New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-31
OBITUARY
Sidney Webster, Famous Law
yer, Dies in Newport.
TBy Telegraph to Tn. Tribune. !


Newport, r. L, May 30--Sidney Webster
died at his home here this morning after
a comparatively short illness. Mr.. Webster
celebrated his eighty-second birthday OF
last Saturday.
About two weeks ago he suffered a stroke
of paralysis and for a time ne seemed &c
be recovering his former strength On
Sunday. however. it was apparent that he
was not as well and the end came this
morning Mr.. Webster had been long a
summer resident of Newport and for the
last ten years had lived most of the year
here at his estate, Pen Craig, which he
purchased from Mason Jones in 1899.
Sidney Webster a New York lawyer,
years ago won reputation as being one
of the worlds foremost authorities on in
ternationa1 law. He was the author of
many monographs and of one extensive
volume that topic He was descended
directly from the same stock that pro-
duced Daniel Webster.
Sidney Webster was born in Gilmanton,
N H. on May IS. 1925 Deciding early in
life to follow the family genius. after re
ceiving his degree of A B. at Yale Col
lege. IN 1S4s, ne went to the Harvard
Law School, where he received the degree
the law In the office of Franklin Pierce he
was admitted to the bar, and that same
year received the degree of A NJ. from
Yale. When Nj. Pierce became President
of the United States in 1855, he made the
young lawyer his private secretary, and
Sidney Webster was at once brought under
the influences that directed the inspira ton
of his life work toward world affairs, dur
ing an administration which beheld such
International events as the Gadsden Pur-
chase, the Koszta affair, the conclusion of
commercial treaties with Great Britain and
japan and the rnbardment of Greytown,
Nicaragua.
Returning to private life in 1851 he took
up the practice of his profession in Boston.
The next. year he became Commissioner of
the United States Circuit Court. In 1850 he
removed to New York City, where he kept
q residence for the rest of his life. though
he spent much of his time a his summer
home in Newport, r. I.
Mr. Webster amassed fortune from his
practice He dealt largely with prize, ad-
rniralty and revenue cases. At the same
time he was legal adviser of several for
eign consulates in New York City
Sidney Webster's law firm, Webster &
Craig had the reputation of receiving the
first 100000 fee in the history of legal
practice. and that over thirty years ago.
during the administration of William
Adams Richardson as Secretary of the
United States Treasury. It was a case
against the government, the question being
whether ribbons in which the chief value
was silk, should be appraised at 10 or 90
per cent The revenue officers interpreted
the law in favor of the higher duty. which
the importers paid under protest. Nearly
all the silk ribbon importers of the country
united to fight this decision and employed
Webster & Craig TO represent them The
importers won after seven years litigation.
In 1907 he figured .conspicuously as the re-
cipient of the famous Where do I stand -
letter written. by E. II. Hartman, who
was long an intimate friend of the lawyer.
The letter which was dated 1906, told of the
writer's part in the raising of funds for the
Republican national campaign of 1904 and
complained of alleged unfair treatment
after needing the request of the campaign
committee. The letter got out through
stenographer's notes, and a lively contro-
versy followed.
Mr. Webster was, q brother-in-law of
Stuyvesant Fish, having married the lat
ter's sister, Sarah Morris Fish, in 1850. He
was a member of the Protestant Episcopal
Church and Of the Union, Knickerbocker,
Manhattan and, Metropolitan clubs He
and the Supreme Court in 1901, besides
his many monograp hs on topics of interna-
tional and constitutional Law.