The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-11-29


The Late Judge Baird OF Washington
county l,H.---A Brief Notice of his
Life and CRreeT-.-EHiS Position aS an
Eminent Lawyer.
FTOm he. Warrington Reporter
Hon. Thomas II. Baird, who was
wldel y known to the people of our
county, and especially to our older ci:-
iZens, died on Thursday of last week,
at the residence of his son-in-law,
Charles Mcknight, Esq, in the 10th
year of his age. A few days prior to
his deceHse, in company with his wife,
he had left his home near Monongahela
city, for the purpose of paying visit
to the family Of Mr.. Mcknight, and
while there was seized with the illness
which carried him of.
Judge Baird, AS will be seen from the
proceedings of the Bar, which we pub
lish elsewhere, was native of our
town, having been born here in 1897.
In early life he had the misfortune to
lose his father, and being left in COM
parntively limited circumstances, was
thrown chiefly upon his own resources,
and therefore commenced his career
with no capital but n vigorous intellect
and firm resolve to surmOunt the OBJ
stacles that poverty had thrown in his
way. Having been educated for tho
legal profession he was admitted to the
Bar Immediately after reaching his ma
Jority. Possessing talents of the high
est order, and devoting himself most
aSSidiOuSly to the duties of his calling
he rapidly rose to eminenCe in his pro-
fessiOn, and was soon the recipient OF Il
most extensive and lucrative practice
His close application and extraordinary
aptitude for the practice of law are seen
to this day in the numerous papers he
has left on file among the records of
our court, and which AS models of care
and nentness, stand out in marked con-
trast with those of most lawyers of the
present day.
1t will not be expected that we who
were entire strangers to the deceased
should trace in detail his rapid rise to
eninence, or dwell at length on the
many VirtTSeS that were eXemplified in
his character. That duty has been
more ably and satisfactorily performed
by gentlemen who knew him ns the
successful lawyer, the distinguished
judge, the profound and accomplished
scholar, the public spirited and enter
prising citizen, the kind and devoted
husband and father, and above all tho
sincere and humble Christian. Ours is
the humber duty of chronicling. in
simple and becoming phrase, the fact
that II great mRn-one who half n CEN
tury ago was in the full tide of n sue
ceSSIul public career, and thoroughly
identified with every interest prom0tiVe
OF either the moral or material welfare
of this community-has, at the ripe age
OF almost fourscOre, gone down 10 tho
grave, and that thus another link con-
Meeting us with the men of the past
generation has been severed.
The remains were brought to this
place and inferred in our cemetery on
sabbath last. Solemn and impressive
funeral services were held in the First
Presbyterian Church, DR.. Brownson,
and Reverond Messrs. Dodge and john
son officiating. AT the close of the ser
vices, the coffin was opened and an op-
p3rtunity given to such as wished, to
take last look at the departed, after
which the procession, consisting of the
clergy, physicians, relatives, members
OF tho bar in II body, as we'll as an un-
usually large number OF citizens moved
to the Cemetery.