Evening star., 1938-03-14
CLARENCE DARR0W.
SUCCUMBS At so
Heart Ai|ment Is Fatal to
Famed Attorney for
the Defense
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press. |
CHICAGO, March 14-Clarence |
Darrow, who rose from $30-a month |
country school teacher to the Nations |
most famous attorney for the de-
fense." is dead
The noted lawyer-philosopher died |
at his home here yesterday after a |
long illness with heart ailment He |
was 80 years old. With him at the end |
were his wife Ruby. his son Paul and |
a sister. Mrs. Jennie Darrow Moore.
Funeral arrangements were incom-
plete.
During his half century in courts |
from one side of the country to the |
other. Mr.. Darrow was alweays the |
defender. the pleader. He fought for |
the poor, the oppressed, the captive
and the weak because. as he once |
said, Those found in prisons are
practically always poor; it is game |
where the dice are loaded and the |
victim is almost sure to lose"
His outstanding legal cases were in |
defense of Eugene V. Debs, many |
times Socialist candidate for presi- |
dent; Big Bill Haywood and other |
officers of the Western Federation of |
Miners, charged with the Staying of
former Gov. Frank Steunenberg of
Idaho: Richard Loeb and Nathan
Leopold, thrill slayers" of little
Bobby Franks: John T. Scopes in the
Tennessee Valley monkey trial" and
Mrs. Granville Fortescue and 1t.
Thomas Massie, U. S. N. tried for
the Staying of native in Honolulu
Saved Loeb and Leopold.
The Loeb-Leopold case was one of
the most celebrated Mr.. Darrow ever
fought. 1t was in the summer of 1924
that Mr.. DarroW defended the two
sons of wealthy families for the
kldnap-murder of a l4-year-old boy.
He once termed the murder the
most foolish, most motiveless act ever
conceived in a diseased brain"
Mr.. Darrow said he stepped into the
case Ito do what I could for sanity
and humanity, against the wave of
hatred and malice that, as ever was
masquerading under its usual nom de
plume, Justice"
Mr.. DarroW was credited with saving
the youthful pair from death They
were sentenced to life on one charge, |
plus 90 years on second with a
recommendation that neither be
paroled.
Two years ago when Loeb was slain |
In the penitentiary by fellow-convict, |
Mr.. DarroW said:
Loeb is better off than Leopold, |
nh 1i,a
and was engaged to represent them |
In court and it was my duty to help !
them live. I had no right to trifle T!
with their lives
Village Infidel's Son.
Mr.. DarroW was born in Kinsman
Ohio, April l8. 1857. His father, |
Amurus Darrow, was cabineLmaker |
end undertaken.
My father was the village irifidel." |
Mr.. DarroW once wrote, and gradually |
came to glory in his reputation"
During his teaching days, Mr. Dar- |
row began the study of law. He lived
across the street from a tin shop. and
the timer was a justice of the peace. |
And I never missed a chance to 60
over to his shop when a case was on
trial. Mr. Darrow said in recounting
his early days as lawyer
He studied law at the University of |
Michigan for one year. and then de-
cided L could make my preparation |
In another year in an Office, which !
would cost much less money and |
give a chance to be admitted to the |
bar at 81 So I went to work in a
law Office"
Chicago first saw Mr. Darrow in
1887. From a soap box orator, he /
became s political spellbinder, and
served two terms as assistant corpor-
alton counsel Of Chicago and one
term in the Illinois House of Repre-
Sentatives
Answer TO Reporters Prayer.
Clarence Darrow was the answer
to the reporters prayer. Not only
was he willing to comment on most
subjects at any time, but he was the
easiest of all public speakers to report
Mr.. Darrow saw to that.
In making speech to a jury he
spoke very slowly with a look from
the corner of an eye from time to
time to see if the reporters were
keeping up. When he reached point
he wished to stress. he made his
statement, walked slowly across the
room and took drink of water, re-
turned just as slowly and repeated
the statement
If any writer had fallen behind he
had ample time to catch up, and he
had two shots at the remark the
speaker wished most for him to hear
One of his first big jobs was general
counsel for the Chicago & North
Western Railroad in Chicago, until
strike in 1894.
Chose World of Misery.
Mr.. DarroW walked out of his rail-
road attorneyship to defend Eugene
Debs. Socialist leader, accused on con-
spiracy. violation of Federal Court
injunctions and obstructing the move
ment Of the mails.
The decision to defend Debs led |
me away from the world of wealth |
to that of wretchedness and misery"
Mr.. DarroW remarked later. For
making it I've no regrets"
Mr.. Debs was freed of the criminal
charges.
Soon afterWard Samuel Gompers,
then head of the American Federation |
of Labor. sent Mr.. Darrow to Idaho |
to defend Mr.. Haywood. William E. |
Borah was special prosecutor. Mr.. |
Haywood and other members of the |
Western Federation of Miners were
acquitted on charges of Staying the
former Idaho Governor during a
strike.
In the monkey trial. at Dayton,
Tenn. Mr.. Darrow was pitted against |
his old adversary, William Jennings |
Bryan. with the world watching their
verbal fencing. Mr.. Bryan said he |
was defending religion Mr. Darrow |