with these
judges did not venture even to hint a sug-
Gestion of question upon this forbidden
subject
1t was one evening, three or four days
before the decision was delivered, that
Justice Davis was in the sitting-room of his
chambers at the National hotel. The
judge was smoking long clay pipe, of
which he was fond. With his legs spread
wide apart, in front of an open wood fire,
the judge pulled from his great mouth huge
volumes of smoke as he listened
to the gossip and small talk of his
friend. The judge, after leaving his legal
work, was as fond of going over the gossip
OF the day as any member of the village
sewing circle. In the midst OF the talk the
coiored servant entered with card. The
Judge looked at the card and sa that it
pore tne inscription Of a representative of
t .tae, New York Herald The judge said,
snow him up, as he was never known to
refuse to see any one when not busily en-
gagged, in work. The judge himself
described atterward the entrance of the re-
porter and what followed.
1here came into the ROOM" said he. ga
small, wlry chap with the smooth, sharp
lace OF ferret. His small black ewes
were set close together on each side of
very pronounced pug nose. A shock of red
hair hung down over the alert. innnisitive
couhtenenee. This reporter was attired in
aIoug, ln-httings suit Of black cloth. He
carried under his arm huge notebook
ne entered my room with a curt saIuta-
tlon' and without a word of EXPLANATION
began showing up a large center-table
IN IN, the room, bringing it to my right.
Hen ne had the table fixed in a good
10 SOOh SOLue candles from the
nantieplece, lighted them and put them
uo"n' lie then opened a notebook, took
ouO halt-oozen pencils, sharpened them
carefully, and said: Now, Judge. am
ready. Mr.. Bennett has sent me here to
eet an advance abstract of the supreme
court decision in the G eenback case. what
ever that may be. You know better. prob>
aply' what that is than do You Just go
aneld and give it to me. You needn't
nllHd about going slow; | can take il down
as last as you can give it to me.'n
me Judge said that for moment he was
overwhelmed with the situation. The per-
iecC innocence OF the Irish reporter, how
ever, impressed him so comicaIiy that for a
moment he said nothing. Than he arose.
oeloerateiy laid down his pipe and walked
over TO an open window looking out upon
ohe street. Then he beckoned to the re-
porter and asked him to come to the win
A. How far down to the sidewalk do Won
i Junk IL is! :" said the judge. Tue reporter
feet. AZ aOouV InlFey
o., DO you think it would hurt a man to
iai from here to the sidewalk?' said the
!; am sure it would break every bone in
us 0ody, said the reporter.
wen, said the Judge. "you NAV give
~ compliments TO Mr.. Bennett and inform
In mat II any reporter calls here from his
paper TO ask me about this greenback de-
ClslOn again I will s;p,,,1u = .LI:-.a =