Evening journal., 1894-03-15
ARRAY OF LEADING MEN
For Eminent Ability and
Unimpeachable Integrity.
HELD THE HIGHEST POSITIONS

No other State Has Surpassed Della
ware In the Heads Of Its judiciary.
Pen Pictures of Some Of the Most cele-
brated Members of the Delaware Bench.
An EVENING JOURNAL reporter called
at Judge Grubb's house, at Gilpin avenue
and Franklin street, yesterday after
noon, and, as he entered, stated that the
object of his visit was to ask for further
information In regard to the sketch of
the Delaware judiciary.
when / wrote the historical sketch
OF our judicial system" said the judge,
after he had conducted his visitor to his
study, II bad no idea of communicating
Il to our Wilmington newspap ers. be
cause had prepared it and procured the
portraits of all our chancellors and chief
justices since 1892 at the request Of
and exclusively for the publishers of the
Medico Legal Journal. Of New York city.
AS the newspaper reporters have learned
from other sources that / have engaged
in this work, and have called upon me,
of course / desire TO oblige you all, so
far as can with propriety.
while cannot give you the sketch
which have prepared for the New York
journal, there are MANY matters which
can impart without infringing upon
what consider their exclusive right TO
the article. In addition TO the
sketch of our judicial system,
procured the portraits of every one
OF our chancellors and chief justices for
the century past. also have complied
brief biographies of each. All of this l
shall send to the publishers Of the Med
leo Legal Journal from which they will
select what is needed for their purpose.
As the said journal is a quarterly the
space for my article will be necessarily
limited, aud, therefore, the sketch have
written Is rather a brief and concise out
line Of our judicial history since 1888
than a more formal aud extended treat.
ment Of the subject would be. In other
words It Is in the nature of magazine
article, accompanied by illustrated
groups, chiefly of members of the jude.
larry during the past century.
After procuring from their different
owners the respective portraits in their
possession, found it necessary to have
photographs taken Of each, so as to send
them all to the New York publishers and
return the originals. For this reason
and also by request of members of the
bar, made arrangements with j. Paul
Brown to photograph the complete set at
very reasonable charge, both for those
needed by myself and by members Of the
bar who wished them Mr.. Brown has
certainly executed his work with great
taste and skill, considering the dficul-
/ ties of photographine very old aud
sometimes, imperfect oil paintings Many
Of these portraits had never been OBJ
tanned for the public before. Many oI
them existed in a single oil portrait, some
Of which are now beyond our state.
Remarkable Array OF Leading sIen.
Taking the entire collection they Ger
tainly furnish a very remarkable array
of the leading men of Delaware in the
past More than half Of them have beer
members Of the Tn ted States Senate
others foreign ministers, United States
Secretaries of State, members Of the con
vention which framed the United States
Constitution and signers Of the Declara
tion Of Independence, besides holding
the highest positions in the state.
Eminent aud UnimpeachabIe.
"Tor eminent ability and unimpeach
able personal integrity no bench in The
Union has surpassed, il equaled, thi
hundred years array OF Delaware's chan
cellors and chief justices. Here, for in
stance, is the portrait of George Read,
said the Judge, holding up the likeness o
an extremely handsome aud courtly-look
ing person Of the old school He wal
born in 1888; admitted to the bar at New
Castle in 1853. attorney general unds
the crown of England from 1904 TO 1874
member Of the Continental Congress o
1774, signer Of the Declaration OF In
dependence in 1875, president Of tb
Delaware constitutional convention il
1875, and reputed father Of our frs
state constitution.
He was Judge Of the Court of Appeal
in Admiralty in 1882, member Of the con
vention of 1887 which framed the Con
stitution of the United States. our frs
United States Senator, from 1883 to 179t
when he was appointed chief justice o
the Supreme Court of Delaware. and hel
that Office until his death in 1898 II
was especially selected as chief justice o
account Of his conceded superior abilit
for that position, which was a yer
difficult one at that particular time
owing to the litigation arising out O
the revolution. This likeness Of hiI
is taken from the original oil paintin
now in the possession of John H Rodney
whose wife is the signer's great-grand
daughter.
Richard Bassett's Prominence.
"Here is Richard Bassett, born o
Bohemia Manor, Md, in 1745. His vii
was the niece of Augustin Hermann
His daughter married the celebrate
, James A Bayard, Sr negotiator Of Ii
/, treaty of Client, United States Senate
| and grandfather Of Ambassador Bay arG
Z Richard Bassett filled many very prom
nent positions. He was captain of th
Dover Light Horse under Washington
! 1777; member of the Delaware constitl
tional convention of 1776 aud 179.
i, member Of the convention which frame
/, the Federal constitution; United State
= Senator from 1889 TO 1898; chief iustiC
! OF the old Court Of Common Pleas unit
! 1899, when he became governor Of Il
!. state, and, in 1901, was United STATE
> circuit Judge for the circuit which the
: included Delaware. being appointed
- that position by President Adams
died In 1915 and was buried beside
distinguished son In law, James
}. BayaId, on the same day, at Bohem
i