3.510 Ergebnisse
1857Best.-Nr. 716411857. Boston: Federhen & Company 1857. Boston: Federhen & Company 1857. An Accused Adulterer Defended by Richard Henry Dana Trial. Kalloch Isaac Smith 1831-1887 Defendant. Only Full Report of the Trial of Rev. I.S. Kalloch on Charge of Adultery: Complete History of the Affair Doings of the Church Kalloch's Pulpit Defence Arrest Arraignment Trial And Result. With Accurate Portraits of Kalloch and the Beautiful Lady in Black And the Lecture Room of the Lechmere. Boston: Federhen & Company 1857. 64 pp. Woodcut pictorial title page. Two woodcut text illustrations. Octavo 9" x 5-1/2". Stab-stitched pamphlet in pictorial self-wrappers bound into recent quarter calf over marbled boards. Moderate toning and dampstaining to text repairs to edges of first and final leaves. $500. Only edition. "Isaac Smith Kalloch accused of adultery in this prosecution was a Baptist clergyman and was supported by the trustees of his church throughout this affair. . The jury could not reach a verdict in the case which was tried in the Massachusetts Court of Common Pleas Criminal Session in Cambridge Massachusetts" Cohen. Kalloch was defended by the eminent lawyer and politician Richard Henry Dana Jr. 1815-1882. The Full Report includes the judge's charge but not the jury's final verdict. Kalloch moved to San Francisco where he continued to generate controversy by skirting the bounds of decency. When he decided to run for mayor of San Francisco in 1879 he came under attack from the San Francisco Chronicle's editor-in-chief Charles de Young who was backing another candidate. DeYoung hoping to end Kalloch's campaign accused the minister of having an affair. Kalloch responded by claiming that De Young's mother ran a brothel. In response DeYoung ambushed Kalloch on a street and shot him twice. Kalloch survived the wounds. Due in part to the sympathy of voters he was elected the 18th Mayor of San Francisco. OCLC locates 7 copies in North American law libraries Brigham Young University Harvard LA County Social Law Library of Congress University of Cincinnati University of Minnesota. Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 13700. unknown books
1830Best.-Nr. 714241830. Scarce Account of a Famous Salem Murder: McDade 569 Trial. Knapp John Francis 1810-1830 Defendant. The Trial and Conviction of John Francis Knapp for the Murder of Joseph White Esq. of Salem On the Sixth of April 1830. Boston: Published by Charles Ellms 1830. 35 1 pp. Woodcut frontispiece. Woodcut title vignette of murder. Half-title reads: Knapp's Second Trial Conviction And Sentence. Octavo 9" x 5-1/2"; 23 x 14 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlet wrappers lacking. Light soiling to exterior moderate toning to text some chipping short tears and wear to fore-edges of leaves through p. 19 with no loss to text faint spotting in a few places faint dampstaining to a few leaves. A scarce title. $500. First edition one of five known variants/issues of this sensational 19th-century murder pamphlet. The trial details a gruesome and calculated insurance fraud plot. Benjamin Hunter having lost a $7000 investment in John M. Armstrong's music-publishing company sought to recoup his losses-and turn a profit-by taking out a $25000 life insurance policy on Armstrong. Hunter and a hired accomplice Tom Graham lured Armstrong to Camden New Jersey where Hunter brutally attacked him with an axe. In a calculated move to mislead investigators Hunter had pre-marked the axe with another man's initials. Remarkably Armstrong survived the initial assault though he remained unconscious. In a chilling final act Hunter visited the dying man at his home and hastened his death by tearing the bandages from his head wounds. Graham ultimately confessed leading to Hunter's conviction and subsequent hanging. All Barclay & Company issues of this pamphlet feature varying cover titles and paginations and all are genuinely scarce on the market. OCLC locates only 7 copies of this specific 86-page issue with only one held in a law library University of Missouri. OCLC locates 9 copies 2 in law libraries Library of Congress Yale. McDade The Annals of Murder 569. unknown books
1830Best.-Nr. 714221830. The Jury Could Not Decide: McDade 572 Trial. Knapp John Francis Defendant. Trial of John Francis Knapp as Principal in the Second Degree for the Murder of Capt. Joseph White Before the Supreme Judicial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts At a Special Session Commenced at Salem July 20 1830. Reported for the Publishers. Boston: Published by Dutton and Wentworth 1830. 60 pp. Woodcut maps and illustration of the murder weapon. Octavo 9" x 5-1/2". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Negligible light soiling to exterior tiny smudge to title page light toning. A nice copy of a scarce title. $500. Only edition. The murder of Joseph White a wealthy retired sea captain a conspiracy by a relative Joseph Knapp who hired his brother John Francis Knapp and the brothers Richard and George Crowninshield was one of the most famous trials of the 1830s. Joseph Knapp received immunity for turning in the Crowninshields. George Crowninshield had a good alibi that prevented his conviction. Richard Crowninshield escaped justice by hanging himself. John Francis Knapp was tried twice. He was convicted in his second trial and sentenced to death. OCLC locates 3 copies in law libraries Library of Congress University of Pennsylvania Yale. McDade The Annals of Murder 572. unknown books
