The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-06-13
SHE MADE HIM JUDGE.
How Mrs. Catron Put Her Husband On
the Supreme Bench.

A Long Drive and an EARLY Cali yrpon
President jackson With the Resu,t which
the Good Woman Observation-Disclosures to
an Illustrious Tennesseean.
One of the illustrious names that adorn
the pages OF Tennessee history and biogra-
ply is that OF John Catron, eight years a
judge of the supreme court of Tennessee
and for ~ years an associate justice of the
United States supreme court. He was
born in Wythe county, Va, in 1879, At
an early age he emigrated to Kentucky,
and thence to Tennessee, taking up his
residence in Overton county. He served
taking part in the battle Of New Orleans.
A friendship was begun between the two
that was never broken.
In 1915 he was admitted to the bar and
began the practice of his profession in
Overton county, in this state, but he re-
moved to Nashville three years afterward,
in 1918. Six years later he was elected
supreme judge by the legislature. In 1887,
on March 8, the day before the expiration
of his second term in the presidential Of
al
Catron aa associate Justice of the supreme
court of tho United States, which position
he held with great credit to himself and
to the satisfaction of the country and to
his associates on the bench until the date
of his death, which occurred on the Both
day of May, 1865, at Nashville. His ashes
rest in Mount Olive cemetery: in that CITY,
Judge Catron was not only q warm
friend but also partisan of Andrew
jackson, and, although judge Of the SUI
prelne court Of the state, he took an active
part in the acrimonious controversies in
which Old Hickory became SO frequent
~ involved during his stormy political ca
reer 1t was owing to this fact chiefly, ne
doubt, that he made many bitter enemies
who at the time made him the subject Of
intense hatred. He ably supported jackson
and his measures and was particularly
conspicuous in opposing all movements
looking to the elevation of Hugh Lawson
White to the presidency.
Judge Catron was not an educated man,
but by diligent application he gained a
wide knowledge Of books and of things
and became the repository Of great deal
Of valuable and practical learning. He
was intense by nature and his judicial
opinions were often marked by a vehe-
mence that sometimes provoked criticism.
He was man of very decided convictions,
and he gave expression to them in a man.
ner that showed courage
John Hallum, in volume published by
the Southwestern Publishing company en-
Titled "The Diary of an Old lawyer tells,
on the authority of the Hon. John E. OAR
by of st. Louis, story of the part played
by Judge Catron 9 wife in securing his ap-
pointment as an associate judge of the SUI
preme oOu-o of the United States, and !
quote from it here:
Zone night, after the judge had retired,
his wife picked up newspaper and read
the account of a vacancy on the supreme
bench of the United States. In less than
ten minutes she had the cook and hostler
in her room and gave orders for an early
breakfast and for the carriage and horses
to be ready at sunrise the next morning.
She then arranged the wardrobes for her.
self and the judge and retired without
communicating her plan TO him. Next
morning she aroused him at much earli-
er hour than usual and with some diff
Guilty got him to the dining room. Quoth
the submissive judge: Good wife, what
does this meanP l will be drowsy all day.
You have broken into the sweetest hour OF
Sleep To which she replied: Never
mind, judge. You say do all things for
the best. We will discuss details after the
hurry is over. Hurry up; we must be off.
Be Off he said. That cannot he. I have
some law papers to read and write up TO-
day, and you must excuse me- mo, my
dear judge, the business is urgent and re-
quires you too. And that settles it for the
present.
''From the dining room his wife led
him to the carriage. After they had ad-
vanced as far as the Kentucky line she
handed him the paper containing the an
nounoement of the vacancy on the supreme
bench and told him that they were on
their way to Washington, and her purpose
was to put him on the supreme bench OF
the United States that she knew Gener-
al jackson would appoint him if the va
canoy was not filled before she could see
him. Quoth the judge again Wife, this
is the verlest nonsense of your life.
would not humiliate myself by asking for
the place for the city of Washington, and
! we had better turn around and go back
home The wife got just little bit ful
, on her ear at this and said: you don't
have to ask for 1t. am not taking you to
Washington for that purpose. My husband
is as we'll qualified for that place as any
man in America, and il he does not get il
I will know why. You are in my hands
judge. Your honor Is mine. will take
care of it. Make yourself comfortable,
} and the judge, as usual, subsidized. She OBJ
tanned several relays Of horses. They drove
across the Potomac into Washington, and
the carriage stood in front of the White
House at sunrise She jumped out like q
| girl and left the Judge sitting in the car.