The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-12-06

| (3) 1t is undeniable that there were some
features of Judge Chambers character to Justify
| the harsh judgment the novelist passes unon
uln; ou, me best opinion Is that Thompson has
| panied nm In coors too black. He was Ger.
| fanny man of considerable ability, suaye and
| ohgniled in demeanor, and perhaps the most
| ln'luenual among the early settlers on the
Erahts, being appointed Justice of the peace
surrogate of the county, colonel of militia and
| Judge of the inferior court of common peas
| under New York authority, and held all these
| appointments when the county of Cumberland
was reorgani2ed by the Crown He was troubled
with divided sympathies in the Westminster
analr, ana perhaps also lacked the aggressive.
ness necessary TO steer through such diligently
| Like all judges he naturally had a pretty good
| oplnl0n OF the dignity and Importance OF his
court and was reluctant To have Its sitting inter
iereu WIN But he was also IN sympathy with
the popular cause, had presided at meetings in
chester pledging resistance to the oppressive
measures of the Crown, and had even gone so
iar as to say to a delegation of settlers that he
.'as things then were" But after reaching
westminster he evidently yielded to the more
vehement loyalty of his associate, Judge Sabin,
should sit or not should not be a matter of de.
bate and concluded 10 convene the court,
though he promised. doubtless sincerely that
he should listen to the grievances of the people
and eNerted himself to avert the violence that
followed.
The opinion ut the time was general that he
was, by his double dealing, more responsible for
tne oioohsheu IMAM any one else, and II ruined
his future usefulness. Though he was on the
patriot side in the Revolution, he was very little
trusted and held no further public position.
Financial soon followed political ruin. The
cause, as Thompson charges, was "a long course
of secret fraud In selling wild lands 10 which he
had no tile"-a very common practise in those
days, and 1t is remarkable how often an invest.
CATION Of the best land titles today will lead back
to nothing but simple steal Thompson's
charge does not seem to be satisfactorily proved,
but there is no DOUBT of the fact of Chandlers
deep money troubles, and he WAS sent to jail at
Westminster by his creditors, and died there
June 20, l1S), at the age of 70. Only four DAYS
before the legislature. which had once refused
1t, passed an act OF insolvency in his favor; but
he died without knowing it. and WIS buried pri- |
yately without funeral services, owing to the
superstition then prevalent about the inhuma.
ton of the body of an imprisoned debtor. For
years after the stump of tree in one corner of
the 'old Westminster churchyari' was the |
mark, and the only one, of his grave.
Similarly wretched was the fate of his two
sons, who came with him from Connecticut, |
both prominent office holders before the revo |
luton. John the oldest, county clerk and judge |
for six years, was removed from the former |
place for misconduct, and went into obscurity |
except for case that appeared in the legtsla |
ture in ISL where he tried to recover tract of |
5000 acres in Tomnson tGrafon) that he had |
unlawtuily decided as attorney for Il Tory after |
the latter had joined the enemy. Thomas Jr,
an assistant judge, delegate to various pre-rcyo-
utiOnary conventions, commissioner on seques-
Irated estates, legislator, councillor, secretary
Of state and finally speaker of the assembly was
ruined politically by the attack of Capt Wright
for actingga attorney for negro and also by a
,harge that he invited the Westminster massa.
re by misleading the sons of liberty as to his
fathers intentions. He held one or two minor
Offices afterward county judge and town rep
resentativc, but never could regain his old hold,
and died toward the end of the century in pOv-
erty and dlscredit, having applied like his faith,
ar for an act of insolvency.