1765Best.-Nr. 752861765. Incest and Murder in Edinburgh Trial. Nairn Katharine Defendant. Ogilvie Patrick d.1765 Defendant. The Trial of Katharine Nairn and Patrick Ogilvie For the Crimes of Incest and Murder. Containing the Whole Procedure of the High Court of Judiciary Upon the 5th 12th 13th 14th 15th And 16th Days of August 1765. Edinburgh: Printed by Auld and Smellie 1765. 200 pp. Lacking final advertisement leaf. Octavo 8" x 4-1/2". Recent cloth gilt fillets and title to spine endpapers renewed. Light toning to interior occasional light soiling light foxing in a few places very faint dampstaining to bottom margin of pp. 13-26 clean tear to bottom of leaf K2 pp. 79-80 upper corner of leaf Aa2 pp. 191-192 lacking text not affected. Early ink corrections to pp. 51 and 137 early pencil annotations and corrections throughout. $500. One of two 1765 Edinburgh editions. In January 1765 19-year-old Katharine Nairn married 40 year-old Thomas Ogilvie. She soon fell in love with his younger brother Patrick. In June the same year Thomas Ogilvie died after a sudden illness. Katharine and Patrick were arrested and convicted of murder by poisoning. Patrick Ogilvie was hanged but Katharine's execution was delayed when she was found to be pregnant. Placed in a lower-security section of the prison she took an opportunity to escape and fled to France. She was never apprehended. This trial was the subject of a volume in the Notable British Trials series edited by William Roughead. An interesting feature of our copy is the extensive annotations and corrections in an early hand likely by the printer. This may have been done in preparation for another edition that does not appear to have come to pass. English Short-Title Catalogue T51693. unknown books
1713Best.-Nr. 728981713. The Consequences of Town Gallantry Are Always Fatal" Trial. Noble Richard Defendant 1684-1713. A Full Account of the Case of John Sayer Esq; From the Time of His Unhappy Marriage with his Wife To His Death. Including the Whole Intrigue Between Mrs. Sayer and Mr. Noble; With Several Diverting Incidents And the Prosecution at Large Against Noble As Appear'd at the Coroner's Inquest And at Kingston-Assizes. London: Printed And Sold by A. Baldwin 1713. 20 pp. Folio 12-3/4" x 8". Stab-stitched pamphlet with later side stitching. Light toning negligible horizontal fold line light soiling in a few places light offsetting to title page and first few leaves slight chipping to top-edge of title page without loss to text small hole to text block of leaf B1 pp. 3-4 with no loss to legibility. A remarkably well-preserved folio. $500. First edition one of three from the same year. A classic 18th-century tale of 'Town Gallantry' turned deadly. This pamphlet details the sensational fall of Richard Noble an attorney who transitioned from representing Mrs. Sayer in her separation to becoming her lover and ultimately her husband's murderer. When the aggrieved John Sayer arrived with constables to arrest his runaway wife and serve Noble with an action for 'Criminal Conversation' adultery Noble drew his sword and killed Sayer in cold blood in the presence of the officers. The trial highlights the scandalous dynamics of the era: Noble's defense was funded by his mistress and her mother who were themselves tried as accomplices. While the women used their wealth to secure acquittals Noble was sent to the gallows. A vivid primary source for the study of 18th-century marital law adultery and homicide. OCLC locates 6 copies of this edition 3 in North America University of Illinois Middlebury New York State Library. English Short-Title Catalogue T108029. unknown books
1797Best.-Nr. 683951797. Stafford 1797. Stafford 1797. Death at the Hands of a Rejected Suitor Trial. Oliver T. Milward d. 1797 Defendant. Trial of T. Milward Oliver At Stafford Summer Assizes 1797 Before the Honourable Baron Perryn For the Murder of Mr. John Wood An Eminent Potter Of Brownshill In the County of Stafford. Stafford: Printed and sold by J.Drewry 1797. 76 pp. Octavo 8" x 5". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Moderate soiling and some edgewear to exterior "4." and "W. Miller" to head of title page. Moderate toning to text early marks and a few brief annotations to text chip to lower margin of leaf B2 pp. 7-8 with no loss to text. $500. Only edition. This trial concerns the murder of John Wood a member of a prominent family of Staffordshire potters who was killed by a rejected suitor for his daughter's hand. Oliver was found guilty and hanged. OCLC locates 9 copies worldwide 4 in North America 2 in law libraries Harvard Social Law. English Short-Title Catalogue T81557. unknown books
