The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-07-09
CHIEF JUSTICE DEAD.
MELVILLE w. FULLER PASSES
TO HIS REWARD.
Man of Wide Learning and Great
Ability, He Has Occupied High
Place in Federal judiciary.


Bar Harbor, Me-, July 4.-Chief
Justice Melville w. Fuller of the Su-
preme Court of the United States,
died Of heart failure at his summer
home at Sorrento at six o'clock this
morning.
The death of the chief justice was
entirely unexpected as he had been
in apparently good health lately, and
there had been no premonitory symp-
toms of any kind of trouble. Yester-
day he attended church as usual, and
when he retired last night he was to
all appearances in his customary
health.
Death came about six o'clock this
morning. His daughter, Mrs. Nath-
aniel Francis, and the Rev. James +.
Freeman, who was a guest of Justice
Fuller at his Sorrento cottage MAIN
stay" were with the jurist when he
died.
The chief justice felt i'll soon after
daylight and the members of the
household were summoned and DR..
Phelps was sent for. Nothing could
be done to avert death, however, and
Justice Fuller died in the arms Of
Mrs. Francis. Her daughter. Miss
Aubrey. also was present.
1t was announced during the day
that simple funeral services will be
held in the chapel at Sorrento.
Mrs. Fuller, wife Of the chief JUS
tice, died Of heart failure at this
same cottage in August Of last year.
Washington, July 4.-To Chief JUS
tice Fuller fell the honor of third
rank for length of service as presid-
ing justice in the highest tribunal of
the American government. For %
years he was chief justice Of the Su-
preme Court of the United States, but
Chief Justice Marshall presided over
the court for "a years and Chief Jus
tice Taney for % years.
Before Grover Cleveland sent Mr..
Fuller's name to the senate on April
80. 1888, for confirmation as chief
justice, he was practically unknown
except to members of the legal pro-
fession. In Maine, where he was born
on February IL. 1888, he had been
known as a Ven behaved, rather
scholarly lad. He had gone to Bow
doin College and while there won
most of the prizes for elocution. He
had gone to Harvard law school for
one year.
Finally he blossomed forth as a full
uedged lawyer and politician of
high-minded sort in his native CITY of
Augusta. He became an associate
editor on a Democratic paper called
The Age, and about the same time
was elected president of city council
and then city solicitor. Soon there
after he left Maine for the greater
opportunities in Chicago.
From 1856 to 1888 he lived in Chi
cago but attracted little attention out
side his immediate circle Of friends
and associates at the bar until he
undertook the defense of Bishop Che
ney on charge of heresy. His
knowledge of ecclesiastical history
and procedure astonished those who
conducted the case, and his argument
of the cause Of the bishop before the
Supreme Court of Illinois Is referred
to yet as a forensic effort seldom If
ever surpassed in that court.
He was a delegate to the national
conventions of the Democratic party
in 1884, 1872, 1876 and 1880.
The Maine boy who had "gone
West" accomplished much notwith-
standing his quiet life. He had laid
the foundations of deep under
standing of the commercial laws of
the country and along this line he
had performed service for his clients
which were estimated to have netted
him an annual income of $4,000.
These accomplishments led the Re-
publican senator's from Illinois to
urge upon the Democratic president
the appointment of Mr.. Fuller as the
successor Of Chief Justice Waite.
The nomination Of Mr.. Fuller, then
80 years Of age, was followed by q
memorable contest in the senate.
The judiciary committee, with its
Republican majority, to which the
nomination was sent April so, held
up the appointment until July 20.
Then the committee reported il to
the senate without recommends
ton" For three hours that body de-
bated in executive session whether to
confirm rniapt h, nv,