The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-09-22
Junior Member of Supreme
Court Elevated to the
First Positie
JUDGE 7, TAYLOR
TAKHsS OVERS PLACE
Former Lieut. Gov. L. P.
Slack Becomes Superior
Court Judge

To fill the vacancy caused by the rec
| ignation of John w. Rowell of Randolph
as chief justice of the Vermont supreme
court, Governor Fletcher has appointed
George NJ. Powers of Morristown, at
present the junior member of the court,
and to complete the supreme court bench
he has appointed William II. Taylor Of
Hardwick, now Judge of the Vermont
superior court, and has elevated former
Lieut.-Goy. Leighton P. Slack of st.
Johnsbury to the superior court. The
announcement was given to the public
to-day.
The new chief justice is the son of
former Congressman H. H. Powers of
the first district He is % years of
age, having been born in Hyde Park
on December 49, 1861. He was gradu-
ated from the University Of Vermont in
the class of 1883 and received the degree
of doctor of laws from the same insti-
tuition in 1909 He was admitted to
the Vermont bar in 1856.
Judge Powers, In the years Of his
youth and early manhood had consid-
cradle experience at the State House in
Montpelier. He was messenger of the
Senate in 1872 and 1874, was assistant
CleIk Ot l1s llbhst III lEot, IScD duu 1000
and secretary OF the Senate in 1890, 1892
and 1894. Also in lSS8SS he was
member of the House. /.
In connection with his life work, he
became states attorney for Lamoille
county in 1888, serving two years. In
1902 he was made reporter OF decisiona
of the Vermont supreme court, serving
until 1904, when he became member
of the court itself through appointment
by Governor Mccullough, on June L,
He held that position until 1906, when,'
on the reorganization of the states ju-l
dietary system, he became Judge of the
superior court After three years serv-,
ice on that bench, he was elected an as
sociate Judge of the supreme court, being
the youngest member of the court. Be-
sides that, he has had considerable ex-
perience as chancellor. In politics he
is a Republican.
Chief Justice John W. Rowell VIII re-
tire from the supreme court bench this
fall after serving thirty-one years. i
Judge Taylor.
Judge William Henry Taylor, the new
member OF the Vermont supreme court
bench to fill the vacancy caused by the
appointment of Judge Powers as chief
Justice, was elected to the superior
court in 1906. the same year when Judge
Eleazer J. Waterman of Brattleboro was
elected and after the appointment of
Willard w. Miles of Barton, the present
chief Justice of the superior court.
Judge Taylor is a native of Vermont,
having been born in the town of Wheel.
ock, July Is, 1863, the son of Benjamin
r. and Amanda NJ. (Stetsonl Taylor.
He was educated at Hardwick academy
and Dartmouth college, graduating from
the latter institution in 1886. From that
year to 1889, he was principal of Hard
wick academy; was supervisor OF schools
for Caledonia county from 1889 to 1891
and was examiner of teachers for the
same county from 1891 to 1906.
Judge Taylor was admitted to the
Vermont bar in 1892 and two years later
was elected states attorney for Cale-
donia county, serving four years in that
position In 1900 he was member of
the Vermont House and in 1906 of the
Senate. When the judiciary was reor-
ganized he became a. Judge of the supe-
rior court and has served seven years.
He is Republican.
The New Judge.
Leighton p Slack of st. Johnsbury,
former lieutenant governor of Vermont,
who becomes member of the superior
court, is a native of Woodstock, born
80 years ago, the son of Joel b. and
Mary A. tFullaml Slack. He was edu-
,ated in the common schools and at the
Black River academy in Ludlow. in
1892 he was admitted to the Vermont
bar and began the practice of law in
Barre, where he was located three years,
after wkieh he went to st. Johnsbury
10 be associated with Alexander Dun
nett in the same line Of activity. lie
was states attorney for Caledonia conn
" from 1898 to 1900: served in the
Vermont Senate from 1904 to 1906, and
vas elected lieutenant governor ir 1910.
He is a Republican.