Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-01-27
VERMONT SHERIFFS.
Members of New Association Discuss
Their work ard Elect Officers

The ordinary ldw-breaker observing
the smooth working of the law when he
has been caught after violating one of
the statutes, would never think of the
very thin ice which the officers are some
times skating upon and of the many pit
falls they have anticipated and made al
lowance for. but it develops from the
subjects treated and discussions which
followed them at last evenings meeting
of the Shcriffs' association of the State
that weighty problems have to be decided
before arrests are made or even before
attachments to personal or real property
are made. Some of these questions were
taken up at the first session of the first
annual meeting of the Vermont Sheriffs'
association. held at the New Sherwood
House last evening. the election of Off
GERS being the last business to come be-
fore the meeting.
The association is a strong one and
when the meeting was called to order hv
its president. Everett j. Hill OF Newport,
there were 70 members present When
the meeting was adjourned at ~: 10 clock
there were about 16J present and "A con-
sentative estimate of the number of men,
bers of the association to attend to-day's
meetings is 200. There will be two ses-
sions to-day, the morning session to open
at nine O'Clock. At the afternoon session
the principal address Will be by Stanley
G. Wilson of Chelsea, whose subject will
lie THE Relations Of the officer to the
Bar" The attorneys of this city are cor
daily invited to attend the meeting and
hear the address of Mr. Wilson.
The speakers last evening were DIN A.
Smith of Middlebury. sheriff of Addison
county. whose subject was "Attachment
Of Personal Property" Sheriff James II.
Allen of this city, sheriff of Chittenden
county, whose subject was sale of Real
Estate on Execution Richard Beattie
Of Maidstone, sheriff of Essex county,
whose subject was Commitment on War
rant" T.. &. Fish of West Rutland, sher-
If of Rutland county, whose subject was
Arrest on Civil Process 1t developed
from the talks and discussions that a shcr-
If must also he quite a student of the law
and in bringing out the places where a
sheriff or his deputy was liable to err.
many personal experiences were recount
Cd the officers present thereby obtaining
first hand Information and AN insight as
TO parts Of the laws which had not before
been presented to them
The presiding officer in taking up the
business of the election of new officers
to the association, thanked the members
for the honor which had been his the
past year hut stated that he was not a
candidate for reelection. T.. II. Tracy
of Montpelier who served as secretary
the past year and who with the president
put in much hard work to build up the
organization, and j. il. Allen of this city
were nominated as president Sheriff
Allen was quickly upon his feet and re-
quested that his name he withdrawn in
| favor of Sheriff Tracy who was there
upon elected without a dissenting voice
The next Office was that of vice president.
f. G. Fish Of West Rutland. the oldest
sheriff in the state, being elected. Sheriff
Allen was nominated to the office of sec
retary-t and while protesting
that he would be unable to serve, was
ing the convention hat he would be I'M
able to serve and motion was finally
carried that his request to he excused
be granted. Sheriff G. T. Mann of Brat
tleboro was then elected under the same
circumstances and also finally prevailed
upon the members to excuse him EN-
Sheriff Benjamin II. Adams of Chelsea,
though protesting. was then elected and.
still protesting, was escorted to the plat
form, the members of the association in
sisting that he accept. The meeting was
then adjourned to to-day.