Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-11-14
JUDGE r. e. McCOMAS DEAD.


JUDGE L. K. McCOMAS DEAD.
Judge Louis E. McComas, of Maryland,
the ranking associate justice of the Court
of Appeals of the District of Columbia
and former United States Senator from
Maryland, died suddenly at his home at
2101 Wyoming avenue, Washington, D.
c., at sos o'clock Sunday morning last.
Heart disease, from which he had suf-
fered for some time, was the cause OF
his death. Although he had not been in
very good health for year and had spent
most of the summer months in Europe in
an effort to recuperate, his death was
severe shock not only to his wife, but to
his close friends in Washington and else
where.
Judge McComas returned to Washing
ton from Europe on October 18th and
Immediately took up his winters work as
a member of the appellate court. Since
then he had been sitting at the sessions
of the court, and he was on the bench
when court adjourned on Friday.
Saturday night Judge McComas work.
ed until nearly midnight in his law libra
ry preparing a decision in the first case
heard by him since his return from Eu-
rope. There was nothing unusual about
his condition when he retired. About 8
o'clock Sunday morning he was suddenly
attacked, and died before the arrival Of
the family physician, DR.. J. Tabor John
son, who was Immediately summoned.
Judge McComas reached his sixty-frst
birthday only a fortnight ago, on October
18th. His birthday was quietly celebrat-
ed after his return to Washington and he
had been feeling in the best of spirits at
ter his journey abroad.
The funeral services took place Tues
day afternoon at St. Johns Church, Ha-
gerstown.
A large crowd was at the Baltimore
and Ohio depot when the train came in.
The casket was placed in hearse by the
active pallbearers, composed of Alexan-
der Neill, Jacob j. Funk. Edward ".
Mealey, William Kealhofer, DR.. j. Nc
Pherson Scott, Capt. Joseph c. Byron,
Alexander H. Hagner and George A.
Davis, all of Hagerstown, and conveyed
to the Hotel Hamilton, the home of the
dead jurist's brother, Mr.. Henry A.
McComas.
The casket was placed in the parlor of
the hotel and opened, and hundreds of
persons viewed the face of the man who
so long represented Maryland in the
United States Senate and the House of
Representatives. About S5 persons went
along with the body from Washington
and elsewhere. Among them were Mrs.
McComas, Chief Justice Seth Shepard,
Chief Justice Clabaugh, Justice Gould,
Vice-President Fairbanks, Mr.. and Mrs.
J. ]. Hemphill, Samuel Maddox, General
and Mrs. Kearney, H. W. Hodges, Gist
Blair, William F. Mattingly, H. A. Nc
Comas and Mrs. McComas, Rev. Joseph
and Mrs. McComas, Mrs. Emma Wallace,
Fred w. McComas, Harry Humrichouse,
Neil B. Sinclair, Ralph D. Quinter and
Samuel McComas Hawken.
The funeral party took dinner in pri-
vate dining room at the hotel, the lobbies
of which were thronged. Vice-President
Fairbanks shook hands with scores OF
persons.
clock the casket was again placed
in the hearse and taken to st Johns
Protestant Episcopal church, where Rev.
Joseph P. McComas, rector of st. AIMS
Church, Annapolis, and a nephew OF
Judge McComas, read the services.
The following is brief sketch Of his
career:
Hon. Louis Emory McComas was born
in Washington county, Maryland, Octo-
Der %, 1916, the son of Frederick c. nc
Comas. He was graduated from ST.
Johns College, Annapolis, and went from
there to Dickinson College, at Carlisle,
Pa, from which he was graduated in
1866. In 1853 Dickinson conferred upon
him the degree of doctor of laws.
He was admitted to the bar in 1868,
he began the practice of law at Hagers-
town. In 1876 he ran for Congress and
was defeated by Vim. Walsh by only IA
votes. He was elected to Congress in
1882, and served in that body from 1888
to 1891. In 1892 he was appointed by
President Harrison Associate Justice of
the Supreme Court of the District of
Columbia, serving in that capacity for
seven years.
In 1898 he was elected United States
Senator from Maryland, and served in
the Senate until 1905, when he was sue
ceeded by Senator Isidor Rayner. On
June 26, 1905, President Roosevelt APP
pointed Mr.. McComas Associate Justice
of the United States Court of Appeals of
the District of Columbia, to succeedJrdge
Morris.
Mr.. McComas' first wife was Miss Leah
NJ. Humrichouse, Of Hagerstown, to
whom he was married September23, 1875.
Sho l;nJ ,awor,l 1,a,rc oro On I,1,, 10