1856Best.-Nr. 784901856. Five titles in 1 book. Five titles in 1 book. Poisoning and Lunacy Trial. Palmer William 1824-1856 Defendant. Illustrated and Unabridged Edition of The Times Report of the Trial of William Palmer for Poisoning John Parsons Cook At Rugeley. From the Short-Hand Notes Taken in the Central Court from Day to Day. London: Ward and Lock 1856. 184 pp. With numerous woodcut illustrations and a folding frontispiece. Bound with Trial. Windham William Frederick b.1840 Defendant. The Great Lunacy Case of Mr. W.F. Windham. Reported by a Solicitor. London: H. Vickers 1862. 60 pp. 2 pp. publisher advertisements. And Richardson James. Studies from the Antique. Edinburgh: John Baxter 1862. 62 pp. And Runciman David 1803-1872. Marriage and Married Life; A Week Day Homily. Glasgow: Printed by Robert Anderson 1862. 32 pp. And Cooper James Fenimore 1789-1851. The Water Witch; Or The Skimmer of the Seas. A Tale. London: Published by J. Cunningham 1839. 136 pp. Together 5 titles in 1 volume. Octavo 8" x 5-1/2"; 20.3 x 14 cm trim size of Windham trial 7-1/2" x 5"/19 x 12.5 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlets bound in contemporary cloth gilt title to spine early manuscript table of contents to front endleaf. Light rubbing to extremities light fading to spine spine ends and corners bumped and lightly worn faint offsetting to endleaves hinges cracked. Light toning to interior a few mostly partial cracks to text block second item loosening very slightly but secure small spots and tiny faint stains to a few leaves folding frontispiece of first item reinforced at right edge not affecting image. $500. This volume contains accounts of two famous nineteenth-century trials. Palmer a first-rate sociopath was tried and convicted for the 1855 murder of his friend John Cook and executed in 1856. Also known as the Rugeley Poisoner or the Prince of Poisoners he was suspected of several other murders including four of his children killed before their first birthdays. The Windham trial was one of the most famous insanity trials of the time and an early example of the use of forensic psychiatry. Windham's uncle a distinguished soldier and M.P. alleged that his nephew was unfit to take possession of the estate. After weeks of testimony the court disagreed and Windham was found sane. The other titl. unknown books
1811Best.-Nr. 859051811. New YorK: Largin & Thompson 1811. New YorK: Largin & Thompson 1811. A High-Profile 19th-Century "Me Too" Moment: OCLC Locates 1 Copy in a Law Library Trial. Parkinson William 1774-1848 Defendant. Sampson William 1764-1836 Reporter. Trial of Mr. William Parkinson Pastor of the First Baptist Church in the City of New-York On an Indictment for Assault and Battery upon Mrs. Eliza Wintringham. New York: Printed by Largin & Thompson No. 5 Burling Slip 1811. 84 pp. Octavo 8" x 5"; 20.3 x 12.7 cm. Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet title page preceded by later blank leaves the first inscribed "Trial of Revd. Parkinson" two later leaves at rear of text. Moderate toning light foxing to a few leaves light soiling and early owner signature of Thomas H. Wright to title page a minor tear to its fore-edge. A very good copy of a rare title. $500. Only edition. A fascinating account of a 19th-century ecclesiastical scandal involving William Parkinson a former Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives. Parkinson was accused of "assault and battery" against Eliza Wintringham a member of his congregation-a charge that served as a contemporary euphemism for sexual misconduct. The trial was a sensation fueled by allegations that Wintringham was one of several women with whom the pastor was "romantically involved" Cohen. Despite the testimony the jury returned a verdict of not guilty allowing Parkinson to remain in his pulpit for another three decades. Recorded by William Sampson the noted Irish legal reformer and pioneer of American court reporting. This is a rare title. OCLC locates 9 copies 1 in a law library Harvard. Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 13849. unknown books
