The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-04-07
Y. R. c. GIDDINGS
 DEAN OF FAIRFIELD
 COUNTY BAR, DEAD
Practicing Lawyer for More Than Half Century, 42 Years In This Vicinity

an RenSSeIaer C. (F1do1ngS, dean or
 the Fairfield county bar, died this morning at his home. s5s Clinton ave- nue, after an illness of about two months from heart trouble. MT. Gid dings death was not unexpected among his intimate friends, though tho serious nature of his illness was not generally known. He had been bed- ridden for nearly two months, and was
 so weakened that he was unable to withstand the ravages of pneumonta
 when. few days ago. it developed MT. Giddings was a native of New Milford, Conn, where he was born 79 years ago. He had been practicing law for more than half a centurys hav-s ing been admitted to the bar in 1862. after compIetdng his preparations for a legal career at the Yale Law school
 Mr. Giddings began life in the mer- l tantiIe world but law proved more 1 inviting to him than that business, and at the age of q he qualified for legal practice. His first legal actfvi- ties were in Wfnsted. and later he re- l moved to the nearby town of Ply mouth where he was judge of probate. ] Then h5 xefnSwed to what was fh@ns
 known as West Stratford, living near I the junction of Stratford and Seayiew Iavenues, and serving as judge of the West Stratford town court before that section became a part of the city of
 Bridgeport I Mr. Gfddings was always Repuk- l 1fcan, and while in the prime of life was president of the Tippecanoe chor- us, a lively political organization of singers. After he became g. resident of Bridgeport through the consolida> l ton of West Stratford, he became H- ! qlHor prosecutor Of Bridgeport city. court and later became the prosecut- i ing attorney of the court. He filled this position for eight years.
 | ffaA raar ri I of Giddings & Hughes was formed, l MT Giddings' associate being Frank l J. Hughes, now a member of the 1 board of assessors. The partnership continued until the present time. MT. Giddfngs was for many years a
 widower. He had two daughters, one of whom died very young. The other.
 Ida. the wife of Warren B. Nichols, E1oet her life in a. sea tragedy in the Biscayne Bay, off Niama, Fla, in 1898. ] rents, MT. and Mrs. Bradley Nichols, I were drowned when a saflboat foun-
 dered in sqnan The only survivor of the NFchols family was Miss Min nde L. Nichols, then a little girl, who
 had been left North. The property
 of the Nichols family came into the possession of the MttIe girl. So ex-
 tensiFe were the real estate holdings l that Mir. Giddings, who became her l guardian, was obliged to give up a |
 agenent Of them
 MT. Gfddings came to be regarded
 as expert on land values, and his l advice was often sought in the pIac- 1 ing of mortgage loans in Bridgeport. MT. Giddings spent considerable time in hunting and fishing. He was an enthusiastic sportsman, and even in late years, when he was long past three score and ten, he often accom- plished leng trips. in the woods and on the shore that would daunt many a youger man. He was a member of 1 a younger man. He was a member of lion of sportsmen who have big game preserves in the province Of Quebec. His fraternal activities were confin- l ed to Masonic circles. He was mem- l Der of St. Johns lodge of Masons He
 was a member Of the South Congrega-
 tiona1 church, and while not much I given to social activity, was a mem Der of the Seaside and the BrookIawn l Country clubs.
 1 The funeral services will be held at l the Giddings home, Clinton avenue, l at 7:3S tomorrow evening, and the re- mains will be taken to New Milford on 1 the 9:49 train on Thursday morning, l for interment in the Giddings family i plot.
 MT. Giddings was the oldest prac- I ticing lawyer in~F'airf1eld county, and 1 when the bar gathered, he was usual l 1y accorded the chairmanship of the 1 meetings. out of deference to his ad-. vanced years.
 Rev. Father Pankovski, pastor of I