Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-07-02
Death of Hon. Richard Fletcher.

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The Hon. RICHARD FLETCHER, ma
tive of Cavendish, died in Boston, on
Monday the Dist ult., at the age OF 81
years and 5 months. He was brother
of Ex.Gov. Fletcher of Proctorsville,
and Rev. Horace Fletcher of Townshend.
The Boston Traveller has notice of him,
which we copy below with one or two
corrections, one of which is that instead
of studying law at Cambridge, he stud
led in the office of Daniel Webster. then
Of Portsmouth, N. II. The article is as
follows:
"Judge Fletcher had been in feeble
health for some time, has rarely been
seen in our streets for year or two past.
and of late has been entirely confined to
his chamber; and his death was not
therefore unexpected.
Mr.. Fletcher was born in Cavendish,
VT, January 9Th, 1888; graduated at
Dartmouth college in 1906, in the class
with Hon. Samuel Fessenden of Maine,
Hon. Mathew Harvey of New Hamp-
shire, Hon. Albion X. Paris of Maine,
and Rev. Asa Randall we'll known and
distinguished men. He studied law in
the office of Daniel Webster, then of
Portsmouth, N. ii. In 1916 he was
made Doctor of Laws by his alma mater,
and in 1913 received the honorary de-
gree of Ill. ID. from Harvard Universe
ty. He first practised law in New
Hampshire, and won a high reputation
there for his eloquence, ability and
acuteness. He opened an office in Bos
ton somewhere about 1921, but still con-
tinued to practice in all the New Hamp-
shire courts, being retained as senior
council in numerous important cases.
He was representative to the General
Court of Massachusetts, and was a men,
Der of Congress for 1879. He was
appointed Judge of the Supreme Court
of Massachusetts in 1913; but retained
the office only about five years, when he
returned again to the practice of law,
which he continued-employed chiefly
in chamber practice-until his growing
years and infrmties disabled him.
Soon after his settlement in Boston,
Mr.. Fletcher became constant attend
ant on the preaching of the elder Dr.
Beecher, in the old Hanover street meet
ing house; and probably then decided
on the Christian course which he ever
afterwards steadily pursued. In 1880
he made public profession of religion,
and united with the old Federal-street
Baptist church-now Clarendon-street
church-then under the pastoral care of
the Rev. DIR. Howard Malcolm.
From that time, to the time of his old
age and extreme feebleness, he remained
an active and influential, and most re-
spected and beloved member of that
church. For several years he was SUI
1 perintendent of their Sabbath school /;
and afterwards was for years the teach
er Of large Bible class of young men.
He was at one time elected deacon of
the church; but, after thanking his
brethren for the confidence in him which
their votes implied, he declined the hon
or, on the ground that he, unfortunately,
had not one of the prominent qualifca-
tions for deacon he was not +" the
husband of enc wife" He was never
married.
Judge Fletcher was personally one Of
the most social and agreeable of men,
He was, in his earlier days, as will be
remembered by some of our old citizens
an orator of great power fluent and ele-
CANT in diction, bright and sparkling in
thought, keen and quick in repartee.-
He was about the last of that famous
race of New Hampshire lawyers, who
fiourished half century or so ago
among whom were numbered Daniel and
Ezekiel Webster, Jeremiah Mason, Jer-
emiah Smith, Levi Woodbury., George
Sullivan, Ichabod Bartlett, Joseph Bell,
and other great men who have passed
away, the like of whom, it may be, New
Hampshire will never again see together
at any of her courts.