The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-01-31
A rRAcrc COURT SCENE
E~x.Attorney General Garland2 Drops
Dead While Arguing a Case In tine
Federal Supreme Court

Dead While Arguing n Case I'm the
Federal supreme Court
Washington, January 26.-Former
Attorney General Augustus II. Garland
was stricken with apoplexy while ad-
dressing the United States supreme
court at 1915 O'Clock this afternoon
and died within ten minutes. The oc-
currence came with tragic unex-
~pectedness, 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 alleviate his condition.
When the court convened at noon
Mr.. Garland resumed an argument in
the case of Towson VS.. Moore, which
he had begun yesterday. There was a
full bench, with the exception of JUS
tices Brewer and White. Mr.. Garland
spoke calmly and with no evidence OF
agitation or effort. He read from a
law volume and had followed with the
sentence: "This, your honors, is our
contention" AS the last word was ut
tered, Mr.. Garland was seen to raise his
hand and then gasp. He tottered n
fell sidewise striking against a chair
and ov~erturning 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.. Frank
lin MacKay, was at once by his side
and with the aid of other u and
officials the head Of the dying man was
raised, his shoes removed, and a glass
of water given him. A deathly pallor
had ~overspread his face and this soon
gave place to a deep purple which fore
told the gravity of the attack. He was
carried from the chamber across to the
room of Chief Clerk Mckinney, and
there placed on a sofa. Senator CALM
ger, 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 our in the meantime had post
noned 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 trag-
edy was soon noised through the CAPT.
tol and senators and representatives
hurried to the court room. The two
Arkansas senators, Messrs. Berry and
Jones were among the first to view
the body, and, following them, was a
long line of persons high in executive
and legal circles, who had been asso-
ciated with Mr.. Garland at various
times in his long and notable public
service.
It is said that never before in the
history of the United States supreme
court has an attorney been stricken
with death while making an argument
there. There have been cases in which
counsel have fallen stricken with ill
ness, but no case in which death has
followed within a few minutes, as hap
pened today.
Mr.. Garland had been in poor health
for several years and some time ago
was in the hospital for some weeks.
His friends noticed when he was we'll
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 it's eff
fects ever since. He doctered himself
by taking popular remedies and, it is
understood, did not consider his case
serious enough to call in a physician.
Yesterday afternoon while in the SUI
preme court room he laid his head on
his hand, as he sat at a table for the
accommodation of counsel, and COM
planned of feeling very i'll. This morn
ing before he went into the court room
-Jhe spent some time in the clerks office
and remarked to N of the officials
he was~pot feeling very we'll, and he
though Ee would go to Fort Monroe
next Monday to take a rest. He did not
regard his condition at all serious.
After the death of the former attor-
ney general became known the supreme
court adjourned for the day: This &C.
tion was taken on the motion of At
torney General Griggs, who in making
it, said:
May it please the court, it is my sad
duty to announce to the court the sud
den death of an ex-attorney general OF
the United States-Augustus Hill Gar
land. The sudden and unexpected
death of this distinguished man comes
with a shock of surprise to those OF
us who have heard it, as undoubtedly
it came to those of this court who wit
messed his seizure. He was a man sc
distinguished in his profession, so dis
tinguished as a statesman in political
life, and so connected officially and pro-
~fessiOnally with this court, to the last
moment of his life, that l deem i
proper that / should suggest to the
court that out of respect to his memory
they should take a recess until tomor'
row and l make that motion"
Responding for the court, Chief JUS
tice Fuller said:
THE court learns of the death of Mr.
Garland with sincere sorrow, and con.
ours in the suggestion that has beer
made. Out of respect to the memory
of this distinguished member of thu
bar, an adjournment will be taken I'm.
til tomorrow at the usual hour"
The news of Mr.. Garland's death pro
duced a profound sadness in the senat,
where he had served for many vars a:
n of a galaxy Of distinguished men
While IN the senate he had been a mem
bpr Of tho committee on the iudiciarN