The Washington times., 1908-12-25
Hard Work Life Rule of
Judge William B.
Rose.
DIGS UP THE LAW
TO CONVICT TRUSTS
Appointed TO Supreme Court by
Governor Sheldon as Re-
ward of Merit.

LINCOLN, Neb., Dec c5.-One clear.
crisp December morning. the judges Of
the Nebraska supreme court filed in or
deriv procession to the courtroom In
stead OF the usual calm and tranquil
ity, there was a breath of excitement
in the air. Lawyers, clients, and court
attaches relaxed from the ordinary ju-
dicisl tense and rsveled in the unusual
For the number Of judges had been
increased from three to seven The
Judge on the extreme right, square
shouldered, clear of eye, attracted uni
versal attention. William B. Rose had
won mis- place on the Nebraska supreme
bench after a career in which slavish,
nerve-wracking legal drudgery was
strangely cOntrasted with scenes Of po-
itical excitement in one of the stormi-
est campaigns in the history Of the
State.
Order From Chaos.
As deputy librarian and supreme court
reporter, Mr.. Rose evolved order from
chaos and confusion AS assistant at
torney general. he gave invaluable aid
in prosecuting the grain, lumber and
other trusts SkiIlfully organizing the
forces Of reform, he was the leader in
the fight that landed Norris Brown in
the United States Senate a year Of
tedious detail and then Mr.. Rose led
the fight which resulted in the choice
Of Manoah B. Reese for judge Of the
supreme court. Another year OF hard
detail work for Rose. and then he was
appointed 10 the supreme bench by
GOV. George L. Sheldon and took his
seat the same day that Judge Reese
became supreme justice.
Mr. Rose is fOrty-siX years OF age
and is a native OF Mercer county. Pa.
He was educated in the public schools
and at Grove city college. He served
as a teacher botn IN the public schools
and in Oa.kdale academy. He served
four years as prothonotary's clerk and
studied law ia the office Of A, II, Nc
Elrath. He was admitted to the bar
and came TO Lincoln in 1883. Soon af-
ter he received an appointment as su-
preme court reporter.
Order and system had been lacking
both He invented the first set of rules
ever used by court reporters These
were adopted by the American La "
Review and are still in use.
One day Attorney General Norris
Brown appeared in the outer Office
where Rose sat before an immense stack
Of law books, patiently indexing the re-
ports Of the attorney general which
he had Just prepared for publication for
the first time in the history of the
state.
Gives Evidence
viii. I have evidence which con-
vinces me that those elevator and. grain
men have organized this entire StateT"
declared the attorney general with an
angry wave or his cigar-carrying hand.
They have divided the territory into
thirteen districts They fix prices auto
matically. When an independent
dealer starts up they freeze him out
It's worse than robbery, because the
thieves don't even need to have the
courage necessary to come ont IN the
open and invite a man to stand and de-
liver. It's damnablel''
Go into the supreme court and dis
solve them said Rose placidly, after
ne had removed a couple Of lead pencils
from his mouth. Then, if they do not
remain dissolved, clap them Into the
penitentiary. Wait until I get you a
copy Of the Gondring act"