Evening star., 1916-01-03
JUSTICE J. R. LAMAR
D|ESAT HOME HERE
Member of Supreme Court Of
the United States Ill Sew
eraI Months.
BURIAL TO TAKE PLACE
IN HIS NATIVE STATE
Overwork on Bench and as Commis.
sioner in Mexican Mediation Con-
ference Primary Cause.

Joseph Rucker Lamar, associate JUS
tice of the Supreme Court of the United
States died at his home. 1851 New
Hampshire avenue, last night following
an illness of several months. He was
lfifty-eight years old and had served for
five years on the Supreme Court bench.
Arrangements for the funeral were
completed today. Burial will be at Au-
gusta, Ga, for many years the home of
the late justice. The funeral party
| will leave here tomorrow afternoon for
Augusta.
| Simple funeral services will be held
about 10 am. Wednesday at the
| Chruch in Augusta, Ga. attended for
| years by the Lamar family, Immediately
after the arrival of the funeral party
| from Washington. No services will be
held here.
Although Justice Lamar had been ill
for several months. the news of his
death came as great shock to his as
sociates on the bench. Following GUS
tom. the court was adjourned today
Immediately after meeting, out of re-
spect to the memory of the deceased
jurst.
While gradual heart failure. fastened
by Inflammation of one of the lungs,
was the immediate cause of death, the
attending physician declared that it
was due primarily to overwork as
member of the Supreme Court and as
commissioner of the United States in
1914 to the mediation conference be-
tween the United States and Mexico.
Chief Justice Whites Tribute.
After paying a feeling tribute to the
work and character of Justice Lamar,
Chief Justice White adjourned court
until Thursday. Decisions to have
been announced today will be delivered
next Monday.
Inability of some of the justices to
make an immediate trip to Georgia led
the court to appoint a committee con-
sisting of Justices Van Devanter. Pit
ney and McReynolds to represent it at
the funeral at Augusta.
In his remarks Chief Justice White
said:
1t gives me the profoundest sorrow
to state the severance which has taken
place of those ties of personal affection
and respect which united to our
brother. Mr.. Justice Lamar. caused by
his untimely death last night. And this
sorrow, know, is shared by his breth-
strongly and devotedly attached. and
will, ] am confident. be participated in
by all his countrymen as they come to
feel that the country will be for the
future deprived of the blessings which
would have come from the future dis
charge of his duties member of
this court with that conspicuous abil-
ity and enlightened devotion to duty so
clearly manifested during the period
which has gone by since he took up his
duties here this day five years ago"
Work on Benos Exhausting.
Exhausted by last years term of
court, Justice Lamar went to White
Sulphur Springs. W. Va. in June. He
improved until September. when a clot
in an artery caused him to lose the use
for a time of his left arm and leg. 1t
was some time before he recovered
from this attack. but when he returned
to Washington in October he planned
to return to his work on the bench in
February.
About a week ago the justice con-
tracted a cold. His weakened heart was
unable to bear the added burden of this
Inflammation. About 9 o'clock yester-
day morning his condition was noted
to be critical. The system had ceased
afternoon. after recognizing his wife
and two sons, Phillip and William, he
dropped off to sleep. Gradually his
breathing respiration grew less fire.
quent. until at $3.50 last night he gave
a long sigh as of relief and was dead.
Had Justice Lamar lived until today
noon he would have completed five
years service on the Supreme Court
bench. During the entire period he
was regarded as one of the hardest
workers ever on the bench His opin-
ions were written and rewritten as
many as twenty times, and when
handed down were regarded as excel
lent specimens of diction. 1t is said
of him that when a member of the
Georgia supreme court he once took an
opinion to public stenographer to
write, because he was humiliated at the
number of times he had dictated 1t to
his own secretary.
Mrs. Lamar and the two sons were
Lamar was formerly Miss Clarinda
Huntington PendIeton of Bethany. w.
Va. She was married in 1879 to Justice
Lamar
Appointed by President Taft.
Justice Lamar had the distinction of
being one of the few members of the
court appointed by President of op-
posite political faith. President Taft
appointed him in 1910. with only two
precedents for such action, those of
Justices Jackson and Lurton. He took
the oath of Office January 3, 1911.
Justice Lamar was born in Fuckers
willie, Ebert county, Ga, October II.
1857. He attended the University of
Georgia, and later Bethany College,
where he was graduated in 1877. He
attended the law school at Washington
and Lee University. and was admitted
to the bar at Augusta. Ga, in 1873. He
| lived at Augusta until appointed to the
I r