The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1903-01-19
Y. C. PITNEY'S
STRENUOUS LIFE
Lawyers Congratulate Him
on His seventy-sixth
Birthday Today.
SKETCH OF AN HOAORED CAREER
,-
Won Fame as a Constitutional
Lawyer-Instances of His
Humor on the Equity
Bench.
SKETCH OF An HOAORED CAREER

Vice Chancellor Pitney had very little
law business to attend to this morning
in the Court of Chancery but had plenty
of congratulations because it was his
holiday and his seventy-sixth one at that!
When that fact became noised about
among the lawyers they iocked in to
make their congratulations and sincere
ones too for even if the venerable Vice
Chancellor doesn't always decide in the
way the lawyers would wish and occas-
ionally sits on them read hard they hold
him in high esteem as judge and constr
tutional lawyer.
SKETCH OF HIS CAREER.
The Vice Chancellor was born at
ham, Morris County ON January
IL, 1927. He came from old Eng
slish stock, his ancestors being lords
of the manor of the Hundred
IF Pitney'' in England. He en-
tered Princeton and graduated in the
class of AS. His. Alma Mater conferred
on him the honorary LII. D. In July,
1851 he was admitted to the bar as an at
torney and was admitted Counsellor in
November, 1854 He was appointed Vice
Chancellor for a term of seven years in
the Spring of 1889 by the late Chancel-
lor Alexander T. McGill and in 1896 was
reappointed for another term which ex-
pires in the coming spring. The Vice
Chancellor is Republican and many
years ago was the leader of Morris Coun-
ty. He has several sons all of whom are
lawyers except one who is civil engin-
eer. One of the sons is Supreme Court
Justice Mahlon Pitney. His home is in
Morristown, where his colleagues on the.
Equity Bench Frederick Fl, Stevens and
John r. Emery both reside.s
MIR PIFNEY,S HUMDR.
There isn't a lawyer in the State who
cannot tell a lot of stories of the Vice
Chancellor's humor. He brought to the
bench a reputation of perhaps the best
Constitutional lawyer in the State. He
was always quick in grasping the meat
in any cause before him and foreshadow-
ing his decision, sometimes, so the law
yers often said, little too quick, caus-
ing, Mr.. Richard V. Lindabury, the emf
nent lawyer of Newark, to say to him
one day
I'VE have not all your Honor's re-
markable ability of seeing the end of
case at the beginning"
An illustration of the Vice Chancel-
lors peculiar humor is given in the story
credited to him. 1t occurred in the old
Chancery Chambers over the First Ma
tional Bank. Two young lawyers, in
partnership, had their first case before
him, and on the other side was lawyer
afterwards raised to the Supreme Court
bench. The latter had asked some ques-
ton of a witness, when the Vice Chan
cellor, turning to the young lawyers,
said
Don't you want to objeet?"
They hadn't thought of doing so, but
when such tip from such a source
was given they chorussed their objec-
ton, whereupon the Vice Chancellor non-
chalantly said:-
Il overrule your objection"
KNEW SIR THOMAS.
Every year the Vice-C Chancellor takes
a trip to England to visit the home of his
ancestors and on the last trip back to
this country he travelled with Sir Thomas
Upton, on whose yacht, the Erin, the
Viee-Chancellor was a guest during the
last cup races. Sir Thomas was in the
P. r .R. depot few days before his
departure last year, and to a represen-
tative of ''The News" who had occasion
to be presented to him, said:--
That's a great judge you have in
New Jersey. What a memory and what
a story teller. | wish / was a lawyer
practising before him."
''That depends" Sir Thomas. said a
lawyer in the company, IF your case
wasn't all right, you'd regret it. Now.
look at me, the other day the Vice Cham
cellor took my witness and examined
him himself. / told his honor that since
he was trying my case / at least hoped
he would give me the decree
Did he?" asked the Irish baronet.
No., said the other, and there was
hearty laugh.
Nice-Chancellor Pitney. it is under
stood. will decline Il reappointment and
pass from strenuous life ON the bench
to the quietude of Morris County. with
the warmest regards of the bar and the
bench, both of which he adorned.
-