1794Best.-Nr. 651461794. taken in short-hand by Joseph Gurney. taken in short-hand by Joseph Gurney. "Mr. Thomas Walker Commenced his Virulence Against Me." Trial. Roberts William Defendant. Gurney Joseph Reporter. The Whole Proceedings on the Trial of an Action Brought by Thomas Walker Merchant Against William Roberts Barrister at Law For a Libel. Tried by a Special Jury at the Assizes at Lancaster March 28 1791 Before the Hon. Sir Alexander Thomson Knight One of the Barons of his Majesty's Court of Exchequer. Taken in Short Hand by Joseph Gurney. Manchester: Printed by Charles Wheeler 1791 208 pp. Lacking half-title. Bound with Roberts William. Supplementary Facts and Observations Occasioned by Mr. Walker's Publication of His Prosecution of Mr. Roberts; With Notes &c. Manchester: S.n. 1791. 24 pp. Octavo 7-3/4" x 4-3/4". Recent marbled boards printed title label to spine speckled edges. Moderate toning light foxing and minor stains to a few leaves light soiling to title pages minor staining along gutter of the title page to The Whole Proceedings. A handsome volume. $500. Only editions. Unhappy with his treatment by Walker during a lawsuit Roberts circulated a flyer reading: "Mr. Thomas Walker commenced his virulence against me like a BULLY has conducted it like a FOOL has acted in it like a SCOUNDREL has ended it like a COWARD at last has turned BLACKGUARD and unworthy of association with or notice of any Gentleman who regards his own character." Walker won his case; Roberts paid damages of 100. The Whole Proceedings is scarce OCLC locates 9 copies in North American law libraries; Supplementary Facts is rare OCLC locates 4 copies worldwide 2 in North America Princeton University Temple University. English Short-Title Catalogue T99785 N37623. unknown books
1676Best.-Nr. 751371676. A Powerful Defense of Habeas Corpus Trial. Shaftesbury Anthony Ashley Cooper Earl of 1621-1683 Defendant. The Case of Anthony Earl of Shaftsbury; As it was Argued before His Majesties Justices of the Kings Bench Trin. Term. 29. Car. 2. Being Upon His Confinement in the Tower &c. With a Speech of this Worthy Earl Pleading His Own Case And the Liberty of the Subject. London: Printed by K.P. for C.R. 1679. 16 pp. Folio 12" x 7-1/2". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet fore and bottom edges untrimmed. Light toning folio numbers to upper corners in an early hand upper corner of first leaf lacking with minor loss to "E" of "Case" negligible light foxing and soiling to a few pages. $500. Only edition. A founder of the Whig party and an important patron of John Locke Shaftesbury was a prominent English politician during the Interregnum and reign of King Charles II. He frequently clashed with the king and Tory leadership including in 1676 when he and allies argued that the current parliament was illegitimate and were subsequently sent to the Tower. When Shaftesbury's petition for release failed he brought a writ of habeas corpus. "In a very powerful argument he admitted the supreme judicature of the lords but denied their power to commit to indefinite imprisonment on a general warrant. The judges however said that they had no jurisdiction in the case and Shaftesbury was sent back to the Tower" DNB. Dictionary of National Biography accessed online. English Short-Title Catalogue R4010. unknown books
1815Best.-Nr. 646021815. London 1815. 1st ed. London 1815. 1st ed. A Hand in the Scuttle Trial. Stocks Michael d. 1836 Defendant. Report of the Trial of Michael Stocks Esq. For Wilful and Corrupt Perjury At the Yorkshire Lent Assizes 1815 Before the Honourable Sir Alexander Thompson Knight Chief Baron of his Majesty's Court of Exchequer And a special jury. Huddersfield England: Printed for the Editor By J. Lancashire 1815. iv 109 1 pp. Octavo 8" x 5". Recent period-style quarter calf over marbled boards gilt title to spine. Moderate toning to text newspaper article "Last Moments of Jonathan Martin" pasted over errata list the verso of p. 109 small newspaper clipping pasted to foot of title page. Early owner annotations to title page and following leaf light soiling and minor edgewear to final two leaves interior otherwise clean. $500. Only edition one of two issues both from 1815. Stocks was accused of stealing and selling 10000 tons of coal from mines in Northowram in the West-Riding of Yorkshire he owned in partnership with two other men. Stocks was not convicted. The trial details the contractual history of the partnership such contentious matters as the exact legal boundaries of neighboring mines and coal-pits and the nature of written and verbal agreements. Including both edition OCLC locates 9 copies in North America 5 in law libraries Harvard Library of Congress Ohio State University of Georgia Yale. Not in the British Museum Catalogue. unknown books
