The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-09-27
Funeral Of Ex- Gov. Bell to be
Held Wednesday
HE DIED in new YORK CITY
Gov. Bell Left Walden on Friday Night
and Was Stricken When Taking
Train for Unexpectedly Quick
Return.

Walden, Sept. 27.-The funeral Of ex.
Governor Charles J. Bell, who died in
New York City suddenly Saturday after.
noon, viii probably be held here We'd
nesday afternoon. The remains left New
York last night and reached here this
afternoon. Mrs. Bell, who was visiting
Gov Bells sister in Littleton, n. H,
arrived home yesterday afternoon, driy-
Ing nearly forty miles from Littleton
after receiving word Of her husbands
death. The family have received many
sympathetic messages from all parts Of
New England
The news Of bis death came as q great
shock 70 people here, as he was in ex-
cellent health and spirits when he left
Friday night for trip TO New York,
although he had not been quite 50 well
as usual during the summer.
Charles J. Ben was born in Walden
in ls4h He was educated in the schools
Of his native town and at Peacham acsd
envy At the age Of IL he enlisted in
Company c. First Vermont Volunteers,
and afterward enlisted in Company G,
First Vermont Cavalry, serving as cor.
poraL He cast his first ballot for Abra-
ham Lincoln as a soldier upon Virginia
battlefield.
In 1882 he represented walden in the
Legislature; in ls93 he represented Gale.
donia county IN the state Senate, IN
that year be was appointed by Gov
Woodbury. member 81 IRE board q rail
road commissioners; he was q member Of
the state board 81 agriculture in 1897 .as,
and secretary 81 the state board Of cattle
commissioners from 1883 to 1902
He had always been prominently iden.
tilted with the work Of the grange. He
wss treasurer III the Vermont state
grange from 1872 to 1924, and master Of
the state grange from 1924 g the pres
ent time. He was serving the second
thrso.ysar term as a member of the ex-
ecutive committee Of the national grange
and was the secretary Of ttat committee.
II July, 1908, he was nominated bv
the Vermont Republican state convention
for governor, and at the election was
bonored BY the next largest majority
ever accorded candidate IN the history
of the state.
Gov. Bell came into national promi-
nenee IN 1905 IN connection with the
case of Mary Rogers who was convicted
Of the murder Of her husband and sen.
teneed to be hanged From every part
of The country and abroad letters and
resolutions poured in upon Gov Bell urg
ing him to at least commute the sen.
teBee
In the late part Of the year Gov. Bell
was compelled to take a trip to the mid
die West ard was followed by kilograms
and letters and IN many places was met
by delegations urging him to reconsider
his determination not to interfere with
the decision Of the. court His final an.
swer was. If / were to commute the
sentence Of Mrs Rogers to life imprison
maut ! would not dare to show nv face
in Vermont again. What Is more
should be ashamed To ~ NJ
Gov Bell was married IN 1870 to Mary
i. peny Of Cabot He is survived By
two daughters, Adine Merrill and Jen-
ME Bell.
Soon after his election as governor, a
was appointed to investigate
charges Of irremilarity preferred b bis
opponents in his expense accounts as
chairman Of the board of agriculture and
as state cattle commissioner After
thorough investigation the committee Re
ported that the only irregulority that
it was able to discover was an error Of
two cents in charge for sending
tp4horam