in 1849, garrison became involved in one of boston's most notable trials of the time. washington goode, a black seaman, had been sentenced to death for the murder of a fellow black mariner, thomas harding. in "the liberator" garrison argued that the verdict relied on "circumstantial evidence of the most flimsy character ..." and feared that the determination of the government to uphold its decision to execute goode was based on race. as all other death sentences since 1836 in boston had been commuted, garrison concluded that goode would be the last person executed in boston for a capital offense writing, "let it not be said that the last man massachusetts bore to hang was a colored man!" despite the efforts of garrison and many other prominent figures of the time, goode was hanged on may 25, 1849.