1816Best.-Nr. 699651816. Not Listed on COPAC or OCLC Trial. Taylor Edward Defendant. Taylor Robert Defendant. The Defence of Mr. Edward Taylor Delivered by Him on the Trial of Himself and His Brother Robert Taylor On the Sixteenth of January 1816 at the Old Bailey On an Indictment Charging them with Forging and Uttering a Certain Forged Order with the Indorsement Thereon For the Delivery of a Quantity of Hides The Property of Lubbock & Co. from the London Docks. London: Printed by Hay and Turner 1816. 14 pp. Octavo 8" x 5". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet title page detached lightly soiled and moderately edgeworn "7." in early hand to head moderate toning to text faint dampstaining to foot of text block. $500. Only edition. Taylor confesses his guilt explains his actions and asks the court to be lenient with his brother. He also asks the court to consider the two brother's responsibility for their widowed elderly mother. No copies listed on COPAC or OCLC. unknown books
1755Best.-Nr. 783201755. Murder or Self-Defense Trial. Turton William Defendant. The Tryal of William Turton Esq; For the Murder of John Holloway At the Assizes Held at Oxford On Thursday The Seventeenth Day of July 1755. Before the Honble. Sir Michael Foster One of the Justices of His Majesty's Court of King's Bench. Being an Exact and Impartial Account of the Evidence Given on Either Side. Taken Down by a Gentleman As Deposed in Court. London: Printed for E. Withers 1755. iv 14 pp. With a half-title; lacking final advertisement leaf. Quarto 8-3/4" x 6-3/4". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Moderate toning light soiling to exterior small faint dampstain to top-edge not affecting text half-title just starting to separate at ends but secure. $500. Only edition. Thurton was accused of murder after shooting a young boy whom he claimed was part of a mob attacking his coach. The jury found his self-defense argument convincing and he was acquitted. OCLC locates 7 copies of this title 3 in North American law libraries Harvard Yale Library of Congress. English Short-Title Catalogue T113148. unknown books
1794Best.-Nr. 838791794. The Treason Trial of a Notable Cotton Merchant & Political Radical Trial. Walker Thomas 1749-1817 Primary Defendant. Gurney Joseph 1744-1815 Reporter. The Whole Proceedings on the Trial of Indictment Against Thomas Walker of Manchester Merchant Samuel Jackson James Cheetham Oliver Pearsal Benjamin Booth And Joseph Collier; For a Conspiracy to Overthrow the Constitution and Government And to Aid and Assist the French Being the King's Enemies in Case They Should Invade this Kingdom Tried at the Assizes at Lancaster April 2 1794 Before the Hon. Mr. Justice Heath One of the Judges of His Majesty's Court of Common Pleas. Philadelphia: Printed for Samuel Harrison Smith by W. Woodward 1794. xii 13-104 xix 1 pp. Octavo 8" x 5"; 20.6 x 12.7 cm. Disbound. Moderate toning occasional light foxing title page detaching at foot. A good copy. $500. Only American edition one of two issues. A cotton merchant by trade Walker was a well-connected radical and social reformer. His circle of friends and acquaintances included Thomas Paine Charles James Fox Josiah Wedgwood Joseph Priestley and John Horne Tooke. He and his friends aroused suspicion during the anti-radical hysteria in Great Britain that followed the outbreak of the French Revolution and were tried for treason. This trial is memorable for Lord Erskine's famous cross-examination which discredited the Crown's principal witness and lengthy jury address. Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 12222. unknown books
1846Best.-Nr. 829311846. Hartford: Published by Elihu Geer 1846. Hartford: Published by Elihu Geer 1846. Marital Homicide and Insanity: McDade 1115 Trial. Woodford Orrin Defendant. Morgan Nathaniel Harris 1805-1881 Reporter. A Full Report of the Trial of Orrin Woodford for the Murder of His Wife Diana Woodford; At Avon Conn. July 22d 1845; At the January Term Of the Superior Court Holden at Hartford 1846. Including the Arguments of Counsel And Accompanied by Plans of the House and Premises Where the Homicide was Committed. Together with an Accurate Portrait of the Prisoner. Hartford: Published by Elihu Geer 1846. 69 pp. Two woodcut illustrations. Main text in parallel columns. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-3/4"; 21.5 x 14.5 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlet bound into later cloth gilt title to spine. Light rubbing to extremities light fading to edges of boards. Light toning to interior moderate soiling and light edgewear to endleaves light foxing to a few leaves. A very good copy of a scarce title. $500. Only edition. Judged to be insane Woodford was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to a term of ten years for stabbing and beating his wife to death. Morgan was the keeper of the Hartford County Jail. This is a scarce title. OCLC locates 11 copies in law libraries. McDade The Annals of Murder 1115. unknown books
Best.-Nr. DADAX0198808399New unknown
Best.-Nr. 72424London 1717 Unbound. Wrapps. pp. 48. Extracted from Trials 1717. Only the second Jew to be tried for High Treason. Francia was found not guilty. RARE London, 1717 unknown
