The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-01-25
TAX EXPERT NATIVE
OF WHITINGHAM, VT.
Death of Major Henry Winn of NAL
den, Mass, Noted as Soldier
and Legislator.

Henry Winn, II, died last evening
in Maiden, Mass, where he had been
a prominent citizen many years
AS a soldier in the Civil war, a
member of the Massachusetts house of
representatives and senate in success
sion, a noted expert on all matters re-
lating to taxation, his service had
been memorable, and earned high
recognition. Mr.. Winn was Of a family
seven generations in New England;
he was born IN Nottingham, VT, the
son Of Reuben VIM, a man of large
natural ability; was educated in the
schools of that town and at Shelburne
Falls; went to Yale college, where he
was graduated in the class of 1859.
He studied law at the Harvard law
school and with Attorney General Fos-
ter of Massachusetts, and was ad-
mitted to the bar at the age of %.
Later he was for a time principal of
the classical department of the Wor
cester high school, and then entered
the office of Mr.. Foster, and was his
chief assistant, having charge of the
office in his absence. His work was of
so high an intelligence and efficiency
that with the strong Endorsement of
OON. JOnU n. AuuEbW ne WENT W w ASH
ington as clerk of the foreign rela-
tions committee of the United States
senate, receiving the warmest praise
from Charles Sumner for his remarka
| BILE ability in drafting bills, which
were passed by congress.
| In 1862 he returned to Franklin
county to recruit the SD regiment of
Massachusetts volunteers, of which
| Halbert S. Greenleaf became colonel
and Mr. Winn himself major. He serv-
| ed in the Port Hudson and Red River
! campaigns, and won a reputation for
| a calm courage and the capacity of
| leadership Gen Bowdoin Parker was
wont to tell a story of the major s
walking a fallen tree that crossed a
ravine while the bullets battered
around him "like hailstones in a sum
mer shower This was not bravado,
but perfectly cool purpose to reas-
sure the men who were yet raw materi-
al for soldiership.
Returning to Massachusetts, Major
VIM became a member of the Yale
Lock company of Shelburne Falls and
married daughter of Linus Yale, jr.
inventor of the lock. As representative
and senator in the Massachusetts leg
islature he was a leader in securing
many important reforms. In the ii
tervals of political activity he prac
tieed his profession in Shelburne Falls
and later in Boston. In 1892 he served
one term as mayor of Maiden.
Maj. Winn has been identified will
one cause, that of reforms in taxa
ton; in all matters relating to which
he was an unrivaled expert The com
mittee Of ways and means of the Yer
mont legislature called in his as
sistance to reform the system of cor
porate taxation, a work accomplished
in 1882, and he was called into consul
tation through many years by the ta2
commissioners of many other states
His labors in behalf of more just an,
thorough tax laws continued all tn,
rest of his life. He was conservative
and constructive at once, and no man
it is probable, more deserved than b,
the grateful acknowledgment of tn,
people. He proposed and has often ad
vocated an interesting measure o
known as 1.-the multiple standard, :
based on the values of certain mum
Der of products, instead of the gol
standard, with its fuctuating quality
When assistant attorney general
drafted a bill which reached evasiv
: savings bank deposits. and was pre-
I nounced constitutional by the stat
: and supreme courts, III spite of widel
expressed doubt. 1t made realty tn
=. foundation of all Massachusetts tax
!. tion of corporate wealth, and gave a
e increase of $17,000,0 900 over the oil
!. system on savings bank deposit
D alone.