The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-04-01
WlFEFINDS UNCONSCIOUS BODY
Ia Point Of Service and Age He
Ranked Third on Federal Su-
preme Bench Expressed His
Opinions on Public Questions
Freely andWas CritiCOf ROOse-
Velt Policies.

Washington, March 29.-David ].
Brewer, justice of the United States
supreme court, died at his residence,
1923 Sixteenth street, Justice Brew
er had not been feeling we'll for more
than q week, but he had not been
obliged to take his bed. He had en-
joyed Easter with members of his
family and yesterday afternoon walk
ed out to the office of his physician.
He complained at the dinner table Of
feeling slightly worse. but his condi-
aon was not considered serious.
At little after 10 o'clock he told
Mrs. Brewer that he was going to
retire. and entered the bath room A
few minutes later Mrs. Brewer
heard him fall and, rushing to the
bathroom, found him unconscious.
Only the servants were in the
patched one Of them to the home of
Judge Ashley Gould of the District of
Columbia supreme court, who lives
next door to the Brewers. When
Judge Gould arrived physicians living
In the neighborhood had been sum-
moned. Justice Brewer was carried
from the bathroom and laid on bed,
but when the doctors arrived few
minutes later he was dead. Apoplexy
was the cause of death.
Is Easter Vacation.
The supreme court is now on its
Easter recess. 1t will reconvene next
Monday, and undoubtedly will ad-
journ for at least day out Of re-
spect to the memory of Justice
Brewer.
The death OF Justice Brewer will
be seriously felt by the court in it's
consideration of the Standard Oil
cases. Justice Brewer was regarded
as one OF the strong men in the
court in considering cases involving
corporation law. He wrote many i'm
portant opinions on this subject.
Justice Brewer was the third old
est justice on the bench, Justice Har-
Ian and Chief Justice Fuller each be-
ing IT years old. Justice Brewer was
four years their junior. In regard to
length of service on the bench he
also stood third, having served for
almost 81 years.
Justice Brewer had been serving
on the bench actively up to the be-
ginning of the Easter recess. He
had been feeling well up to the be-
ginning of the recess, although re-
Gently he had been troubled with
deafness, which had worried him
considerably.
This is the second death on the
supreme bench in the present term.
Justice Pecltham died early in the
term and was succeeded by Justice
Lurton Justice Moody has been Ill
for several months and probably will
not be back on the bench this term.
This will leave bench of seven
members.
Death Loss to Public.
Justice Brewers death will be a
big loss to the public in other ways
than as a member of the bench. He
was about the only member Of the
bench wlo freely expressed his opin-
ion OH large public questions. He
was particularly outspoken in his
criticisms of the Roosevelt methods.
David Josiah Brewer had been a
Justice Of the United States supreme
court for little more than 20 years.
He was appointed by President Har-
rison in Deeembt1 1888, to succeed
Justice Matthews, and he was sworn
In on Jan. 6, 1884. He was a stick
Der for constitutional decisions on
and off the bench, and wrote many
important opinions, which were read
around the world. He was born In
Smyrna, Asia Minor, on June 20,
1887, but his life there was limited
to IL months