367 résultats
1813réf. 695001813. London: J. Fairburn 1813. 24 pp. London: J. Fairburn 1813. 24 pp. "A Figure with the Body Feet And Tail of a Rat With the Head and Face of a Man Resembling the Plaintiff" Trial. Wood William Defendant. St. Luke's Parish Malt!!! Fairburn's Edition of the Trial Between Doctor Smith and Mr. Wm. Wood: For a Malicious and Scandalous Libel Against the Said Doctor Smith Contained in a Print Or Picture Commonly Called a Caricature!! Intitled "The Inside of a Newly-Reformed Workhouse with All Abuses Removed": In Which Caricature was Depicted 4 Sacks of Parish Malt and a Figure with the Body Feet And Tail of a Rat With the Head and Face of a Man Resembling the Plaintiff Nibbling at Them: Also a Figure of a Women in Breeches Pulling the Rat by the Tail Intended to Represent the Plaintiff's Wife: With the Defendant Charging the Vestry-Clerk with Receiving 45 for Bastardy of an Adjoining Parish who with Satan at his Elbow Prompting Him to Tell a Good Fat Lie Denies the Charge &c.: Including the Evidence at Full Length Taken in Short Hand. Which was Tried in the Court of King's Bench Guildhall On Wednesday January 20 1813 Before Lord Ellenborough And a Special Jury. London: Published by John Fairburn 1813. 24 pp. Octavo 8" x 5-1/4". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Light browning and foxing moderate edgewear final few leaves partially detached negligible light soiling to exterior "5" in early hand to head of front wrapper. A rare title. $750. Only edition. "This was an action brought by John Smith a surgeon and apothecary . against William Wood a boot and shoe maker . in the same parish; to recover a compensation in damages for publishing a gross scandalous and malicious libel in the form of a caricature picture or print . tending to injure and defame the character of the plaintiff.-The damages were laid at one thousand pounds" pp. 3-4. The court found for the defendant. OCLC locates 2 print copies Cornell University University of Minnesota Law School. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1191. unknown
1846réf. 715931846. Louisville KY: Prentice and Weissinger 1846. Louisville KY: Prentice and Weissinger 1846. "More a Struggle Between Two Families Than an Affair of the State": McDade 60 Trial. Baker Abner d.1845 Defendant. Crozier C.W. 1807-1884. Life and Trial of Dr. Abner Baker Jr. A Monomaniac Who Was Executed October 3 1845 For the Alleged Murder of His Brother-In-Law Daniel Bates; Including Letters and Petitions in Favor of a Pardon And Narrative of the Circumstances Attending His Execution Etc. Etc. Trial and Evidence by A.R. M'Kee. Louisville KY: Prentice and Weissinger 1846. iv xiii 1 152 pp. Frontispiece diagram of murder scene and additional portrait frontispiece of Baker. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5"; 21.6 x 17.8 cm. Modern period-style three-quarter calf over marbled boards gilt title and fillets to spine endpapers renewed. Light fading to spine moderate toning and foxing faint dampstaining to most of text. $850. Only edition. "Dr. Baker thought Bates was having an affair with his wife. On a street in Cumberland Kentucky he shot Bates in the back but was released as insane. The Bates family published an award for his capture and Baker family pride stung by the publication produced the Doctor who was convicted and hanged. Like many Clay County cases this was more a struggle between two families than an affair of the state" McDade. Our account of Baker's trial was also a family matter: it was compiled in part by his sister Elizabeth's husband Dr. Carrick White Crozier. OCLC locates 2 copies Yale Law School Los Angeles County Law Library. McDade The Annals of Murder 60. unknown
1827réf. 684181827. Dudley 1827. McCoy Freedom of the Press. Dudley 1827. McCoy Freedom of the Press. A Draper is Charged with Seditious Libel for Displaying a Strike Notice in His Shop Window Trial. Cook Samuel 1786-1861 Defendant. A Full Report of the Trial of Samuel Cook Draper Dudley For an Alleged Seditious Libel Tried at Worcester Aug. 1 1827 Before Mr. Justice Littledale. Taken in Short Hand by an Eminent Writer. Dudley Worcestershire Eng.: Sold by S. Cook Draper 1827. ii 72 pp. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5-1/4". Stab-stitched pamphlet bound into period-style quarter morocco over marbled boards by Philip Dusel gilt titles and ornaments to spine endpapers renewed. Light toning to text somewhat heavier in places "4" in early hand to head of title page. $850. First edition one of two from 1827. Cook a linen draper and the "radical conscience of middle-class Dudley" frequently displayed posters promoting various political events and made his business "the focal point of radicalism in the Black Country" ODNB. In 1826 he was charged with seditious libel for displaying a handbill promoting a nailers' strike that accused government ministers of contributing to the starvation of the people. He was found guilty but received a relatively light sentence of a 100 fine and a 200 bond. He published this pamphlet to raise money for his legal expenses. A note at the foot of p. 72 appeals for additional financial assistance: "S. Cook will be happy to receive any Subscriptions towards his late expenses and towards such subsequent proceedings as may be deemed requisite." A second edition with an identical page count may have been published the same year. OCLC and Library Hub locate 4 copies of both editions 2 in North America Duke Southern Illinois University. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography accessed online. McCoy Freedom of the Press Supplement IC318. unknown
