Evening star., 1932-12-26
levi COOKE, NOTED |
ATTORNEY, D|ES|
Was Authority on Constitu.
tionaI Law and Former
Newspaper Man.

Levi Cooke, one of the outstanding
lawyers of the National Capital, widely
known authority on constitutional law
and former newspaper man, died at his
home late Saturday night following a
brief illness due to heart trouble. He
had been confined to his home and to
bed on Friday and Saturday, but early
Saturday evening had been pronounced
out OF danger. However, relapse
came just before midnight.
Mr.. Cookies outstanding work was
that for the adoption of constitutional
amendment to abolish the So-called
lame duck" sessions Of Congress and
to change the date Of the presidential
inauguration. He served as chairman
of the American Bar Associations
Special Committee that led the fight for
this reform. The resolution to this end
now has the approval of Congress and
Of II States.
Funeral Rites Simple.
Funeral services, which will be SIM
pie. will be held at his late residence,
2409 Wyoming avenue, tomorrow after
noon at 3 o'clock Rev. Ze Barney T.
Phillips, rector Of Epiphany Episcopal
Church. will be the officiating clergy
man. Honorary pal!bearers include the
following: George E. Hamilton, James
A. Emery, c. F. r. Ogilby, George r.
Beneman, Clarence A. Aspinwall Arlon
v. Cushman, j. Spaulding Flannery
and Charles M. Lewis, all of Washing
ton. and A. Julius Freiberg of Cincin-
natl. Ohio, and Walter Murphy of Sails
bury, N. c. Interment will be in Oak
Hill Cemetery.
Among honors that came to Mr.
Cooke was his appointment In 1920 by
the United States Supreme Court as
master in case in which PENNSYLVANIA
and Ohio brought action against West
Virginia in a natural gas controversy
involving interstate law. He also served
as legislative representative of the
united States Brewers Association and
only recently gave expert testimony be-
fore the House WavS and Means Com
mlttee on the pending Collier beer bill.
He also represented the National Whole
sale Liquor Dealers Association He
was widely known among members of
the bar OF Great Britain and made fire.
quent trips abroad in pursuance of
legal Investigations
Mr.. Cooke, who was born in Waynes-
vile. Ohio. October 10, 1882. came of
South Carolinian Quaker ancestry. Dur
ing boyhood he lived in Columbus.
where he graduated from North High
School, and studied for two years at
ONO State University.
Was Columbus Reporter.
He early embarked on newspaper
work serving as a reporter on the Co
lumouS Citizen. In 1901 he was on the
staff Of the Chicago American. and
later was reporter in New York for
several metropolitan dailies. He came
to Washington as a member of the
washington Bureau of the Publishers
Press and served also on the Scripps-
McCrae Press. In these posts he de-
voted his time largely to political mat
ters Coincident with his journalistic
duties here he studied law at George
Washington: graduated in 1906, and
was admitted to the District bar fol-
lowing graduation.
Both his newspaper and his legal
work brought him into intimate con-
tact with many famous men by whom
he was highly esteemed.
Surviving Mr. Cooke are his wife. who
was formerly Miss Mary Parker Warner.
daughter of the late Brainerd H War
nHr sss2 OF d1S this city city two da1gteGs the
students at Bryn Mawr College, and a
sister Miss Laura K. Cooke
Mr.. Cooke was member Of the Met
ropolitan. Chevy Chase, Racquet. AL
falfa. University, Press and Lawyers
Clubs Of Washington; the Blue Ridge
Rod and Gun Club, the Bohemian Club
of California. and the Pendennis Club
of Louisville, Ky.