Background
He was born as Michael Edwards in County Clare, Ireland.
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Frank Arnold
Edit ProfileEducation
Aged 12 years, he changed his name to Benjamin Franklin Arnold and went to live with a family in Gilbertsville where he attended the local Academy. He graduated from Hamilton College, paying his tuition by teaching at the Unadilla Academy.
Career
The family emigrated to the United States during the 1840s and settled on a farm near West Hartford, Connecticut. Later he changed his name to Arnold and had this change legalized by the court. While teaching, he studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1864, and commenced practice in Binghamton.
In 1867, he removed to Omaha, Nebraska, but returned two years later to Unadilla.
The mother died in 1881, after giving birth to a boy who died soon after too. In November 1890, he ran for Congress in the 24th District, but was defeated by Democrat John South. Pindar.
He was buried at Saint Matthew"s Cemetery in Unadilla.
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During the election campaign, the newspapers unearthed the fact of his name change and intimidated that it had been done "for dishonorable and degrading reasons." Depressed by the defeat and the slander campaign, he shot himself dead in his office with a pistol which had been the "murder weapon" in a case which he had defended in 1887, when he had obtained a verdict of manslaughter for his client.
Membership
Arnold was Supervisor of the Town of Unadilla from 1879 to 1885. Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Otsego County in 1881. A member of the New York State Assembly (Otsego Company, 2nd Doctorate) in 1885, 1886 and 1887.
And a member of the New York State Senate (23rd Doctorate) in 1888 and 1889.
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Born
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Died
December 11, 1890 (aged 51) -
Nationality
United States -
Political Party
Republican party