The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-01-22
Prominent Member of Vermont
Superior Court Bench
AND A --ADING CITIZEN
ior to Assuming Duties of Jurist in
1906 Alfred A. Hall of st. Albans
Had Been an Influential Man
in Many Activities.

~. AIbans, Jan. 22.-Alfred A Hall
Judge Of the superior court of Vermont
dled at 2:I3 yesterday afternoon at his
nome on South Main street in this citv
after a long illness with Bright's disea 81
Recently Judge Halls condition was
thought to have been improved. and tha
end came with startling sllddqnness Tba
funeral will be held at 3 o'clock Tnasd !,
from the Congregational church. and th,,
oody wiz De taken the following Jay to
SaXtons River.
Alfred a. Hall was born in Atb "a
December 81, ls48. His boyhood day
were passed with bis parents, Mr.. and
Mrs. r. II. Hall, upon a small farm in
! ms native town, where he attended tho
4 common schools until prepared to enter
1 upon a course of study in Leland and
cray seminary in Townshend. Circum
stances preventing the attainment of Il
/ long-cherished desire to enter college he
/ began the study of law in the office of
Davis & Adams in st. Alhans in 1870
! At the April term in 1873 he was adj
mltted to the bar in Franklin county
ana later to practice before the supreme
court OF the state and the United States
court. Mr.. Hall continued the practice
OF his profession with marked success
until he was elected Judge of the supe
rlor court November %. 1906.
Judge Hall was president of the board
OF trustees OF the village of st. Albans in
1850 and 1881, served as village corpora
tion counsel for many years and was
states attorney of Franklin county from
December, 1882, to 1884. Ever since his
academical days, when his winters were
occupied with teaching district schools,
he had been deeply interested in educa-
tional matters. For many years he was
member of the school board of his
adopted town-a portion of the time its
chairman-and he was also for some
time one of the trustees of the Franklin
county grammar school. He was treas.
urer and active member Of the board
of library trustees for 81 years.
In 1892, Mr.. Hall was a senator from
Franklin county, being president pro
tenn. of that body He was also chair
man of the commission on the revision
of the Vermont statutes in 1898; COM
missioner from the state of Vermont on
the uniformity of laws in 1896, and he
was the Republican candidate for city
representative in 1904, being defeated by
Rev. d. J. 0'Sullivan, the Democratic
candidate.
A descendant of Revolutionary stock,
Mr. Hall was strongly imbued with mil
itary tendencies and naturally manifest
ed deep interest in the support end
development of the state militia In
1876, he was enrolled as a private in the
famous Ransom guards of st. Albans
and retained an active membership until
promoted from the ranks to the non
commissioned staff, from which he was
advanced to the commissioner staff Of
the First regiment. Vermont National
guard. as first lieutenant and regimental
inspector In 1884 he was appointed
upon the staff of Gov. Samuel f, Pin
gree, with the rank OF colonel and aide
de-camp, and in 1856 closed his service
with well-earned honors He was
member of the Vermont society, Sons of
the American Revolution
In addition to the foregoing, Judge
Hall was rendered the office of Judge
advoeate-general of the state of Yer
mont by Gov. John g. Mccullough, but
declined the appointment. He was
candidate for the Republican nomination
for Congress in the first district in the
of 1900, when ID. j. Foster
was chosen.
Judge Hall had been very prominent
in the advancement of Free Masonry ir
his native state. When barely 2l years
old. he was initiated into the order in
Blazing Star lodge, No. 23, at Town
shend. Soon after his removal to st.
Adams. he was admitted to Franklin
odge, No 4, of which he was elected
Junior warden in 1872 and worshipful
master in 1873, IA and rs. In 1876 be
was appointed grand lecturer by Grand
Master Henry H. Smith, serving three
years. In 1881 he was elected grand
unior warden of the grand lodge and,
advancing through the chairs, retired in
1889 after a brilliant administration OF
.wo years as grand master. He received
he degree of Knight Templar in 1876
n Lafayette commandery, then located
II Swanton. As a member of this or
and later on its eminent
he was instrumental IN
making it one of the most fiourishing
of the state. In 1882 he
vas elected grand generalissimo of the
rand commandery and in 1883 and 1881
rand commander In 1888 he represent
d the grand commander at the triennial
oncIaye at San Francisco and at one
ime was grand master of the Knights
'emplar for the district comprising New
,ork. Vermont and Connecticut. He had
lso received the degrees of the cryptic
ite in Columbus council, R. and s. NJ,
I st. Albans, having served as thrice
lustrious master for several terms. He
ook a prominent part in the organiza
ion of the Veteran Masonic association
f Vermont and was its first venerable
hief He had also attained to the SD
nd highest degree, Ancient Accepted
cottish Rite Masonry. He was the first
l Vermont to have been elected grand
laster, grand high priest and grand
In 1874 Mr.. Hall married Abbie L.
ustin of Athens, and she survives, with
xo sons. Harrie Vaughan Hall of Bur
ngton, assistant treasurer of the Chit
,nden County Trust company, and
eRoy Austin Hall OF this city.
Thomas Batchelder visited at his home
Plainfield over Sunday.