Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-01
MEETING AT COURT HOUSE
Adoption of Resolutions Reported by
Committee.
HE KNEW THE SOUL OF THE LAW
Addresses by Justices Shepard and
Claybaugh and Messrs. Perry,
Davis, Maddox, Wbitelock.

Expressing sorrow because of the death
of the late Chief Justice Richard H. Alvey
of the Court of Appeals of the District OF
Columbia. and giving voice to their sense
of personal loss, and their united appreci-
alton of the virtues of the deceased jurist,
members of the bar of the District of Co.
lumbia, including the Bar Association the
justices of the Court of Appea and of the
Supreme Court of the District of Columbia
and representatives of the bar of Maryland,
united today in a memorial meeting in the
room of Criminal Court No. 2, City Hall
Resolutions setting forth the sense of the
meeting were unanimously adopted, and ad
dresses were made by Chief Justice ohep-
ard of the Court of Appeals, Chef Justice
Clabaugh of the Supreme Court of the Dis
trict of Columbia, r. Ross Perry. H. E.
Davis. Samuel Maddox George White
lock of Baltimore. In addition to the men,
bers of the bench and bar there were pres
ent at the meeting the three sons OF the
late Justice Alvey-Frank Alvey of Beau
mont, Texas; T. Frederick Alvey of this
city. and Charles Alvey of IIagerstown,
Md.-and members of their families.
At the appointed hour IL o'clock, the
meeting called to order Chief JUS
tice Shepard was chosen chairman. After
expressing his appreciation Chief Justice
Shepard appointed the following members
of the bar a committee on resolutions: r.
Ross Perry. Henry E. Davis, W. F. Mat
tingly, Nathaniel Wilson, Melville Church,
J. j. Darlington. A. S. Worthington George
L. Hamilton. A. A Hoehl.ng, jr., Samuel
Maddox. D. w. Baker and F. d. McKen-
ney. Mr. Perry read the resolutions and
voiced the wishes of his associates on the
committee when he asked that copy be
sent to the family of the late chief JUS
tce. and that the resolutions themselves
be communicated to the Court of Appeals
of the District.
Sentiment of Resolutions.
The resolutions express the sentiment
that The death of Richard Henry Alvey
the first chief justice of the Court of APP
peals of the District of Columbia. and for
many years associate justice and later
chief justice of the court of appeals of the
state of Maryland. is grievous loss, not
only to the profession of the law, but also
TO the advance of the administration and
the science of justice wherever the COM
mon law prevails. 1t is eminently fitting
that those who were most intimately &C
quanted with his judicial labors and serv-
ices should put upon record their apprecia-
tion of this great jurist.
I'VE deplore the death of Judge Alvey.
We recognize the fact that We have great
reason to be thankful that 1t only came to
him in the due course of nature and after
achievement had crowned effort. In one sense
his work had been accomplished. Almost
forty years he had been upon the bench Of
appellate courts, and for twenty-one years
of that period he had presided as chief
Justice over those courts Their records I'M
perishably preserve his judicial utterances
From his first opinion in the court or ap-
peals of Maryland, delivered December l''
1867 in the case of Robert j. Jessup, con-
troller of the treasury. agt. Thomas A.
Spence, which was the first case in which
he sat to his last in the court OF appeals
of the District of Columbia delivered on
December ID, 1904 in the case OF Shaner
agt the United States, there is a uniform
progress from strength to strength
Life Identified With Law.
..His life was identified 18th law. He be-
ran az clerk of a county court. In a few
years he had qualified himself to come to
the bar, and soon after he was admitted
the reports of the Maryland Court OF APP
peals show that his ability was recognized
by that tribunal and by its able bar. He
argued his last case there in July, 1867, and
IN December of the same year he took his
seat upon the bench of that court. There
was a unique combination of judicial quail
tiles In Judge Alvey. Many great judges
have become such by painful and unremit-
ting labor. He knew that, as judge, he
must become complete master of the mere
1y technical aspect of the law. To accom-
plish this he did as those other great judges
had done. No toll was too arduous; no men
tai strain too severe. He worked until work
had become vital with him, and he could
not live without working. The technical
body of the law, it's anatomy, It's physol-
ogy. We're through this labor made an open
book to him-he could read II at a glance,
while walking.
But the law has also soul. Only the
greatest judges and lawyers ever get
to know this soul II cannot be alb
sorbed by study. knowledge of it must
come and II can only come as d.
rect inspiration Only those rare ma
lures which serve the material organs
through which the Infinite reveals itself to
the finite be the mouthpiece of the
spirit OF the universe. Whether these men
are prophets, artists, poets statesmen or
jurists, they are original and primary ma
lures. Judge Alvey had this great gift. He
knew the soul of the law. No matter how
involved the particular case-difficult. 1t
may be, in the application of spiritual and
general principles to material and concrete
facts, obscured. perhaps, by the deformed
and incongruous body OF those very facts,
distorted by arguments skilled to make the
worse appear the better reason-his intui-
ton of the soul OF the law made all clear.
harmonious and complete. We may we'll
call him one of the few very great judges.
Hence say that his death, timely
II was under the memorable law of nature.
and complete az his life was In what he
had done. is yet loss to be deplored by
all men who love the progress OF law to-
ward the complete expression of infinite
Justice.
Loved as Man.
1--WE all loved Judge Alvey as a man. He
could not have had this great gift of legal
intuition without having also a simple ma
ture He had only to be himself to attract
and endear himself to all who came in
contact with him. His nature had to
show Itself He attested his sincerity and
the courage of his convictions by submit
ting during civil war to Imprisonment
rather than to seek safety in silence or dis
stimulation. He was a man, take him for
all in all. 1t may be that we shall look
upon his like again. but our sorrow is that
It will not be himself We grieve with his
bereaved family, and we express our heart
lest sympathy with them in their sorrow.
Their comfort must be in the thought that
there Is much in his life which death can
not destroy.
On motion the resolutions were unani-
mously adopted, and Chief Justice Shep-
ard stated that they and the wnoie pro-
ceedings of the day would be ordered
spread upon the minutes of the Court OF
Appeals.
Address by Mr.. Perry.
After presenting the work OF the COM
mittee Chairman r. Ross Perry spoke di-
rectly of the life and work of Judge Alvey.
saying, In part:
..These resolutions speak of Chief Justice