1808réf. 684481808. London 1808. Very Scarce/Rare. London 1808. Very Scarce/Rare. A Very Scarce 1808 English Libel Case Relating to One of Wellington's Generals Trial. Draper Edward Alured 1776-1841 Defendant. The Trial of Lieutenant Colonel Edward Alured Draper Of the Third Regiment of Foot Guards In the Court of King's Bench On Monday The 29th of June 1807 Before the Right Hon. Lord Ellenborough and a Special Jury For a Libel Against the Right Hon. John Sullivan. Taken in Short Hand by Mr. Adams. London: Printed by D. Jaques 1808. vii 179 pp. Octavo 8-5/8" x 5-3/8". Later library cloth red and black calf lettering pieces and a bit of residue from paper location label to spine. Light soiling corners bumped light fading to spine. Moderate toning to text "110442" in early hand to verso of half-title two faint library stamps to title page. $850. Only edition. Draper was charged with libel for distributing a statement against a witness in a trial against his superior officer General Sir Thomas Picton. A distinguished but controversial general Picton was accused of using torture while serving as the military governor of Trinidad charges that were dismissed. Draper claimed that Sullivan a colonial official lied under oath. Draper lost his case and served a three-month sentence but went on to have a distinguished career as an officer and civil servant in Mauritius. OCLC locates 2 copies worldwide Social Law and Yale University. Not in COPAC or the Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909. unknown
1880réf. 728021880. Rare. Rare. A Raucous Divorce Case: Only Edition of the 1880 Newman Hall Divorce Case Report Trial. Hall v. Hall. The Full Report of the Newman Hall Divorce Case Drop-Head Title. At head of drop-head title: Police News Edition. London: G. Purkess c.1880. 16 pp. Title page has large woodcut portraits of the Halls. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5-1/4". Stab-stitched pamphlet thread lacking. Moderate toning light edgewear and chipping to spine light foxing to final few leaves title page affected by trimming to top and fore-edges without loss to legibility. Rare. $850. Only edition. In 1880 Christopher Newman Hall a minister who had gained fame in Britain and the United States with his tract Come to Jesus 1848 accused his wife Charlotte of adultery with a friend of the couple. She denied the accusations and accused him of infidelity in turn. The couple was not particularly compatible; Charlotte was a free spirit who loved to hunt and smoke habits her husband despised on moral grounds. Newman Hall's high profile and the humor of much of the testimony made the trial a raucous affair with frequent bursts of laughter from witnesses to the despair of the judge. Newman Hall ultimately succeeded in obtaining a decree nisi and remarried later that year. This is a rare title. No physical copies listed on OCLC or Library Hub. We located a copy at Indiana University. unknown
1817réf. 714681817. Boston: Thomas G. Bangs 1817. Boston: Thomas G. Bangs 1817. The Only Edition of a Rare Early 19th-Century Murder Trial: Lemuel Shaw for the Defense Trial. Phillips Henry d.1817. Trial of Henry Phillips for the Murder of Gaspard Dennegri sic. Supreme Judicial Court Boston January 9 1817 Caption Title. Boston: Printed by Thomas G. Bangs 1817. 24 pp. Octavo 8-3/4" x 5"; 22.2 x 12.7 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlet in plain wrappers. Chipping and a few tears to edges upper section lacking from rear wrapper. Moderate toning and light foxing to interior faint dampstaining in a few places. $850. Only edition. "Denegri was struck on the head by a loggerhead during a minor disturbance at a tavern. Today the circumstances would at the most be considered manslaughter but poor Phillips was found guilty of murder and hanged" McDade. The trial is highly significant for the involvement of Phillips' defense counsel Lemuel Shaw 1781-1861 whom the defendant specifically requested. Following his years in private practice Shaw went on to build a towering career as a politician and jurist. As Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court he presided during a critical era when American common law was actively being forged. Legal historian Leonard W. Levy famously characterized Shaw as arguably "America's greatest magistrate" making this scarce record of his early defense work highly desirable to legal historians. OCLC locates 9 copies 2 in law libraries Library of Congress Social Law. Levy "Lemuel Shaw: America's Greatest Magistrate" 7 Villanova Law Review 389 accessed online. McDade The Annals of Murder 746. unknown
1814réf. 684711814. London 1814. London 1814. The Great Stock Exchange Fraud of 1814 Trial. Random Charles Baron de Berenger Principal Defendant. Dundonald Thomas Cochrane Earl of 1775-1860 Principal Defendant. Gurney William Brodie 1777-1855 Reporter. The Trial of Charles Random de Berenger Sir Thomas Cochrane Commonly called Lord Cochrane The Hon. Andrew Cochrane Johnstone Richard Gathorne Butt Ralph Sandom Alexander M'Rae John Peter Holloway And Henry Lyte; For a Conspiracy In the Court of King's Bench Guildhall On Wednesday the 8th And Thursday the 9th of June 1814: With the Subsequent Proceedings in the Court of King's Bench; Taken in Short Hand. London: Sold by J. Butterworth and Son 1814. 604 4 pp. Folding table. Includes four-page publisher catalogue. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-3/8". Later library cloth red and black calf lettering pieces to spine. Light shelfwear and some soiling. Light browning and foxing to text early owner signature Joseph Tate and faint library stamp to title page a few library annotations to verso another owner signature "Wm Green. 1843" at head of main text brief early annotations in a few places. $850. Only edition. Gurney's is the most detailed account of one of the greatest English fraud cases of the nineteenth century. In 1814 Berenger a Prussian aristocrat posing as an aide to Britain's ambassador to Russia announced that Napoleon had been killed by Russian Cossacks. This news caused stock prices to rise. After discovering that Berenger's news was a hoax which caused prices to drop investigators discovered that six men had profited substantially from the false information. All were alleged to have been conspirators with Berenger. One of these men was Cochrane a Member of Parliament an admiral and one of the greatest naval heroes of the Napoleonic Wars. The case against him was weak and circumstantial but he was to the surprise of many convicted sentenced to 12 months in prison fined 1000. and ordered to stand in the pillory opposite the Royal Exchange for one hour. In subsequent weeks he was dismissed from the Royal Navy and expelled from Parliament. On the orders of the Prince Regent Cochrane was humiliated by the loss of his appointment Knight of the Order of the Bath. A month later however Cochrane was re-elected unopposed and following a public outcry his sentence to th. unknown
