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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND 11
higher alliance to the majesty of the law. His diligence and energy in the
preparation of his cases as well as the earnestness, tenacity and courage with
which he defended the right, as he understood it, challenged the highest admiration
of his associates. He invariably sought to present his arguments in the
strong, clear light of common reason and sound, logical principle. He made rapid
advance and when only twenty-six years of age his law practice exceeded that
of any other attorney of Lorain county. He was connected with every cause
of consequence held in the county court and with many important litigated interests
in adjoining counties. He acted as counsel in nearly all, if not every
case, taken from his home county to the supreme court and he proved himself
a foe worthy the steel of the ablest lawyers in the country. In 1862, as the result
of popular suffrage, he was called to the common pleas bench and after a
service of five years was reelected and entered upon his second term, which he
voluntarily completed by resigning in 1869. In that year he removed to Cleveland
and at once entered upon the active practice of law in Ohio's metropolis,
his ability winning him national fame. For a time he was in partnership with
F. T. Bachus and E. J. Estep, and later was associated with W. B. Sanders and
J. E. Ingersoll. Judge Burke did not specialize in any particular branch of
practice but was equaly at home in all departments of the law and was called
to various sections of the state in his professional capacity. He was the leading
lawyer in a number of cases that attracted national attention. He represented
corporations in cases growing out of the Atlantic & Great Western Railway manipulation;
a case involving the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis
Railway with the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railway as the opponent; a
case involving the constitutionality of the Scott liquor law; the great Hocking
Valley Railroad arbitration case; and a large number of others of equal importance
in which not only large financial interests but also important legal measures
were involved.
His association with railroad litigation soon led Judge Burke into railroad ownership
and he became recognized as one of the largest and ablest of the
railway owners and capitalists in the west. For many years he was general
counsel for the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis Railroad, was
a member of its board of directors, was chairman of its financial and executive
committees and also served as vice president and as president of the company.
He likewise acted as the second officer and as the chief executive of the Indianapolis
& St. Louis Railway Company and for years was connected with the
directorate of the Cincinnati & Springfield, the Dayton & Michigan, the Cincinnati,
Hamilton & Dayton, the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Indianapolis, the New
York, Chicago & St. Louis and the Central Ontario Railroad Companies. It was
Judge Burke who formulated and carried into effect the plan for the consolidation
of certain weak roads with the Columbus, Hocking Valley & Toledo
Railroad. After the task was successfully accomplished he took active part in
the management of the company, holding the position of vice president and president
and cooperating in all important movements of the corporation. He was
the financial genius of the enterprise and also the promoter of its activities. It
was Judge Burke who conducted for William H. Vanderbilt the negotiations
which resulted in the purchase of the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad,
known as the Nickel Plate. For many years he was the president of the Toledo
& Ohio Central, the Cleveland & Mahoning Valley, the Kanawha & Michigan
and the Central Ontario Railway Companies. Into other fields he extended his
activities and his enterprise, becoming one of the leading stockholders and president
of the Canadian Copper Company, a concern which owned the largest nickel
mines in the world and furnished that used in the construction of the nickel
steel armor for the United States government.
On the 28th of April, 1849, Judge Burke was married to Miss Parthenia
Poppleton, a daughter of the Rev. Samuel Poppleton, of Richland county, Ohio.
Her death occurred April 7, 1878, and on the 22d of June, 1882, Judge Burke
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