The evening world., 1891-12-11
THEY OBJECT TO UNIFORMS.
Supreme Court officers Hope That
Rum0r Isn't True.
The Justices Won't Say Whether
the Order Has Been Issued.

capt. Enly Ricketts,, OF the supreme court
force OF officer, aud cricrs, and his band OF
twenty-seven men are IN a ruttcr over the
proposition the justices OF the supreme
Court to pas them all III blue coats, brass
buttons and blue trousers.
capt. Ricket's said at noon to-day that he
hadn't received the order TO uniform the force
yet, and declined to express his views On the
subject.
Some of the other court officers were In
clinod to scOh at the report, and the Judges
themselves were very rctlcent
Presiding Justice Van Rrunt, blunt, out
spoken and devoid II all love for ceremonial
or display. when asked by an EvENING WORLD
reporter II the Justices had decided to uni
form the men and had 80 ordered or would 50
order, replied, with grim smile on his
shrcwd face:
:" am not answering conundrums to-day"
That was all he could be got to say upon
the subject, aud the reporter appealed to jus
tice Patterson III Fart III.
" understand that such an order has been
decided upon" said the court IN blandcst
tones; but that Is all know about H."
do you mean, then, that the order was de-
Cided upon AT II meeting at which YOU were
not present ~ the reporter asked.
Justice Patterson fruwncd
81 know nothing further about 1t, and will
say nothing, except that ! am heartily In
favor OF Distinguishing the court officers from
til" LAWYERS and the public by Uniforms
Justice Morgan ~ O'Brien. who l. credited
with originating tue idea OF uniforms, replied
simply
"rhc subject was discussed, and is still
under consideration"
Justice Lawrence said laconicaliy:
" don't know anything about It."
The story is that the tW"nty-cight court
officers VIII have to don the new uniforms
Jan. /. They win consist OF double breasted
/ truck coats, win vests ana trousers, Ut navy
/ blur. There VIII h' two rows OF brass but
tons NJ and down before. The vest VIII have
six buttons, and all VIII bear the arms OF the
Slate--a shield uuartcrcd, on which ncrChCl
, an eagle. ana about which are thirteen stars
and the motto" Excelsior
The court officers seem To be all in the dark
regarding the new order OF things, and are
cautious about expressing their opinions. hut
most OF the M are opposed to NE Idea OF uni.
forming OH the ground that II is only " fuss
and Icathers,' and thai II i one step towards
gowns and things for nc Judges ana other
| CeremOLials IN court
James l.. McNlcrncy. who is known as the
" Assistant Judg" III Chambers" did not r..
sent the plca.a'itry 81 his IiCnus. the report.
crS, when they kcd after nj, uniform, bu,
suggested that he had no uniform now, haC
not been measured Tor ON" aud knew uf NJ
orders having been Issued requiring him Il
procure one.
The men are very much afraid that The
dOnning livery. For obvious reasons they dt
not care to b. quot ii on the subject.
(" ! hope that this Is simply IA revival Of tbs
ruInOr II last year. said one OF them. :. \
that time II was not only suggested that tn,
attendants wear uniform coats, but that III,
Judges don gowns II not wigs. 1t was aiS'
, sllgg.Stri that the clurt-rOOns be rCmudCllct
81 as tu provide Il separate inclOsure lOr th'
members Of the bar.
81 have not heard that the subject ha
hpcn revived by til" justices. Certainly. W
have received no orders TO get uniforms, AM
, none OF Us hlNe been rcasui ed for them.
" For my part don't see the usc tor a uni
, form. The courts have been in operation 70
100 years withuui them, ana there dOrsn'
appear to be any necessity now for maxim
Inenial servants Of Us by putting Us IN livery
"Evcr! body who has any business with III
| courts knows who the officers are wlthOu
having them made prominent by brass Dur
. tons"
u John Arnold and julie Arnold, two other
the attendants, declared that they had NJ
heard II any orders to procure uniforms.
d The majority OF the supreme Court Justice
d do not seem to share the opinion of the Il
- tendants on TIE subject Of Uniforms.
Y Judges Patterson, lngrahain and BeaC
l. have expressed themselves strongly iu fave
n OF putting the attendants In blue and brass
The men, however pin their faith on Pr
y siding Justice Van Brunt, who, they say, wi
not allow any such nonsense In his court