The Indianapolis journal., 1894-04-14
DIED AT EIGHTY NINE
David Dudley Field Falls a Vic
tim to Quick Pneumonia.
Returned to New York "Wednesday from
Trip Abroad-Iis'Life Work as
Foremost;Jurist.

He had gone abroad to take Christmas
dinner with his only child, Lady Musgrave,
and to attend the twenty-Brst birthday Gel
ebration of her eldest son, Dudley Field
Musgrave. His daughter is the widow Of
Sir Anthony Musgrave. who was Governor
Of Queensland, Australia when he died.
She Is living at East Grinstead, Sussex
county, about twenty miles from London.
After visiting his daughter Mr. Field trav-
eied about on the continent and took the
steamer from Genoa for home. He has
been at his home. No. p Gramercy Park,
since his return. and was thought 10 be in
good health for man of his age-eighty-
nine years. When Mr.. Field landed from
the steamer Wednesday a terrible blizzard
vas in full blast. He remained on the deck
fully an hour to claim his baggage, and
was then driven to the residence
of his daughter-in-law In Gramercy square.
For the remainder of the day he was
bright cheerful and entertaining. At
o'clock Thursday morning the household
was aroused to learn that Mr.. Field was
suffering from a severe congestive chill.
The physician who was called detected the
presence of pneumonia, but no great
anxiety was felt by the family until
o'clock this morning. The end came to the
had expected to spend his summer among
me berkshire hills, where he was born.
He was engaged in writing his autobiOg-
raphy. Only last Wednesday he remarked:
My one great ambition is TO have my
codes adopted all over the world. They
are written and published. 1t is only
cepted." The funeral services will take
place at Calvary Church on Sunday at 4:30
p. m, Mr.. Satterle will officiate, assisted
by others who are not yet chosen. The
burial will occur at Stockbridge, Mass on
Monday
All day to-day and until late this even
ing there was a steady stream Of visitors
TO the house of the dead jurist. They
called to tender their sympathy to the
Or; J. NJ McCracken, chancellor of the
University of the city Of New York. and
Cephas ,Brainerd, a lifelong friend Of the
deceased Numerous messages of condo
lence, especially from members of Con-
gress and from Secretary of the Navy Her
bert A telegram was received Stating
with Chief Justice Melville W. Fuller and
Justice David J; Brewer. a nephew of the
Washington. The pallbearers will be
Chief Justice Fuller, John Bigelow, Abram
s Hewitt Abram r. Lawrence, William
way, X. T. DeyO. DR.. McCracken and JUS
tice Charles Andrews.
David Dudley Field furnished one of the
most remarkable examples of the prolonga-
tion of the vigor of body and mind beyond
what is looked upon as usually the limit
of activity. He was born in Haddam
Conn, in 1906, and remembered distinctly
the declaration of war in 1S12. He was the
eldest of ten children, of whom Stephen
j., Cyrus w. and Henry NJ. also became
famous. Cyrus w. Field, whose master
work was the great Atlantic cable died
within the year, but stephen ]. Field is
on the Supreme Court bench and Henry NJ
Y iQOF
health. David Dudley Field entered VIII
liamS College in 1921. and became a law
In Albany in 1926, but after three months
decided to seek the metropolis of New
York. then practically bounded on the north
houses further out. He studied in the Office
of Henry and Robert Sedgewick, and in
ISIS was admitted to the bar and to a
took was one in which he defended the
right to liberty of an escaped slave: AL
elected to office by that party, he was
active in the nomination of Lincoln and
as an Abolitionist, supported his heartily.
AS lawyer Mr.. Field has made a name
second to none in the United States. His
principal pride, however, is in his work
as a code compiler. His Penal Code is the
law OF New York, and his Civil Code and
are famous.
r. He continued in active practice of law at
New York from 1928 to 1885 and during
this time accomplished the work of codify-
ing laws. In 1889 he began his REFORM of
the judiciary system. For ten years his
pen was busy on articles advocating "The
reorganization of the judiciary" His
pamphlets were circulated widely and ev-
cry session of the New York Legislature
was applied to for action. Finally. in the
New York constitutional convention In 1916
his influence resulted in call for gen
eral code and the reform of the prac-
tice." Before the next year he wrote ex-
tensively on What Shall Be Done with
the Practice of the Courts? Shall it Be
Wholly Reformed? Questions Addressed to
Lawyers" In that year he was made State
commissioner on practice and pleadings.
and took the principal part in preparing
the code of procedure, enacted into law by
the New York Legislature. The bottom
idea of the code is to oblterate the dis
tinctiop between equity suits and lawsuits,
bringing into one action a case formerly
cut into two. like SolOmon's baby. This
law reform of David Dudley Field has
been initiated in England, where Lord
Brougham was sponsor for It, He was
also the author of codes civil and crimi-
nal procedure, which have been adopted by
a majority of the States and Territories.
His "Outlines of an International Code
attracted the attention of all nations.
and has been translated in French. Italian
and Chinese 1t was was an an eminent English English
Field had done more for the reform of
laws than any other man living. In 1857.
Mr. Field was appointed by the State of
New York head of a commission to pre-
pare a political code. q penal code and
civil code. These, with the two codes of
to supersede the unwritten or common
law" They were completed in 1860 and COW
cred the entire province of American law
and presented to the people in compact
form the whole law by which they are
governed.
He filled an uneypred term in Congress
for eight weeks III 1916. when ne was tne
of the advocates for the Democratic party
in the Hayes-Tilden controversy. Prior to
that time he had been supporter or the
Republican party. lie attributed his con.
tinuance of Vigor 10 your c0nditlons; Gooi
good exercise. His habits OF life for Iorty
years were very regular, especially in the
matter of exercise. His daily walks 10
and from his office in New York were n
considerable part of his exercise, and re,
suited in making his face md figure we'll
known TO the people. Dieting formed no
part in the practices that agreed with him
so we'll In that particular he lived as men
ordinarily do in his station. Total absti-
nence was not feature of his life either,
nation of his indulgence in wine at dinner.
Tobacco he never used. and simple alb
horrence is the description of his attitude
toward the weed. A morning ride was a
feature OF his exercise since lSi5. at which
time his physician recommended him 70
take an hour day on horseback as a re-
lief from headaches.
The ancestry of the Field family has been
traced hack to the time of William the
Conuueror, but of the ancient ancestors
little is known. Zachariah Field was the
first of the family TO come to America.
arriving in Massachusetts in 1880 or 1892.
He was the ancestor OF the Field family OF
New England. whose descendants are now
scattered all over the United states. David
Dudley Field. the father Of one of the most
scended from the original Zacha riah Field.
He was born II East Clifford. now known