The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-05-15
H eH0AIE
D|ESNNEW YORK
Famous Attorney and Ambassa.
dor To Great Britain Dies
AT Elghty-five Years
lAl.oeIpted Pres. ~ naval Radio asrusel

Associated Press ny naval Radio Service,
NEW YORK, May l5-Joseph u.
0hoate, famous attorney and one time
piibassador to the Court or Saint
James, died at his home here last night,
aged eighty-fiye years old.
Mr.. choate was born in 1899, and was
one Of the most distinguished prpe-
ltitioners- Of law in the United States,
ambassador TO England with signel.
success speaker applnuded on IN.
Vulnerable public occasions, and, finally,
a remarkable oetogenarian.
He came from an old New England
family, noted for strength Of character
and mental vigor. His father was a
oondasof the famous Rufus Choate. He
was graduated from Harvard ~ 1852,
a college mate of Phillips Brooks He
established himself in New York IN
1906 soon Hfter finishing his law
studies, and as. member of the Arm
of Evarts, Southmayd and Choate he
rose 10 leadership Of the New York bar.
He appeared In all the celdbrated
caaes-and IL was said, q case was not q
case unless ,0hoate appeared in it,
where his flnency>And wit and searching
brought him consider,
able success. He figured in the prose
cution Of Boss Tweed and bis fol-
lowers who looted the New York City
treanIry; he 80 successfully defended
Gen. ,Fitz-John Porter that by reversal
.of .a,coprt martial that officer was rein
stated; he appeared in the Tildep win
case, the contest over Commodore Van.
|derbilt's millions, and the Chinese ex-
clusiop case, arguing against the valid
ity Of the act These are but few Of
Ifhe famous litigptions in which be fig
|ured, his presence invariably making
any ease s1an intellectual treat for the
public and a professional 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 II may oeca.
sionally have been surpassed by some Of
the huge fees paid for special services
by some Of the great corporations. He
won his way through combination Of
good hnmor, which gave him the power
to hold the attention Of the juries IN the
dullest cases, and legal skill.
It Is on record that, during his
Younger DAYS, he had the daring 70
buke n Judge, who had turned 70 con
verse with someone behind him, while
Choate was addressing the court Che
ate stopped short In his address. The
Judge remarked the silence, and as HIS
Honor turned to face the noon tbs
lawyer began anew; N n,
Your Honor, I shall need all the
time allotted me for summing up; and
I shall need your Honpr's undivided
attention. t
sAnd you shall have ~, the Court
apologized, ~
Mr.. Choate was a Republican but
had never held public Office. beyond Q
brief term as member OF a State Con
stitutional Convention, when be wal
invited BY President Mckinley in 1895
to 20 to London as the American am
hassador. At farewell dinner at The
Union League Club, Mr.. Choate re
marked upon his inexperience In politi
cal or diplomatic life. 81 shall rely
he said, Hupon a happy temperamentf
After his six years In England h'
was lauded on both sides Of the Allan
tic for the remarkable success he hat
had in STRENGTHENING the ties betweel
the English speaking peoples. Hit
range Of lsoeiability made him known
as Ambassador 70 the people as well d
TO the Court. Numberless times he .ap
pcered asa lecturer on American in
,stit,tipns and American statesmen.
A
ferred upon foreigner ip Englap,
since the middle of the seventeenth
century was paid him when he wa
adopted by the inner circle Of the Brit
ish Bar and. made a fsbsncher'p o
member of the governing body Of th'
Middle Temple. IL was, in fact, com
pliment never before paid in Londoi
TO q lawyer of American birth an,
training.
AS an after-dinner speaker MI
choate, was q pational-in ternationa
possession. 81.
The stories told about him, too, wer,
as countless as those he told, for b,
was one Of those picturesque figure
about which stories cluster--some o
which undoubtedly belonged to Others
One typical fash Of his wit is that will
which he answered q dinner partner
who asked who he would chose TO be i
he were not Joseph n. Choate.
Mrs: Choategs second husband,
was the instantaneous reply.
Mrs. .Choate was Caroline ID. Sterl
ing of Cleveland, o., whom he Marie,
In 1861, and by whom he had nv
aat 4 :. 20. ~ y u VI lfrtf q