Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1898-03-23
Charles Benjamin Eddy.

i
At the request Of the executive commit
tee OF the Vermont Bar association, Charles
F. Eddy of Boston has prepared in pamphlets
form an interesting sketch of the life o
his father, the late Charles Benjamin Eddy
oil Bellows Falls, lawyer who, in his time,
was engaged in many important cases and
was widely known in both Vermont and
New Hampshire. From this sketch the
following extracts are made:
"Charles Benjamin EDDY was born in
Rockingham. July 81, 1929. He traced
his ancestry back through seven genera.
tons to the Rev. William Eddye, A, M,
vicar of the church of St. Dunstan, Gran
brook, county OF Kent, England, from
1889 to 1916, the American progenitor OF
the family being Samuel Eddy, son of the
Rev. William Eddye, who, with his brother
John, emigrated to America, landed at
Plymouth, Mass, October 29. 1880, and
became one of the original purchasers OF
Middleboro, Mass, and large land owner
in other places.
The subject Of this sketch was the son
of Charles Eddy and Lucy (Rollins) Eddy
and physically and mentally was fortunate
in much of hereditary gifts, as shown in
the history of his paternal ancestry. Those
who knew Lucy (Rollins) Eddy were often
won't to say that she was a woman of
remarkable mental qualities; so in the son
were united the thoughtful conservatism
and the greater mental activity, perception
and vivacity of the mother.
Mr.. Eddy's education was obtained in
the common schools and in the academies
at Chester and Springfield. On the cata-
logue of Chester academy for the year
ending November, 1S46, are the names of
bis sisters, Alice A. Eddy and L. Maria
Eddy, and the name OF Sarah M. Spauld-
ing who became the faithful wife OF Charles
B. Eddy. Among his fellow students were
Lewis A. Grant, Gilbert A. Davis, Edwin
H. Stoughton and Charles B. Stoughton.
The next succeeding year must have
closed the academy days, for September 3.
1849, he was married to Sarah M. Spaul
ding, daughter of Asa Spaulding, OF Cav
endish. VT, and Immediately removed to
New Jersey, where for the most of thu
time until 1857 both he and his wife were
engaged as teachers in the public schools.
During this time he was registered as
a student in the Office of the late Henry
E. Stoughton and Lewis A Grant, at Bel
lows Falls, and was admitted to the Wind
ham County Bar at the April term, 1858.
For the first year after his admission to
the bar, Mr.. Eddy remained in the employ
ment of his preceptors, and in the spring
Of 1889 he opened his first law office in
Bellows Falls. One of the pictures in the
memory OF my boyhood days is of his lead
ing me by the hand through the square in
Bellows Falls, and OF his then polnu. g GU
me two objects,-one the little obs rva-
tory or summer house with its flag staff, on
the top OF Fall Mountain, and the other
the building where he had engaged room
for an office.
This odest office had only become
fairly established in living way when tn
most destructive fire in the history of the
village, in 1861, swept it and most of The
business buildings in the square from
existence. A temporary place was secured
in the Office of Col. Asa Wentworth, until
a new building WIS erected on tue site Of
the first office, when he took ROOMS in the
new building, The library had become
replenished !; new furniture had been added
to the Office equipment when fire again, in
1867, drove him from his business home,
and the third Office WAS procured and occu-
pied. Again he was to be tried by fire.
On the morning of NJ arch !, 1870, the day
when he was intending to rem owe to new
ard more commodious quarters, all his
office furniture, books and papers, except
snail safe and contents, went down in
the debris of the burning building.
While Mr.. Eddy during many years had
part as senior counsel in nearly all the i'm
portant civil actions in Windham and some
other counties, he was also engaged in
many criminal causes, among which we're
several capital cases, such as the Fuller
mu, der trial at Bennine ION in Janu-ry,
1882. He YVES one of several counsel in
the vain endeavor to secure new trial in
tire noted case of Piair, twice reprieved
for the state in the Wooley case, the re-
spondent now serving life sentence. One
Of bis most notable victories was that in
the 'Fos,er case in Cheshire county, New
Hamp- hire, in which three nen were in
diced and tried for the murder of one Eos
ter at Keene. This trial continued through
four weeks of time and ended in verdict
OF not guilty as to all three of the accused
Among bis cherished possessions is found
a time-stained letter, dated Fort Cass,
April Z, 1864 from his brother, George
Chester Eddy. 1t is thus endorsed by Mr..
Eddy: The last letter that my brother
ever wrote me. He was private in Con-
peny E, Isl Mass, heavy artillery; cap
tured near the Weldon railroad in June,
1864 suffered at Anuersonville and died
at Millen, Ga, in October, 1864 In Mr..
Eddy's diary of 1889, under date of Feb
ruary IL, is tbis entry: William F. Eddy.
M. d., o. Chester, VT, my only brother,
died today ct 8 so A NJ. Sad news to me
Born Sepse mbe- 6, 1885, aged So years
These M moranda tell their own story of
the man and his brotherly love.
In the winter OF 1890-91, Mr.. Eddy
suffered an attack of la grippe, which
proved to be his fatal illness, for it re-
suited in that dread and incurable affection.
paresis. He lived until June 5, 1898,
when at the age of 63 years at his home on
Green street in Bellows Falls, he closed bis
eyes tor his last rest, peacefully as child
to its nights sleep"
II the Baby Is Cutting Teeth,
Be sure and use that old and well-tried rem
edy, Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup, for
children teething. 1t soothes the child,
softens the gums, allays all pain, cures wind