Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-09-30
Ex-eov. c. }. eELL oEAo.
Former Chief Executive Expires Sud-
denly at New YORK.

denly at New IoFk.
Charles James Bell, governor of Yer
mont in 19O4-5, died suddenly of heart
failure Saturday night on g train in
Grand Central station, New York city, as
he was about to start for his home in
Walden, VT. He went to New York Fri
day to witness the Hudson-Fulton cele-
bration, and had been a guest at the
Manhattan hotel, but Saturday he felt i'll
and decided TO cut short his visit.
few minutes after boarding the train,
his fellow passengers noticed that he had
slipped from his seat. Before a physician
from the stations emergency hospital
could reach him, Mr.. Bell was dead,
heart failure being assigned as the cause.
AS he was travelling alone, he was in
Identified by papers found in his pockets.
When Mr.. Bell left home Friday be APP
peared in the best of health and in high
spirits. His health has not been good
the past summer and he suffered faint
| ing spell at church a week ago. At the
/ time it was supposed he had 9 slight at
tack of indigestion and when he left
home seemed to have fully recovered and
expressed himself as feeling better than
for some time.
/ At the time Of her husbands death,
I HAAbs BCAA rs NAnAAAhS y eA1t@A AZ A1AAAACT
ton, N. n. She drove to Walden, 40
miles, Sunday afternoon, accompanied by
her sister. She has received large num-
Der of kilograms of sympathy from all
parts OF Vermont and New England.
Charles James Bell was born in Walden
March 16, 1S45, son of James Dean and
caroline Warner Bell. His father was of
Scotch ancestry. John Austin Bell of
Scotland was the first Of this family to
bear the name. He invented the tulip
shaped bell now in common use. This
invention brought him into royal favor
and he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth,
assuming the name Of Bell. James, g de-
scendant, came to America and settled in
Lyme, n. H., and of this branch Govern
or Bell was q descendant.
4 He was educated in the common
schools of his native town and at
Peacham academy. At IL be enlisted in
Co. B. 18th Vermont Volunteers, after
ward re-enlisting in Co. G, LIST Vermont
cavalry, in which he served as corporal.
He was wounded just before the close OF
the war.
In Walden he served as school director
and selectman and in 1882 represented
that town in the legislature. His next
pu bile office was that OF senator from
Caledonia county in 1894, being that year
appointed by Governor Woodbury. as g
member of the board of railroad commits
sioners. He served as q member Of the
board Of agriculture in 1878 and as sec
rotary OF the board from 1899 to 1904.
He was secretary of the state board of cat
tie commissioners from 1899 to 1902,
treasurer of the Vermont State Grange
from 1872 to 1894 and master Of the State
Grange from 1894 to 1896. He also
served two terms of three years each as q
member of the executive court of the Ma
tionaI Grange.
In July, 1904, Mr.. Bell was nominated
by the Vermont Republican State conven.
ton for governor and at his subsequent
election was given next to the largest
plurality in the history of the state. One
Of the best remembered events of his ad
! ministration was the controversy over tbs
hanging of Mary Rogers. Governor
Bell was besieged by pleas and threats Of
those who wished him to commute hel
sentence to life imprisonment. He firm
ly refused, however, to annul the sen
tence Of the courts.
Gov. Bell was married in 1870 to Mary
L. Perry of Cabot, VT, who, with two
daughters, Adine Merrill and Jennie Bell
survives him. He was q member of tbs
Congregational church and has been char
acterized as "a valuable man for the com
munity and state; genial, generous
broadminded, modern, modest; Chris
tian gentleman, honorable and honored
a natural born favorite and leader among
his felIow-men."