Evening star., 1931-06-19
JUSTICE S|DDONS
DIES SUDDENLY OF
ACUTE INDIGESTION
Jurist, Stricken at Court
House Yesterday, Fails
to Survive Attack.
ATTAINED NATIONAL
FAME IN OIL TRIALS
Funeral Expected to Be Monday.
All Courts Adjourned Until
Tuesday Morning.

Associate Justice Frederick Lincoln
Siddons of the District Supreme Court,
who played a prominent role in the
celebrated naval oil trials, died suddenly
carly today at his home, 1914 Biltmore
street.
Death came to the distinguished
jurist at 4 o'clock this morning, follow
ing an attack of acute indigestion with
which he was stricken at the court
house yesterday afternoon. The i'm
mediate cause of death was given as
acute dilation of the heart.
Was on Bench Yesterday.
Justice Siddons presided in a
Veterans Bureau case yesterday morn
ing and was to have taken the bench
again in the afternoon. After lunch,
however. he complained to his secretary,
Stuart Barnes, that he was suffering
from indigestion. He decided to go to
his home.
He went to bed late yesterday after
noon and physician was summoned
Medical treatment seemed to relieve
him, and early last night there were no
indications of serious complications, ac-
SiddonS discussed with his wife the ad-
visibility of taking his vacation earlier
than he had planned and it was tenta
lively agreed that he should leave for
his Summer home in Haven. Me-, to-
morrow instead of next week.
Strain Weakens Heart.
Recurrent attacks of the stomach
distress occurred during the night, how
ever, and the strain proved too great
for the heart He had had a similar
covered completely after several months
of rest at home. He was in his sixty
seventh year.
The death of Justice Siddons pro-
foundly shocked his colleagues of the
bench and bar, few of whom knew of
his stomach attack of yesterday. All
branches of the District Supreme
Court adjourned until Tuesday out of
respect. A ceremony for the presenta-
ton of portraits of the justices, sched-
uled for tomorrow also was postponed.
made today by members of the family
and friends. committee of the Dis
trict Bar Association will be appointed
to attend the services, which probably
will be held Monday.
Sat in Sinclair Case.
Justice Siddons attained Nation wide
prominence as presiding justice in the
trial of Harry Sinclair for conspiracy
to defraud the Government in the
leasing of Teapot Dome. The trial was
brought to a sensational halt in Octo-
ber, 1927, when Justice SiddonS cited
Sinclair and five associates for con-
tempt of court in connection with the
disclosure that the jury in the con-
Sinclair, Henry Mason Day, William
j. Burns, w. Sherman Burns. Sheldon
Clark and c. L. Vietsch were tried on
the contempt charges and all but Clark
and Vietsch were convicted. The case
went to the Supreme Court and the
conviction of Sinclair, Day and Sher-
man Burns was upheld, but the elder
Burns was exonerated.
Justice Siddons sentenced Sinclair to
six months in the District Jail. Day
was given four months and Sherman
Burns was fined $1,000. Sinclair and
Day served their terms amid much pub
licity. Sinclair. at the same time,
served out a concurrent sentence of
three months for contempt of the
Senate.
NOlle Pressed Fall Case.
When the trial of Sinclair on the
COIISp1l dCy CIldISS was q July
in Justice Siddons' court acquitted Sin
clair. Subsequently Justice Siddons
nolle pressed a similar conspiracy
charge against Albert B. Fall.
Pointing out that Justice Siddons
may have had a premonition of sudden
death. George p Hoover, president of
the District Bar Association, today read
to the District Supreme Court in gen.
eral term a prophetic" statement made
by the late justice in charge he gave
to jury less than 10 days ago in a
World War veterans case.
Prophecy" Is Recalled.
1T appeared that Justice Siddons
must have had some premonition of
DEATH" Attorney Hoover declared to
the court. MY attention has been
called to a charge which he gave to a
jury on June 10, which I feel should
read to the court. He said:
"'How many of us-I won't say any
of us in this room; hope it will not
apply to any of us in this room-but
how many of us, seeking generally the
world over, if you please, are today
robust, with nothing the matter with
them? The prospect of living, at least
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