Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1925-10-30
RICHARD E. BYRD
DIES In RICHMOND
Father of Next Governor
Funeral Monday

night, october 20, after brief i'll
ness. A complication of disease
caused his death That he was NO
considered in a critical condition il
evidenced by the fact that neithe
of his sons, Senator Byrd and Lieut..
Commander Richard E. Byrd, Jr.
were in Richmond at the time o.
his death, although the former was
in Winchester and the latter il
Washington. One son, Thomas E
Byrd, prominent orchardist oi
Timberville, and his wife were at the
bedside when the noted attorney
passed away.
Except in his own county, Freder-
lex, where he first began the prac-
tice CT law and where for a time he
was associated with Representative
Thomas w. Harrison in the law firm
of BYRD and Harrison, Mr. Byrd was
probably better known in Shenan-
doah County than any outside attor-
ney who practieed at the local bar.
Before going to Richmond, and in
his earlier years he was associated
in much of the litigation in this
county, and in later years he has
frequently appeared as attorney in
the local courts.
A Power In Hastings
he
one of the powers in the hastings in
the days of the bitter contest between
Readjusters and Funders, and his
voice was heard on the stump at
almost every precinct in Shenandoah
county when as young man he was
laying the foundation for the prom
inence which won for him State and
national recognition in many impor-
tant offices.
His death came as distinct shock
to the members of the Shenandoah
County bar and to hundreds of citi-
Gems who knew him personally and
knew of him because of his reputa-
ton as lawyer, lawmaker and editor
Born In Texas
Richard Evelyn Byrd was born in
Texas. August IS, 1860, son of
Coonel William and Kennie (Rivers)
Byrd Col William Byrd, his faith
Ell. was descendant of the fifth gen
Grafton of the first William Byrd of
Westover. He went to Texas, be-
came adjutant general of that State,
served with the rank of colonel in
the Confederate Army, and at the
close of the war returned to Vir-
ginia and practiced law at Winches-
ter.
Attended Winchester Schools
Richard Evelyn Byrd was five
years of age when his parents re-
turned to Virginia and he attended
school at Winchester, the Shenan
doah Valley Academy; was a student
at the University of Virginia from
1879 to 1881 and in the University
of Maryland in 1SS2-S3. He was
admitted to the Virginia bar in
1884, and in the same year was
elected Commonwealth Attorney
of Frederick Couny, an Office he held
/ for 20 years, until 1904. He was
elected and served as member of
the House of Delegates from 1906
to 1914, and was speaker of the
House from 1908 to 1914.
Opposed Federal Income Tax
AS Speaker of the House of Dele
gates, Mr. Byrd opposed the ratii-
cation by Virginia of the amendment
to the Federal constitution providing
for the levy of an income tax by
the Washington government. He
held that the raising of revenue by
income tax was distinctly state
right, and was never intended by the
founders of this country to be TAX
en- over by the central government
His opinion was praised by the New
York Sun as the ablest legal paper
against extending the income-taxins
power to the Washington govern
ment ever written. While a mem
Der of the House of Delegates, Mr.
Byrd framed and had enacted tn,
byrd law" which closed all saloons
in rural sections of Virginia having
no immediate police protection
When he retired from the Genera
Assembly. his colleagues, in paying
tribute to him, called him "the great
est Speaker of the House of thei
day
Led Wilson's Fight in Virginia
Mr.. Byrd espoused the cause 0
Woodrow Wilson for the Democrat
nomination before the then New
Jersey Governor announced his can
didacy. He was one of the origina
Wilson men" He was a factor il
securing an uninstructed delegation
to the Baltimore convention, whicl
paved the way for the Wilson dele
gates from Virginia to cast thei
votes for this great son of yirgini
for the nomination.
The President, early in the tern
appointed Mr.. Byrd United State
District Attorney for the Wester
District of Virginia, which he hel
: from April IA, 1914. until he r,
T signed as special assistant to the
y signed June /, 1920. He then serve
as special assistant to the Attorne