LORD ALVERSTONE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 996, 10 December 1910, Page 3

LORD ALVERSTONE.

A MAN' WITH- VARIED INTERESTS., : y The Lord Chief Justice'of England is '•'.-.', a. man with varied interests; "as >a 9 " : : shown- when,' after the' Crippen 'trial, he i" • ■ went later in thp evening to witness the/'.-: condiision'of -the.billiard contest between; J' Inniiui and-Stevenson.for the- champion-' ship. In making, the presentation to .the ' winner,''he said, he had never. seen'' : 'a- ' finer player than' Stevenson. ./In his'" " college days'the Lbrd'.Cnief ,Justice\w'as.a:. :;: : noted runner, carrying, off the- prize "for"--:. the mile and two miles 1 in the 'Varsity: ■■'. sports. .But'perhaps of "all - his interests ■'.'.■ and.-gifts he is most-proud of-his voice. \ ' V(iv some yc-ars after. he becamo :■' Lord "'■•" Chief Justice he used'to sing-in, .'the ■ ; choir, at St. .Mary Abbot's, Kensington." '■''■■ On one , occasion* when, /as' Sir 'Uichanl ' '. Webster,, he had addressed a politic!.-. V meeting, he concluded .by singing tq'.thp y audience. His , solo, a■: sacred onef'.Wsl' 1, '* heard with oven more" ottention- than his > speech. ; • ' - '-:'.■',. "i!vj'.-.iv ; >. r . At -the .close a. ganntispinste'r ,rose--nt-"=' the back of the audience and said, .""With .-' your face, and your voice, .Sir. Richard; •- [ you ought to- -be," teaching, the '.'Gospel ' ' iruth to tho poor heathsus'instead•'.ol -'-" telling honest folk to. be; Sir : : •hdward Clarke can.'also sins;, a'song, and-.-"-there.is a.story that, at a festive gather---. in;; At--which" both were present a riiutua] ■. / friend received" successive confidences/'' '■' Sir-Edward Clarke said:. "Ah,. Webster,' ' rare good"fellow if only he, did- . not""..' : think ho could sing." And Sir Richard Webster confided': "I- have always hid ..' lh» highest regard for my friend ■ "Clark'e, but that voice of his—really,' someone; : . ought to tell ..him."- It- used 'to bo - wickedly suggested that when, tha present ■ ' Bishop of. Peterborough was vicar of■■■"••■" Kensington .he was in the .habit of '-; glancing apprehensively, at'the "roof whin '' '. his distinguished .chorister-was getting ■ his top notes. . .;;:;::, • : ; ;.,