The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-06-15

JOHN DUKE CoLERIDGE DEAD.
Lord Chief Justice OF England and
Granddaughter of she Poet
LoSpox, June I4-Lord Chief Justice
Coleridge is dead
TJohn Duke Coleriige was q grand
nephew of the poet Coleridge and son OF
jurist. and was born af Ottery 81 Mary,
Devonshire. December 3, ISL He was
educated as Elton and al BailioI college.
Oxford, where he was gradusted .. a In
1872 and N. 4 in 1916 Having been
called 10 The bar at the Middle Temple IN
November. 1876. he became the leader OF
the western circuit de was appointed
recorder of Portsmouth in 1855 and was
created queens counsel in 1851. he was
an unsuccessful candidate for the par!ia-
mentary representation OF Exeter IN Au-
gust. lSts4, but was elected for that city IN
July, 1855, and continued 10 represent u
until November. 1875. In December, 1865.
on the formation of Mr.. Gladstone's gov
eminent he was appointed to I'LL the offlee
OF solicitor general. when be received the
honor OF knighthood. he became attor-
ney general in November. 1871. and chief
justice OF the court OF common pleas No
vember 10, 1873. In the following month
he was raised 10 the peerage. In isoo ne
was made lord chief justice OF England.
In 1883 he made an extended visit TO the
United States, where he was re-
ceived with great cordiality. espe-
ciaily by the judiciary ana bar.
He was one of the foremost speakers on
the English bench, and in readiness had
no superior. Lord Coleridge did not owe
his high position TO any very superior
abilities. still less TO any great legal attain
ments. He cannot lie called one OF Eng
lands really great judges. and In some
points he lowered rather than raised me
dignity of the bench. Externally he had no
rival. He MAS one of the most ornamental
judges that ever wore ermine- de had not
only q strikingiy handsome face ana grace
full figure, but his manners were most
courtly and his whole bearing one OF pol
ished ease. He had clear. mcllifuous
voice and q fine command OF Language,
and everything he said and did had an air
OF refinement and nobility about IL which
was very imposing at trst. de brought
upon himself undisguised and weli-de-
served blame by the practice OF making
his court a sort of fashionable show and
accommodating his arlstocraiic friends
with seats beside him TO hear exciting or
scandalous trials. During the trial OF the
notorious baccarat case lawyer
wrote him most insulting letter
on this subject. bitterly approaching
him for his favoritism and demanding
TO know by what right lords and ladies
were admitted to the best places in the
court, to the exclusion of others who, like
himself, were interested IN hearing the
trial. Lord Coleridge sent this letter TO
the Times for publication, and with it a
scathing reply in which he easily esiab-
lished a right 10 do as he had done in his
own court. The lawyers letter was felt on
all sides to be an objectionable piece OF
impertinence, but at the same lime a good
many people were of opinion that Lord
Coieridge had in q way laid himself open
TO insult. No one questioned his power TO
make his court variety show, but the
propriety of doing 50 was quite another
thing. The general complaint about him
was that he was too much of a society
Judge As q rule in England judges keep
themselves almost entirely aloof from So
ciety, and the more they do SO the more
they are respected. Lord Coleridge. on the
contrary, went everywhere, and was all
things to all men, and especially to all
women. A very few years ago no
was still quite a beau, and was
prominent figure at every fashion
able gathering, and even at many en-
tertainments which are rather Bohemian
than fashionable. His gallantries, real or
alleged were a subject of common gossip,
and the chief justice certainly took no
pains TO show that he resented the impu-
tation of being "gay boy" One one oo-
himself against pubic rumor. A society
journal having published a statement that
Lord Coleridge was engaged TO be married
TO Miss Mary Anderson, the actress. he
wrote to say it was untrue, as far as ne
knew, because, in the first place, he had
not the pleasure of the young lady's
acquaintance, and in the second place, be
had a wife of his own already. There was
one affair which gave really bad impress
sion of Lord Coleridge. 1t was a most
peculiar lawsuit in which gentleman
who had gained the affections of Lord
Coleridge's only daughter sought pro-
lection from what looked like very
cruel persecution. Hon. Bernard Cole
ridge, the chief Justices only son.
himself a distinguished lawyer, was the
nominal party to the suit: but it came out
that Lord Coleridge was concerned in it
quite as much. The lady was not young,
and there was nothing 10 show that the
gentleman's attachment to her was not
perfectly genuine and disinterested. He
was not rich, but he asked for nothing
with his wife, and his character was good,
vet simply because he was a man of the
middle class, whose alliance with the
Coleridge family could add nothing to
their grandeur, he was treated with de-
gree of vIndictiveness which is quite out
of keeping with the spirit of the age.
Moreover, some of the steps taken by the
irate father and brother showed disre-
spect for the laws which they should have
been the first TO uphold. Miss Coleridge
naturally sided with the man of her
choice. and so did court of justice. The
public feeling went strongly the same way
and Lord Coleridge incurred much blame
for his hard-heartedness.
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