january january american lawyer politician massachusetts served state attorney general 1850s retaining office dominated different political parties whig elected state 21st governor serving single term governor massachusetts born state attorney general gained fame leading prosecution sensational trials 19th century murder case case victim upper crust boston society featured use forensic secure conviction american civil war supported union cause involved unsuccessful maneuvers prosecute confederate president war later years served president boston early years born benjamin wade providence rhode_island january sixth thirteen children graduated read law coffin massachusetts massachusetts opened law practice maintained practice partners rest life married january couple children elected massachusetts legislature sat committee revised state statutes served aide governor position held lost election rewarded service naming district attorney southern district state post held years concurrently elected state senator representing appointed state attorney general governor major appointed whig official retained democrat took office explained memoirs good officer upright man lacked quality enables man reach conclusions useful investigate subject authorities leave conclusions administration party wished appoint candidate generally supported instructed lawyer respects opposite attorney general governor major case prosecuted murder boston sensational 19th century disappeared november harvard professor arrested murder method body disposal complete fact capital crime high status victim accused ensured great deal public interest case courtroom packed case complicated fact actual body assisted retained family resorted instead dental strong evidence build case jury returned guilty verdict half hours controversy afterward concerning jury instructions given chief justice eventually hanged crime case continued interest legal scholars allegations defense included lawyer lacking significant criminal trial experience failed aggressively dispute evidence presented introduce potentially evidence state whig party popularity case nomination governorship reluctantly accepted race difficult dominated presidential contest candidate stands state maine law addition whig support nominated party opposed maine law opponents running law nominations divided reactions compromise national election held week state election saw voting democrat way race involving democrat received vote majority requirement effect popular election elected state senate bishop demanded replacement senator exchange support single term governor refused stand reelection preferring work lawyer successor governor attorney general office held term service notably included tenure know governor politically whig advent know retained office anti immigrant legislation view extreme reform proposals know legislature tenure state constitution amended office attorney general elected appointed election elected replace later political legal work state hired assist phillips turned final stages long running year series issues concerning state boundary rhode_island phillips traveled january appearance time tensions exceptionally high united_states attorney general expressed concern washington attacked rebel forces letter massachusetts governor andrew warnings prompted andrew begin organizing massachusetts volunteer regiments american_civil_war like conservative politically opposed abolitionist movement described slave pro slavery aristocratic gentleman civil war broke supported union cause state participation conflict joined formation party oppose republicans formed primarily people supported pro union constitutional union party failed gain traction president abraham_lincoln preliminary issued september elected state senate year served president supported lincoln reelection chosen presidential casting vote chosen act special confederate president davis prosecuted treason variety reasons charges eventually dropped years political legal contributed debate difficulty davis virginia noting essentially packing jury failed prosecution result awkward outcome virginia jury sense outcome war resigned duties july later years retired legal profession president boston tenure railroad constructed new terminal station boston park square received degree brown harvard years president american_civil_war appointed board trustees initiative building educational resources post war south later years offered turned number diplomatic europe including ambassador russia ambassador ottoman_empire traveled warmer climates bid improve declining health appointed diplomatic commission established treaty washington united_kingdom resolve fishery issues owing delay difficulty selecting neutral commissioner assumed duties died heart disease short illness january home buried rural cemetery mansion stands orchard street contributing friendly relationship chief justice father law writer crossed paths number occasions notably summer occasion recounted story early cases later wrote asking details sent journal entries case ended material story published
John H. Clifford