Clarence Darrow

He passed away of a pulmonary heart disease. Even today, he is remembered as an aggressive litigator in the history of American criminal defense lawyers.

His life and works have been depicted in a number of movies including, ‘Alleged’ and ‘Darrow’. A number of plays have also been written based on his life including, ‘Darrow’, ‘My Name is Ossian Sweet’ and ‘Inherit the Wind’.

Clarence Darrow was born to Amirus Darrow and Emily Darrow in Ohio on April 18, 1857. His father was an abolitionist and his mother, was an avid advocate of women’s rights.

He attended Allegheny College and then enrolled in Michigan Law School, but failed to graduate from both the institutions. He was finally admitted to the bar in 1878, where he began reading law in Youngstown, Ohio.

He started his own practice in Andover, Ohio and was soon involved in Democratic Party politics. Following his close involvement with the political scenario in Ohio, he was appointed as the town counsel for his achievements and contributions.

In 1887, he moved to Chicago with his wife and son, where he worked with the city government as a lawyer. Here, he made a mark for himself at Democratic Party rallies and while engaging in other projects that required his oratory skills.

With the help of a close friend, John Altged, he became a corporate lawyer for the ‘Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company’ and in 1894 he represented Eugene V. Debs, prosecuted by the government for initiating the Pullman Strike.

The same year, he took up his first criminal, murder case in his career. He chose to defend Patrick Prendergast, who was the murderer of the Chicago mayor, Carter H. Harrison, Sr. Many were taken aback by his decision to defend a criminal and although his defense failed miserably and the guilty was hanged to death, he decided that he wanted to become a criminal lawyer once and for all.

By 1897, he became known as one of the leading attorneys of America and also helped organize the Populist Party in Illinois. He decided, he would take a shot at the election and ran for the Congress as a Democrat, but did not get success.