The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1878-01-04
DIR. Thomas y. Lambert.

The trial and conviction of DR.. Thom-
as 5. Lambert in all probability closes
n strange career. A queercr fish rarely
entered the Tombs than the perjured
president of the American Popular Life
Insurance Company. lie was plausible
in manner, glib in tongue and had al
ways at hand fund of what went for
humor with his audiences. lie was not
devoid of common sense, but yet he i'm
pressed persons possessed of n kIowl-
edge of human nature as charlatan
and trickstcr. 1t is very hard for
those who have seen anything of him in
his lccturing tours to think otherwise
than kindly of him, though those who
were so unfortunate as to have put
money in his insurance scheme NAV
well be pardoncd for not taking their
losses good humorcdlv. The "doctorv
was what is known as an advanced
thinker lie took matcrialistic views
of the mind, and unless his grasp of Ian
guagc was as infrm as his hold on the
meaning Of an oath his theological ideas
were strongly tinctured with atheism.
lie was playing part all along, and he
avoided committing himself too strong
ly, though his affiliations were unques-
tionably with what is known as the lib
cral school of thought.
The doctor told the clerk at the
Tombs that he was filty-cight years of
age, a native of this country and ply
sician by profession. Whether he ever
graduated at any medical institution
we do not know, but it is certain that
he made his appearance many years ago
as lyccum lecturer on physiology. He
was, if ever there was one, q born lee
turcr. He never went deeply into his
subjects. He could make clear state
ment, and he had a happy faculty for
steering around objections or disposing
of them with joke. Until his appear
ance in court he never addressed an au-
dicncc in his life that he did not put in
to good humor.
DIR. Lambert was also temperance
man, and his attempt to tamper with
the jury was on account of his record
BILE request as talker at temperance
conventions and meetings, and as the
doctor was not burdcned with modestv,
If the projectors of meeting overlook
ed him he was not above calling their
attention to the oversight, and if, for
some reason or other, they did not find
a place for him, he would, if he thought
it worth while, attend the meeting and
find all opportunity to speak any way.
For long series Of years he has
made 1t habit TO attend educational
conventions. He had ready for the de-
light of an appreciative hearer fund
of anecdotes about the doings of such
bodies and the sayings of certain prom
inent men in the work of popular edu-
cation. He was in the habit of writing
for the press brief reports of these
meetings for the double purpose of Civ
ing himself status among their men,
bers and of making his existence known
in newspaper offices. And more than
one editor first became acquainted with
DR.. II. S. Lambert through the medium
of these reports.
lie also attended scientific meetings, J.,
and sought an opportunity to make
himself prominent on all occasions.
Some years ago he took part in the dis
cussions of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science, much
TO the disgust of many older members
of the association. The doctor had his
laugh and his notoricty. and he cared
nothing for the disgust of the "othcr
fellows"
lie had also a 'crazc' on the subject
Of brain food. lie advocated, whenever
opportunity offered, the eating of tripc,
onions and cheese for the purpose of
making the eaters brain grow larger
TO give a practical cXcmplifcaton of
his theory, he gave, three or four years
ago, "brain food'' dinner in n we'll
known restaurant of this city TO num-
Der of persons. The world is vet in ig-
norance what effect this dinner had on
the brains of the diners.
The idea on which his life insurance
company was ostensibly founded was
this, that in getting at the probability
of PERSONS life, the longevity of his
ancestry and facts of this kind ought to
be taken into account. This may or
may not be true. There can be nothing
against trying it in any case. But the
doctors mode of conducting business
according TO the sworn testimony in the
case, was such that his theory made not
the slightest difference to the insured.
They got nothing because there was
never anything in the company but the
deposit at Albany.
The conviction of Case and Lambert
will make presidents of corporations
more careful what they swear. Perjury
has an ugly sound, and all the way
from five to ten years in the state pris
on still uglier. We are in a fair wa,
to the publication, in pant at least, O
the scandals of corporate management
Case and Lambert are the first exam
pies, though they ought not to be til,
last New York Graphic.