Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-04-14
THE NEWS IN BRIEF.
Stephen j. Field Dead.
He Was a Justice OF the United states
supreme Court 10 years, Retiring Ina
1897.

He Was a Justice OF the United states
supreme Court 10 years, Retiring Ina
1897.
Justice Stephen j. Field of the United
States supreme court retired, died Sunday
at Washington from kidney complications
after an illness of two weeks. He was born
in Haddam, Conn, Nov. IA, 1916. His
father, Rev. David Dudley Field, was one of
the best-known clergymen of Connecticut
and Massachusetts,. The son who bore the
fathers name became distinguished law
yer of New York city, gaining wide
reputation through his labors in the
cause of law reform. Cyrus w. Field,
protector of the Atlantic cable enterprise,
and Rev. Henry NJ. Field, were also broth
ers. When Stephen was three years old
the family moved to Stockbridge, Mass.
At an early age Stephen Field went to
Smyrna with married sister, who was a
missionary. There he became familiar
with oriental languages. On returning to
this country he entered Williams college,
graduating in 1887 He then studied law
with his brother David in New York, and
after being admitted to the bar was
member of the law firm with his brother
several years. He spent the year lS4S in
European travel and in 1S40 went to Cali
fornia via Cape Horn. He settled in Marys-
vile, Calf, and was the first alcalde OF the
town, the duties being those of mayor and
judge.
He was elected to the first legislature
held after the admission of California to
the Union, served on its judiciary commit
tee, and secured the passage of laws con-
corning the judiciary and regulating civil
and criminal procedure in all the courts of
the state. He was also author of the law
that gives authority to the regulations and
customs of miners in the settlement of their
controversies, thus solving a deeply per-
picking problem in early Californian his
tory. At the close of the session he re-
turned to Marysville, and during the ensu-
ing six years devoted himself to his profess
sion.
In 1857 he was elected Judge of the SUI
preme court of California for term of six
years, beginning in January, 1853, but
on the occurrence of a vacancy was APP
pointed to fill it. That was in October,
1857. On the resignation of Chief Justice
Barry in September, 1859, Judge Field
succeeded him, continuing in office until
his appointment to the supreme bench OF
the United States by President Lincoln in
1868.
During his tenure of this office his ca
reer was notable. Among the conspicu-
GUS decisions in which he was concerned
was the famous test oath case, in which he
gave the casting vote, and wrote the opin-
ion of the court annulling the validity of
the ''ironclad" oath. His dissenting opin-
ions in the legal tender cases, the confsca-
ton cases, and in the New Orleans slaugh-
ter house case have also attracted national
notice.
In 1864 Judge Field received the degree
of T in
1869 he was appointed professor of law in
the University of California. In 1878 he
was chosen by the governor of California
one of q commission to examine the code
of laws of that state, and to prepare amend
ments to the same for legislative action.
He was also a member of the electoral
commission in 1876, and voted with the
Democratic minority.
In the Democratic national convention
in 1880 Judge Field was a candidate for
the nomination for the presidency of the
United States, and received 65 votes on
the first ballot. The assault in 1889 upon
Justice Field by Judge Terry of California,
and the killing of Terry by United States
Marshall Neagle, who was protecting the
distinguished jurist, attracted widespread
attention. His retirement from the SUI
preme bench in 1897, after a continuous
service of nearly 80 years, marked the ter
mination of the longest term of Office ever
held by justice of the United States SUI
preme court, Chief Justice Marshall and
Justice Story having nearly equalled this
record, with terms of few months over
"a years. Judge Fields successor was
Judge McKenna, an appointee of Presi-
dent Mckinley.
During his incumbency he said he alone
had written $50 opinions, which, with 81
in the circuit court and 365 in the Califor-
MIA supreme court, made up total of 1042
cases decided by HIM in his life. He took
issue with the styling of the court as an
aristocratic feature of a republican gov
eminent, and said it was the most demo-
cratic of all. cit carries" he wrote,
"neither the purse nor the sword, but it
possesses the power of declaring law and
in that is found the safeguard which keeps
the whole mighty fabric of government
from rushing to destruction"
An End to the Easy Divorce Laws OF
North Dakota.
The final curtain is just being rung down
on the old divorce regime of North Dakota.
Hundreds of divorces are safely behind and
scores have been shut out, says a Fargo
despatch. The closing days of divorce
regime have been characterized by rush
OF divorce emigrants across the country to
be in under the 80 days provisions of the
old law, and the divorce colonies of Fargo,
Grand Forks, Mandan, Bismarck and James
town have received sudden and hurried
additions from east and west, wherever
marital bonds have been proved CALLING.
Emigrants from stricter communities still
come, but theirs is a fruitless chase. By
July the last suits for divorce under the
old law, which Dakota ecclesiastics call
stencil in the nostrils of the people, will
have to be filed. The colony at Fargo,
with additions from the immigration, is es-
timated to number about $50. DEGREES are
being issued in the courts of the Sd judicial
district at the rate of three a day. The
colony at Mandan, across the river from
Bismarck, is nearly as large, owing to the
favorable complexion of the courts, and
the Divorces have also focked to Grand
Forks and jamestown.
Three Cowboys Stole $4,000.
One of the boldest hold-ups ever commit
ted in the West occurred Monday at the of
fee of the Alamo Gordo Lumber company,
at Alamo Gordo, N. M. Many thousands
OF dollars were on hand to pay the EN-.
ployes and the money was given them a
short time before the arrival of the ont