The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-02-14
ARaISFEAD BURT.
Ex-Gov. Perry In the Groonviile RnterprIse
and Mountaiueer.

The sudden and unexpected death OF
this eminent lawyer and venerable gem
tleman, respected and esteemed by all
who knew him, WAS great shock to his
friends and .:ie State at large. He died
in his Office, all alone, of heart disease.
No one was present to hear his last words,
or watch over his dying struggle. When
found he was lying on his sofa, as if in
deep slum6er. His eyes were closed and
his arm across his breast. The features
of his face were uualtered aud his spirit
had departed, as it were, without strug-
gle.
The last time had tho pleasure Of
seeing him he was in fine health and
looking remarkably for man of his age.
He had been temperate ail his life, lived
prudently and wac remarkably we'll pre-
seryed. Seeing him and hearing him
converse, ono would have supposed that
he might have lived ten or fifteen years
longer. He was tall, fine looking gen!
tleman with a remarkably imposing
presence. He was cheerful in converse.
ton, entertaining his friends with his vie
and humor, as we'll as his learning and
wisdom. He was digni6ed in his man
ners, though courteous and affable to all.
1t may be eaid that he vas an accom-.
plished gentleman of the old school.
There were few men in South Carolina.
with whenl I had been mo7s intimate.
and none Cor wL,m entertained more
sincere regard. His dezth seems TO have
deprived me Of the last of my Intimate
contemporaries. He was three years my
senior; our intimacy commenced with
my admission to the bar. He kindly
offered me an opportunity of making my
tirst speech at the bar, in murder case,
tried at Old Perdleton, few months
after my admission to practice. It was q
dreadful case of man killing his wife
and the only witness against him was his
own daughter, only fourteen or fifteen
years old
Mr.. Burt was born in Edgefeid Dis
trict, November, 1902, and was conse-
quently in the eighty.first year of his
age at the lime of his death. His father,
who represented that district in the State
Senate, moved to Pendleton when Armi-
stead was q small :, and there he grew
up and was educa.vd in the Pendleton
Academy. Although Mr. Burt was not
graduate of any college, yet he wss emo
classical scholar, and few men in the
State had better knowledge of the En-.
glish language or spoke it with more
correctness and purity. He was artistic
in his choice and use of words, on all
occasions, whether speaking, censuring
or writing. He read law with Hon.
Warren r. Davis and was admitted to
the bar in 1928. He commenced the
practice of his profession at Pendleton
and remained there till his marriage in
1928, when he moved TO Abbeville.
Mr.. Burt had commanding practice
at both these places, although he had TO
contend with Warren +. Davis and
Thomas Harrison aud Judge Earle at
Pendleton, and with Governor Noble,
Judge Wardlaw, Col. Perrin, Judge Nc
Gowan, Judge Thomson, Judge Cothran
and Others at Abbeville. He was elected
member of the State Convention, call.
ed to nullify the tariff law, in 1882, and
he espoused the cause of notification
with great zeal and ability. He then
served several years in the Legislature as
q representative from Abbeyille. In
1843 he was elected o member of Con-
gress from the Districts of Edgefeld and
Abbeville by large majority over his
opponent, Col. Whitfield Brooks,- o gen.
tleman of learning aud talents, and a
member of the bar. He served in Con-
gress ten yeas and was reelected every
term without opposition. lie thsn be-
came tired of bis position and declined q
reelection.
After Mr. Burt's retirement from pub.
lie life he went to bis plantation on the
Savannah River. adjoining that of Gov.
ernor McDufie's, and occupied himself
in planting for two or three years. But
his partislity for tho bar drew him again
to tho practice of his loved profession.
He always delighted in it. If he was
not born lawyer he wAs certainly born
for one and proudly fulfilled his destiny.
Fer many gears during the latter naEs os
his life, no 6to6d confessed at the head of
hia profession. He was learned, possess.
ed most logical mind, very industrious
in studying his cases aud managed them
in court most successfully. AS criminal
lawyer he was unsurpassed, and many o
culprit owed his life to Mr. Burt. The
State reports will show the extent of his
practices and bis emineuce as a lawyer
e@sIn Congress Mr.. Burt did NOS take The
| stand which his talents and learning and
high-character entitled him to assume.
The bar was his great forte. He was q
lawyer and not statesman. Legislation
did not seem to suit the character of his
mind. In Congress he was difident and
did not trust himself forward in debate
as Others did with much less ability and
learning. But In court he had no diff
dence, and was always selfpossessed and
prepared for the conHict. He; saw the
strong points os his; case and presented
| .bar, IN tba cnurf and ;,,rc x,;,A r.n,x