1790réf. 733611790. London: Printed for John Stockdale 1790. London: Printed for John Stockdale 1790. A Case That Influenced the Passage of the Libel Act of 1792 Trial. Stockdale John 1749-1814 Defendant. Gurney Joseph 1744-1815 Reporter. Erskine Thomas 1750-1823. The Whole Proceedings on the Trial of an Information Exhibited Ex Officio by the King's Attorney General Against John Stockdale; For a Libel on the House of Commons Tried in the Court of King's-Bench West-Minster On Wednesday The Ninth of December 1789 Before the Right Hon. Lloyd Lord Kenyon Chief Justice of England. Taken in Short Hand by Joseph Gurney. To Which is Subjoined An Argument in Support of the Rights of Juries. London: Printed for John Stockdale Opposite Burlington House Piccadilly 1790. xi 1 228 pp. Bound with A Briton. Four Letters on the Subject of Mr. Stockdale's Trial For a Supposed Libel on the House of Commons. London: Printed for John Stockdale opposite Burlington House Piccadilly MDCCXC 1790. 52 pp. Lacking the final 8 leaves of advertisements. Octavo 9" x 5-3/4". Contemporary three-quarter calf over marbled boards rebacked in period style gilt title fillets and ornaments to spine speckled edges hinges mended. Light rubbing to boards heavier rubbing to board edges corners bumped and somewhat worn early bookseller ticket and armorial bookplate of Charles Warburton to front pastedown. Light toning to interior light soiling to a few leaves. $850. The Whole Proceedings: first edition. Four Letters: Only edition one of two issues from 1790. Stockdale a publisher and bookseller was indicted for libel in the House of Commons after publishing an account of the impeachment of Warren Hastings by John Logan that accused the Commons of corrupt and unjust behavior. Stockdale was defended by Erskine who argued that Stockdale should not be judged by isolated passages in Logan's book but by the entire publication. Stockdale was acquitted and his case is believed to have influenced the passage of the Libel Act of 1792 which restored the verdict power of juries in libel cases. Taken in shorthand by Gurney The Whole Proceedings is Stockdale's account of his trial. A Dublin reissue and a "New" London edition were also published in 1790. Four Letters a work in favor of Stockdale and Erskine claims to provide several facts about the case and Hastings that had been. unknown
1821réf. 718241821. Salem Mass.: Published by T.C. Cushing 1821. Salem Mass.: Published by T.C. Cushing 1821. Trial and Execution of a Teen-Age Arsonist in Salem Massachusetts Trial. Clark Stephen Merrill 1804-1821 Defendant. Account of the Short Life and Ignominious Death of Stephen Merrill Clark Who was Executed at Salem on Thursday the Tenth Day of May 1821 at the Early Age of 16 Years and 9 Months For the Crime of Arson. Salem: Published by T.C. Cushing 1821. 16 pp. Octavo 9-1/4" x 5-3/4". Stab-stitched pamphlet in self-wrappers untrimmed edges. Light browning and faint dampstaining small early bookseller description affixed to verso of title page. $950. Only edition. In 1820 Clark burned down a stable and an adjacent building. There was no loss of life but he was tried for a capital crime found guilty and sentenced to death. The jury recommended commutation to no avail. He was sixteen years of age when he committed the crime seventeen when executed. His case helped to advance a successful movement to reduce the number of capital crimes. By 1852 murder was the only capital offense. OCLC locates 13 copies 3 in law libraries Harvard Social Law Yale. Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 12137. unknown
1844réf. 712921844. Boston: Samuel N. Dickinson 1844. Boston: Samuel N. Dickinson 1844. A Devastating 1843 New Hampshire Murder Trial Trial. Comings William F. d. 1844 Defendant. Report of the Trial of William F. Comings: On an Indictment for the Murder of His Wife Mrs. Adeline T. Comings. At the September Term of the Court of Common Pleas Holden at Haverhill In the County of Grafton N.H. A.D. 1843. Together with His Life Written by Himself. Boston: Printed by Samuel N. Dickinson 1844. 158 pp. Octavo 9" x 5-1/2"; 23 x 14 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers. Light soiling and a few minor marks to wrappers light wear to spine ends and corners rear joint and adjacent signature just starting to detach at foot some loss to foot of fore-edge of rear half of text block with no loss to text. Light toning to text somewhat heavier in places occasional light foxing. $750. Only edition of this scarce and grim 19th-century murder trial. William F. Comings was convicted of the brutal murder of his wife Adeline in Bath New Hampshire. In an attempt to evade justice Comings strangled her with a handkerchief and suspended her lifeless body from a bedpost to stage the crime scene as a suicide. Alongside the comprehensive trial report this volume uniquely includes an autobiographical account written by the defendant himself before his death in 1844. Highly scarce in commerce. OCLC locates 5 copies in law libraries Library of Congress New York University Social Law Library University of Missouri Yale. McDade The Annals of Murder 208. unknown
