The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-07-04
THE end WAS
VERY SUDDEN
He Was Apparently in Good
Health Yesterday
ATTENDED CHURCH AS USUAL
FULLER WAS APPOINTED APRIL
80, 188a--HIS APPOINTMENT
WAS HELD UP FOR SOME TIME
AND 1T WAS ALLEGED THAT HE
HAD BEEN A "COPPER" HEAD"
DURING THE CIVIL WR.

DURING THE CIVIL WIZ.
Bar Harbor, July 4.-Chief Justice
Melville w. Fuller of the United States
supreme court died of heart failure
at his summer home in Sorrento, ats
O'clock this morning.
The death Of the chief justice was en-
tirely unexpected as he had been in
apparently good health lately and
there had been no premonitory symp~
tons of any kind of trouble Yesterday
he attended church as usual, and when
he retired last night he was to all APP
pearances in his customary health.
His death came about o'clock this
morning. His daughter, Mrs. Nathaniel
Francis, and Rev. James E. Freeman,
who was the guest of Justice Fuller
at his Sorrento cottage, "Mainstay,"
were with the jurist when he died.
The funeral services will be held at
Sorrento and interment will be at Chi
cago. The date of the funeral has not
yet been fixed.
Chief Justice Fuller was in his 18th
year.
For many years the chief justice had
spent his summers at Sorrento, the
summer colony located on Frenchmans
bay, Ave miles from Bar Harbor.
FuIlers Appointment.
Washington, July 4.-The judiciary
committee with it's republican majority
to which Fullers' nomination was. sent
April 80 1888, held up the appoint
ment until July 90. Then the commit
tee reported it to the senate, without
recommendation" For three hours,
that body debated in executive session
whether to confirm or reject the nomi-
nation. The attack on Fuller was led by
Senator Edn1nnds. Evarts and stewart
Senators Cullom and FarweIl defended
him. The reports that he had been a
copper head during the ciyial war.
and that he did not possess the re-
quisite ability as a lawyer were gone
over. Finally by a vote of Ill to 20,
his nomination was confirmed. Since
that day the entire court as 1t then
existed has passed away with the
single exception of Justice Harlan
Throughout his service, Justice Full
Ter was noted for the dignity with
which he filled the position. He pre-
served that manner, whether on the
bench or off of it.
Weston Melville Fuller, American
turist and late chief justice of the
United States supreme court, was born
in Augusta, Me, in 1923 of family
of legal antecedants, graduated at
Bowdoin college in 1853, and studied
law at Harvard. For three years from
1855 he practiced law at Augusta, acted
as city attorney and as a member of
the common council, and was an editor
OF The Augusta Age, a rival of James
G. Blaine's Kennebec Journal. In 1S46
he removed to Chicago. In 1862 he was
@ member of the Illinois constitutional
iconvention, and the following year
of the Illinois assembly. His interest
in political and party movements con-
tinued until 1880, and he acted as
delegate to the democratic national
conventions of 1864, 1872, 1876 and 1880.
In 1876 he nominated Thomas A. Hend-
ricks to a place on the ticket with
Tildon. He defended the Rev. DIR.
Cheney when he was tried for heresy,
what was called the Reformed Epis-
copal church. He also represented the
city of Chicago in its litigation with
the Illinois Central railroad over title
to the lake front. In 1885 he was APP
pointed to the chief justiceship of the
United States supreme court, made
vacant by the death of M. r. Waite.
Next year he was appointed a member
of the convention at Paris to arbitrate
an adjustment of the disputed
boundary between Great Britain and
Venezula In 1891 he received from
Harvard the degree of l.. L. d. He has
contributed biographical memoirs to
Breeze's early history OF Illinois $3.50,
and he delivered an address on Wash
ington before the two houses Of con-
gress in 1889.
FuIIer's Successor.
Washington, July 4,-Judicial and
Official circles were greatly shocked
to learn of the sudden death Of Chief
Justice Fuller of the u. S. supreme
court.
There is much speculation over the
man most likely to succeed to the posi-
ton Sentiment and opinion lis greatly
divided, but the two men most FREE
Quently mentioned are Solicitor Gem
eral Bowers and Governor Hughes of
New York. The latter was recently
appointed a member of the supreme
court to succeed Justice Brewer and
may be promoted to the chief Justice
ship. Bowers comes from Chicago
and Is a warm personal friend If
President Taft. He Is man of great
ability and wide learning. 1t is
thought that he will either be named
to the chief justicoship, or If Hughes
or any other member of the supreme
court should be promoted, it is the
general opinion that Bowers will be
placed on the bench as an associate
Justice. There are some who think
Secretary of War Dickinson may be
given either the chief justice position
or at least place on the bench While
the latter is originally from Tonnes
see he Is more recently from Chicago
which u also the home Of Bowers. !.