The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-10
JUDGE GARY OF CHICAGO.
Type ola Nearly Extinct school--sa-
tirlst aud wit.

| judges OF the bench OF other times. Per
sonally and judiolally he is unique. In
| spite OF his years Judge Gary IL alert
| physically and mentally. His wit Is
quick and appropriate When it Is a part
Of "A railing or n decision il does not con-
lliot with the dignity or his office. A
man Of few words, brusque in manper
often. avoiding the public, seeking no
| applause literally walkiog unireguented
streets when he can, ho is In lis home
! life lovable character kind, sympa-
thetic, approschable, responsive. lilo
looks like Adolph 1hiers. But only in
his face can one count his years. His
| home is on the same site as the one which
was burned in the big fire. When he saw
that ire encroaohing upon his hoICe he
took few things which he most highly
| priced, carried them 10 place of safety,
! ana when all was over he determined 10
rebuild, and here he has lived ever SINCE
He likes to live as he did in his earlier
days. He anu his wife constitute the
home now. There is an ugly dog, shaggy
and noisy at times, which is connected
with the house When his sedate master
returns from the bench this ugly looking
| dog goes out 10 meet him, and II the
! weather is not unpropitious the two
stroll together. Every morning the mas
| ter and this dog are seen exercising.
| They market together. Long ago when he
was in practice Mr. Gary was his own
steward He has kept up the habit.
Besides" he said one day to Il friend.
"BobD has 10 have "A certain kind Of meat.
and am the only one who knows what
| he likes - l5obo is the dog
Long ago, before there was such cNh.
venience as a milk cart, Mr.. Gary. before
| he could afford domestics, went 10 the
| housa Of an old woman, several blocks
| distant, and purchased milk for his
house. This old habit is continued.
| There is no reason for IL other than that
II was the way he used to live. Some of
| the children in the neighD0rhood knew
! him. They have grown up and those WAC
remain will tell you that th0y cannot re-
member the day that he failed To do this
| errapd
lie has been on the bench nearly forty
years. He is natural jurist Had he
| ever intimated such desire, he would
have gone to the highest judiciary of the
state His present place and several re.
elections thereto are due to tho bar Of the
| city and county as well as his friends He
never made n political speech no never
sought a vote; he re.or paid a political
assessment; he was never a political can
| didate. As a judge hs is reyerod. Men
| who are not honest fear him. Lawyers
who are tricky avoid him. Few of his
| decisions have been reversed.
| When Justice Harlan OF the United
| States supreme bench holds court in
Chicago he likes to have Judge Gary dine
with him as often as he will. When Chief
| Justice Fuller visits his old home he us
ually visits Judge Gary. When the Bar
association OF Cook county has its annual
banquet Judge Gary has the seat of
| honor Not many months ago the district
judges OF the United States courts from
several districts and the supreme court of
! Illinois had social session. Judge Gary
was the one man invited from the Cook
county bench.
|
judges wit: A man charged with big
amy was before him. The accused had
lived two years with the second woman,
and he concluded to plead guilty on tho
understanding with tho states attorney
that his sentence would divorce him
from No. 3 When he stood BEFORE Judge
+, Gary tho little man looked over his uesk
| and asked in voice of kindness:
"You fully understand what the plea
of guilty meanss"
Yes, your Honor -
"And do you understand il you so
plead it will be my duty to send you to
the penitentiaryY DO you understand
thatY''
"Yes. your Honor. Anything to get
| free"
The Judge looked at the man for a
moment, and then said In his inimitable
manner:
81 suppose there are some things beside
which prison would be relief Any
relative or friend of the defendant in
| courtg'
A woman In black stood up on p bench
| aud said, IN q voice which sounded ike
rip of cambria:
II am his second wife, judge
Judge Gary replied Immediately with
no change i'm his voice or face:
"Somo things peside which prison
would be relief. You ought to he will.
| Ing to take three years, "
| Tho prisoner nodded an assent.
Judge Gary looked over at the woman
/ in black. lie seemed TO read her in a
| second He turned to the man who had
| pleaded guilty and said:
II will give you one year. You seem
to have had the other two before they ar.
res ed you"
Few criminal trials In this country
created moro Interest than that of the
Anart hlsts Judge Gary presided. There
were judges in Cook county who shirked
the responsibility. Public feeling was at
high tension. Men walked the streets
and went TO and from their business