1806réf. 728521806. London 1806. Second ed. Edward Mangin's copy. London 1806. Second ed. Edward Mangin's copy. With Interesting Manuscript Commentary by a Notable Irish Writer Trial. Great Britain. Patch Richard Defendant c.1770-1806. The Trial of Richard Patch For the Wilful Murder of Mr. Isaac Blight September 23 1805 At Rotherhithe In the County of Surry; Before the Right Hon. Sir A. Macdonald Knt. Lord Chief Baron of His Majesty's Court of Exchequer; At the Sessions House Newington; On Saturday April 5 1806. London: Printed By the Express Appointment of the Sheriff For Edward Jeffery 1806. xvi 194 pp. With 5 plates including 3 portraits a facsimile of a letter and a folding illustration. Octavo 8-1/4" x 4-3/4". Marbled wrappers. Light edgewear with slight chipping to top-edge and small tear to fore-edge of rear wrapper. Light toning to interior light foxing in a few places. Ownership signature to head of title page of Edward Mangin dated May 10 1831 annotation in his hand to front free endpaper. An interesting association copy. $950. Second edition. Patch the eldest son of a smuggler had been forced to mortgage his Exeter farm and subsequently fled to London in order to dodge his creditors. While there he met Blight a ship-breaker who proposed that he become a partner in the business. Patch agreed but lacked the money to pay for his share and killed Blight instead. In passing sentence the judge told Patch: "you began this practice in fraud continued it in ingratitude and completed it by shedding the blood of your friend and benefactor." This item appears to have been extracted from a bound volume owned by Edward Mangin 1772-1852 an Irish writer translator and cleric. The lengthy note to the front free endpaper concerns the case of Elizabeth Fenning a domestic servant accused of murdering her employer whose trial and execution became a national cause celebre. Many believed Fenning innocent among them Charles Dickens. Mangin remarks that Fenning was "the victim of the combined wickedness & obscenity of her prosecutors; . the brutality and filthy national prejudices of a rabble jury; and the infamous scribbling of a time-serving prostitute villain the editor of the Sunday Observer newspaper." The notes are likely based on a copy of The Important Results of an Elaborate Investigation into the Mysterious Case of Eliza Fenning 1815 and reference an article written b. unknown
1688réf. 689851688. Edinburgh 1688. First edition. Edinburgh 1688. First edition. Scottish Murder Trial This Imprint Not in the ESTC Trial. Standsfield Philip d. 1688 Defendant. The Tryal of Philip Standsfield Son to Sir James Standsfield of New-Milns For the Murder of His Father And Other Crimes Libel'd Against Him. Published by Authority. Edinburgh: Printed by the Heir of Andrew Anderson Printer to the King's Most Sacred Majesty Anno Dom. 1688. 44 pp. Folio 11" x 7". Later three-quarter calf over marbled boards rebacked gilt title to spine endpapers renewed. Moderate rubbing to board edges corners bumped and somewhat worn. Light browning and occasional faint dampspotting to text light soiling to title page small fragment of label near center. $950. First edition. One of three issues from 1688 ours not recorded in the ESTC. Sir James Standsfield the founder and director of a woolen mill was murdered by his son Philip after he was disinherited for leading a dissolute life. The ESTC lists a similar copy with 32 pages and the same title publisher and date R217941. We located copies with a collation identical to ours at Harvard Law School and Indiana University. All issues are scarce; taken together OCLC locates 14 copies 3 in North American law libraries Harvard which has 2 copies University of Minnesota. unknown
1822réf. 726351822. Edinburgh 1822. First edition. Edinburgh 1822. First edition. Tried for Killing Boswell's Son in a Duel Trial. Stuart James 1775-1849 Defendant. The Trial of James Stuart Esq. Younger of Dunearn Before the High Court of Justiciary At Edinburgh On Monday June 10 1822. With an Appendix of Documents. Taken in Short Hand. Edinburgh: Printed for Archibald Constable and Co./London: Hurst Robinson and Co.: James Ridgway 1822. iv 186 2 20 pp. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5-1/4". Period-style quarter calf over marbled boards lettering piece and blind fillets to spine marbled edges endpapers renewed. Moderate toning to text light foxing to a few leaves light soiling and owner signature "Archd. Speirs Esq. of Eldersley" to title page faint fold line to its upper outside corner. A nice copy in a handsome binding. $950. First edition. The son of Samuel Johnson's associate James Boswell Sir Alexander Boswell First Baronet 1775-1822 was a Scottish poet antiquary and songwriter. He used the funds from his inheritance to purchase a seat in Parliament and later achieved a Baronetcy for his political support of the government. After he left Parliament Boswell wrote a series of anonymous essays denouncing James Stuart a prominent Whig. When Stuart suspected Boswell's authorship he demanded that Boswell deny authorship or apologize. Boswell refused to do either so Stuart challenged him to a duel. Boswell deliberately fired wide but Stuart who had never before handled a gun shot Boswell in the collarbone. The wound was fatal. Despite Boswell's popularity Stuart was acquitted unanimously. Archibald Speirs 1758-1832 this copy's former owner was a member of Parliament for Renfrewshire and a prominent local landowner. Like Stuart he was involved in local politics and the two likely knew each other. Both men attended a contentious county meeting in Renfrew in January 1816 Moss. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1200. Moss The Duel Between Sir Alexander Boswell and James Stuart 89. unknown
