Born near Ogdensburg, St. Lawrence County, New York, Martin moved with his parents to Chicago, Illinois, in 1860.

Martin was elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-fifth Congress and served from March 4, 1917, until his death in Chicago, Illinois, October 28, 1917.

Citing lack of evidence, Judge Dunne instructed the jury at the end of the trial to acquit, which it did without any deliberation.

New York authorities found that his birth certificate may have been lost in an incident three years prior to his death.

[3] This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress