George Wood, LL.D. The late Nicholas Hill, long reporter in New York State for the highest courts, and himself a famous advocate, used to relate an interesting incident in which George Wood was an actor. A very complicated contro versy was in course of argument before the Court of Errors; counsel for appellants had exhausted a whole day in arguments and the hour of closing had almost arrived, when the chief justice, leaning over the bar toward Wood, who was to follow for res pondents, asked him: "How long shall you be in your argument to-morrow? — as we wish to adjust the day's calendar." "fifteen minutes," promptly answered Wood, with a quizzical glance at his oppo nent. "Impossible," exclaimed the chief justice, "with such a complicated case as this." "Not at all really complicated except in sophistry of my adversary," rejoined Wood, "and if you will give me the fifteen minutes now you shall have a clear calendar for the morrow." "Out of sheer curiosity," narrated Re porter Reynolds, " the court gave the quarter hour and in that brief time Wood so com pacted his argument and became so lucid that he eventually won his contention. The sarcasm applied to Polonius, in the play, of "words, words," never fitted George Wood; and thus again is he an exemplar to young lawyers for the cultivation of lucidity and compactness. Could not the science of epigrammatic statement be profitably taught at law schools? That science has increased in value of late years; as compare the ju dicial opinions in all reports of last year with those of a quarter century ago; or recent legal treatises with the exhaustive volumes of Justice Story. At the time of his death George Wood resided at 45 Fifth avenue, New York City, enjoying his seventy-first year, in possession of a fair fortune. It was a sudden death and, in its quickness of despatch, saving him pain, but the event surprised and grieved the
297
bar, who immediately met in mortuary re spect. Veteran Judge Roosevelt (uncle of the present governor of New York) called to order the bar assemblage, and named ex-Chief Justice Greene C. Bran son as chairman. Justice Sutherland and Pierrpoint (the latter a later Federal attor ney general) made eulogistic speeches /// Memvriam, and were followed by William M. Evarts and Wrilliam Curtis Noyes. Among some of the eulogistic remarks were these, "the most distinguished ornament of the Metropolitan bar," "a rare union of dignity, urbanity, profound learning," " noted for exact and thorough knowledge of all branches of the law," "united unequaled powers of argument to the highest sense of professional honor," "apostle of the compli cated doctrine of charitable uses," "the Justinian of probate law," " notable for te nacity of purpose in vindicating principles of law," "he regarded charitable uses as questions not between man and man but between man and God," " unexcelled in simplicity, purity, and virtue," and "firm in attachment to the institutions of his coun try." Mr. Evarts, then, as ever since, happy in epigram remarked, "George Wood possessed the rare art of thinking while he spoke, as if engaged in writing." His office partner, Goodman, gave tribute to his powers of abstraction and introaction by remarking that on one occasion when an important consultation was proceeding, a noisy proces sion passed by in the street, but he con tinued his line of thought and expression although not a syllable could be heard of his views, and that he appeared deeply sur prised when he was asked to forbear for a few minutes and given the cause for the re quest. Always as he spoke was he oblivious to matters outside of judge or jury purview. At the Reformed Dutch Church, where burial services were had, attended by an immense assemblage, the ethical side of his career received oratorical attention.
