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Show WAS A CONVERT. Justice Frederick Smyth of New York is dead at Atlantic City, N. J., of pneumonia. pneu-monia. Justice Smyth went there July 2 for his health. Several days ago he contracted pneumonia. The patient's constitution was so weakened that medical aid was of no avail. x Justice Frederick Smyth was known from one end of the country to theth-er, theth-er, especially as Recorder Smyth, for as recorder he presided over some of the most remarkable criminal cases that were ever tried in any American court. His rulings were rarely reversed. By birth and long allegiance he was an Episcopalian. Two years ago, however, how-ever, during an illness, he was converted con-verted to the Catholic Church. Justice Smyth was born near Gal-way. Gal-way. Ireland, in 1822. His father left no inheritance. Young Smyth came to the United States and was,a clerk In John McKeon's law office .when Mc-Keon Mc-Keon became a marine court justice. He was admitted to the bar in 1S55. He was a delegate to the Tilden national na-tional convention and was " a Tilden elector. He was appointed recorder in 1879 to fill out John K. Hackett's unexpired un-expired term, and was elected to succeed suc-ceed himself for fourteen years in the fall of that year. As a practicing law- '; . I' in the Strong administration. Slu itly afterward Smyth was appointed io the supreme court bench. Justice Smyth was a member of the Episcopal Church, but in re be came a Catholic. His wife had died but a short time before and he was seriously ill at his iesidmce, 15 West Forty-eighth street, vtti Saturday, Feb. 19. the justice sent a me.'engjr m a carriage to the parish house of Gabriel's Ga-briel's Church in West Thirty-se enlh street. The messenger bore a note to Mgr. Farley, pastor of St. Gabriel's and auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of New York, who had been a friend of Justice Smyth for years. The note requested re-quested Bishop Farley to call at his earliest convenience. Bishop Farley responded at once, and when he was shown to the sick man's room. Justice Smyth informed him that he wished to be "received into' the Catholic Church without loss of time. The request surprised. sur-prised. the bishop somewhat, as the applicant ap-plicant is usually required to prepare himself by a course of instruction covering cov-ering several months. Upon questioning question-ing Justice Smyth, howev-r, the bishop found him well prepared, and after the justice had made a profession cf faith. Bishop Farley bantized him and anointed an-ointed him with holy oil. He also administered ad-ministered the last rites of ihe Church to the justice, as it was thought that he could not recover. Justice Smyth's daughter joined the Catholic Church two years before his conversion. |