Nicholas Fish, II

Nicholas Fish (1846–1902) was the grandson of American Revolutionary War soldier Nicholas Fish and son of the Secretary of State Hamilton Fish. He was born in New York City and educated at Columbia and at Harvard Law School. He practiced law in New York City, then went into the diplomatic service. Appointed Second Secretary of Legation at Berlin (1871), he became Secretary (1874) and acted in the continued absence of his chief as chargé d'affaires, held the latter position in Switzerland (1877–81) and then served as minister to Belgium (1882–86. He returned to New York City in 1887 and became a member of the banking firm of Harriman & Co. He was president of the New York State Society of the Cincinnati. He was fatally assaulted in New York City on September 16, 1902 by Thomas J. Sharkey as Fish was exiting a bar. Fish died from blunt force trauma to the head, and Sharkey was convicted of manslaughter and subsequently sentenced to ten years in prison.