The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-03-29
BEFORE
DOCTOR CAME
Associate Justice Brewer of
United States Supreme Court
Stricken With Apoplexy at
His Home in Washington.

NTAsHINGTON, March 2s--Dayid
" Josiah Brewer, associate justice
of the Supreme Court of the
United States, died tonight at 1890
o'clock from a stroke of appOpIeXy.
His death occurred before he could
he carried to his bed. Mrs. Brewer
was with him when the end came.
Justice Brewer was 20 years old.
Although he had not been feeling well
for the last few days, the aged jurist
was up and cut today and apparently
In good health and spirits.
lie was in equally good spirits at
dinner and spent the evening reading.
Shortly before 10 o'clock he retired
to his room and within a few moments
Mrs. Brewer heard a heavy fall and
went TO Investigate. She found her
husband prone on the floor of the bath
room. lie did not regain conscious
ness and died before a physician, hast
lily summoned, could reach the house.
The two daughters of the aged Jurist,
Mrs. James T. karrich and Mrs. II. J.
Jetmore, were summoned at once, but
reached the residence too late.
Appointed From Kansas.
Justice Brewer came to the Supreme
Court from the federal court in Kan
sas. He was the second oldest member
of the Court, Justice Harlan only being
his senior. He was regarded as the
most democratic of all the members of
the Court, most affable, approachable
and accommodating. He was the one
man on the bench who had proof copies
of his opinions prepared for the news
papers and this he did consistently.
Another characteristic of the jurist
was. he never took any Of the time of
the Court or the pu bile in announcing
his opinions. He reached the conelu-
sion probably many years ago that the
audience in the courtroom was so eX-
tremely limited it was pure waste of
time to read opinions there. He would
give in few words his conclusions
and then hand down the proof sheets of
his opinion, always completely ar
ranged.
Justice Brewer essentially was a
western man, and his sympathies were
always with the west He was deeply
versed in corporation law, and will be
missed immensely during the framing
of the opinions of the supreme court
on the mOmentOus questions concerning
the Standard oil and tobacco cases now
under consideration.
May Delay Trust Decisions.
In his earlier days Justice Brewer
camped regularly in the Rocky noun
tains, and was fond of outdoor life. He
was a member of the old Field family.
being a nephew of the late Justice
stephen J. Field and Cyrus w. Field
Justice Brewers death raises a serious
question as to the action of the court
regarding the Standard Oil and Ameri-
can Tobacco company suits, and IL Is
not improbable the cases will have to
be retired, since there now remain but
seven justices to pass upon them, JUS
tice Moody not having participated in
the trials, by reason of Illness.
Justice Brewer was the one member
of the supreme court who was in al
most constan- demand as a lecturer
and after dinner speaker. He was an
orator of unusual ability. With pic
tuTesque personality a rich voice and
a command of strong and powerful
English, he always held his audience
until his last word had died away. He
expressed his opinions forcibly and
clearly on any subject. unless, for
some reason, il might effect the pend
ing decision of the supreme court.
David J. Brewer was born in Smyrna,
Asia Minor, June 20, 1887, the son Of
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