Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-15
JOSEPH H. CHOATE DIES
At HIS HOME IN NEW YORK
Former Ambassador to Great Britain
and Prominent Statesman
Passes Suddenly.
WAS ILL ONLY FOR ONE DA'
Famous and Successful as Lawyer,
but Had Far Wider Reputation as
Authority on Questions OF C0nsti.
tutional Law.
fRy Associated rrcs.


Choatc. former United states ambas-
sador TO Great Britain. died 81. 1880
O'Clock Tonight AT his home in this
city
Mr.. Choatc had been III only since
this morning. He had ,akcn q very
active part in the entertainment in
this city OF the British and french
war missions. and attended services
At the Cathedral Of 81. John Divine
w;ih Foreign Minister Halfour ycatcr-
day morning.
NJ. Chcatc was referred TO by Mayor
Mitchell at ono OF, the entertainments
in honor OF the way missions as the
foremost citizen OF New York"
Joseph Hodges Choatc vas born at
salem. Mass. on January "A. 1852, the
son OF skiliful and prominent phN-
siciar. who represented Salem in the
Legislature for several years Both.
on his fathers and his mothers side,
Mr. cho:tc was descended from carly
Colonial stock. AMI he could claim re-
iationship with some of the most no
table characters in New England his
tory Probably the best known among
them was his fathers cousin. the fa-
nous lawyer and orator. Rufus Choatc.
GRADUATES WITH HONuRs
FROM HARVARD IN IS5n
'os"ph H. Choa,c was prepared eor
college in the public schools of Salem.
ard. AT The age OF sixteen, entered
Harvard. He was graduated with the
degree of y. r.. and Phi Beta Kappa
hcnors III 1852 He then entered tho
Dane Law School of Harvard. grad
nntinc as Ill. Il, in 1854. After an
additional year OF reading and train
ing IN Boston law Office he was adj
mitted to the bar OF Massachusetts in
1890. The same year he removed To
New York. wncrc, in tho following
year. he was admitted to the bar am
entered the Office Of Butler. Evar,s
& SouthmaTd. After q shor, tine. ne
formed Il partnership with William ~
Barnes, but in 1879 he became Il mem.
ber OF the distinguished law firm, of
Evarts. Southmayd & Choatc.
From that time on Mr.. Choate's name
occame prominent In the legal profess
sion OF New York His fame soon
spread iar and wide. and il was gen
orally admitted that, as a trial LAWYER.
MT. Choate had few. if any. rivals. His
practice became the most extensive i'm
the city Of New York. and he conducted
some OF the most memorable cases of
MS timc. Among them were the case
oi Feuardcnt VS.. Di Cesnola. involving
the genuineness of the Cypriotc an
tlanitles in the Metropolitan Museum Of
Art: the Credit Mobilier case involving
the contract for the construction of the
un:oH Pacific Railroad; the famous
Maynard election fraud case of IS9l-oo.
the case OF Laidlaw vs.. Sage; the Bell
telephone cases. involving the validity
Of substantially the entire Bell tele-
phone patent; the Bering Sea case. in
which Mr.. Choate represented the Ca
madam governments; the Vanderbilt,
Cruger. Tildcn and many other import-
ant will contests. etc.
AUTHORITY ON QUESTIONS
OF INTERNATIONAL LAW
Eut famous and successful as was
Mr. Choat6s career i'm the general
practice Of the law and in ordinary
legal controversies. he won much
wider reputation as an authority on
questions Of constitutional law. IIspe-
ciaily notable among the cases pre-
sehtinG constitutional questions which
he argued before the Supreme Court of
the United states were the Chinese eN-
clusion cases: the Kansas prohibition
case: the California irrigation cases:
the Massachusetts, fishery case: the
famous income tax cases; the Texas
trust law case. and many others.
In 1879 Mr.. Choate greatly added to
his national reputation by his able and
successful defense of General FitZ-
John Porter before the commission ap-
pointed by, President Hayes to inquire
into the Justice Of the sentence of the
court-martial. which. in 1863. had de-
prived General Porter OF his military
rank. His eminent forensic ability was
repeatedly recognized by his profess
sion and at different times Mr. Choate
served as president of.the e. New York
Continued on Second 'Page.)