Josiah Burnham case collection

The collection contains material related to the criminal case against Josiah Burnham who was accused, convicted and hanged for the murders of Russell Freeman and Captain Joseph Starkweather. It consists of one letter from Nathan Smith to New Hampshire Governor John Langdon regarding postponement of Josiah Burnham's execution so that Burnham's body may be of use to Dartmouth Medical School, one account of a conversation between John Clark and Burnham while Burnham was in prison, and instructions by Judge Paine Wingate to prospective jurors for the trial against Josiah Burnham. A receipt for money received by Paine Wingate from Josiah Bartlett is also included. Of note is the fact that Daniel Webster was a junior counsel for the defense on this case and presented an argument against capital punishment.