1817Best.-Nr. 745791817. 2 titles in 1. 2 titles in 1. High-Stakes 1817 Irish Scandal: A Scarce Pair of "Crim. Con." Pamphlets Defended by Distinguished Anglo-Irish Barrister Phillips Trial. Blake Martin Joseph Defendant. Crim. Con. A Full Faithful & Impartial Report of that Curious Extraordinary and Interesting Trial with Speeches of Counsel and Judge's Charge In the Case Wherein Mark Browne Esq. Was Plaintiff and Martin Jos. Blake Esq. Defendant In an Action of Damages for Crim. Con. With the Plaintiff's Wife. Tried in the Court of Common Pleas Dublin On the 9th and 10th Days of July 1817 Before the Right Honorable Lord Norbury and a Special Jury of the City of Dublin; Damages laid at 30000. Dublin: Printed by J. Charles 1817. 48 pp. Bound with Phillips Charles 1787-1859. The Speech of Charles Phillips Esq. In the Case of Brown Versus Blake for Adultery; Delivered Before Lord Norbury and a Special Jury on the 9th July 1817. Dublin: Printed at the Hibernia Press Office For John Cumming 1817. 31 pp. Octavo 8" x 5"; 20.3 x 12.7cm. Two titles bound together. Stab-stitched pamphlet in later plain wrappers. Two vertical fold lines to front wrapper. Moderate toning to interior light foxing in places early library stamps to head of page 3 of Crim. Con. verso of title page head of page 7 and verso of final leaf of Speech. A very good copy of two scarce Irish legal pieces. $450. Crim. Con.: First edition; Speech: only edition. A second edition of Crim. Con. was published shortly after in 1817. Although it was a typical adultery trial Browne v. Blake attracted a fair amount of attention because of the high-stakes damages sought 30000 and the fact that Blake's lawyer was Charles Phillips: a leading Anglo-Irish barrister. Phillips was renowned for his oratory and expertise with adultery cases. Phillips successfully secured a defense verdict. Both titles are scarce. OCLC locates 5 copies of Crim. Con. all first editions 1 in a North American law library LA County and no copies of Speech. Crim. Con.: British Museum Catalogue Compact Edition 3:582. unknown
1855Best.-Nr. 821721855. New Haven: Thomas H. Pease 1855. New Haven: Thomas H. Pease 1855. Rare Account of an 1855 New Haven Murder Case: McDade 178 Trial. Clark Willard d.1855 Defendant. McFarland Henry H. Reporter. Report of the Trial of Willard Clark Indicted for the Murder of Richard W. Wight Before the Superior Court of Connecticut Holden at New Haven On Monday September 17 1855. New Haven: Thomas H. Pease. T.J. Stafford Printer 1855. 217 pp. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-1/2"; 21.6 x 14 cm. Disbound. Moderate toning a few signatures at beginning and end of text block loose light foxing in places light soiling to title page and verso of final leaf residue from wrappers and binding to spine. $450. Only edition. McDade offers a neat summary of this case: "Clark was apparently infatuated with a girl who married Wight. With no warning he shot Wight through the head while Wight was kneeling to tie a bundle. The crime and trial were in New Haven Connecticut; Clark was acquitted on the ground of insanity." OCLC does not locate any printed copies but we found examples at the American Antiquarian Society the University of Michigan Medler Crime Collection Clements Library and Yale Law School. McDade The Annals of Murder 178. unknown
1840Best.-Nr. 848861840. Philadelphia: Printed by W.S. Martien 1840. Philadelphia: Printed by W.S. Martien 1840. A Foundational Text of American Family Law: The 1840 d'Hauteville Habeas Corpus Report Trial. D'Hauteville Custody Case. Sears David et al. Defendants. Report of the d'Hauteville Case: The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania At the Suggestion of Paul Daniel Gonsalve Grand d'Hauteville Versus David Sears Miriam C. Sears and Ellen Sears Grand d'Hauteville: Habeas Corpus for the Custody of an Infant Child. Philadelphia: Printed by W.S. Martien 1840. 295 pp. Octavo 8-3/4" x 5-1/2"; 22 x 14 cm. Contemporary three-quarter morocco over marbled boards later repair to head of spine. Light rubbing to boards moderate rubbing to extremities front joint starting corners bumped and lightly worn early owner name "Clara A. Coolidge" to front free endpaper. Moderate toning to interior faint dampstaining to foot of text block. A very good copy. $450. Only edition. The d'Hauteville case was a 19th-century cause celebre that pitted an American heiress against her Swiss aristocratic husband in a battle that transfixed the Atlantic world. When Ellen Sears fled her 'tyrannical' husband to give birth in Philadelphia she challenged the centuries-old legal tradition of patria potestas-the absolute right of the father to his children. This report documents the court's revolutionary decision to prioritize the child's welfare over the father's 'property' rights. It is a cornerstone of American jurisprudence cited for decades as the origin of the 'Tender Years Doctrine' and the shift toward maternal custody for infants. This copy bears the contemporary ownership signature of Clara A. Coolidge likely of the prominent Boston family. Her possession of this specific report is noteworthy as the d'Hauteville case became a rallying cry for elite 19th-century women navigating the restrictive laws of coverture and custodial rights. See Grossberg A Judgment for Solomon: The d'Hauteville Case and Legal Experience in Antebellum America. Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 11423. unknown
