Omaha daily bee., 1901-03-01
WILLIAM N. EVARIS CONE
Former Senator Dies in New York st the
Age Of Eighty-Fivs
HAD BEEN FEEBLE AND BLIND
remarkable Career of q Man who
Got the Greatest single Fee
Ever Given n Lawyer for
Retainer In n Case.

NEW YORK. Feb. 7s-wiliam NJ.
Eyarts died at his home in this city today.
MIR. Evsrts was s5 years old His death
vas caused BY pneumonia. For several
years he had been without the use OF his
eyes and was otherwise so feeble that he
was unable to leave his room. Up to the
time of his death he was the nominal head
Of the law arm Of Evarts. Choate Bea-
man, although for many years he had not
been in active practice.
Soon after O'Clock this morning Mr..
Evarts suffered relapse, which caused
him 10 sink rapidly. At s o'clock he re-
lspsed into Inconsistencies and grew
weaker and weaker until ten minutes after
. o'clock. without regaining consciousness.
he expired. From the time he became un-
conscious the dying mans wife and chill
dren were with him in the room.
There are four daughters and like num-
ber OF sons. The latter are Allen. Sher-
man, Rev. Or. Prescott and Maxwell Evarts,
and the daughters are Miss Mary Evarts.
Mrs. Beaman Mrs. Tweed and Mrs. Scudder.
The funeral OF william VI. Evarts will
take place at 10 o'clock Saturday morning
from Calvary Episcopal church. The body
will be taken to Windsor, Vt, where serv
ices will be held. Burial will be In the
family plot in the Windsor cemetery The
b'aAti' NAii NV bN NAcoNA NH''i
afternoon.
single Fee OF Half n million.
Fifty years ago Mr.. Evarts nrst became
prominent at the bar OF New York. For
the next forty years his career was an al
most unbroken series OF legal. oratorical
and political triumphs. He was the only law
yer in the world who ever got q single fee
OF $500 900; he defended Henry Ward
Beecher in the famous Tilton case; he
helped make Rutherford p. Hayes presi-
dent OF the United States; he defended
President Andrew Johnson when the at
tempt was made to impeach him; he rep
resented the United States in the Alabama
claims case; he served as secretary OF
state In the Hayes cabinet and as attorney
general under Johnson. and rounded out
his public career as United States senator
from New York.
William VI. Evarts came OF good Puritan
ancestry. His father was a philanthropist
and the editor OF religious magazine in
Boston, where IN 1918 william was born
For many years during his sons younger
life the elder Evarts served as secretary OF
the American Board OF Commissioners for
Foreign Missions.
Young william early became distinguished
as a student. After getting a good elemen-
tary education he entered Yale college with
the famous class OF 1897. At Yale he made
record as a thorough student, being es-
pecially fond OF and proficient in the clas-
sizes. Among the men since prominent whc
were among his classmates were Samuel
J. Tilden. whose claims to the presidency
Mr.. Evarts afterwards successfully disputed
in the interest OF Rutherford B. Hayes
Chief Justice Waite Attorney Genera
pierrepont, Professor Lyman. Benjamin
Stillmau, and others.
Already he had decided to follow the pro
fession of law, and he went directly from
Yale 10 the Harvard Law school. Their,
hs spent one year. going thence to New
York. where he entered the law once o
Daniel Lord as student. Two years latei
he was admitted to partnership with J
Prescott Lord.
Greatness Recognized Early.
No sooner had he begun the practice o
law than Mr.. Evarts began to achieve rep
utation for a most unusual combination q
qualities. II was soon seen that he wa
a man of untiring industry; the careful an
thorough preparation OF his cases shove
that His ability easily made itself felt an
withal II was recognized that he was modes
and retiring In character. The earnestnes
and conscientiousness which he showed 4
everything he undertook won him almos
men OF the New York bar.
In 1s49 his partner, Mr.. Hall. was sp
pointed United States district attorney. II
made Mr.. Evarts his deputy, which postlo
he occupied for nearly four years. Here
got his first taste OF public life. while at tn
same time his conduct Of some OF the in
portant cases intrusted TO his charge al
tracted public attention to his remarkabl
abilities.
His First Celebrated Case.
The first OF these celebrated cases
which Mr.. Evsrts won fame was that grow
ing out OF what is known as "the CleopatI
expedition" which was started with the II
tention OF making a raid on the island
Cuba and inciting the inhabitants to r,
bellion. The secret Of the expedition, hov
ever, was betrayed and the vessel WI
stopped In the legal proceedings whic
followed Mr.. Evarts distinguished himsel
Even ip these early days the slavery que
ton was pressing for settlement; the mort
and the south were already arrayed the OF
against the other. and there we're famo,
legal battles which, perhaps. postponed 4
the time the final appeal TO arms. In one
these controversies Mr.. Evarts played
prominent and victorious part and MAJ
his name familiar throughout the north.
Lennon slave Case.
\ vessel from Virginia brought a plsnt'
named Lennon TO New York, enroute
Texas. He had on board cargo OF slave