New-York tribune., 1910-01-30
London. January II.

What is most remarkable in Lewis
,s not his knowledge of the law. which
.s very great nor his skill i'm the con-
ssrf of difficult causes. in which be ,s
,,1-ivalled. nor his tact. nor his genirs
Cor compromise II is his courage.
That was said not long after the Par
-ell trial. in which Lord RusseIl-then
Sir Charles Russell and afterward Lord
chief Justice Of England-who had long
been ct the head of the English Bar oT
sis own time. proved himself the equal
IF any advocate Of any time. Yet he
rust divide the honors Of that t-4al
v-;rh Sir George Lewis. The profession
cr the two professions of harrister and
,oIicitor. divided them, IL the public did
-o-. The public has almost never the
r-esus Of judging. The work of rrepar-
.ue = great cause is carried on in the
soliri1or's Office. The barrister takes IL
,,- ready made. and the way in which
Re handles his material is seen OF ali
r.n But no harrister badly briefed
rruld make much Of a complicated case
= nc trial was this truer than in the
Fs-re1 trial Parnell WIS perhaps the
greatest political leader Of his time. and
,hs Least scrupulous. He had a black
-<cord and the men behind him a.
hascke- Not even Lewis could wash il
al Write. but without Lewis the j1dg-
-reut would have gone far more heavily
rrsinst the Irish dictator And If ever
there wss = case in which Lord Rus
esus eulogv on Lewis was TO the point
e. was the Parnell case. It needed all
Iewis's courage in handling facts 70
s7ve his client from a condemnation
which would have carried with II his
eanishulent from public life. Mr. Glad
stone marked his sense of the service
5one By making Mr.. George Lewis Sir
George Lewis The knighthood some
-ears later became q baronetcy. the
King. 7 believe. suggesting il.
For the King while Prince Of Wales.
hza stood 70 the great solicitor in the
relation Of client, and this business con-
-ection had become one OF friendship.
They we're much together at Homburg,
vre-e both spent three or four weeks
esch YEAR for many years Homburg is
3 plsce where the houses are of glass
snd everything is known The prince
gave his dinners at Ritter's or at the
Kursszl IN the open air. II he went
sftervard 10 play Nhist-for these were
zrte-bridze days-at Mr.. Lewis's rooms.
that as known. Nor is publicity. so
tsr as Prince and King are concerned.
much less IN England. and when Mr.
Tszis .sined at Marlborough House. or
zes present at a lev6e at St. Jamess
-slsce Or vas Z guest at Sandringham.
a. these things were Of common knoUl-
edge. And since the English are very
lovaI people. with a strong personal at
tschnent 70 their present King. the con-
science and liking the King showed. and
sill shows. won for Lewis the conf
6ence and liking Of others.
This great and eventful career has
lasted more than fifty years. and with
re end Of 1909 Sir George Lewis. being
ssvertv-six years old, retired from busi-
-ess leaving his son, Mr.. George Lewis
and his other partner, Mr.. Reslnalo
Poole both for many years ms asso-
ciates. 70 be his SUCCESSORS Both are
uidefv known as learned ana skllIul III
the Law: both have been trained IN cir
Georges methods. and the new firm is
s-iu Ike the old. known as Lewis q
Lewis. and they are still Of Ely Place.
Holborn.
7 is Characteristic Of old days ana
vsvs IN London that Sir George Lewis
uss horn IN one OF the three houses no"
oocuuied By the firm His father was
solictto- before him: q man OF repute anu
ability. vet none the less is this vast
business the creation Of the son. Ihere
are II London many firms of sollclIoIs
sro--r the world over; the Messrs-
F-sshHeld for example solicitors TO the
Bsrk ~ England But theirs is seldom
= never : fame due 10 one man IL Is
6us 70 com AHMED action. to organization
o. concentration upon one kind OF DUST
ness The firm Of Lewis & Lewis knew
ro limitations. Ire public thought ol
si- Cearge Lewis as the man TO whom
the conduct OF great causes was haolt-
usllv inrrusted: sometimes criminal
sometimes social, often divorce cases.
offep those causes in which the honor
Of great name or a great family is in
volved True. but the business OF Messrs-
Lewis & Lewis was first Of all a great
commercial business. Sir Georges per
:nanert clients were among the city frr1s
famous IN finance, or in banking, or II
inSustry That was the backbone OF the
business. and continues TO be
The first case in which Mr.. Lewis made
himself known TO the public arose OUT OF
the failure Of Overend, Gurney & Co,
then one OF the leading houses IN the
City of London. He fought that case
single handed against barristers OF re-
noV-n, bold thing for a solicitor 70 do'
and perhaps without precedent. He oid
ths same thing in the Bravo MURDER
case, and held his own, and more than
his ovn. against Attorney General ana
collector General. No doubt. had ne
CHOSEN. he might have gone 10 the bar ana
0econe distinguished at the bar, but not
to had he chosen 70 model his life. he
never could have played the part ne
nss had he done that. For the dividing
me between solicitor and barrister IN
England IS just as clearly drawn as ever
iou may be one or the other; you
'shhoi be both; you may pass from one
me other. but you must elect between
The two.
ask myself sometimes what London
ety would be to-day had there been
1H George Lewis. II certainly would
~ pe what In Is There have been