The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-05-15
Joseph H. ,ate, One of the
Best X stn Citizens Of
the ; lited States
FORM : AMBASSADOR
T s iREAT BRITAIN
He Was Active Up to Yes
terday-Died at Age
of IS

1hoate, FORMER ambas sador to Great
Britain and lawyer of international
fame died suddenly of heart disease at
his home in this city late last night. He
complained yesterday morning of feeling
depressed, and physician, who was
called, ordered him to remain in bed.
Later in the day, however, Mr.. Choate
left his room several times to transact
pressing business.
About l0:30 last night he called his
wife and daughter to his bedside and
said: Il am feeling very ill., / think
this is the end He died few minutes
later
Notwithstanding his s5 years Mr..
Choate took an active part in the ell
| tertainment of the French and British
commissions on their visits here last
week and was one OF the principal speak
ers at the banquet last Friday night.
/ Mr.. ChGate came from an old New
England family, noted for strength of
character and mental vigor His father
was a cousin OF the famous Rufus
| Choate. He was graduated from Har-
ward in 1852, college mate of Phillips
Brooks. He established himself in New
York in 1856 soon after finishing his
| law studies, and as a member of the
! firm of Eyarts, Southmayd and Choate
he rose to leadership OF the New York
bar.
He appeared in all the celebrated cases
lit was said case was not case un-
less Choate appeared in it--where his
tluency and wit and searching cross-ex-
animation brought him considerable sue
cess He figured in the prosecution of
Boss" Tweed and his followers who
looted the New York City treasury; he
so successfully defended General Fitz-
John Porter, that by reversal of court
martial that officer was reinstated; he
appeared in the Tilden will case, the con-
test over Commodore Vanderbilt's mil
lions, and the Chinese exclusive case, ar
guing against the validity of the act.
These are but few of the famous liti-
cations in which he figured, his presence
inyariable making any case "an intel
lectual treat for the public, and a pro-
fessional education for junior members
OF the bar"
His professional income during the
height of his career was believed to be
the largest of any practitioner in the
American courts, though it may occa-
sionally have been surpassed by some
of the huge fees paid for special serv-
ices by some of the great corporations.
He won his way through combination
of good humor which gave him the pow
er to hold the attention of the juries in
the dullest cases, and legal skill.
1t is on record that, during his young
er days, he had the daring to rebuke
a Judge, who had turned TO converse with
someone behind him, while Choate was
the court. Choate stopped
short in his address. The Judge re-
marked the silence, and as His Honor
turned to face the room the lawyer be-
gan anew:
"Your Honor, shall need all the time
allotted me for summing up; and l
shall need Your Honor's undivided at
tention."
"And you shall have it," the court
lpologized.
Mr.. Choate was Republican but had
never held public office, beyond brief
,erm as member of state constitutions
Il convention. when he was invited by
President Mckinley in 1899 to go to
london as the American ambassador. At
farewell dinner at the Union League
lub, Mr. Choate remarked upon his in
experience in political or diplomatic life.
i shall rely" he said, upon happy
After his six years in England he was
auded on both sides of the Atlantic for
he remarkable success he had had in
the ties between the Eng
ish speaking people. His range of So
ia bility made him known as ambas-
ador to the people as well as to the
ourt. Numberless times he appeared
s a lecturer on American institutions
nd American statesmen.
A mark OF respect never before con-
erred upon a foreigner in England since
he middle of the 18th century was paid
i'm when he was adopted by the inner
rele of the British bar and made a
beneher" or member of the governing
ody of the middle temple. 1t was, in
sct. a compliment never before paid in
ondon to a lawyer of American birth
nd training.
As an after-dinner speaker, Mr.. Choate
as a national-internations possession.
The stories told about him, too, were
countless as those he told, for he was
ne OF the picturesque figures about
hich stories eluster-some of which un-
belonged to others. One typi-
i fash Of his wit Is that with which
answered dinner partner, who asked
no he would choose to be if he were not
,seph r. Choate.
Mrs. Choates second husband" was
r. instantaneous reply.
\ n
Cleveland. O.. whom he married IN
81, and BY whom he had five children.