Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-07-25

in supreme court documents.
On one occasion Justice Fuller stood
at the desk in the Auditorium hotel
Chicago. He was interested in the
tactics of the colored help. The cooks
and walters were executing drills not
unlike those of Il minstrel troupe upon
the stage.
They're going on strike" said an
acquaintance Of the justice.
We'll. well. well muttered the chief
expounder Of law.
The cham bprmaidS have gone out
too" added the excited acquaintance.
. We'll well. we'll" again muttered
the chief justice.
We'll, what? What do you think Of
this outrageY' asked The companion
with a considerable show of indigna-
ton.
The justice transferred his weight to
the other foot. surveyed the crowd
calmly and said. apparently these
unions are determined that justice
shall not sleep"
Although small OF stature-not more
than five feet seven iuches-his wealth
of silvcry hair and classic features
ever he appeared. Probably Mark
Twain reselDbIed the chief justice in
physical appearance more than any
other man of prominence in recent
years Frequently the humOrist was
mistaken for :he jurist. one day
young lady accostcd Mark Twain on
the street and. with an apology that
she had never seen the chief justice
before. asked for his autograph Tho
author wrote:
It is delicious 10 be fun.
EUt it IS heavenly to be Fuller.
am cordially Yours.
MELVILLE ". FULLER
He was thu first supreme court jus
tice TO wear a mustGche.
Known as First Nighter.
Chief Justice Fuller was noted rs en-
unconventional man, easily approach
ed and one who constantly displayed
great personal Kindness. He was eX-
tremeIy fond Of the theater and was IN
inveterate first niEhter.
The late chief justice was student
of literature and at Bowdoin college
is said TO have written many verses.
His one authentic poem was Il memo
Grant memorial meeting in Chicago in
1SS1, one verse Of which indicates its
general character:
Not in his battles won.
Though lon, the well fought fields may
keep their names.
But in the wide worlds sense of duty
done.
The gallant soldier finds the need OF
fame.
rrr-
Simply the duty done that next MIN lies.
Now and then he lapsed into poeticai
touches in his opinions from the bench.
One of the best Illustrations of this
was the opinion handed down in the
case Of Hammond versus Hopkins He
concluded his opinion by saying:
In all cases where actual fraud is
not made out. but the imputaticn
rests upon conjecture. where the seal
Of death has closed The lips of those
whose character is involved and lapse
of time has impaired the recollection Of
and obscurcd their details,
the welfare Of society demands the
rigid enforcement of the rule or dill
gence. The hourglass must supply
the ravages Of the Soythc, and those
be RENTED to the rcpoSc from which
they should not have been aroused"
THE Court Remains"
His death recalls his own words on
such events expressed at the centenary
of the court twenty years ago.
Judges viii be appointed" he said, /.
land will pass. One generation rapidly /
succeeds another. But. whoever comes |
and whoever goes. the court remains, /
keeping alive. through many centuries /
we shall not see. the light that burns .
with a constant radiance upon the /
high altar of American constitutional .
justice"
No chief justice of the United States .
has ever resigned. Chief Justice Mar /
shall died at the age of eighty-one. |
Chief Justice fancy at eighty-four
and Chief Justice Waite at seventy