The Detroit times., 1911-01-13
5N ]. S. SUPREME
|OURT HEARS BIG
/ TRUST CASES
>tetan Justices Look Bored and
Tired, But New Members Are
Eager and interested During
the Historic Trial.
lear View of Personal Appearance
and characteristics of Nine
Highest Judges.
BY ROBERT WILSON.

4. WASHINGTON. Jan. I3.-The great
>bacco trust case was set for the day
d a regiment OF great lawyers, re-
&1ned by the trust, fidgeted while the
octators breathlessly awaited the
art OF the drama.
4 But precedent" requires that at
the beginning OF each days session
TIE court shall ask IL there are any
applicants for admission 10 practice
kRf0re the court. Chief Justice White
kaskily made the query.
There was one. He was George s.
10rnblower. son of William Il. Horn
lower of New York, one of the heav-
est guns in the tobacco trusts legal
Aftery. Hornblcwer. senior, fetched
lIs boy with him to propose for the
|0&preme court bar.
Hornblower, Jr., bowed, Chief JUS
TIE White bowed haughtily, and then
x)otioned to page. who conducted
\ The applicant to the clerks desk.
James II. McKenny has been clerk
<Ok the supreme court since 1858. He
~ an older cog in the court machinery
IAN some OF the customs. His cheeks
tUfe sunken now and his hair is sill
.
twice has. he administered the oath
( 70 incoming chief justices.
He leaned over and took from his
. >sk a worn old bible, the same bible
10 which every supreme court lawyer
LIS been sworn in for SO years. He
hold the bible on level with Horn
Mowers eyes, and the young man had
~ raise his arm high to place his
I hand on the book. Then McKenny
IxOpeated in a high voice and SO rap
IDLY the words ran together.
II solemnly swear that | will up
hold myself as an attorney and coun-
ioolor of this court uprightly and ac-
icording to law, and will support the
'constitution of the United States, so
ihelp me. God"-and without waiting
'16r Hornblower's assent or changing
tone or pace, he continued as though
~ the same sentence: Pass out this
dor and sign your name on the at
't6rneys' roll "
Enter, Wickersham.
lust then Atty.-Gen. Wickersham
Md his assistants in the Standard Oil
I'D tobacco trust cases entered. The
.cDurt made an order or two which no
;body understood and then Chief jus
tire White called the tobacco case by
lI6Ading it's short title with as little
iC1ncern as though 1t had been a
|c&icken stealing suit. Wickersham
)n1epped to the black box on the table
where the arguments are delivered.
Int not to argue, only to request an
oktension of time for argument.
tWickersham Is slight of stature. has
lips and mustache, which is
GDcked with gray, and his court man
inor ID mild. He was carefully groomed
'old tailored, wearing a fautless frock
|otat and pearl trousers.
The encouragement came to the
tidal of the trust cases determined to
|xoake ths masterpiece argument OF his
HE. Perhaps, were he still In pri-
;vnte life, ne would not wish the gov
'e1nment to win these two cases. AS
nft0rney-general he wants to win bad.
Ihe gossip is that he spent most OF
HIT fall preparing for his two arg,i-
,n@snts, mastering the details OF the in
tficate cases. Victory will make him
~ nationally famous lawyer.
The court after a short consultation
kranted more time than one hour each
q counsel, and then ]. c. McReynolds,
tie young man who has been the gov
e1nment's expert in the action against
tie tobacco trust, stepped to the box
and began the opening statement OF
tie case. McReynolds is tall. sturdy
'of limb and thick of shoulder. and ne
ms hawks face with a big hooked
n4se. He has a southern drawl so
ipiDnounced that Chief Justice White.
himself southerner, interrupted him
right at the start to ask him not to
drag his words so much. The JUS
tiles delight in heckling young at
{ tusneys.
S McReynolds didn't mind. He
d1awled less and went ahead easily,