The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-01-11
4 CoIORED ELECTOR
The First OF III, Race Member OF the
EiectOral college.

The First OF His Race Member OF the
Electoral College.
Pittsburgh News; William NJ. Ran
dolph, the Pittsburgh attorney who
will attend as member, the meeting
Of the pennsylvania Electoral college,
which convenes in Harrisburg, Mon
day, has the distinction OF being the
only colored man, according to his
statement. ever elected to that Import
ant position. .,.
Mr.. Randolph was born on January
T. 1865, In Richmond, Va. His father
had been well-to-do and had conductSu
a large shoe store In that city. but faii-
ed In 1873. In, May, 1876, the family
moved TO New York City, where young
Randolph attended the public schools
and supported himself by doing 0d9
chores after school hours. he STUDIED
hard and graduated from the high
school of that city in 1881. In 1851 ne
began the study OF law In the office OF
Judge Charles A. F1ammer and later
accepted n clerkship with the we'll
known law Arm OF Tremain & Tyler.
Afterward he entered the University
Of New York, from which institution
he graduated with honorable mention
I'm 1888, standing third In class OIL
fifty-three. The same year he was ad-
United to the New York bar, being one
of the youngest men ever admitted.
After practlclng successfully at the
New York bar for some time, Mr.. Ran
dolph decided to remove to Allegheny
county, where he again passed sue
cessful examination and was admitted
10 the local bar in 1891, being the first
colored man 20 receive such an honor
in Western Pennsylvania.
Mr. Randolph enjoys q lucrative prac-
uce and has been connected with
some important cases. In one case he
defended James Toller, a coal miner,
who killed another coal miner named
ROwley Mack, at the Snowden mines
In Allegheny county, one morning. The
murderer made his escape and proceed
ed to Catsburg, where at noon OF the
same day he shot another man. Mr.
Randolph got Toller on with a second
degree verdict, under which he was
sentenced to twelve years In the West
ern penItentIaFy. Public sentiment was
entirely against Toller and this was
considered a great victory for his at
| torney, and made quite reputation
over the state for Mr.. Randolph. Hay-
| ing been thus brought prominently be-
| fore the public, Mr.. Randolph was
| employed by the miners of Washington
county to appear in the supreme court
on behalf of miner named James B.
| Cook, who killed a woman at the jun
DO mines, and who had already plead
ed guilty in the lower court and been
sentenced to hang. The supreme court
| affirmed the decision of the lower
court, but Mr. Randolph was persist
| ent and the case was fought before
| the pardon board and the sentence
finally reduced to life imprisonment
Mr.. Randolph Is staunch Republi-
| can and has been actively engaged In
| politics ever since his admission to
this bar, having taken prominent
| part IN every campaign. In December,
1895, he was selected as one Of the citi-
| Zens committee that appeared before
| the national committee In Washing
| ton, and tried TO have Pittsburgh
named as the city in which to hold the
| national convention. At the last cleo
| ton he was chosen a Republican pres
dental elector from the TwentV-sec-
ond congressional district, by an over
| whelming majority.
Mr.. Randolph Is n born leader and
NOT only has large patronage from
| his coIored friends, hut also enjoys the
confidence OF many white clients.