The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-08-09

Friends Uneasiness-Never Took to
His Bed Till Last Wednesday Week
The Funeral will be Held Sunday.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, Aug. S.-Justice
Jackson, of the United States Supreme
Court, died this afternoon. Justice
JacksOn'5 residence is six miles out in
the country. The news Of his death was
telephoned from his house, at $50 p. m.
The telephone was then Immediately
disconnected, apparently to stave off the
flood Of inquiries from points far and
near which began pouring in.
The death OF Justice Howell E. Jack
son was not unexpected though sudden,
as his close friends have known for days
that his end was near.
Howell Edmunds Jackson was born in
Paris, Tenn, April 8tb, 1882, so that he
was in his. sixty year at the time
Of his death. Justice Jackson was
classical scholar, graduating from the
West Tennessee College in 1S4S. He
studied law two years at the University
of Virginia and in Jackson, under his
kinsman, Judge A. W. Q. Totten
and Milton Brown; graduated from
the Lebanon Law School in 1855,
in which year he located in Jackson
and engaged in the practice of his pro-
fession; removed to Memphis in 1853,
where he continued the practice of law;
served on the Supreme bench by ap-
pointment on two occasions, and was
once a prominent candidate for Supreme
Judge before the nominating c0nven-
ton; re located in Jackson in 1876: was
elected to the State House Of Represen-
tative8 in 1880 on the State credit plat-
form; was elected to the United States
Senate as a Democrat in 1881, and
served till April l2, 1886 was appointed
United States Circuit Judge by Presi-
dent Cleveland, and nominated for As
sociate Justice by President Harrison
was confirmed by the Senate February
Is, 1898, and entered upon the duties of
the Office March 4, 1898.
When Justice Jackson was so seriously
i'll this spring that he was not expected
to recover, the name of his successor was
considerably speculated in The idea
was suggested by some that the Presi-
dent would again name Messrs. Peck
ham or Hornblower, of New York, while
the selection of a man from the West
fell to Dickinson. Postmaster General
Wilson was strongly spoken of as among
the possibilities while the majority of
opinion was that Secretary Carlisle
could have the place if he wanted it.
Mr. Carlisle would be especially eligible
as he would be appointed from the same
district that the death of Justice Jack
son has made vacant.
The last time Judge Jackson was in
Washington was on the occasion of the
rehearing in the income tax cases last
May. He had been absent from the city
and from the bench since the preceding
fall, when, soon after the converting or
the October term of the court, he had
been compelled to go South on account
of his rapidly declining health. During
his absence there had been contl adictory
reports as to his physical condition, but
the prevailing opinion among his col
leagues on the bench was that he would
never again be able to resume his seat.
Mr.. Jackson had the reputation in
this city, and especially about the Su-
preme Court, of being very sensitive con-
cerning any discussion of his health in
the public press, and he referred to the
subject very sparingly in his own con-
versation. The other members of the
court were therefore poorly advised as to
his condition. This state of affairs is
said to have been the reason for the
equivocal character of the announcement
of the decision to grant re-hearing in
the income tax cases, which of necessity
upon Judge Jackson's presence.
He was in Washington on the occasion
of the rehearing for several days, and
gave his attention assiduOusly to the in
come tax cases. He sat through the
argument, which continued for three
days, took part in the consultation of
the court and, when the day arrived for
the announcement of the decision, not
only listened patiently to the opinions
of most of the other members of the
court, but delivered a vigorous opinion
of his own in support Of the validity of
the law. This occurred on the Goth of
May and was his last public appearance.
He returned to his home in Tennessee
late In May.
When Judge Jackson was here on this
occasion it was evident to all who came
in contact with him that life was slowly
but surely ebbing away and that the
effort he made in performing his duties
in that emergency was made at the ex-
pense of his vitality.
AS Senator and Justice of the Supreme
Court, Mr.. Jackson had resided in Wash
ington about eight years. His asso-
ciates here were confined largely
to his colleagues on the bench and
in the Senate Chamber. BY them he
was universally esteemed as a man of
high moral worth and rich intellectual
attachments, as was evinced in nothing
so much as in his appointment to the
Supreme court bench by President Har-
rison and his confirmation by a Republi-
can Senate, Notwithstanding he was
Democrat.
The arrangements for the funeral have
not been fully completed but it will take