1841Best.-Nr. 816021841. From the Library of a Notable Worcester Doctor and Bibliophile Trial. Darnes William P. Defendant. Nelson Thomas S. Reporter. A Full and Accurate Report of the Trial of William P. Darnes On an Indictment Found by the Grand Jury of St. Louis County At the September Term 1840 Of the Criminal Court of Said County On a Charge of Manslaughter in the Third Degree For the Death of Andrew J. Davis Late of Northboro' Mass. In the City of St. Louis On the First of June 1840. Boston: Printed by Tuttle Dennett & Chisholm 1841. 269 pp. 12mo. 7-3/4" x 5". Stab-stitched pamphlet bound into later quarter cloth front and rear wrappers of pamphlet affixed to front and rear boards library shelf label to foot of spine. Light rubbing soiling and a few minor stains to boards moderate rubbing to extremities with some wear to spine ends corners and foot of front board hinges cracked front free endpaper detached. Light toning to interior light spotting in places tiny stain and embossed owner stamp of John Green M.D. to title page library discard inkstamp to verso of title page other embossed Green stamps to front wrapper and rear endleaf. $450. Second and final edition one of two issues both in 1841. Davis was the well-known owner of a St. Louis newspaper that published several highly critical columns about Darnes an important local politician. Enraged Darnes attacked Davis on the street with an iron rod striking him in the head. Davis was rushed to a hospital but died a few days later. Darnes was indicted. The trial lasted two weeks and engaged some of the best lawyers and medical experts in the area. The case turned on whether Davis died from the blow or his medical treatment. Both sides offered a strong case. In the end Darnes was convicted of fourth-degree manslaughter and fined $500. Our copy belonged to John Green III MD 1784-1864. A member of a distinguished Worcester MA family Dr. Green was an avid bibliophile and the founder of the Worcester Public Library to which he donated his personal library of nearly 12000 titles. This case not in McDade. Stevens St. Louis The Fourth City 1764-1911 I:369-370. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1057. unknown
1839Best.-Nr. 738111839. Murder at Sea Trial. Ehlert Jacob Frederich Defendant. Sunderland Murder. The Trial of Jacob Frederich Ehlert For the Murder of Capt. Johan Fredrick Berkholdz Of the Ship Phoenix While Asleep in his Cabin On the Night of the 12th of June 1839. Convicted on the Evidence of his Accomplice Daniel Fredrick Muller. With an Account of His Execution. &c. Durham: Printed by George Walker 1839. 24 pp. Octavo 6-3/4" x 3-3/4". Unsewn pamphlet edges untrimmed. Light toning light foxing in a few places light soiling to edges light edgewear to bottom edge fold line to bottom right corner of final leaf which is starting to separate at ends but secure. $450. Only edition. Ehlert a sailor on the Norwegian brigantine Phoenix murdered the ship's captain Johann Friedrich Berkholdz while he was sleeping and threw the body overboard. The apparent motive was robbery as Muller his accomplice and a witness to the event later testified. Our account concerns Ehlert's trial and execution and ends with a poignant description of Captain Berkholdz's tombstone and the epitaph there. OCLC locates 8 copies 4 in North America Harvard Harvard Law School Harvard Medical School Princeton. unknown
1808Best.-Nr. 734641808. Adultery Trial Involving a Wealthy Heiress A Member of Parliament and the Diplomat who Acquired the Elgin Marbles Trial. Ferguson William Robert 1769-1840 Defendant. An Authentic Account of the Proceedings Under a Writ of Enquiry of Damages In an Action in the Court of King's Bench In Which the Right Hon. The Earl of Elgin was Plaintiff And William Ferguson Esq. Defendant For Criminal Conversation with the Plaintiff's Wife: Executed Before the Sheriff of Middlesex And a Special Jury On the 22d of December 1807: Verdict .10000. London: Printed for J. Hatchard 1808. Only edition. