The Volume XXV
H.
Snowden
Green
Bag
May 1913
Marshall,
New
Number 5
York's
New
United
States Attorney THE first important local appoint ment to be made by President Wilson was that of H. Snowden Marshall to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The choice was evidently carefully made by the President in consultation with Attor ney-General McReynolds, after several strong candidacies had been con sidered. It resulted in the selection of a lawyer of ability commensurate with the duties of the federal district attorney in the most important of the eighty-six districts into which the United States is divided. The work of the position is by no means light or easy, as may be seen from the enormous amount of big litigation which went through the hands of the last incum bent, United States Attorney Henry A. Wise, whose term expired on April 8. The success of an Administration depends in no small degree upon the character of the men who can be counted upon to sustain the efforts of the Department of Justice in carrying out its policies, and the New York post particularly requires a man not only of sound professional training, but of vigorous and aggressive personality and the ability to think and act quickly. Mr. Marshall appears to be such a man, and the fact that he has not been active in New York politics and the party leaders did not propose his name cer tainly establishes a strong presumption that the appointment was made dis tinctly on the basis of merit.
The new United States Attorney, like his predecessor, is of Virginian stock. Though he was born in Baltimore, he is the son of Colonel Charles Marshall of Farquhar county. His father, who was a grand-nephew of Chief Justice John Marshall, was Military Secretary to General Robert E. Lee in the Civil War, and was with Lee when the latter met General Grant at Appomattox Court House to arrange the terms of peace. Mr. Marshall was born in Baltimore Jan. 15, 1870. He was graduated from the University of Virginia in 1890, and from the University of Maryland in 1894. He first practised law in Baltimore, and was appointed Assistant United States Attorney of Maryland. This is the only public office he has ever held. He resigned in 1896 and moved to New York. In New York City Mr. Marshall became connected with the law firm of Seward, Guthrie & Steel. Later he became a member of the firm of Weeks, Battle & Marshall, which later became O'Gorman, Battle & Marshall, the offices being at 37 Wall Street. The other part ners of the firm are James A. O'Gorman, the junior United States Senator from New York, and George Gordon Battle. Mr. Marshall was married to Miss Isabel C. Stiles of Savannah, Ga., in 1900. He lives at 128 East 60th street. Mr. Marshall is an enrolled Demo crat, but he has never been active in the organization though regarded a Tammany man, always being classed as independent.
