The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-04-14
A DISTINGUISHED CAREER.
He Had Been Known ThrouEhout the
Nation for Over Thirty Years.

He Had Bsen Known Throughout the
Nation for Over Thirty Years.
A mind that began to take in lasting
impressions amid the cannon thunders of
| the last war with Britain and of Napo-
leon's Waterloo campaign and retained a
marvellous activity for more than four
score years went out with the death Of
David Dudley Field. 1t is only six years
ago that Mr.. Fields long past the octo-
genarian mile post, grappled pompous
looking young swell who had brutally as
sailed newsboy on the street and shook
him as n terrier would rat. "You are a
disgrace to humanity, " said he As he set
the astonished dude on his feet. "Old as
l am can thrash you"
Mr.. Field comes from a family noted
for its vigor. His profession was conduc-
| i've to long life, and this is period noted
| for busy octogenarians. Nevertheless a
working lawyer on the verge of 30 has to
! be accounted for on other general princi-
| pies. He was born at Haddam, Conn, 8
town at the foot of the Berkshire hills, in
1905. He was the Oldest of ten children,
and the most noted of four famous Field
brothers
! David Dudley attended Williams collegs
! from his 18th to his 21st year, and then
began to study law at Albany. He was
admitted to the New York city bar in 1923.
| New York had just cast off the institu-
ton Of slavery and became a favorable
refuge for runaway negroes from the
south. The runaway slave code was then
in force, and Mr.. Field first attracted at
tention in defending a negro against the
operation Of that law. The practice which
gave him his great fame however, did not
begin until the civil war period, when he
was go years old.
At the close of the war three Indian
ians, Bowles, Milligan and Horsey Wera
serving life sentences Ar conspiracy to set
free the Confederate prisoners at Indian
apoliS, and otherwise hinder the proseeu-
ton of the war. They had been tried by
military commission in state where or
dinary courts were open and war did not
prevail. Mr.. Field argued that military
commissions were illegal under the cir
cumstanceS, and the United States su-
preme court ordered the men released
Afterward Mr.. Field was counsel for the
| shareholders who ousted Fiske and Gould
from tho Erie railway. He also acted for
the New York police in their controversy
with Mayor Fernando Wood, which nearly
resulted in a local war. He appeared in
the case of the state OF Georgia against
Grant and other generals.
Mr.. Fields highest fame will rest upor
his labors in the science of Jurisprudence
While young man he began to write
upon the necessity for reform and reor
ganization in the prevailing codes. H,
continu ed the agitation from 1889 to 1S47
He was appointed state commissioner OF
practice and pleading in the latter yea
and performed the chief part Of the worl
in preparing code Of procedure whicl
was used for twenty years. His pena
code was also adopted and is now in force
His civil code, which attempts to eodif!
the common law, he considered his great
est monument 1t twice passed the legis
lature, but was vetoed.
Mr. Field retained in his advanced ag
a stalwart, upright form. He attributed
his vigor to the habit of horseback riding
which he kept up for forty years. II
arose at o'clock in the morning, an'
after a bath passed an hour in the saddle
He walked four miles to and from the of
fee, had an after dinner nap, and slep
seven TO eight hours. This practice, adde'
to temperance cheerfuiness and way o
always looking on the bright side o
things, he thought, maintained his re
/ markable health and Yigor.