1804réf. 707241804. Philadelphia & New York 1804. Philadelphia & New York 1804. Designed to Display the Corruption of the Irish Nobility Trial. Taylour Thomas Marquess of Headfort 1757-1829 Defendant. A Report of the Trial on an Action for Damages Brought by the Reverend Charles Massy Against the Most Noble the Marquis of Headfort For Criminal Conversation With Plaintiff's Wife: Damages Laid at 40000. Philadelphia: Printed and Sold by P. Byrne And for B. Dornin New-York 1804. vii 95 pp. Octavo 8" x 5-1/4". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Light soiling to exterior a few minor tears and chips to edges of a few leaves stitching loose first signature detached. Light browning to text faint dampstaining to foot of text block light foxing to a few leaves. $950. Only American edition. At head of title: Ten Thousand Pounds Damages Summer Assizes Trial at Ennis County of Clare on 27th July 1804 Before the Hon. Baron Smith And a Special Jury. The Marquis of Headfort a member of the Irish House of Commons eloped with the wife of a clergyman who was awarded 10000 damages. The Patrick Byrne and Bernard Dornin were Irish political radicals living in exile. Published shortly after its printing in Ireland this American imprint which was issued in New York and Philadelphia was probably issued to display the corruption of the Irish nobility. Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 12010. unknown
1827réf. 699681827. A Radical Reverend Tried for Blasphemy Trial. Taylor Robert 1784-1884 Defendant. Trial of the Rev. Robert Taylor A.B. & M.R.C.S.: Upon a Charge of Blasphemy With His Defence As Delivered by Himself Before the Lord Chief Justice and a Special Jury On Wednesday October 24 1827: And as Corrected and Supplied with the Additions which Occurred in Delivery From the Morning Chronicle Herald Times Sun &c. London: Printed by John Brooks 1827. 34 pp. Portrait frontispiece. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Light rubbing to extremities frontispiece partially detached moderate toning to text somewhat heavier in places "6" in early hand to head of title page. $950. First edition one of two editions published in 1827. Trained as a surgeon Taylor left medicine for the church in 1809. His career as a cleric was somewhat derailed by his adoption of increasingly freethinking religious views and he was tried for blasphemy after delivering an unorthodox sermon about Christ's character. He was convicted and sentenced to a year in prison. OCLC locates no copies of the first edition in North America and 8 of the second 3 in law libraries Harvard; University of Missouri; Worcester MA Trial Court Library. Library Hub locates 1 copy of the first edition London Library. McCoy Freedom of the Press T38. unknown
1817réf. 657281817. With a Duplicate Colored Frontispiece Annotated by George Cruikshank Trial. Thistlewood Arthur 1770-1820 Defendant. Watson James Defendant. Preston Thomas Defendant. Hooper John Defendant. Cruikshank Isaac 1764-1811 Illustrator. Cruikshank George 1792-1878 Annotation. High Treason!! The Whole Proceedings on the Trial of Arthur Thistlewood Gent. James Watson The Elder Surgeon Thomas Preston Cordwainer And John Hooper Labourer: Upon an Indictment Found Against Them for High Treason. Fairburn's Edition. London: Printed by W. Marchant; Published by John Fairburn 1817. 23 parts comprising 360 numbered columns. Folding frontispiece two plates. Complete. Octavo 9" x 5-3/4"; 22.86 x 14.60 cm. Original plain paper-covered publisher boards with contrasting spine untrimmed edges. Some soiling and staining moderate edgewear spine abraded and worn front board detached early owner signature L. Palmer and later owner bookplate of William Hartmann Woodin 1868-1934 to front pastedown. Moderate toning to text minor oil stains and dampstains to a few leaves. Brief annotations in pencil to front pastedown and verso folding plates both entry references to Douglas's Works of George Cruikshank interior otherwise clean. Duplicate of folding frontispiece hand-colored and with an annotation by George Cruikshank laid in. It is lightly soiled lightly edgeworn and beginning to tear along fold lines later reference annotation to Douglas bibliography to top margin. Items housed in a quarter-morocco over cloth slipcase with raised bands and gilt title to spine. Moderate rubbing to extremities. A unique copy of a rare title. $950. First and only edition. A "Fairburn's Edition" which provides the "whole proceedings" of the trials. It includes verbatim accounts of the evidence presented arguments from defense attorneys and the cross-examination of witnesses. The trials occurred during a period of significant post-Napoleonic War economic hardship and political repression in Britain. The defendants were part of a movement advocating for radical reforms like universal suffrage and land redistribution. The men organized two mass meetings at Spa Fields to protest and petition the Prince Regent. While the first meeting was largely peaceful the second on December 2 1816 devolved into a riot. unknown
1817réf. 619331817. Appeals of murder were abolished after this case. Appeals of murder were abolished after this case. "Diabolically Ravished Murdered And Thrown Into a Pit" Trial. Thornton Abraham c.1793-1860 Defendant. Horrible Rape and Murder!! The Affecting Case of Mary Ashford A Beautiful Young Virgin Who was Diabolically Ravished Murdered And Thrown Into a Pit As She Was Returning From a Dance; Including the Trial of Abraham Thornton For the Wilful Murder of the Said Mary Ashford; With the Whole of the Evidence Charge to the Jury &c. Tried at Warwick Assizes Before Mr. Justice Holroyd On the 8th of August 1817. Taken in Short Hand. To Which is Added Copious Elucidations of this Extraordinary Case; And a Correct Plan of the Spot Where the Rape and Murder were Committed &c. &c. London: Published by John Fairburn 1817. ii 60 columns 34 pp 64 1 pp. Several newspaper clippings concerning this case pasted to final leaf rear wrapper and verso of title page. Woodcut folding map of crime scene. Octavo 8-3/4" x 5-1/2". Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers untrimmed edges. Some soiling and edgewear spine and fold-lines of table reinforced fore-edge mended some toning to text. Early owner inscriptions to front wrapper "Bright" and "St John Crookes" and verso of map "St John Crookes/ Sunderland/ 1856". $950. "Third Edition." Abraham Thornton a bricklayer was accused of the rape and murder of Mary Ashford when she was found dead the morning after a dance where the two had been seen together. Thornton admitted that the two had been consensually intimate but denied the charges of rape and murder. Eyewitness accounts backed up his story and in the absence of other evidence he was acquitted of both charges. Public outcry around his acquittal led to Mary's brother William invoking an "appeal of murder." This uncommon legal practice allowed a retrial of a defendant acquitted for murder but crucially gave the defendant the right to trial by battle. Thornton invoked that right and was released after William Ashford declined the challenge. The case resulted in the abolition of appeals by murder and thus the end of trial by battle. Despite his protestations of innocence the public was thoroughly convinced of his guilt. Unable to lead a normal life Thornton moved to the United States and settled in Baltimore Maryland. One of the former owners of our copy may have been John Bright 1811-1889 a r. unknown
1867réf. 684671867. London 1867. London 1867. Was Dr. Hunter a Charlatan Trial. Hunter Robert Plaintiff. Pall Mall Gazette Respondent. Dr. Hunter Versus Pall Mall Gazette: Being a Verbatim Report of the Medical Evidence Given by Dr. Williams Dr. Risdon Bennett Dr. Orlando Markham Dr. George Johnson Dr. Cotton Dr. Richard Quain and Dr. Odling Showing Their Opinions on the Nature Causes and Cure of Consumption: With Explanatory Remarks by Dr. Hunter The Plaintiff. London: Printed by C. Mitchell and Co. 1867. 404 pp. 4 woodcut text illustrations. Octavo 8" x 5". Later library cloth red and black calf lettering pieces to spine. Light soiling and shelfwear some chipping to edges of lettering pieces. Moderate toning to text minor stains to a few leaves light soiling a faint stain and a library stamp to title page library annotations to verso. A scarce title. $1000. Only edition. One of the most famous cases of its day it is fascinating for it insights into medical jurisprudence the Victorian medical profession and the treatment of tuberculosis consumption. Hunter an American doctor had antagonized English doctors by claiming to have developed a better set of therapies to treat the tuberculosis. A shrewd self-promoter he publicized his views widely and attracted a large number of patients. He had several critics. One of them published an article attacking him in the Pall Mall Gazette titled "Dupes and Imposters." Hunter sued. After many hours of medical testimony the jury "vindicated" Hunter but awarded him only 1 farthing in damages. This contemptuous award indicated that the jury considered him a charlatan. OCLC locates 12 copies 3 in North American law libraries Harvard Jenkins Social Law. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School II:1109. unknown
1790réf. 709551790. London: Printed for John Stockdale 1790. London: Printed for John Stockdale 1790. A Case That Influenced the Passage of the Libel Act of 1792 Trial. Stockdale John 1749-1814 Defendant. Gurney Joseph 1744-1815 Reporter. Erskine Thomas 1750-1823. The Whole Proceedings on the Trial of an Information Exhibited Ex Officio by the King's Attorney General Against John Stockdale; For a Libel on the House of Commons Tried in the Court of King's-Bench West-Minster On Wednesday The Ninth of December 1789 Before the Right Hon. Lloyd Lord Kenyon Chief Justice of England. Taken in Short Hand by Joseph Gurney. To Which is Subjoined An Argument in Support of the Rights of Juries. London: Printed for John Stockdale Opposite Burlington House Piccadilly 1790. xi 1 228 pp. Lacking final 8 leaves of publisher advertisements. Octavo 9-1/4" x 5-3/4". Contemporary tree calf gilt spine with lettering piece gilt tooling to board edges edges of text block colored yellow. Some minor nicks and scratches to boards light rubbing to extremities some wear to spine ends joints starting at ends corners bumped and lightly worn hinges starting light toning to text. An attractive wide-margined copy in a lovely original binding. $1000. First edition. Stockdale a publisher and bookseller was indicted for libel on the House of Commons after publishing an account of the impeachment of Warren Hastings by John Logan that accused the Commons of corrupt and unjust behavior. Stockdale was defended by Erskine who argued that Stockdale should not be judged by isolated passages in Logan's book but by the entire publication. Stockdale was acquitted and his case is believed to have influenced the passage of the Libel Act of 1792 which restored the verdict power of juries in libel cases. Taken in shorthand by Gurney The Whole Proceedings is Stockdale's account of his trial. A Dublin reissue and a "New" London edition were also published in 1790. English Short-Title Catalogue T83638. unknown
1981réf. 216885Beijing. Circa1981. A complete set of 50 black and white photographs of the trial of the Gang of Four during 1980-81. Images clearly show the judges the courtroom and the accused. In excellent condition each photograph is loosely inserted within an A5 polypropylene sleeve all contained in an archival-grade cardboard box. All images measure approximately 20.5 x 15cm. A fascinating series of photos from the trial of the Gang of Four and the so-called remnants of Lin Biao's Central Cultural Revolution Group including images of the court physical evidence and the accused themselves - including though not limited to Jiang Qing Zhang Chunqiao Wang Hongwen and Yao Wenyuan. Included are photos of the accused - in clearly poorer physical health compared to their peak in 1976 - after having reputedly given emotive vitriolic and stubborn statements to the court. Though Jiang Qing and Zhang Chunqiao appear openly hostile or contemptuous to the court - both in their own unique way - Wang Hongwen Yao Wenyuan and the other defendants appear more subdued and mournful in their demeanour seemingly having resigned themselves to their fate. Of particular note is the inclusion of a single page of images of what appears to be the badly charred and broken corpse of Lin Biao as well as the wreckage of his ill-fated flight. These images were presumably supplied to the court by the KGB who had very controversially handled the investigation at the time of the crash despite it having taken place over and within the territory of the Mongolian People's Republic not the Soviet Union. Perhaps to further affirm the position that the corpse was indeed Lin's a forensic-like comparison is made between an image of the body's skull and his distinctive forehead and brow ridge. . unknown
