The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-27
In Poor Health for Several Weeks,
and Had Been DOctOring Himself
for Effects of the Grip.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE COURT
BRIEF REMARKS BY MIR. GRIGGS AND
CHIEF JUSTICE FULLER.
Rrief Sketch OF His CRreer-Member of
the Senate and of CIeveIand's Cab
inet-His First Great Case.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26.-Former Attor-
ney General Augustus III. Garland was
stricken with apoplexy while addressing the
United States Supreme Court at 1915 o'clock
this afternoon and died within ten minutes
The occurrence came with startling and
tragic unexpectedness, changing the usual
calm and dignity Of the court into temporary
confusion while the dying man was carried
from the chamber in a futile effort to allevi-
ate his condition.
When the court convened at noon Mr. Gar
land resumed an argument in the case of
Towson against Moore, which had begun
yesterday There was a full bench, with
the exception of Justices Brewer and
White Mr.. Garland spoke calmly and with
no evidences of agitation or effort. He had
read from a law volume and had followed
with the sentence:
This your Honors, is our contention"
AS the last word was uttered Mr.. Gar
land was seen to raise his hand and then
gasp. He tottered and fell sidewise, strik-
ing against a chair and oVerturning it as he
fell heavily to the floor. A succession of
loud, deep gasps came from him as he lay
on the floor. His associate in the case,
Mr.. Franklin Mackay, was at once by his
side, and with other counsel and officials
the head of the dying was raised, his
shoes removed and u draught of water
given him. A deathy palor had overspread
his face and this soon gave place TO a deep
purple, which foretold the gravity of the
attack. He was carried from the chamber
across to the room of Chief Clerk McKenny
and there placed on a sofa Senator Gal
linger, who is a physician was near at
hand. A single glance told him that the
attack would be fatal. Within ten minutes
from the time of the stroke Mr.. Garland
breathed his last.
The court in the meantime, had postponed
the case in which Mr.. Garland was engaged,
and until the seriousness of the attack was
known had proceeded with other business.
Word of the tragedy was soon noised
through the Capitol and senators and rep
resentatives hurried to the courtroom. The
two Arkansas senators, Mr.. Berry and Mr..
Jones, were among the first to view the
body, and following them was a long line
of persons high in executive and legal cir
cles who had been associated with Mr.. Gar
land at various times in his long and notable
public service.
Mr.. Garland's two sons, who are living
in this city, were telephoned for and arrived
after their fathers death. 1t Is said that
never before in the history of the United
States Supreme Court has an attorney been
stricken with death while making an argu-
ment there. There have been cases in which
counsel have fallen, stricken with illness,
but no case in which death has followed
within a few minutes, as happened to-day.
Mr.. Garland had been in poor health for
several years, and some months ago was in
the hospital for some weeks. His friends
noticed when he was well enough to be out
again that he had failed rapidly and was
growing feeble. Several weeks ago he was
taken i'll with the grip and had suffered from
its effects ever since He doctored himself
by taking popular remedies, and, it is un-
derstood, had not considered his case serious
enough to call in physician. Yesterday
afternoon, while in the Supreme Court room,
he laid his head on his hand, as he sat at a
table for the accommodation of counsel, and
complained of feeling very ill. This morning,
before he went into the courtroom he spent
some time in the clerks office and remarked
to one of the officials that he was not feel
ing very well, and he thought he would so
to Fortress Monroe next Monday to take a
rest. He did not regard his condition as
at an serious.
After the death of the former attorney
general became known the Supreme Court
adjourned for the day. This action was
taken on the motion of Attorney General
Grggs, who in making it, said May it
please the court, it is my sad duty to an
nounce TO the court the sudden death of an
ex-attorney general of the United States
Augustus Hill Garland. The sudden and
unexpected death of this distinguished man
comes with shock of surprise to those of
us who havo heard of it, as undoubtedly
it came to those of this court who wit
messed his seizure. He was a man so dis
tinguished in his profession, so distinguished
as a statesman in political life and so con-
nected officially and professionally with this
court, to the last moment of his life, that
I deem it proper that l should suggest to the
court that out Of respect to his memory they
should take a recess until tomorrow, and
l make that motion"
Responding for the court, Chief Justice
Fuller said: THE court learns of the death
Of Mr.. Garland with sincere sorrow and
concurs in the suggestion that has been
made. Out of respect to the memory Of
this distinguished member of the bar an
adjournment will be taken until tomorrow
at the usual hour"
The news of Mr.. Garland's death produced
a profound sadness in the Senate, where
he had served for many years as one of a
galaxy of distinguished men While in the
Senate he had been member Of the com
mittee on judiciary, and he had taken rank
with the strong men of that day. He nat
urally gave the greater share of his atten-
tion to legal questions, as the natural
tendency of his mind was in that direction
OF recent years he had practiced his pro-
fession almost exclusively in the Supreme
Court of the United States. 1t was here
that he won his most pronounced triumphs,