The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-02-19
MERCER BHASLBY DEAD.
The Venerable Chief Justice
Ends His Long and Honor
able Career.
Specialt the Jersey CITY Es,cs.

TRENTON, Feb. 10, 1S97.-Chief Justice
Mercer Beasiey of the Supreme Court of
New Jersey died at about 8 o'clock this
morning in this city. The immediate
cause of death was bronchial pneumo-
MIA All the members of his family, with
the exception of ~ex-Judge c. H. Beasley,
were by the bedside of the venerable
jurist when he died.
Judge Beasley, his son, who has lived
with the Chief Justice for years, was at
tackled with grip on Monday, and was so
i'll this morning that the family physi-
clans feared to inform him of his ia
theirs death. The aged Chief Justice be-
gan to sing about 6 o'clock last evening.
All night long he remained unconscious,
rallying only for a few minutes just be-
fore he died.
The attack, which ended in his death,
seized the Chief Justice about two weeks
ago He had had two severe spells of i'll
ness a few weeks prior, but recovered and
insisted upon presiding at the conference
of the Court of Errors and Appeals in
January.
Mrs. Beasley died several months ago,
and Immediately following her death the
Chief Justice CAV up his mansion on
Greenwood avenue and returned to his
old home, on East State street, opposite
the Postoffice.
Chief Justice Beasley, LID, was born
in Mercer county, N. j., in 1916. His
father was the Rev. Frederick Beasley,
for many years President of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania, and at one time
rector of st. Michael's Church, in Tren-
ton. His mother was Maria Williamson,
daughter of Matthias Williamson, who
was a brother of Ex-Governor Isaac Will
hanson. He entered the Junior Glass of
Princeton College when a lad, and after
remaining a year came to Trenton to
study with his father, at the same time
reading law under the tutelage of Samuel
L. Southland, and later in the office of ex-
Chancellor Isaac H. Williamson, at Eliz-
abeth. He was admitted to practice at
the September Term of the Supreme
Court, in 1888. and became a counsellor
in February, 1912. AS a young man at
the bar, he was noted as a special plead
er. He was particularly accomplished
in the preparation of p~leadings and fa-
nous for his accuracy and discernment
Upon his elevation to the bench. the adj
vocates lost from among their number
one of the very brightest in the whole
State, and the Judiciary gained a MEM
Der whose name was known in all the
courts of the land; who was excelled in
knowledge of the law by few, if any, of
the eminent jurists of America, and
whose decisions are quoted constantly
before foreign as well as home tribunals.
Mr. Beasley, in his ounge days, served
as City Solicitor of Trenton, when that
office paid only SIS a year. In 1851 he was
the Wing candidate for Mayor of Tren-
ton, when he was defeated by William
Napton, DEM, by a vote of 7S3 to 491.
He was a member of the Trenton Com
mon Council. and served as President of
that body in 1850. OF those who were
admitted to the bar at the same time
with the Chief Justice, but few are still
in the land of the living. Ex-Secretarv
of the Navy Robson, Judge Depue and
a host of others. well known to the bench
and bar, are younger member of the
profession. In 1864 he was appointed nv
Governor Parker Chief Justice of the Sill
preme Court. He was reappointed by
Governor Randolph in 1871, by Governor
Mcclellan in 1878, and by Governor An
bett in 1885 and 1892 In politics he was
a Democrat. His term would expire
March s, 1899.
His circuit comprised the counties Of
Monmouth and Middlesex; total popula-
ton, 145,601.