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5"; 21.6 x 12.7cm. ii 113 1 pp. Stab-stitched pamphlet edges untrimmed bound in later red pebbled cloth gilt title to spine. Some bubbling to boards. Small bookseller's ticket and bookplate of Geoffrey Briggs to front pastedown. Front hinge cracked after title page but secure. Moderate toning to interior negligible light foxing to a few leaves light soiling to first and final pages. A very good copy. $450. Only edition of a highly public high-society "Criminal Conversation." Mary Hamilton Bruce 1778-1855 Countess of Elgin was the wife of British diplomat Thomas Bruce 7th Earl of Elgin 1766-1841 best known for his acquisition of the sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens the Elgin Marbles. Ferguson also spelled "Fergusson" was a Whig Member of Parliament and an amateur geologist. When the earl discovered his wife's affair with Ferguson he sued him and won 10000 almost 1000000. today. A divorce followed and Ferguson married her on 20 April 1808. Our copy was owned by Sir Geoffrey Briggs 1914-1993 an English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Justice of Hong Kong and Brunei. Accounts of this trial are scarce including ours. OCLC locates 7 copies of this title 3 in law libraries Harvard University of Minnesota Library of Congress. unknown
1917Best.-Nr. 797951917. New York: Mother Earth Publishing Assn. 1917. New York: Mother Earth Publishing Assn. 1917. The Trial of America's Most Famous Anarchists Trial. Goldman Emma 1869-1940 Defendant. Berkman Alexander 1870-1936 Defendant. Anarchism on Trial: Speeches of Alexander Berkman and Emma Goldman Before the United States District Court in the City of New York July 1917. New York: Mother Earth Publishing Association 1917. 87 9 pp. With 2 portraits of Berkman and Goldman and 9 pp. of publisher advertisements. Pamphlet in printed wrappers bound in recent quarter cloth over plain paper boards typed label to front board endpapers added 8-1/4" x 5-1/2" publisher's advertisement for this title laid in. Light shelfwear cloth starting to separate from rear board at head library bookplate to inner front board. Light toning to interior faint offsetting to front wrapper small clean tear to upper corner of title page which has punch and ink library stamps not affecting text small chips and tears to fore-edge of laid-in sheet. $450. Only edition. Published by Goldman's anarchist magazine Mother Earth this pamphlet documents the trial of anarchist activists Alexander Berkman and Emma Goldman who were outspoken opponents of U.S. entry into World War I and called for men to refuse conscription. Both were found guilty of violating the Espionage Act which punished obstruction of the draft or encouragement of disloyalty to the United States. They were sentenced to two years in prison and a $10000 fine. Both were deported to Russia upon their release under the terms of the 1918 Anarchist Exclusion Act. Titled "The Present Situation in re Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman" the laid-in sheet encourages all "sufficiently interested in free speech and fair play" to circulate Anarchism on Trial and donate funds towards an appeal. unknown
1681Best.-Nr. 809481681. The Cartoonist Executed: The Treason Trial of the "Protestant Joiner" Trial. College Colledge Stephen c.1635-1681. The Arraignment Tryal and Condemnation of Stephen Colledge for High-Treason In Conspiring the Death of the King The Levying of War And the Subversion of the Government. Before the Right Honourable Sr. Francis North Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common-Pleas And Other Commissioners of Oyer and Terminer and Gaol Delivery Held at the City of Oxon for the County of Oxon The 17th and 18th of August 1681. London: Printed for Thomas Bassett at the George in Fleetstreet And John Fish Near the Golden Tun in the Strand 1681. vi 30 27-62 69-84 79-102 pp. Pagination irregular. With imprimatur leaf. Folio 12-1/4" x 7-1/2". Stab-stitched pamphlet bound into recent paper-covered boards pebbled-cloth spine with calf lettering piece endpapers renewed. Light browning to interior light soiling to title page and verso of final leaf minor worming near foot of gutter of first half of text block chipping to corners of several leaves notable chipping to edges of title page following leaf and final leaf of text corrections to page numbers in recent penciled hand to several leaves. $450. First and only contemporary edition. College a fine carpenter famously known as the "Protestant Joiner" was a radical Whig activist and inventor of the "Protestant Flail." This trial represents a peak in the Exclusion Crisis hysteria; after a London grand jury famously returned an "Ignoramus" refusal to indict verdict the Crown moved the proceedings to Oxford to ensure a conviction. Notably College's own satirical prints were used as evidence against him-a rare instance of political cartoons serving as a basis for a treason charge. He was subsequently executed via hanging drawing and quartering. English Short-Title Catalogue R015865. unknown
