The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-10-25
DEATH INvADES
SUPREME COURT
Justice Peckham SuccumbS
to Indigestion.
TAKEN ILL IN AUGUST
Expected to Return to Washington
This Week TO Resume Duties on
the Bench, but Sudden Relapse Me-
cessltated Change In Plsn--Turned
Down offer Of Empire State Guber.
Material Nomination and Tender Of
Presidential Support In 1912.


Material Nomination and Tender Of
Presidential Support In 1912.
Albany. N. Y. Oct. 25.-Rufus w.
Peckham, associate justice of the
United States supreme court. died at
his summer home, Coolmore, in Alta
mont, a short distance from Albany,
in the Heidelberg mountains.
On Aug 30 he suffered an attack
OF indigestion. He seemed to recover
from this, and had notified Chief Jus.
tice Fuller OF the United States SUI
preme court that he would be ready
to resume his work at Washington
last week. Two weeks ago Justice
Peckham's indigestion returned in
worse form, and complications set in
which reached the heart and ren.
dered his condition serious, although
not critical until within the past day
or two.
His death was due to angina pee.
toris Arrangements had been made
for the removal OF the peckham
household to Washington, and 1t was
decided to bring Justice Peckham TO
the Hotel Ten Eyck in Albany this
week, anticipating that he would re.
cover sufficiently within a short time
to resume his duties at Washington.
Rufus Wheeler Peckham, associate
Justice of the supreme court of the
United States, was appointed by
President Cleveland in 1885 Previous
to that he was associate judge of the
court OF appeals of this state and
prior TO that justice OF the supreme
court, to which he was elected IN
1883.
Justice Peckham was born In AL.
bany, Nov s. 1885, being son of
Rufus Wheeler Peckham and a
younger brother OF Wheeler Hazard
Peckham, who was a prominent law
yer of this city. He was educated at
the Albany academy and then at Il
school in Philadelphia, aft or which
he studied law in his fathers Office
and was admitted to the bar when
81 years old. Soon after he became
a member OF the firm of Peckham e
Tremain.
In 1869 he was elected district at
torney of Albany county. The case
of Filkins, the express robber, was
tried during his term of Office. Later
he was engaged in the Jbhnstown
and Grannett murder trials, the trial
of the ModoCS, the Sessions b. berry
case and others, which created no
little sensation at that time. Mr..
Peckham was an ardent and aggres-
sive Democrat. He was elected to
the supreme court of this state in
1853, and while holding that position
in 1886 was elected an associate jus.
tice of the supreme court. The term
OF office was IA years, and before
that term had expired he was ap-
pointed by President Cleveland asso.
ciate justice Of the supreme court OF
the United States. This was In De.
cember, 1895. For the last two or
three years the justice has not en-
joyed good health and there have
been many rumors of his retirement.
In 1902 Justice Peckham could
have been nominated for governor OF
this state. The offer was made to
him by Former Governor Hill, with
the assurance that II elected he
would have the support of the state
for the presidential nomination in
1912 Justice Peckham declined as
he was not candidate, he said, for
political office, even II his election to
the two Offices were assured.