New-York tribune., 1912-03-17
SUPREME COURT IN LIGHTER VEIN
BY EDWARD RIDDLE PADGETT

BY EDWARD RIDDLE pADGETT
entrance Of a saloon across the street he ac-
costcd the proprietor, a short haired, trcckIcd
faced lriShman, with the frantic inquiry:
"Do you know me-"
Sure do, yer Honor" said the man be
hind the bar. "Nc are wan Of the bosses
OF the Supreme Coort. ] see yc ivcry day
goin' by here on the ears.
will YOU cash a check for me, Quick!
have no time to explain, And the excited
Justice grabbed a pen from the desk nearby
and began TO write like mad.
Sure will, agreed the lrishman prompt
". Il have seen ould b'ys Of on Il tear be-
iurc git ont Of money. Trust me, Sor, III
say nothin'. Is il twinty We want Here
We are. VIII We have a dhrink bciurc We go,"
But the Chief Justice was on his way
across the street, and ne just managed 10
catch his train.
~ a cold October night in 1889 tall,
~ elderly man with white side whskcrs
and almost ministerial dignity hurried noise
lcs>lv up to the desk Of the Arlington Hotel
He seemed to be laboring under intense
emotion. He caught his breath and asked
hoarScly:
Have YOU heard the score OF the Yale
Harvard game
"Ycs, Sir" replied the clerk. yale, s.;
Harvard, o..
The old mans face became wrcathcd in
smiles. He fairly huggcd himself with de-
light Just as prcdictcdi' he chucklcd.
won't rub it in on Shorty Gray, though? -
And he danced out OF the lobby like a
two-ycar-O old.
He was the late Justice Shiras, and Shorty
GRAY was his colleague, who had insisted
that Harvard would win.
JUSTICE HARLAN and Chief Justice
! Fuller were riding home one evening
on the back platform Of car, prctcrriug
that to a seat in order 10 smoke The door
Of the car was open, and al intervals smoke
from their cigars driitcd IN. Noticing this,
the conductor informed them that smoking
was prohibited.
81 But" objected Justice Harlan, " the wind
carries the smoke TO the south and We are
travelling north.
That's all right, Mister; bu' them my
orders. insisted the knight Of the bcl'ropc.
During the conversation Justice Fuller
had stepped down ON thc car step and bid
den himself behind the mammoth physique
of his argumnntativc friend. He Was cnruv-
ing his cigar ,o the fullest extent.
Orders are orders. know continued
Justice Harlan, determined to convince the
Conductor by logic of the folly of blind obcdi-
onrc: but there are eases where q law Coz
cr.iyc at one time may a' another hc void.
Allow me TO cite certain case lu our COM
mon law statute book
Il 'akcs my orders from 'hc Supn and
don't care about no lawi persisted 'ho Don-
due'ur -,ubboruly.
The car had turned into lj,h-.t. iy This
.imc.
The little Chief Justice was Jus, lighting
his second cigar, entirely ii.in',ro ted in The
plea Of his learned colleague
Now jus, listen TO the logic If what am
saving" continued Justice Harlan, thor
aaghly warmed up to the subject. the mon"
so because his cigar was on, and hr aw uu
chance Of ra'ightirg II, y wind moving n
q ou'hcrly direction cannot possibly carry
smoke north, can it,
To III Of which m" Narassod and puzzled
conductor tried to turn deaf ear. lIc|
sought refuge in a superior sort Of silence,
since the Justice was too large a man '"I
make a personal encounter entirely -aic.
As The car reached their destination. 'u-'
above U-,t. on lith, both mon algh'cd.