The daily sentinel., 1907-11-20
THE BIRTHDAY OF
The NERYY JUDGE
THE ll MAN who HANDED
The Standard Oil Co., That Big Package
Celebrates 4lst. AnnNersay-Interest-
ing Sketch Of Judge Lands.
Especial to The DAILY sentinei.)


Chicago, Nov. 20.-Judge Kene-
saw Mountain Lands, of the United
States district court for the northern
district of Illinois, who recently in
flicted the famous big fine" on the
Standard Oil company, is today re-
eeiving the congratulation of his
numerous friends and admirers upon
reaching his forty-first birthday.
Judge Lands was born November
20. 1866. Just after his father had
returned from the civil war, carrying
in his body southern lead received
in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain
hence the name of the youngest of
seven sons.
When young Lands was years
old his father moved to Logansport,
Ind, and the youngster worked as
newspaper carrier and on the farm,
in addition to going to school. When
he finished his first year in high
school he worked six months in a
grocery store. Then he studied
shorthand and became court re-
porter at Crown Point, Ind.
Later he attended law school
at Cincinnati. and went there to
Chicago, where he was graduated
from the Union College of Law in
1899. For a year and half he
practiced law, and then the latf
Walter Q Gresham, of President
Cleveland's cabinet, took him to
Washington as his private secretary.
Judge Gresham had commanded the
regiment in which Landis' father
served. and there always had been
a warm friendship between the two
families.
Lands made himself known and
talked about III the state depart
ment He had his own ideas on
great many subjects. and he was as
self-assertive as private secretary
could be. In fact, he was often ac-
cused of trying to run" the state
department.
When the Allianca, an American
passenger vessel, was overhauled by
a Spanish gunboat when outside the
three-mile limit of Cuban jurisdic
tion and searched on the suspicion
that she was loaded with amunitions
of war for the Cuban insurgents. n
strong sentiment developed through
out the country in favor of demand
ing an apology from Spain. Finally.
Edwin II. Uhl, of Hichigan. who was
acting secretary of state, owing to
the Illness of Gresham, wrote letter
to Hannis Taylor. United States min
lister at Madrid, instructing the min
lister to demand an apology from the
Spanish government. In accordance
with custom he signed 1t "uhl. act
ing"
BY accident Acting Secretary Lam
dis saw the telegram before II was
sent and took the responsibility of
mi Irn urtnp Thnn hA httrt.iaH
over to Mr.. Gresham. Under Landis'
advice, Mr.. Gresham scratched out
"uhl, acting" and signed his own
name. A few days later the text of
| the telegram got into the newspapers,
and the dying secretary OF state was
praised from one end of the country
to the other.
President Cleveland had gone
down the Potomac on a duckhuntine
expedition. and when he returned
and discovered what had been done
he was incensed. He refused to
sanction the demand for an apology
and for a time 1t looked as II Lands
was in for something unpleasant.
Later on Cleveland took strong
liking to Lands and offered to send
him to Venezuela as minister. But
Lands had enough of statecraft and
declined.
In 1905 Lands was indorsed foi
federal Judge by Hopkins and Lori,
mer. then leaders of the federal
crowd" In Illinois. President Roose-
welt appointed him federal judge on
the strength of his political pull.
and has not since had cause to re
gret 1t.
Lands never was a professional
politician. One of his brothers Is
Charles T.. Lands, member of the
house of representatives from Indi'
ana. and another is Frederick Lands
who was a congressman Tor toui
years up to last March. Another
brother, Walter Lands, is postmas-
ter at San Jaun, Porto Rico.
While possessed of great dignity
and gravity when on the bench, be
fitting his gray hairs and pale, de
termined face, Judge Lands is
natural humorist and sees the funn,
side" of everything In spite OF MS
gray hair. he has not the appearance,
Sf an old or even of a middle-aget
man and In spite of his judicia
gravity there is something youthful
and bouyant about his bearing tina
suggests a light heart ard whole
some unconventionallty Wheh coui'
Is not in session.
Landis' sympathies are easily
aroused and many stories are toIc
Of Justice that has been tempered
! with mercy ia his court. HIS sym
natbies. however, extend only to un'
fortunate individuals, and not tt
great and powerful corporations, as
was eyinced in the Standard OIL case
Judge Lands. in 1895, married
Miss WInifred Reed, Of Ottawa, Ill
n sister-in-law of te late James II
Eckles. There are two children
Reed. a boy of ten years, and su'
same. year younger