1945réf. 47189Krakow: Spóldzielnia Wydawnicza "Czytelnik" Czytelnik Publishing Cooperative 1945. First edition. Softcover. g to von-. Octavo 8 1/4 x 6". 93pp. 13 leaves of double sided photographic plates interleaved and unpaginated. Illustrated tan red and black wrappers with black lettering on the front cover. Photographic b/w frontispiece. Spóldzielnia Wydawnicza "Czytelnik." Possibly an earlier publication on lower quality paper compare to a slightly smaller publication by the "Library of the Union of Polish Patriots in the USSR" Biblioteczka Zwiazku Patriotów Polskich w ZSRR with the same text in different layout. That publication issued on higher quality paper and with twenty-eight photogravures three more than in this publication with twelve photographs appearing in both publications though in lesser quality here. Court Proceedings of the Polish-Soviet Special Criminal Court established in Lublin in August 1944 in order to investigate the crimes committed by the Germans in the Majdanek extermination camp. Despite the importance of this document it must be mentioned that the Commission made erroneous assumptions regarding the duration of the camp and the number of people killed at Majdanek. The Publishing cooperative "Czytelnik" was established behind Soviet front lines in 1944. It became the first post-World War II. publisher in Poland. The total numbers of the victims is still controversial: In this report 1.5 million victims of different nationalities were counted however according to the latest researches there were 79000 victims 59000 of whom were Jews See: Kranz T.: "Bookkeeping of Death and Prisoner Mortality at Majdanek." pp. 81-110. In: Silberklang D. Ed.: Yad Vashem Studies. Vol. 35:1. Jerusalem 2007. Illustrated with 25 pages of b/w photographic reproductions including a frontispiece on 13 double-sided interleaved plates altogether thirty-two photographs depicting members of the Commission Nazi guards now prisoners who used to run the camp and survivors alike testifying before the Commission. Also includes views of the actual concentration camp piles of suitcases Zyklon B poison gas pellets gas chambers ovens and survivors amid corpses. Wrappers with some chipping rubbing creasing and/or closed tears to extremities. Small stain on the back cover and side edge of book block. Verso of frontispiece with a vertical crease. Some pages throughout with some light age toning or small water spots. Overall text and images clear and vibrant. Wrappers in good interior in very good- condition overall. One of two editions of this work published in Moscow and Krakow in 1945. It is not certain which was released first. Each has different wrappers size pagination and publishers. Spóldzielnia Wydawnicza "Czytelnik" (Czytelnik Publishing Cooperative) unknown
1791réf. 623701791. London 1791. London 1791. A Cautionary Tale for "Young Gentlemen" Trial. Cork Edmund Boyle Earl of 1767-1856 Defendant. The Trial of Lord Dungarvan At the Old Bailey On Monday the 17th of January 1790 Before Mr. Baron Thompson. Taken Accurately in Short Hand by a Gentleman of the Middle Temple. Counsel for the Prosecution Mr. Knowles and Mr. Const. For his Lordship Mr. Shepherd Mr. Garrow and Mr. Cullen. London: Printed for Mr. Lewis 1791. 6 ii 3-38 2 pp. Includes two-page publisher catalogue. Copperplate portrait frontispiece. Quarto 10" x 8". Recent three-quarter morocco over cloth gilt rules to boards gilt title to spine untrimmed edges. Moderate rubbing to extremities some toning to text light soiling to half-title which has an owner signature of William Owen Trinity College dated 1794 repairs to corners and fore-edge of frontispiece. Ex-library. Stamps to boards and free endpapers bookplate to front pastedown. A solid copy of a rare title. $1250. Only edition. The frontispiece depicts Elizabeth Weldon the prostitute who initiated the suit. In an attempt to extort money she threatened Boyle also known as Viscount Dungarvan due to his Irish properties with a bogus lawsuit. She said she would claim he took money from her clothing after he purchased her services. However Cork called her bluff and eventually prevailed in court. Clearly a salacious case it is presented here as a cautionary tale for "young gentlemen whose levity may bring them into a familiar situation." The reporter warns that it "may not always be in the power even of a man of fashion to refute the plausible tale of an artful woman although a prostitute. It may not always happen that an innocent defendant shall have the same circumstances to protect his honour as my Lord Dungarvan" ii. OCLC locates 2 copies both in law libraries Columbia Harvard. English Short-Title Catalogue N013878. unknown
