Melvin Ohio Adams (November 7, 1850 – August 9, 1920) was an American attorney and railroad executive who was part of

Lizzie Borden Lizzie Andrew Borden (July 19, 1860 – June 1, 1927) was an American woman tried and acquitted of the August 4, 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts. No one else was charged in the murders, and despite ost ...

's legal defense team, the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts from 1905 to 1906, and the president of the

Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad The Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad was a narrow-gauge passenger-carrying shortline railroad between East Boston and Lynn, Massachusetts, from 1875 to 1940. Part of the railroad's right of way now forms the outer section of the Massachus ...

Early life

Adams was born in Ashburnham, Massachusetts on November 7, 1850, to Joseph Adams and Dolly Winship (Whitney) Adams. He attended school in his native Ashburnham, Massachusetts as well as the

Appleton Academy Appleton Academy is a mixed all-through school for pupils aged 3 to 16. It is located in Wyke in the City of Bradford, in the English county of West Yorkshire. The school is named after Sir Edward Victor Appleton, a physicist who won the Nobe ...

in New Ipswich, New Hampshire. In 1871, he graduated from

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...

. After graduation worked as a teacher in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and studied law in the office of

Amasa Norcross Amasa Norcross (January 26, 1824 – April 2, 1898) was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts. Born in Rindge, New Hampshire, Norcross attended the common schools and Appleton Academy, New Ipswich, New Hampshire. He studied law, was admitt ...

. On January 20, 1874, he married Mary Colony of Fitchburg. From 1874 to 1876, he served as Ashburnham's Town Moderator.

Legal and military career

In 1875, Adams graduated from the

Boston University School of Law Boston University School of Law (Boston Law or BU Law) is the law school of Boston University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the United States and considered an eli ...

. He was admitted to the bar that year and was soon thereafter became an assistant district attorney for

Suffolk County, Massachusetts Suffolk County is located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 797,936, making it the fourth-most populous county in Massachusetts. The county comprises the cities of Boston, Chel ...

. In 1886, Adams resigned his position to go into private practice with Augustus Russ. Adams and Russ remained partners until Russ' death in the summer of 1892. In 1892, Adams was retained by Andrew V. Jennings to serve as the associate defense counsel for Lizzie Borden, a Fall River, Massachusetts woman accused of killing her father and stepmother with a hatchet. After a much-publicized trial, Borden was acquitted on June 20, 1893. An active member of the Massachusetts Republican Party, Adams served on the staff of Governor

John Q. A. Brackett John Quincy Adams Brackett (June 8, 1842 – April 6, 1918) was an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts. A Republican and temperance advocate, he served one term as the 36th Governor of Massachusetts, from 1890 to 1891. Born in ...

as assistant adjutant general with the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

. In 1905, Adams was appointed by President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

to serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. He remained a U.S. Attorney until his resignation on December 5, 1906.

Business career

In 1890, Adams joined the Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad as a director and general counsel. From 1891 until his death in 1920 he was the railroad's President. Adams was also the vice-president of the Liberty Trust Company.

Trustee

Adams served on the

Board of Trustees of Dartmouth College The Board of Trustees of Dartmouth College is the governing body of Dartmouth College, an Ivy League university located in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. , the Board includes twenty-three people. The current Chair of the Board is Stephen Ma ...

and the Perkins School for the Blind. He was instrumental in securing the funds necessary to rebuild Dartmouth Hall.

Death

Adams died on August 9, 1920, at his home in Boston. He was buried in the Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery in Ashburnham.

References