New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-17
FROM BENCH AND BAR.
GATHERED FROM LAWYERS AND AMoN"
TIE COURTS.

/ ,ri- ~ tho many Ncw-Yori counsel who had
known him and who had argued appears oei"o ,n,
lIc had not reached his sixty eighth year. wiie "
pioporon OF the judges OF the court in the past INV
Iivo1 hcvond the age Of rctirement-seVcnty S'aI'
and have enjoyed their pensions from the state 'o
indigo Rurcr had presided the highest court Vi
tbe STATE with dignity and honor. lie had noO
markedly Jude al temperament. and dd not enjoy 80
Ligh a reputation n some Oh HIS co"e'S"V' ID "
/ of opinons His ability and his personal char"opi
istc- a well a. hi, place Is inner 'u''''e' s'' -"
o,,ton however great weight in the counclErooh'
! nd maio,itv Of the Judge, usually agreed with
| ht, H.. had occasion therefore to write compare
lively few dissenting opinions. me PtsDm''It,s
opinions in many Important Gus, WIN iUirai "nn,,s
and VA, tIe author Of some Of the strongest utter
ances Of the court on that branch OF tic Law" II" wa"
HE many other good Julg, pon,.,"m ,,ai @e,drr
Obtained judicial office, and was an ihhuehtial ueaoe
Of the Democracy OF , M part 81 Wa,ce also won
high judicial rank. being now the senior lily
states Circuit Judge Of the second circuit: C th.
Judge Rugcr had many personal friends auOhS u"
Jmdcas and lawyers Of The city, and his death lea 10
many warm , ~ dead iurist The Oldest remaining
Democratic members OF the court IRE Judges larl l
eclam and it was EXPECTED i 1nt u 0G Tl oI anorV
Tho court was to have begun tomorrow the hearing
o cases on the new calendar
John Sparks. the Clerk of the Court Of General
sessions whose sudden death occurred last week was
one OF the chief representatives Of the best class OF
upT
Inc his majority had ben passed in the performance OF
official duties with thoroughness and an uprghtnes'
vhich made him model for all court clerks to ioliow
Tc had all the old fashioned virtues, and II he ma any
fault IL not apparent IN ms omciHi hic' i'
WAS a. r. gIlar chronometer, was pnn''""".'
faithful honest learned IN the procedure OF MS cpr'
and Of A rare courtesy Of manner. lie was uhlii""t
{, his willingness 10 impart information from the rch
stores of his experience and his retcntive memory.
Every one connected with the courts was accustomed
10 rely on his advice in emergencies Dht"cFN'''"'
after District Attorney and all the long succesSo' "
ASSISTANT, and deputies in the ONCE OF Ule prVu''"'
attorney of the county had looked 10 him for SUGGESTIONS
IA 10 the practice In the court, and had never Ih N'
relied on his judgment and good sense. ms spec"
WAS full Of pleasant humOr and Interesting IchIh-
,ccnce and not a few lawyers, long retired from Pid
tee I'm the criminal courts. found his once uchH'u
hl place in which 10 recall with Inn experiences -
the past Ills proby was not only above suESc'uo'
Of suspicion but was Of the old fashioned Mhd "'i'n
rather caused him to dread the responsibility Of having
-,st money I'm his possession. Whenever he received
money for fines IL wa, turned at once 10 the Guy
treasury In the very bills In which pay iiu pco''
made III, accounts for twenty one years were exam
incd recently. and not one cent of the huhdrep' VI
thousands Of dollar, entrusted 10 nm was louhu u ''
been DELAYED iu It, transmission 10 the pToP'' 49,
tory. ~, example lad led to a Ike oarclules' a'DS
ID, dcpuhcs, ana IN ihc many y.'' iho nnce not
breath Of 81. picOn scandal had tou'hcu ~ IL,
earlier connection with 81" once wa, az uliV
lilo distinction between civil ana crinln' Pa, tt ,
VA, L., marked than 1t j, at Present, ana ne hau a
ar.o aoquantancc,Lp and vide llelo'inp Inoi-
Older members of the bar, ~ well a. anon III. oi
and the criminal lawyers Of a later daN lis pr's.l
nj, post Of duty had been 80 uniform aiu i' ''
had been long connected ~ith pIo,e'di.-' III |
criminal court, that III. death s'mcd IKE lc ,
crmnntion o. ,olre 81 affair ." ~,t.G tl@ pre,cnt
b.rcd The beginning and no one eAPec''u INC P''o"'
ending.
Mr. sparks. by virtue Of his forty-two years OF
.crvicc wa, the veteran court Official 81 u"
county and his death leaves John ~ sh"ms'
Clerk 81 the United states Court. as the Oldest prop
ably in length Of service in the courts Few years
ago Mr. sparks In the General sessions Commissioner
shields I'm the United States Courts. Nathaniel JARVIS
in the Common Plea, and Thomas Boese IN the
superior Court were the leaders among the old court
officials. Mr. Jarvis retired few years ago 'lcrh
Boosc was for many years an official Of the b"aru
Of Education. that his court service has not beeh
continuous though he is much older in years than
Commissioner shields Mr.. shields has been for
thIrty.,cvcn years continuously connected with the
clerks Office Of the United states courts. He was
Office boy. assistant clerk, deputy clerk ana hnaiP
clerk, and has been for score Of years the pactc;l
Into relations with IT, lie has Jus, the virtues which
Nr. sparks and some other oihcnls 81 the oluer e'ip
had. lie has the same Courtesy, the same iuhu Oh
Interesting anecdotes and "reminiscences the sumo
probty and the sam" knowledge oi pi"crdiI" Wh'n
/, equally at the service II pcrp"Ncd ana nGhiinS
member ~ the bar. Will" political Influence ms |
been strong In other departments these older 0inahs
~ The courts and some Younger ones. II whom william
Ifary 81 the surrogate, Office h. an example nave
continued to di-char-c the dnt,s IF piates IN |
vllf-, they have become almost ind pcnSahc win |
ont regard 10 changing political supremacy lh thc |
city. ate or Nation
The Ncv.York state Bar Association. which has
good annual dinner and mn Incidental gathering |
with addresses by well known lawyer. will meet on
Tuc-day and Wednesday of the present week at |
Albany The meeting Of Tuesday afternoon will br |
held at Jcrmain Hail. George W. Dven the president
II the association. will deliver address and por
trait Of Homer \. Nelson viii be presented 10 the
association by members u the Dueho,, County Bar
r. T. Lown making the presentation speech. The
annual addrce7. which VIII. II Is believed, b. Of |
great interest. will le delivered ly MoiV" VI. Eigc
loss. Re poet for the Law Ec-ponshilty OF the
Profession" The annual banquet VIII be- serve" n |
The Hotel kenmore ON Tuesday evening and it had |
been expected before tho death II Chlc Jnd-e u;cr
ua several ~ the Cont OF Appeals JndP, miglt b.
present. on Wednesday morning meeting will Dee |
hon al the Common 'oan'i 'hAhher Clark Zen
Inr and the Judiciary The officer, for the year
will be elected and proposed changes In the statute
wlll he DISCUSSED
.Thc NcwYorS Law Journal" asaln advocates
cdltorally winter vacation Of The courts. The prop
ost0n is 10 reduce the vacation to the lcncth
# two months and 10 adjourn the courts from the !
middle % December TO the middle Il January each win
ter. There is now practically recess OF from week
t. ten days In Tho Christmas holiday season.
Tho additional month In the summer and fall
woud be more valuable than the same time
in the OF preparation for and that i'm
mcdatcy following the Chrstma>t holidays. The
three months vacation IN the summer IS IT Is |
urged, n needlessy long interruption Of the court work,
The Law Journals suggestion will be fvOIably ~,
ccived among lawyers The length Of the summer
vacation is cause OF frequent complaint among busy
lawyers who before the middle # September are
weary ~ vacation idlencSs and StlcSsly long for the
opening Of the courts. The time between July II and
September 10 includes almost all of the warmcSt
weather and allows Il sufficient period Of rest. \
regular recess Of one month in the winter would be
the judc"S I'm nvOr Of the proposed winter vac.i
ton H. will probably he recognized part Of the
court year The suggestion Is made that the member,
Of the bar take action the subject but unfOrtu.
nately there is organization through which the bar
par I,i,h.