The Washington times., 1901-10-08
AN EMINENT Law YER DEAD
Walter D. Davidge Succumbs After
Brief Illness.
Assisted in Prosecuting Guitenu, As
snssin of President GnrdcId-Con-
nectcd with Many Prominent
C,scs-Di>trict Courts Adjourn.

nectcd with Many Prominent
Cnses-District Courts Adjourn
| Walter D. Davidge, one OF the most dis
tingllished members of the District bar
the founder of the District of Columbia
Bar Association. and an attorney OF ma
tional reputation. died at l0:2S CLOCK
Yesterday morning at his late residence
1924 H Street northwest, after an illness
of but little more than week
Mr.. Davidge was taken i'll with an
acute attack of Indigestion on Sunday
September % From the first his condI-
ton was regarded as serious. owing to
his extreme age. At the time ol MS
death every organ was in perfect cohul-
ton He was a man of superb constIu-
ton and splendid muscular development
The end came in the prescnce OF MS lam
lily and the announcement OF ms deaIh
was received with profound sorrow by u
large circle of friends, not only IN TINS
city, but over the entire country
The funeral will be held from the fam
iiy residence at , o'clock Wednesday at
ternoon and will be conducted by the rev
Dr. I.aMothe, assistant rector of the
church of the Epiphany The interment
will be made in Oak Hill Cemetery. The
]
| among Mr. Davidge's associates of the
| District bar and bench.
| When the announcement Of Mr. DaV-
| idge's death reached the City Hall yes
terday morning all the District courts
then in session adjourned.
Walter D. Davidge was the oldest mem
! ber of the District bar. with one eNcep-
| ton. in the number OF years OF active
| nractice. He was admitted to the practice
| OF law in the District courts on December
| 10. 1874 and devoted his entire life to his
profession. He was born in Baltl-
| more Nd. about sevcnty-eight years ago,
and graduated from the Baltimore city
College before he reached his majority.
He then continued his education under
private tutors. He studied law in this
city in the offices of Hugh S. Lagare, Of
South Carolina and Clement Cox. the
father OF Walter ). Cox, formerly Asso-
ciate Justice of the Supreme Court of the
District.
Mr. Davidge married Miss Anna Louise
Washington. the daughter of Bailey
Washington, Z. S. n, who was
closely related to General Wash
ington. Mr.. Davidge leaves four
sons, Walter D.. jr.; William Fendall, f.
Stewart, and John washington Dayidge.
W
of the sons who is married. MIR. Dayidgc
also leaves three daughters, Maud Lee,
Anna Washington, and Edith Hathrun
Davidge. His wife died sixteen years
ago.
For the past thirty-five years Mr..
Davidge has been looked upon as one
of the leaders at the Washington bar. He
was engaged on one side or the other
of nearly every important case tried.
Contemporaneously with him Thomas
Semmes and Justice Andrew Is. Hagner's
father were students of law in the Office
of Mr. Cox After Mr.. Davidge and Mr..
Semmes were admitted 10 practice, Mr..
Cox associated them with him in several
cases before the courts Soon after this
Davidge and Semmes formed a partner
ship in the practice of law under that firm
name This partnership continued for
several years, when Mr.. Semmes went
South. on the breaking out Of the
civil war he was chosen Attorney
General of the Confederate States AT
er this Mr. Davidge formed a partnership
with Christopher Ingle. which continued
for many years. During late years MIR.
Davidge was associated with his son,
Walter D. Davidge, jr., in the practice Of
law, the firm name being Davidge q Dav-
idge.
Mr.. Davidge was naturally very intel
lectual. and with this he had fond
ness for study which made him without q
peer in his profession. He had large
practice before the United States Supreme
Court in which he was very successful
He was most Impressive speaker and IN
discussing his ability The late Justice
tleld said of him that he presented his
case to the court with the greatest clear
ness ana emphasis.
counsel for Judge Porter, Of New
York. to assist District Attorney CorkhiA
in the prosecution Of Charles J. Guiteau,
the assassin OF President Garfield. lie was
also one of the leading counsel IN the staI
route cases, in which he appeared for the
defence.
Davidge took a prominent part WAS tho
Lrial of Richard Harrington, who, al the
time, was assistant attorney for the Dis
trict. under Judge Fisher. The trial took
place in the seventies, ana was closely
watched by the entire population Of the
District. The specific charge agaInsl Har-
rington was that he conspired TO inJure
the reputation OF Columbus Alexander.
highly respected citizen, who had pre-
Ierred charges against the Board OF Pub
lie Works. Both houses OF Congress ap-
pointed committees to investigate III,
charges made by Alexander, and at the
investigation Harrington, with William
n. Mattilgly and W. a. Cook, represent
I'd the Board OF Public Works. II was
claimed that there were books in the Of
ice of Harrington which contained most
damaging eyideLce against Governor
shepherd and the Board of Public Works
These books were locked in Harrington
safe. This safe WIS blown open one night
by professional burglars, and it was said
harrington attempted to throw suspi-
cion on Alexander.
With this object in view he informed
the Chief of Police that he had received
information that an attempt would BE-
made on certain night Ia secure the
books in his safe by DurBIarizing it. At
the suggestion Jf harrington he and the
Chief of Police watched on the night the
safe was to be burglariZcd- While they
waited the burglars entered Harrington
office and ritied the safe Of the books. II
was In the grey OF the morning when the
thieves left the building and were fol-
lowed by Harrington and, the Chief OF
Police. The burglars went straight 10
the home Of Columbus Alexander and
rang the doorbell and knocked on the
door. Alexander was aroused from his
sleep. and raising window in the upper
story of his house asked what was want
cd. One of the burglars asked him to
come down, but he refused to do So This
refusal by Alexander TO come down
aroused the suspicion Of the Chief Of Po-
lice to the truthfulness of the sug-
gestion OF Harrington that Alexander was
the insugatOr of the burglary. He was
convinced that Harrington was insinCere.
ana he was afterHard charged with con
spring to rob his own safe and putting
the crime on Alexander. Harrington was
defended by Mr.. Davidge, anc the jury
failed to agree upon verdict. In fact. il
IS stated that no man who was defended
by Mr.. DaVidge for a criminal Offenc,
was ever convicted.
The Brown Will contest was another
case in which Mr. Davidge took a proni-
nent and very active part. This was Z;
contest over the estate of TillisOn Brown
Mr.. Davidge represented Marshall Brown
brother OF the deceased who contested
the will, in which his brother named some