Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-03-28
IN OUR OWN STATE.
JUDGE RUSSELL s. TAFT DEAD.
Chief Judge Of the Vermont Supreme
Court and One Of the Keenest Minds
in Vermont.

Chief Judge Russell s. Taft of the
Vermont Supreme Court died Saturday
morning from fatty degeneration of the
heart at his home on South Union street,
Burlington. after an Illness of three
weeks. He was born in Williston
Jan. 2S. 1895. and after attending the com
mon schools and the academies at Willis
ton and Newbury went to Burlington in
1858 to study law, first in the office of
George 2. Edmunds aud later in the office
of Hon. Torrey y. Wales. He was ad-
mtted to the bar Nov -, 1856 and
on the following Jan. LIST was admitted
to partnership With Judge Wales. with
whom he was associated q years.
He was selectman of the town of Bur
lington from 1861 to 1864 and an alderman
of the city of Burlington from 1865 to
1869. He was states attorney for Chit
tenden county from 1862 to 1865; a State
senator in 1865 and 1866 city attorney of
Burlington In 1871 and 1872; register of the
probate court, 1863 to 1880; and lleuten-
ant-governor of the State in 1924. In
1880 he represented the city of Burlington
in the Legislature. AT the same session
he was elected assistant judge of the
supreme court. He was binnally re-
elected and on Jan. q, 1899, became chief
judge, on the appointment of Judge Ross
as United States senator. In religious
preference, he was classed, in the iegis-
lative directories sometimes as a Univer-
salist and sometimes as ''materialist"
He was twice married and is survived by
his second wife and one son.
The Burlington Free Press said editor
tally
Judge Taft was an able lawyer and a
remarkably sound, upright and Just Judge.
He had a phenomenal memory: was espe-
cially conversant with the decisions of
Vermont courts, and in disposing of cases
was apt to apply to them. the law. as
contained in the Vermont Statutes. ra Their
than the statutes of other states and
jurisdictions. His devotion to his judicial
duties was absolute. 1t Is said of him
that In his twenty-five years of service
on the supreme bench no court ever ad-
journed its session by reason of his alb
sence, and he never missed a case In his
supreme court work. He tried sol cases
by jury, of which only one in ten was
reversed. OF state cases he tried 166 by
jury, in which only eight judgments were
reversed. He was a firm friend of tenn
perance and of the prohibitory law. While
eminently considerable and willing to re-
solve doubts in favor of the respondent in
criminal cases, he had the strongest re-
spect for established law, and "A keen
sense of right and wrong. and he did not
willingly allow the guilty to escape the
just penalty of their misdeeds. In the in
terVals of his judicial duties he had OPP
portunity to crafty his literary tastes.
He was interested in early printing and
had a large collection of books printed
during the first century of the art of
printing than is to be found in any other
private library in Vermont"
He was greatly interested in local his
tory and wrote several important articles
of this nature. His sketch of the Yer
mont supreme court was published in the
Green Bag in 1894.
Judge Tafts funeral was held at Bur
| lington Tuesday. Rev. ]. ]. Lewis of
Boston officiated. and a quartet of mixed
voices sang. The honorary bearers were
Judges John w. Rowell of Randolph,
James NJ. Tyler of Brattleboro Loveland
Munson of Manchester Henry r. Start of
| Bakersfield. John II. Watson of Montpe-
lier and Wendell p Stafford of St Johns
bury. The active bearers and the ushers
were members of the Chittenden county
bar. Gov. Stickney and many members of
the bar throughout Vermont were in at
| tendance. Tributes to Judge Taft were
paid by Judge ]. NJ. Tyler of Brattleboro
| for the bench. and Judge Torrey f. Wales
of Burlington the dean of the Chttenden
county bar, for his associates.