The Butler weekly times., 1897-10-21
more than forty years, may
be pardoned for saying that during

with the brevity of human life,
though in the retrospect it has gone
with the swiftness of tale that is
told, l have not Stunned to declare
in every case coming before me for
decision the conclusions which my
deliberate convictions compelled me
to arrive at, by the conscientious ex
ercise of such ability and require
ments as 1 posse ssed
STEPHEN J. FIELD
Justice Field will leave behind
him record Of service longer than
that Of any other man who ever
sat On the Supre me bench John
Marshall has held the record hitherto,
with his thirty four years of coatuu
GUS service, but Field, who was
appointed by Lincoln IN 1864. will
hold it from now on. T. viii be
many day before another justice
comes forward to rival this r-curd
Justice Harlan did not take his place
on the bench till 1877, aud he raaks
next to Field in point OF service.
Harlan was born in 1888, aud SO
may have many years of activity be
fore him, but it Is hardly likely that
he will be still in the harness seven
teen years hence.
No American, living or dead, has
a more remarkable history than
Justice StepEea ] Field. He was
the sen of Dayid Dudley Field, a
Congregational minister of New
Englind. Among his brothers were
Cyrus W. Field, the fither of the
submarine cable David Dudley Field
an eminent lawyer; Matthew W.
Field, noted engineer; Henry Mar
tyn Field, distins suished clergyman
and author; Jonathan Field, who
was President of the Mass sachusetts
State Senate, aud Timothy Field. q
lieutenant in the United States
Navy.
He went to California in 1S49, and
his career there is a part of the
State. He was made Supreme
Justice in 1868.
An attempt was made TO assasinate
Judge Field by means of an inferna
machine in 1865 A torpedo was
sent through the mail to him in 6
miniature case. The judge partly
opened it, and then, his suspicious
being aroused, he placed it in pal
of water and had it examined at thu
, Washington arsenal. It contained
enough explosives to kill a dozs1
3 men, and had evidently been sent tt
i him by certain sqaatters who hao
been dispossessed in the Pueblo
cases in which the Judge rendered
3 the decision.
The last of the many times thi
a lion b earted man faced death withou
r flinching was in 1889, when an at
4 tempt was made on his life by Judg'
+ David S. Terry and his wife. Judg,
! Terry was counsel for Sarah Althe,
: Hill, who claimed to be the wife o
Senator Sharon. and sought to estab
C lish clam to his millions, by mean
l of divorce Field and Terry hal
known each other in the West Dur
}, ing the divorce proceedings the Hill
b woman married Judge Terry. Th
/ case was carried up and finally cam
t before Justice Field. He delivere,
n a decision adverse to Mrs. Hill, AM
y Judge Terry arose in court and de
e nounced the judge. He attempted
q to assault him, as did also his wife
but thsy were overpowered and dis
e armed. The Judge had dirk aa'
n his wife a revolver. He sentence,
z Terry to three months in Jail an'
II Mrs Hill to one month.
It When he came out cf Jail Judg
T Terry again threatened to take tn
life Of Justice Field When Justic
e Field visited California, Deput
It Marshal Nagle was ordered to trave
IT with the judge and protect him
!, At waiting station at Lathro
Judge Terry assaulted Justice Fiel
and Nasle shot him dead. The
V Terry's wife rushed IN with a pistc
. and had TO bs disarmed.