# Henry W. Childs *American lawyer and politician who served as the ninth Minnesota Attorney General from 1893 to 1899* Henry Warren Childs (November 24, 1848 – August 30, 1906), sometimes written H. W. Childs, was an American educator, lawyer, politician and railroad worker. He served as the ninth [[Minnesota Attorney General]] from 1893 to 1899.[^1] A native of New York, Childs moved to [[Minnesota]] in 1883 and practiced law there. In January 1887 Attorney General [[Moses E. Clapp]] appointed him Assistant Attorney General.[^1] Childs won the attorney general's office in the 1892 election and was returned to it in 1894 and 1896.[^1] After leaving office he took part in the merger of the Great Northern and Northern Pacific railways. He died in 1906.[^1] ## Early life Childs was born on November 24, 1848, in Clay, New York. His parents were Philander Childs and Mary Ann Preston.[^1] He grew up farming and attended common school in New York. He later took coursework at Falley Seminary and at Cazenovia College, which was then called the Central Conference Seminary.[^1] He then spent two years teaching at the Liverpool Academy in Liverpool, New York, and afterwards continued his studies in Syracuse, New York. He chose law over teaching, read law with the attorneys Tousley & Bailey, and later opened his own law office in Syracuse.[^1] ## State Prosecutor In 1883 Childs relocated to Minnesota. He made his home in Fergus Falls, in [[Otter Tail County, Minnesota|Otter Tail County]], and kept up his law practice there.[^1] He was known at the time for his work in the 1888 Redwood Falls murder trial, where he acted for the state in the prosecution of Clifton Holden for the killing of his cousin Frank Dodge in Redwood Falls.[^1] In 1891 Childs assisted in the prosecution of William Rose for a similar murder. Rose was later executed.[^1] ## Political career Clapp named Childs his Assistant Attorney General in January 1887. Childs held that post for all of Clapp's tenure as attorney general, which lasted from 1887 to 1893.[^1] Childs's candidacy for attorney general began in January 1892. In the 1892 election his opponents were John L. MacDonald, John Nethaway and Robert Taylor. Childs won with 43.31 percent of the vote.[^1] He also won the 1894 and 1896 elections, and he held the office from 1893 to 1899. [[Wallace B. Douglas]] succeeded him.[^1] ## Later life According to the Wikipedia article on him, Childs was a foundational figure in the merger of the Great Northern Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway under James J. Hill.[^1] Appendicitis caused his death on August 30, 1906, when he was 57. His grave is at Oakland Cemetery in Saint Paul.[^1] ## Personal life In January 1883 Childs wed Alberta A. Hakes. The couple's only child was James Alanson Childs.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Henry W. Childs* (revision 1352866305, retrieved 2026-10-25) — biographical summary of Childs's birth, education, legal and prosecutorial work, appointment, elections, succession, railway role, death and family. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_W._Childs