Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-01-28
WAS NATIVE OF wH1T1NaHAM.
Death of Major Henry Winn Of NAL
den, Mass, Nc.o.- as Soldier, Legis-
lator and AK Expert.

lator and AK Expert.
Henry VIM, H. died Monday night
in Maiden, Mas, where he had been
prominent citizen many yeais.
AS n soldier in the Civil war, n
member of the Massachusetts house of
representatives and senate in success
sion, noted expert on all matters re-
lating to taxation, his service had
been memorable, and earned high
recognition. Mr.. VIM was Of u family
seven generations in New England
he was born in Nottingham, Vt, the
son of Reuben VIM, n 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 Eos.
ter of Massachusetts,, and was adj
mitted to the bar at the age of %.
Later he was for 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
Gov John A. Andrew he went to Wash
ington as clerk of the foreign rela-
tions committee of the United States
senate, receiving the warmest praise
from Charles Sumner for his remarka-
bic 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. VIM himself major. He serv-
ed in the Port Hudson and Red River
campaigns, and won reputation for
calm courage and the capacity of
leadership. Gen. Bowdoin Parker was
wont to tell story of the major IS
walking a fallen tree that crossed a
ravine while the bullets battered
around him "lile hailstones in a sum-
mer shower" This was not bravado,
but a perfectly cool purpose to reas-
sure the men who were yet raw materi-
al for soldiership.
Returning to Massachusetts Major
VIM became member of the Yale
Lock company of Shelburne Falls and
married a daughter of Linus Yale, ir.,
inventor of the lock. AS representative
and senator in the Massachusetts leg
islature he was n leader in securing
many important reforms. In the i'll
tervals of political activity he prac-
ticed his profession in Shelburne Falls
and later in Boston. In 1892 he served
one term as mayor of Maiden.
Maj. Winn has been identified with
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 tax
commissioners of many other states.
His labors in behalf of more just and
thorough tax laws continued all the
rest of his life. He was conservative
and constructive at once, and no man,
it is probable, more deserved than he
the grateful acknowledgment of the
people. He proposed and has often ad-
vocated an interesting measure of
equalizing and confirming values,
known as "the multiple standard, -
based on the values of certain mum
Der of products, instead of the gold
standard, with it's fuctuating quality
When assistant attorney general he
drafted a bill which reached evasive
savings bank deposits, and was pro-
nounced constitutional by the state
and supreme courts, in spite of widely
expressed doubt. 1t made realty the
foundation of all Massachusetts taxa
ton of corporate wealth, and gave an
increase of $17,000,000 over the old
system on savings bank deposits
alone.