lavish in their expenditure of money, and in defatigable in their efforts to save him from the scaffold. Joseph P. Bradley, now Asso ciate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, ex-Governor Pennington, and Amzi C. McLean conducted the defence. Two of these were then of national reputa tion; the other a leading lawyer of the county, and no mean antagonist. The cause was tried as only a cause could be tried by such counsel; every point was contested, every fair and honorable advantage seized which could aid the defence. William L. Dayton, then Attorney-General, was associated with the prosecution; but the preparation and management of the case, the arranging of the testimony, the examination of the wit nesses, were all intrusted to the prosecutor. The trial lasted nine days; the evidence was largely circumstantial, but notwithstand ing the efforts of his distinguished counsel, Donnelly was convicted, and the trial has be come one of the causes c/lebres of New Jersey. The case went to the Supreme Court, and from thereto the Court of Errors, on numer ous exceptions. It was a desperate battle; the defence was fighting for life, the State for justice and the protection of its citizens. Mr. Parker followed every step in the appeal with pertinacious Zealand marked ability, and gained a high reputation at the bar for the manner in which he performed his duty. His opportunity came, and he seized it. The appeal was unsuccessful, and Donnelly was executed. The result of the trial was war ranted by the evidence, and no doubt was ever entertained by any disinterested ob server of the entire justice of the verdict of the jury. In 1854 Mr. Parker was named all over his district as a prominent candidate for Con gress, but he decidedly refused to allow his name to be used. In 1858 public attention was again directed to him in connection with the same position; but although an indepen dent man, even in politics, he was loyal to his party, which was then in a peculiar position in the State; and as he deemed that his nomi
nation might possibly create dissension, he again declined. In 1856 he was first promi nently named as a suitable candidate for Governor. He refused the honor, named Col. William C. Alexander as a proper person to receive the nomination; and in pursuance of this suggestion, Colonel Alexander was nominated. In 1859, when the people of the State were discussing nominations for the same high position, he was again named, but again positively declined. In 1860 Mr. Parker espoused the cause of Stephen A. Douglas in his candidacy for the presidency. A curious state of political af fairs then existed in New Jersey. There were three Democratic electoral tickets in the field, representing the three Democratic candidates. A fusion was advised by the lead ers of the party, headed by the State Ex ecutive Committee; but Mr. Parker opposed any fusion, and in his own straightforward way argued that his candidate was the true representative of the party. A compromise, however, at the very last moment was ef fected; all the Democratic electoral tickets were withdrawn, and one substituted in their place, with three Douglas electors and two of each of the other candidates. Mr. Parker was one of the Douglas electors, all three of whom were elected. During all these agitations he was steadily gaining clients and largely increasing his practice. He was peculiarly fitted to ob tain and hold the esteem of those who in trusted him with their business; his plain, unaffected manners attracted their atten tion; he was a man of the people, and al ways easy of access. His care and indus try preserved their interests; his integrity invited their confidence, and his success secured their respect for his opinion and faith in his judgment. His strong commonsense, one of his best characteristics, aided him materially in deciding as to the best course to be pursued in doubtful cases. While thus biding his time, and interest ing himself in his practice and protecting the interests of his clients, there loomed
