deputy sheriff of that county, while he was delivering possession of Whitbeck's farm to a representative of the Van Rensselaers under a judgment for non-payment of rent. Although the killing was clearly proved, the prisoners were acquitted. This was one of the trials that grew out of the great anti-rent cases which arose under the leases granted by the Van Rensselaers during the last century. These leaseholds embraced a great portion of the lands in Albany and Rensselaer counties. These acquittals at the time were regarded as a great legal triumph. About 1865 he defended George E. Gor don, on his second trial, on the charge of murdering Owen Thompson, a wealthy butcher of New York city, who went to Albany to buy cattle with some three thou sand dollars in currency in his possession, and was found dead September 17, 1864. The first trial was held before the elder Judge Peckham in Albany, when the accused was defended by the writer of this article and by Rufus W. Peckham, junior, now a judge of the supreme court of the United States. The circumstantial evidence very clearly showed that Thompson was killed by Gordon. At the close of the trial Judge Peckham made a fierce charge against the prisoner, and among other matters stated that the failure of the prisoner to show where he got his large amount of money, under the circumstances of that case, be came of a conclusive character. An excep tion to this was taken, and it was held error by the court of appeals, the conviction re versed and a new trial granted in Septem ber, 1865. (33 New York Reports, 501.) A large number of lawyers from Troy and Albany were present when the judge made that charge to the jury, among whom was Mr. Townsend. He came over to the writer and stated "that was the fiercest charge made since the charge of the British at Balaklava." After the reversal, the trial was changed
from Albany to Schoharie county. The writer being then in ill health, by his advice Mr. Townsend was employed and made the defense. On the second trial, the prisoner was convicted of murder in the second de gree before Judge Ingalls and sentenced to imprisonment for life. It may be stated here that after an imprisonment of over thirty years Gordon's character became so im proved, that the prison officers unanimously recommended his pardon, which was wisely granted by Governor Black within the last two years. At the bar Mr. Townsend entered into the cause of his client with great earnest ness, and almost vehemence. He was always ready at repartee. The distinguished William A. Beach was in practice in Troy for many years before he removed to the city of New York, and in most of the important cases in Troy they were brought in collision. On the trial of an action against the People's line of steamboats on the Hudson River, Mr. Townsend was prosecuting a case for personal injuries, and Mr. Beach was defending. Mr. Beach seemed to fear a verdict against his client, and besought the jury to render a light verdict because the stock of the company was very largely held by widows and orphans. In Mr. Townsend's answer, he told the jury that " we all know a few of those widows and orphans; among their number we remember the widow William Kelly, the widow Daniel Drew, and the widow Cor nelius Vanderbilt; and the jury must naturally feel great sympathy for these destitute widows." It is needless to say the jury did not reduce the amount of their verdict in sym pathy for those distinguished widows. There was another case in which a sharp controversy arose between Messrs. Beach and Townsend. Mr. Beach dyed his hair so it was as black as a raven, while the hair of
