18933 Trial of the Stanford Case 



nor was there any reason to suppose that any part 

 of the loan, when due, would remain unpaid. More- 

 over, the limitation of three years, being an integral 

 part of the statute in question, would hold against 

 the Government as against other creditors. Fur- 

 thermore, the money borrowed was not a debt in- 

 curred in corporation business. 



The great suit was brought to trial in the United Favorable 

 States District Court of San Francisco, the Uni- '^^"^''°«^ 

 versity being represented by Judge John Garber, 

 then leader of the California Bar. The decision 

 of the Court, written by Judge Erskine K. Ross, 

 was in our favor. The case was then appealed to 

 the Superior Court, composed of Judges William 

 W. Morrow, William B. Gilbert, and Thomas 

 Hawley; their decision, prepared by Judge Morrow, 

 was also in our favor. The Government's repre- Appeal to 

 sentative next appealed to the Supreme Court at ^q^^^^^ 

 Washington. Our situation was now most critical. 

 Funds were scanty as well as precarious, and the 

 Supreme Court being far in arrears, it seemed hope- 

 less to expect an early decision. Any considerable 

 delay, however, would involve our ruin. 



At this point Mrs. Stanford, disregarding legal 

 advice, acted on her womanly initiative. Going 

 directly to Washington, she laid the case before Mr. 

 Cleveland, explaining that it was a matter of life 

 and death to the University and beseeching him to 

 use his influence toward bringing the case to a 

 speedy trial. After considerable natural hesitation, Cleveland's 

 the President saw his way to comply, and at his J^^jj''" 

 request Chief Justice Melville B. Fuller assigned an 

 advanced date for our hearing. Before the Supreme 

 Court we were represented by Joseph Choate, then 



I 503 3 



interven- 



