Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 7).djvu/97

CLEWS. Henry, banker, b. in Staffordshire, England, in IWO. lie was iiitenilcd for the rainis- trv, but left -K'hool at fifteen to enter mercantile li/e in New York. Later he begun business for himself, bceoming a meml)er of the firm of Liver- more. Clews & Co., which during the civil war acted as U. .S. government agents in selling its bonds. In 1877 the firm of Henry Clews & Co. was established and still continues. Mr. Clews is connecte«l with many financial corporations and city institutions, and has been treasurer of the American geographical society and for the Society for the prevention of cruelty to animals. He is thcauthorof "Twenty-eight Vears in Wall .Street" (New V'ork. 1888). and is writing another work.

CLINTON, Henry Lauren, lawyer, b. in Womlbridge. Conn., 21 Feb., 1820; (1. in New York city. 7 .Tune. 1899. His father was a farmer in comfortable circumstances, but the son never received any formal educational advantages other than those of the district school. At the age of eighteen he taught school and began to read law. and when he attaine<l his majority went to New York, where he studied in the office of David Gra- hain, the elder brother of John (Jraham, the noted criminal lawyer. He was admitted to the bar in 1846. and devoted his attention to criminal law, in which he ultimately stootl near the head of the profession. He was one of the counsel for the prosecution of Tweed, and his connections in this case led to his becoming, with John Kelly and Au- fjustns Schcll, one of the triumvirate that reorgan- ized Tammany hall. With Col. John R. Fellows, he conducted the ilefence of Kichard Croker in his trial for murder. His later successes, however, were in practice in the surrogate's court, where he acted as counsel in a number of important will con- tests, among them IxMng the ca.se of Alexander T. Stewart. He published two volumes, " p^xtraordi- nary Cases" (New York. 1898) and "Celebrated Trials" (1807). both dealing largely with legal contests in which he had been engaged. He had in preparation a volumedealing with the litigation that arose out of Commoilore Vanderbill's will.

COBB, Henry Ives, architect, b. in ISrnckton, Mass.. 19 Aug.. 18.')!). lie was gra<luated at Har- vanl. entcre<l an architect's office in Boston, and in 1881 established himself as an architect in Chi- cago. Among the many public buildings which he has designe<l in that city is the Newlwrry library, the University of Chicago, and the ojK>ru- house. In 189S he wius a memlH-r of the Hoard of architects of the Columbian exposition, and is at pres<'nt s|)ecial architect for the V. S. government. Mr. tlobb has also a large general [)ractice through- out the country, and has prepared designs for manr prominent buildings in several other states.

COBURN, John, jurist, b. in Philadelphia. Pa., in 17tW: d. in Mason county. Ky., in February. 182:t. He was educated for the bar, emigrated to Ken- tucky in 1784, and settled as a merchant near Lex- ington. He removed to Mason county in 1794. and was a judge of the U. S. district court, and subseauently of the circuit court till 1805. Presi- dent Jefferson appointed him U. S. judge for the territory of Michigan, but he declined, and he was subscfpiently judge of the territory of Orleans, holding court in St. Louis. He resigned that fnist in 1809. and in 1812 became collector of internal revenue for the 4th district of Kentucky. Judge Coburn stood high in the confidence of the Demo- cratic party. He was a memt>er of the Kentucky convention in 178.'i, and a commis-sioner witn Robert Johnson to run the boundary line between Virginia and Kentucky in 1790, making an able report on that subject. He was also one of the most accomplished political writers of his day. He was an ardent friend and admirer of Daniel Boone, and to him is attributed the act of congress that granted Bofuie 1,000 acres of land. Ho de- clined a nomination for the U. S. senate in 1800 in favor of his friend John Breckinridge.

COCKRAN. William Bourke, lawyer, b. in County Sligo. Ireland, 28 Feb.. 18.54. He came to the Utiited States in 1871 ; for several years was en- gaged in teaching, during which period he studied law, and later was admitted to the NcwY'ork bar. He became prominent as a lawyer, asa Democratic [Hilitician. and as a public speaker. In 1891 he was elected to congress, being returned two years later. In 1892 he opposed the nomination of Cleve- land, and four years later he advocated, in note- worthy speeches, the gold standard and the elec- tion of William McKinley to the presidency. In August. 1899, he addressed an open letter to the president urging him tn proffer mediation to Great Britain in the Tninsvaal difficulty.

CODDINGTON, Jonathan Indee, merchant, b. in Woodbridge, N. J., 23 Dec, 1784; d. in New York city, 24 Dec., 1856. He was educated at the academy of his native town, entered a shipping house in New Y'ork, and soon formed a partner- shi|) with David Vesey Smith. For two decades he was among the most prominent and wealthy commission merchants of the metropolis. For four years he was postmaster of New York, and he was on most intimate terms with Presidents Jack- son and Van Buren. In supjiort of Jackson's poli- cy in the state of New York he was closely asso- ciated with William L. Marcy, Silas Wright, and John A. Dix. Mr. Co<ldington declined the Dem- ocratic nomination for governor of the state which was offered by his party. He died at his residence, 238 Fifth avenue, leaving four sons, of whom only Gilbert S. is now living.— DaTld Smith, lawyer^ b. in New Y'ork, 28 Sept., 1823 ; d. in Saratoga, 2 Sept., 186.5. When only fourteen he en- tered the fresh- man class of Co- lumbia.and subse- quently was grad- uate<l at I'nion. He studie«l law in the olllco of George W. .Strong, an<l at the early age of twenty-one was admitted to the New York bar. At college he won honor as

an elocutionist,

and soon established a reputation as an able lawyer and elofiuent siHjaker. His oration at the grave of .Tefferson, in Virginia, in 1851, his eulogy on Lincoln, delivers*! in Charleston, S. C, in May, 1865. and many other of his speeches were pub- lished when delivered, and after his early death a Volume appeared containing his addresses and ora- tions (New York. 186<!). Had he possessed more robust health he woulil doubtless have taken a prominent position among the statesmen and law- yers of the land. The oldest son, who bore his fathers name and died before him, was also a suc- cessful lawyer. He was a well-known figure in the fashionable life of hisday. pos.sessing a superb physique, standing six feet six inches.