1871réf. 821101871. San Francisco 1871. Only edition. San Francisco 1871. Only edition. A Landmark Gilded Age Murder Trial-Offered with Its Definitive Modern History Trial. Fair Laura D. Defendant. Official Report of the Trial of Laura D. Fair For the Murder of Alex. P. Crittenden. San Francisco: Printed by the San Francisco Co-Operative Printing Co. 1871. 4 325 xvii pp. With two full-page woodcut portraits of Fair and Crittenden as a double frontispiece. Octavo 9-3/4" x 6-1/2"; 24.8 x 16.5 cm. Stab-stitched book bound in early twentieth-century three-quarter sheep over marbled boards gilt title to spine front board detached. Rubbing light wear to extremities front joint starting chipping to spine ends corners bumped and worn hinges cracked front hinge reinforced with archival tissue library bookplate with deaccession stamp to front pastedown. Moderate toning to interior; light edgewear and a few chips to portrait leaves; light foxing to last few leaves; tear to head of gutter of title page; internally clean. Housed in attractive custom crimson clamshell box quarter morocco over cloth with raised bands and gilt title to spine. $1250. First and only edition of the official report documenting the "Ferryboat Murder" a landmark case of femininity insanity and Victorian scandal. When Laura Fair discovered her lover Alexander Crittenden had no intention of leaving his wife she fatally shot him aboard a San Francisco ferry in front of his family. The ensuing trial became a national lightning rod for Victorian anxieties regarding the "sanctity of the family" and the legal rights of women. In a pioneering and controversial defense Fair's counsel argued she was a victim of "Moral Mania" a temporary insanity triggered by her menstrual cycle and "nervous prostration." While the suffragist movement championed her as a victim of a patriarchal legal system the public was captivated by the scandalous correspondence printed here in full. This historical drama is explored in depth in Gary Krist's Trespassers at the Golden Gate 2025 which contextualizes the trial within Gilded Age San Francisco. This remains a cornerstone text for the study of 19th-century gender politics and the 'insanity' defense. McDade The Annals of Murder 291. Krist Trespassers at the Golden Gate 2025 a copy of this work is included. unknown
1864réf. 712931864. Boston: James Redpath 1864. Boston: James Redpath 1864. The Definitive First Edition of an Exceptionally Rare Anti-Capital Punishment Pamphlet Regarding the First Recorded Bank Robbery in American History Trial. Green Edward W. d.1866 Defendant. A Citizen of Malden. Shall We Suffocate Ed. Green. Boston: James Redpath 1864. 61 3 pp. Octavo 9-1/4" x 5-1/2"; 23.5 x 14 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers. Light soiling staining and edgewear to wrappers and corners of text block spine abraded wrappers partially detached but secure. Moderate toning to interior faint dampstaining to a few leaves early owner inscription "Chas W. Raisbeck/ Malden/ Mass" to head of front wrapper. $1250. Only edition. Edward W. Green the seemingly respectable postmaster of Malden Massachusetts earned a dark place in American history as the nation's first bank robber. Secretly struggling with alcoholism and a shortfall in his post office accounts Green targeted the Malden Bank on December 15 1863. Finding the institution manned solely by Frank Converse the 17-year-old son of the bank's president Green retrieved a gun shot the youth twice in the head and escaped with $5000. The crime was swiftly solved; Green confessed led authorities to the stolen funds and was sentenced to hang. Published during the height of the public furor surrounding Green's trial this highly charged polemic fiercely condemns the bloodlust of the public. The anonymous author writing as "A Citizen of Malden" argues that those demanding Green's execution are betraying the core teachings of Christ. The pamphlet was issued by James Redpath 1833-1891 the prominent journalist radical abolitionist and progressive publisher known for championing social reform and human rights causes. This title is of exceptional rarity. While Thomas M. McDade's definitive bibliography The Annals of Murder records two other contemporary accounts of the Green case items 381 and 382 this specific pamphlet is unrecorded by McDade. Charles William Raisbeck 1829-1872 the former owner of this copy was a bookkeeper and genealogist who split his time between Boston and Malden. Only edition. Green the postmaster of Malden Massachusetts is. unknown
1849réf. 739211849. A Murder Trial that Inspired Dickens Trial. Manning Frederick George 1820-1849 Defendant. Manning Maria 1821-1849 Defendant. The Bermondsey Murder. A Full Report of the Trial of Frederick George Manning and Maria Manning For the Murder of Patrick O'Connor At Minver-Place Bermondsey On the 9th of August 1849. Including Memoirs of Patrick O'Connor Frederick George Manning And Maria Manning. With their Portraits And Several Other Engravings. At head of title: Clark's Edition. London: Printed and Published by W.M. Clark 1849. 64 pp. Illustrated. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5-1/4". Stab-stitched pamphlet in recent plain wrappers edges rouged housed in plain folder with printed label to front. Moderate toning to interior light foxing and soiling to a few leaves a few slight cracks to text block all leaves secure very faint offsetting from illustrations in places. With Manning Frederick George. Manning Maria. The Only Correct Account of the Confession and Execution of Frederick George Manning and Maria Manning For the Murder of Patrick O'Connor. London: Now Publishing By W.M. Clark 1849. 16 pp. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5-1/4". Stab-stitched pamphlet in recent plain wrappers printed label to front wrapper endleaves added. Moderate toning to interior negligible light foxing and soiling in places. Together two items. $1250. Only stated editions; Trial: one of two 1849 issues. O'Connor a wealthy gauger customs official and moneylender was the former lover of Marie De Roux later Manning. He was murdered by Marie and her husband Frederick George Manning. The motivation was greed. The case attracted a good deal of public attention and became known as the "Bermondsey Horror." Eventually apprehended the husband and wife were hanged on November 13 1849. This execution was the first time a husband and wife had been executed together in England since 1700. Dickens witnessed the execution and wrote an account of it that was published in the Times. The behavior of the crowd repulsed him and he became a leading advocate for ending public executions. The campaign was eventually successful in 1868. He later based a character on Marie Manning: Mademoiselle Hortense Lady Dedlock's maid in Bleak House. Our account of the trial had two 1849 issues with different pag. unknown