The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-22
NEW SUPREME COURT JUSTICE.
A Member of an Old New Jersey
Family and a Great Lawyer.


Family and a Great Lawyer.
William Butler Hornblower, whose APP
pointment to the vacant place on the
bench of the United States supreme court,
was announced in Wednesdays MORNING
News, is a member of one of the Oldest
families of new Jersey One of his great
grandfathers was a signer of the declara-
ton of independence. His grandfather
was the late Joseph G. Hornblower, chief
justice OF the supreme court of New Jer
sey The late Justice Bradley of the
United States supreme court and Judge
Wood ruff of the United Statesgcircuit
court were his uncles He is the second
son of the late Rev William Hornblower,
d. d., who was for twenty-seven years
pastor of the First Presbyterian church
of Paterson. He was born in Paterson on
May ID, 1851. He began his studies in the
collegiate school in Paterson. and after
ward entered Princeton College, where he
was graduated with honors in 1871. He
pursued his study of the law in
the Columbia College Law School,
and was graduated there in 1875
Office of Carter & Eaton at 96 Broadway,
and he was admitted to the bar in the
following spring. The repeal of the bank
ruptcy law in 1877 gave Mr. Hornblower
an opportunity and gained for him an
extensive commercial practice. For seven
years past he has been counsel for the
New York Life Insurance Company. He
is director in the Interstate Casualty
Company, and has represented Lawyer
Davis, receiver of the firm of Grant &
Ward, since the famous failure in 1874.
He was instrumental in securing a YER
dict for 81 10000 for the receiver, which
is said to be the largest verdict ever rem
dered in this country. He has argued
cases for the Rome, Watertown and
Ogdensburg railroad in court of appeals
and other courts. rau r
President Cleveland's friends in New
York, especially those among the law
yers, said that Mr. Horn blowers appoint
ment was suggested first by the Presi-
dents personal regard for him. and, sec
ond, by the admiration of Mr.. HOrnblow-
er's ability, which the President has had
since 1888, on leaving the presidential
chair when he came from Washington
and joined the law firm of which Francis
Lynde StetsOn is the controlling spirit
Mr., Cleveland, as a lawyer in those days,
frequently met Mr.. HOrnblOwer The
new justice was also closely allied to
Wayne MacVeagh, another member of
Mr.. Cleveland's law firm. At a private
dinner a short time ago Mr.. Cleveland
was surrounded by lawyers, and in his
speech the President said that Mr.. Horn
blower was entitled to occupy one of the
highest judicial places in the country
Since then it has been common property
that Mr.. Hornblower was to succeed to
the vacancy made by the death of the late
Justice Blatchford, and the appointment
was therefore no surprise.
William Butler Hornblower, is as far
from commonplace as any man ever Sc
n of orr Jic
is unusual, his appearance is unusual, his
size is unusual, and, in the estimation of
able judges, his ability is unusual. 1t is
right at this moment, when all the world
wants to know about this man to forget
in describing him his greatness and his
superiority. President Clevelandd has
made William Butler Hornblower part
of history, and the newspaper man, who
is history's best friend, must tell about
him with as little emotion or awe as the
naturalist classifying a new kind of bug
MIR Hornblower is, with one exception,
the youngest justice in the history of the
supreme bench. The younger justice was
Justice Story, appointed when he was 81
years old. Justice Curtis, when APP
pointed, was few weeks older than Mr.
Hornblower, who is AZ.
1t is difficult to speak with certainty,
but it is probable that Mr.. Hornblower is
the smallest man, physically, who has
ever been on the great bench. His small
ness fills the observer with establishment
1t would seem that nature, seizedrwith a
streak of economy, had made him with
just enough body to carry around his fine,
big head and all the brains therein. Mr.
HOrnblower is smaller than even Dan
Lamont He is almost as small as Eckels,
controller of the currency. Eckels
never really grew up.
Why Frederick the Great, rwhO was a
little man, should want big men around
him always, why Cleveland, who is big
man should select so many little fellows,
is problem that no man will solve until
the Judgment day, when we shall all
learn more things than we shall be able
to remember.
Mr.. Hornblower is very small man, as
regards his body He is not much taller
than medium sized woman. That is to
say, he comes about up to the shoulder of
a man who is not very big.
Mr.. Hornblower looks Ikea clergyman.
His lawyers life has given him some
thing of a fighting expression, but not
enough to wipe out the placid clerical
look. That proves Mr.. Hornblower's
earnestness. He studied for the ministry
one year
During that time he cultivated the right
sort of free-from-feeling look, and Guilt
waited it so well that it has survived every
thing since, even the triumph of his late
great appointment. MIR. HornblOwer's
father meant to be a lawyer and became
clergyman Mr.. Hornblower meant to
be clergyman and became a lawyer.
The moral about human uncertainty is
pretty plain.
Mr.. Hornblower's best feature, and the
one of which he is probably least proud,
is his nose. 1t is extraordinarily long.
1t is probable that no man in New York
has a longer nose In proportion 20 the
length Of his face than Mr. Hornolower'
Sometime ago. in an article about Mr..
Cboate it was said that he would be a
great man if his nose were a little longer.
MIR. Hornblower's nose has the length