Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-01-02
THE MEN OF VERMONT.
7. RICHARD SKINNER.

Richard Skinner, the seventh governor
of Vermont. was a native of Connecticut,
having been born in Litchiied in that
State on the 3Oth day of May ITS
Early in life he was employed in store
in New Haven, in his native State, and
thus, in part, procured the means which
enabled him to obtain legal education, at
the cele5ated Law School in his native
town, then under the direction of that able
lawyer and profound jurist, Tapping
Reeve, l. L. d. Having completed his
studies at that school, ne was admitted to
practice in Litchfeld county in 1900, and
sometime during the same year, removed
to Manchester, Vermont, where he contin-
ued to reside till his death.
In 1901, being then but twenty-five
years of age, and having been IN the State
but single year, he was elected States
Attorney for the county OF Bennington.
AT this time, says one of our ablest Jurlsts,
speaking of another, " the office of States
Attorney was expected to be given to one
who would be able to sustain himself, and
to carry his cases securely without aid
against the combined talent and skill of
the bar, as, in important criminal prosecu-
tons, the prosecuting officer was very
likely to encounter an imposing array of
legal force ON the part of the defence"
That the people did not misjudge their
man, is evidenced by the fact that he con-
tinued to fill this office by successive an
nual elections till 1918, and was again
called upon to discharge the duties thereof
in 1Sl9,-and also from the fact, that
whilst still States Attorney, he ~,as in
1906 elected Judge OF Probate for the
Northern or Manchester District of Ben
nington county, and was reelected to the
latter office in 1907, 0S, 90, 10, II and
IL.
In 1918, he declined being a candidate
for reelection to either of the aforemen-
toned offices, and was elected one of the
six Members of Congress from Vermont.
He served only one term in Congress
and at the expiration thereof, in 1915, he
was chosen to represent the town of Man
chester in the Legislature of Vermont, and
during that session, was elected second
Associate Judge of the Supreme Court
In 1916 he was elected Chief Justice,
and was reelected in 1917, but declined
on account of the state of his health, and
resumed the practice of his profession at
Manchester.
Among the numerous trials in which
he was engaged, it may not be uninterest-
ing to mention the celebrated trial of
Stephen and Jesse Bourn for the murder of
their Uncle Russell Colvin. They were a.
bly, defended by Judge Skinner but without
avail, They were found guilty and sem
fenced t. be hung, but on the morning of
the day app, 'olnted for the execution, the
murdered maAs, Colvin himself, appeared
in Manchester a. ice and an perfect health.
In 1918 Judge ). kinner was called from
his retirement again IT, serve the public,
being that year elected to represent the
town OF Manchester, for the second time,
in the Legislature of Vermont, and on the
assembling of that body was chosen
Speaker.
In 1920 he was elected by the people,
Governor of the State, with great una
nimity, there being less than one thousand
votes polled against him, and, with SINH
lar unanimity, was reelected in 1921 and
and %. In his message to the Legisla-
ture in 1922 he declined reelection.
In 1928 he was again elected Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court, and was
reelected in 1924, 25, 26, II and 20.
Upon being officially informed of his cleo
ton to this office in 1928, he Immediately
declined, and upon the meeting of the
joint assembly, to fill the vacancy, thus
created, he was again elected. Such a
rare and unexpected compliment he did
not feel at liberty to decline, and therefore
continued on the bench during that year,
and at the close thereof retired to private
life.