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Show ! Oldest Member of the Supreme Court Is Called I Washington, Oct 14. Associato Jus-, Jus-, tlco John M. Harlan, tho oldest mem-. mem-. l bor of the' supreme court of tho ' ' United States, for years conspicuous In Kentucky politics, once promiuent ; for the Republican nomination for vice president of the United States, i v a formost constitutional lawyer and . prominent In tho councils of the L Presbyterian church, died at his home in this city today. He was 7S years ; old last June ; Justice Harlan had been ill with J acute bronchitis less than a wool; He sat on the bench last Monday when M tho court heard arguments on the so- Iif: called anthracite coal trust ca&e. Tho following morning Chief Justice White announced that Justice Harlan was "slightly 111" and yesterday asked ask-ed attornoya to consider that Justice Harlan was sitting in their cases although al-though not physically present Justice Harlan, however, was in much more serious condition than his colleagues in the court realized Despite De-spite his advanced age, he was robust and ordinarily enjoyed tho be3t of health He was rarely absent from the bench, an attack of Influenza a few years ago being almost the only illness from which he had suffered for a long period. It The sudden death of Associate Jus- Uce Brewer of tho supreme court, at who was not only a colleague on the fcf -bench but a very close personal j friend, very much affected Justice 1 Hurlan. It Justice Fuller's death in the sum- it mer of 1910 was also a great shoclc fj to the venerable jurist. Justice Hax-fi Hax-fi Inn continued to perform his share of & the work of the court. Wi His great ambition was to serve J fc" lmttlnext JunewherlTio'w'ould-'havo exceeded the service of any other : man who sat on that bench. As it j was, his service was longer than that ; of any other Justice except Justice Marshall and Associate Justice Ste-l Ste-l phen J. Field. Field's was the long service thirty-four years, six months and ten days; Marshall's thirty-four ' r years, five months and five 'days; t Harlan's thlrty-threo years, ten months and twenty-flvo daj's. It was while sitting on the bench vm Monday that Justice Harlan first felt R the attack of bronchitis. He asked fcf then for such simple remedies as u were at hand in the office of tho I ' marshal of the court, but he remained I i at his post. By Tuosday considerable ' fever was manifest. On Wednesday h he was markedly weaker and his con-I con-I ditlon grow worse, although It was Li net understood at the supreme court jj that his condition was at all alarming. lH "Yesterday he seemed a little bot-ft bot-ft ter. His son, John or. Harlan, a Chi-', Chi-', cago lawyer, was summoned hero, . however, and another son, Dr. Richard Rich-ard C. Harlan, traveling In Europe, , was notified. "Last night he grew ', ' worso and death camo at S:13 o'clock ! ; this morning. ': f Taft Ic Shocked. San Francisco, OcL 14. Presldont " ; Taft was at breakfast at his hotel : here this morning when notified bv r ' the Associated Press of Justice Haf- ' , lan's death. The presldont was greats ' I ly shocked by tho news and expressed ' . ) much sorrow. President Taft had ' known JuGtlce Harlan for many roars I': and held him in tho highest regard $ both as man and jurist, ft President Taft as yet has given no V thought to Juotice Harlan'6 successor. WJl As thcro are no urgent cases pending m before tho supremo court, the Presl- tj dent undoubtedly will delay action un- II til ho roturnts to Washington In Noll No-ll vembor. When ho does appoint a i successor to Justice Harlan, Mr Taft J will have tho unparalleled distinction 1 of having named a majority five of f 1 tho memberB of what ho rogards as & the greatest Institution In the world fci the court over which ho had tho ffef ambition to preside himself as chief mjs justice, gS, Mr. Taft sent tho following tele- mjl gram to Mrs. Harlan at Washington: m h "Tho sad news of Mr. Justice Har- mg lan's paRsIng away has Just reached 9f me I tonler to you and J'or family h!L my heartfelt sympathy In your deep fP sorrow. Tho country loses a great p! judge and jurist and a most patriotic &Pi and valuablo servant. Ho was a bravQ H and effective soldier for the Union .n Jtf, the Civil war. Ills labors on the su- m 'f premo bonch covered more than I ; thirty-four years. May the memory J : of the sorvlce ho has rendered and 4 the high place ho has held In the hearts of his countrymen help to mill. a gate tho blow to you and vour family, itj ' (Signed) WILLIAM H. TAFT." ' |