Evening journal., 1902-08-27
.EIsC.ss bird dies SUDDENLY
ATHILLTOP, HIS COUNTRY HOME
eVed Success Early in His Career aud Since Has
Been the Most Prominent Man Before State
Bar Story Of His Life

Blackburn and Eva Syzwanski VS.. f.
( Blumenthal & Co.. The interests Of
these clients, as we'll. aus those of the
corporations for which Mr.. Bird was
attorney, will he protected by Andrew
E Sanborn, the junior MEMBER Of the
law firm Of Bird & Sanborn.
Large Damages Involved
Ever since his entrance TO the bar
Mr.. Bird was involved in all the cases
in which large damages were sought
1t is said he won nearly half million
dollars damages, and saved corpora
tions equally ais much. Although these
successes brought him great financial
gain, he died possessed of but little
wealth. He was liberal to a fault, and
to this is attributed the present small
estate.
He was most successful in his de-
fense on rule days to make answer to
the cases on the list in which he was
I interested.
But Mr.. Bird was not only distin-
guished civil lawyer; he was a criminal
lawyer of note as well. One Of his early
cases of this character was the Jerry
Harrigan murder trial. The murder Of
Mrs. Harrigan's paramour is yet fresh
in the minds of many people Of the
State, and, although it was a shocking
crime, it is believed by many lawyers
of the city that HarTigan would not
have been convicted had not the at
mosphere of the court been against
I him. Jerry had bad reputation,
which brought about his conviction.
4 But Mr.. Bird thought his client was IN
4 Justly punished, and with persistency
., he labored for the release Of Harrigan
until the Board of Pardons last year
concluded to restore the man to lib
Ierty.
The last criminal case Of prominence
in which Mr.. Bird was interested was
that of the State vs.. John Lynn. The
2 strength of his defense in that action
and how he fought to the last to save
his client from a long term of impris-
= onment, is knowledge fresh in the rec
ollection Of the people of the city. He
, was opposed by public sentiment just
as he was in the Harrigan case, and
of course, lost his fight.
Arranging for Funeral
Jordan A. Wilson brought the body
to the Bird residence, No. 1925 Market
street. late this afternoon, where the
funeral service of the Episcopal Church
5 will be held. No date has been fixed as
+ yet. Members of the bench and bar
5 will attend, and the Bar Association
E of the county will meet later to draft
( resolutions on the death of their fell
e low member
! His Life
{ Levi c. Bird was one of the mos
4 prominent and successful members o.
the New Castle county bar. He was
e born in Christiana hundred, near viii
I mington, in 1912. His ancestors OF
. both his mother and fathers side wer,
Delawareans, the latter, James T. Bird
e being born in st. Georges hundred
d near Summit Bridge, in the old Bir,
o homestead; while the former, Susal
o Clark-Bird, was the daughter OF Lev
q Clark Ga lifelong resident of Red Liol
S hundred.
+ Mr.. Birds early life was spent on hi
i fathers farm near this city, the rudi
/, ments of his education being obtainel
a at Hyatt's Academy in Wilmington. H
d prepared for college at Lawrenceville
o n. j., graduating from the Law Schoo
d at Harvard College in 1863. Upon hi
r return to Wilmington he entered tn
law office of the Hon. Daniel N
Bates, and was admitted to the bar o
New Castle county in 1865. His in
u tuitive knowledge Of men, diligent ap
plicatiOn and enthusiastic devotion I
the interests of his clients, soon place
y Mr.. Bird in the front rank of youn
y lawyers, and secured for him larg
and remunerative practice. In 1867 h
Z was appointed register in bankruptc
of the United States District Court 70
e Delaware, continuing in this office un
y til 1877. In politics he always was
y staunch Republican, and in 1876 ran 70
Congress on the Republican ticekt,
q ing defeated after an unusually spirite
e contest.
e In the practice OF his profession h
Il acquired a reputation second to non
d as a criminal lawyer, but of late year
e he devoted his time more to civil busi
II ness, in which he attained marked sue
cess. At the time of his death he wa
: the annual counsel for the BaltimoT
q and Ohio Railroad Company and off
ciated in similar capacity for nun
5. Der of the largest corporations. Hi
, magnetism and exceptional talent a
It an attorney are matters of record
, Wilmington and vicinity.
r. Mr. Bird and Mrs. Mabel FlorenC
L Bayard Kane, daughter OF the LAT
'e Hon. James A. Bayard, and sister {
Ie the late Hon. Thomas Il. Bayard, wei
Il married in June 1887. She died on NJ
> vember 16. 1897. They had no chi
r. dren.
TLtrI