Biography

John Baham Jr and his brothers Alfred and Albert were convicted of murdering the peddler Nathaniel Adler in 1850. Samuel Blatchford served as defense counsel, but all three were convicted. John Jr was sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1851. In 1859, he was granted a full pardon, and a few months later, his full rights of citizenship were restored.

"As the examination proceeded it was made to appear that Nathan Adler stopped at Baham’s house on the night of the 6th of November – that Albert, Alfred and John were at home – that Adler wanted to stay over night there, but by reason of their mother’s dangerous illness and the large attendance of neighbors there, who were assisting in taking care of her, he was told he could not stay – his pack and trunks were left in the house a while, and he was around out door, in the barn yard, sometime with the boys – that between 11 and 12 o’clock something was said in the hearing of old Mr. Baham that the boys had taken the Buffalo skins, and had, or were going to sleep in the barn that night, and he called them in and they went upstairs to bed – that they were called up at 2 o’clock to assist in lifting their mother, and went back to bed again – that Albert got up at 4 o’clock the next morning, giving as a reason for rising thus early, that he could not sleep – that he went out, but was in at breakfast and that the old gentleman with some of the neighbors sat up with Mrs. Baham all night.

It appeared in proof that all three of the boys were, after that time and before suspicion was excited, seen in possession of articles of goods corresponding in appearance with those found in the pack, or with those which Adler is known to have had, and that various rings, pencils and similar articles had been by them presented to young ladies in the neighborhood."

https://privatelettersjsg.wordpress.com/2014/06/27/1849-murder-of-nathan-adler/