Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-04-10
JUSTICE FIELD DEAD.
CONTINUED from page ~

Drotner. DdVld lJu0ley riei" -
admitted to the bar ana became
partner in the firm. remaining as such
for seven years. In lS4S. ne, went 10
Europe and spent some tune there
travelling.
In November. lS49. he sailed Tor san
Francisco around Capt Horn ana en-
tered upon the practice OF law III the
Occidental metropolis. AFTER snort
time he moved to Marysville, a small
mining camp and became one OF the
founders of what afterwards grew to De
a thriving town. When the little city
was organized Justice Field was elect
ed the alcalde of the place. This once
carried with il the dignity OF mayor
and al the same time imposed all the
duties of the bench. Here the future
jurist dispensed justice and made MS
| name widely known throughout the
length and breadth of the growing
| commonwealth. He was FOND or talk
ing of his early days in Cahfornia ana
often said that the happiest days of
| his life were when he dealt out justice
| in Marysville behind a dry goods box
Justice Field. in a sketch prepared by
| himself for the Congressional direc-
tory. gave this brief outline of the du
ties of his office as alcalde: Under
| Mexican law the alcalde was an officer
of limited jurisdiction but in the anon
| olus condition of affairs he was call
ed upon 10 administer justice, punish
crime to enforce police regulations until
relieved by officers under the new con-
| stitutiOn.'
| He was elected a member of the first
Legislature Of the state and made a
member of the judiciary committee Of
that body. He was influential in Sc
curing legislation favorable 10 miners
and aided in the passage Of laws regu-
lating civil and criminal procedure
| of the state. AT the close of the ses-
sion he returned to Marysville and de-
| voted six years to the practice of his
profession. He was elected a Judge of
! the supreme court Of California, in 1857,
! for the term of six years. In 1853. he
! became chief Justice, succeeding Chief
Justice David s Perry. In 1863. Pres
! ident Lincoln appointed him associate
| justice OF the supreme court OF the Uni
| ted States and he held that position
until his retirement. Dec. l. 1897 -1
During the latter years of his ser
| vice on the bench he was in feeble
health. His term was the longest in
! the history of the tribunal. The
great chief justice, John Marshall,
Wore the ermine for a period extend
| ing over "A years. II was the ambi-
ton of the late Justice Field Ia sur
pass this record and he succeeded in
doing so by few months His
friends. fearing that the strain of
hard work would shorten his useful
life. advised him to retire from his ar
| duous duties. But with interchangeable
perseverance he chung to his task un-
til the latter part of 1897.
During that term of more than a
third of a century he was concerned
in some of the most important cases
| ever passed upon by the supreme
court Among the prominent decis
| ions was the famous test oath case in
which he gave the casting vote. and
| wrote the opinion Of the court annul-
! ling the validity Of iron clad" oath.
| His dissenting opinions in the confis-
cation cases. the legal tender cases
and in the New Orleans slaughter
| house case. attracted the widest at
| tention.
During his long service on the bench
he was also before the public eye in
other ways than as q judge of the
! United States Supreme Court. He
was a member of the Hayes-Tilden
electoral commission in 1877. and voted
with the Democratic minority. In
| 1880, he received SIS votes for the
! Presidential nomination at the Cincin
natl National Democratic convention
on the first ballot. In 1873. he was ap-
| pointed by the governor of the state
of California one of the commission to
! examine the code of laws of that state.
| In 1866. Williams College conferred
| upon him the degree of LII. D.. and.
| in 1869, the regents of the University
of California made him a professor of
law in that institution.
In 1889 one of the most sensational
events of a remarkable active and Wig
orous career, largely passed in new
| country in process of development
from a pioneer state to n highly civ
ilized community brought his person
ality wildly before the public Sarah
Althea Hill Terry had brought d ia
nous suit again ex-senator Sharon. a
California multi-millionaire. Justice
| Field was on the bench. The outcome
of the case was unfavorable to the
plaintiff and ending in her feelings of
hatred Tor the JuriSt. This culminat-
ed in her attempt TO chastise the aged
jurist in the depot eating house at
Lathrop. California. Judge Terry.
who had been her attorney in the suit
against Sharon, and who afterwards
married her, interfered and when it
seemed that he was attempting to do
! violence to Justice Fields person,
| David Maggie, a United States deputy
| marshal, drew a revolver and shot and
killed Judge Terry. Maggie was ac-
| quilted.
There was, however. for many years
intense bitterness between the friends
of the two factions and for this rea-
son Justice Fields family discourage
ed his discussion of California topics,
or the perusal of California news pa
perS.
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