Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-05-17
CHOATE FAMOUS
AS JURY LAWYER
Only Political Office Ever Held
Was That of Minister to
England.

New York. May 15.-Joseph H. Choate.
whose death was announced in the
Associated Press dispatches of this
morning. was undoubtedly victim to
his active and enthusiastic effort In as
sisting to give the British and French
war missions royal reception during
their visit to New York. The task was too
heavy for a man of his advanced years
and he died from the effects of an over
taxed heart after an illness of a few
hours.
Mr.. Choate was s. years old. life
time during which he was one Of the most
distinguished practitioners of law in the
United States, ambassador to England
with signal success, a speaker applauded
on innumerable public occasions. and.
finally. a remarkable octogenartan.
He came from an old New England fam
lily, noted for strength of character and
mental vigor His father was a cousin
of the famous Rufus Choate. He was
graduated from Harvard in 1862. a college,
mate of Phillips Brooks. He established
himself in New York in 1856 soon after
finishing his law studies, and as a men,
Der of the firm Of Evarts. southmayd
and Choate he rose to leadership Of the
New York bar.
He appeared in all the celebrated
| cases.-it was said case was not a case
| unless Choate appeared in it-where his
| fluency and wit and searching cross
examination brought him considerable
success. He figured in the prosecution OF
| Boss Tweed and his followers who
looted the New York city treasury; he
SO successfully defended Gen. F1tz-John
Porter that by reversal Of a court martial
that officer was reinstated; he appeared
! in the Tilden will case, the contest over
Commodore Vanderbit's millions, and the
! Chinese exclusion case, arguing against
the validity of the act. These are but a
few of the famous litigations In which
he figured, his presence invariably making
any case IAN intellectual treat for the
public, and professional education fol
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 Amer
lean courts though 1t may occasionally
have been surpassed by somo of the huge
fees paid for special services by some o.
the great corporations. He won his wa,
through combination Of good humor
which gave him the power to hold tn
attention of the juries in the dullest cases
and legal skill.
1t Is on record that, during his younge
days, he had the daring to rebuke q Judge
who had turned to converse with someon
behind him while Choate was addressing
the court. Choate stopped short in hi
address The judge remarked the silence
, and as his honor turned to face the roor
, the lawyer began anew:
your Honor. shall need all the tim
allotted me for summing up; and sha
|
And you shall have it," the court apollo
gized.
/ Mr. Choate was a republican but ha
never held public once, beyond a brie
, term as member Of a State constitutions
. convention, when he was invited by Pres
= dent Mckinley In 1899 to 60 to London q
the American ambassador. At farewe
dinner at the Union League club. NJ
Choate remarked upon his irexperience
political or diplomatic life, 1T shall rely.
he said. "upon happy temperament"
After his six years in England he We
!. lauded on both sides OF the Atlantic fl
= the remarkable success he had had
strengthening the ties between the En-,
= lish -speaking peoples. His range
n sociablity made him known as ambass,
!, dor to the people as we'll az to the cour
J. Numberless times he appeared as le
e turer on American institutions and Anne
Il lean statesmen.
e A mark of respect never before col
n ferred upon a foreigner in England sin
Il the middle of the 18th century was pa
him when he was adopted by the inn
\. circle of the British bar and made
,. "bencher," or member of the governil
Is body of the Middle Temple 1t was.
IL fact, a compliment never before paid
IF London to lawyer of American birth Al
A. training.
As an after dinner speaker Mr.. Chou
was a NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. possessio
The stories told about him. too. we
as countless as those he told, for he W
10 one Of those picturesque figures abo
,g which stories cluster-some Of which u
ty doubtedly belonged to others. One tyl
a cal Hash OF his wit Ia that with which
n answered a dinner partner. who ask
as who he would chose to be " he were n
Joseph II. Choate.
Mrs. Choate's second husband" "
a. the instantaneous reply.
-. Mrs. Choate was Caroline d. 6terli
Of Cleveland Ohio, whom ne married
"u 1861. and by whom he had Ave children