Martin W. Littleton | |
|---|---|
 Littleton circa 1920 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 1st district | |
| In office March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1913 | |
| Preceded by | William W. Cocks |
| Succeeded by | Lathrop Brown |
| Borough President of Brooklyn | |
| In office January 1, 1904 – December 31, 1905 | |
| Preceded by | J. Edward Swanstrom |
| Succeeded by | Bird Sim Coler |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Martin Wiley Littleton January 12, 1872 Kingston, Tennessee |
| Died | December 19, 1934 (aged 62) Mineola, New York |
| Resting place | Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) |
| Spouse | Maud Wilson (m. 1896) |
| Children | Martin W. Littleton Jr. (b. 1898 – d. 1966) Douglas M. Littleton (b. 1900 – d. 1919) |
Martin Wiley Littleton (January 12, 1872 – December 19, 1934) was an American attorney known for his involvement in a number of high-profile trials during the early 1900s, including serving as chief defense counsel for Harry Kendall Thaw at his second trial in 1908 for the murder of renowned architect Stanford White, and defending Harry Ford Sinclair, the head of Sinclair Oil, from criminal charges resulting from the Teapot Dome scandal. Littleton also served one term as United States Representative from New York from 1911 to 1913, and was borough president of Brooklyn.[1]
Littleton initially supported himself through menial labor and was largely self-educated, never attending college or law school. He eventually became one of the richest lawyers in the world, and has been mentioned as an example of a "rags to riches" success story in motivational books and articles.[2]
He was the father of attorney Martin W. Littleton, Jr., the district attorney of Nassau County, New York[1] who was involved in the investigation into the death of Starr Faithfull and the murder prosecutions of Everett Applegate and Mary Frances Creighton.[3]
- ^ a b "M.W. Littleton Sr., Lawyer, Dies at 62". The New York Times. 1934-12-20. p. 1 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Crowell, Merle (December 1922). "The Amazing Story of Martin W. Littleton". The American Magazine. Springfield, Ohio: The Crowell Publishing Company. pp. 16, 78–88. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
- ^ "Martin W. Littleton Dies at 68; Ex-Nassau County Prosecutor". The New York Times. New York City. 1966-08-31. p. 40 – via ProQuest.