3196 resultados
1822ref. 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
1776ref. 732761776. London: S.n. 1776. London: S.n. 1776. Perhaps the Most Notorious English Example of a Rigged Election Trial. Sykes Francis 1730-1804 Defendant. The Trial of the Cause on the Action Brought by Hans Wintrop Mortimer Esq; Member for the Borough of Shaftesbury Against Francis Sykes Esq; For Bribery Committed at Shaftesbury Previous to the General Election In October 1774. Tried by a Special Jury On Saturday the 27th of July 1776. At the Assize Held at Dorchester for the County of Dorset Before The Honourable Sir James Eyre One of the Barons of His Majesty's Court of Exchequer. London: S.n. 1776. 19 1 pp. Main text in parallel columns. Quarto 10" x 8". Stab-stitched pamphlet bound into recent marbled boards wit cloth spine imitation calf lettering piece to front board. Moderate toning to interior faint dampstaining throughout mostly along fore and bottom edges. $350. Only edition. The Shaftesbury Election of 1774 was perhaps the most notorious English example of a rigged election. After learning that Sykes won the election after distributing thousands of pounds of bribes to the voters Mortimer disputed the outcome. Mortimer brought actions against Sykes for twenty-six acts of bribery won his case was awarded 11000. in damages and given his seat in the House of Commons. OCLC locates 8 copies in North America 3 in law libraries Harvard Library of Congress Yale. English Short-Title Catalogue N13883. unknown
1776ref. 712211776. London: S.n. 1776. London: S.n. 1776. An Account of a Notorious Case of Election Bribery Bound with a Related Unrecorded Broadside Trial. Sykes Francis 1730-1804 Defendant. Mortimer Hans Wintrop Plaintiff. The Trial of the Cause on the Action Brought by Hans Wintrop Mortimer Esq; Member for the Borough of Shaftesbury Against Francis Sykes Esq; For Bribery Committed at Shaftesbury Previous to the General Election In October 1774. Tried by a Special Jury On Saturday the 27th of July 1776. At the Assize Held at Dorchester for the County of Dorset Before The Honourable Sir James Eyre One of the Barons of His Majesty's Court of Exchequer. London: S.n. 1776. 19 1 pp. Main text in parallel columns. Quarto 9-3/4" x 7-1/2"; 24.8 x 19 cm. Bound with Text Two later tipped-in leaves of notes. Affixed to one of these leaves are a contemporary account of the trial and a section of a letter in Mortimer's hand. And Tipped-in contemporary 14" x 21" 35.5 x 53.3 cm mezzotint by an unknown artist The Shaftsbury Election or the Humours of Punch 1775. Additional annotations about the mezzotint to front endleaves one followed by two ownership inscriptions one of Henry White. Affixed to one of these is a small clipping about the Mortimer family. And Broadside. Mortimer Hans Winthrop. To the Worthy Electors of the Borough of Shaftsbury. Shafton: s.l. 11 June 1790. Trimmed to 9" x 6" 22.8 x 15.2 cm and affixed to verso of title page. Nineteenth-century calf rebacked in period style gilt rules to boards gilt fillets and retained nineteenth-century lettering piece to spine hinges mended marbled endleaves. Moderate rubbing to boards and toning to text occasional early underlining and brief notes in pencil. $3500. THIS DESCRIPTION IS TRUNCATED DUE TO CHARACTER LIMITS. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR A COMPLETE VERSION. The Shaftesbury Election of 1774 stands as one of the most infamous instances of parliamentary corruption in 18th-century England. Ministerial candidates Sir Francis Sykes and Sir Thomas Rumbold bribed electors with thousands of pounds routing money through a masked figure known as "Punch" to avoid direct liability. Voters were given cash in exchange for signing promissory notes payable to an imaginary figure named "Glenbucket". The defeated candidate Hans Winthrop Mortimer. unknown
1846ref. 694211846. Boston: Daily Mail Report-Full and Complete 1846. Boston: Daily Mail Report-Full and Complete 1846. Not in McDade: A Skilled Boston Orator's Courtroom Triumph Trial. Tirrell Albert J. Defendant. The Trial of Albert J. Tirrell Charged with the Murder of Mrs. Maria A. Bickford. Before the Supreme Court in Boston. Boston: Daily Mail Report-Full and Complete 1846. 37 pp. Text in parallel columns. Portraits. Illustrations. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-1/4"; 21.6 x 13.3 cm. Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet in pictorial wrappers rear wrapper lacking. Portrait of Tirrell on front wrapper depiction of crime scene to verso; portrait of Bickford on p. 37. Light soiling small chip to upper corner of front wrapper moderate toning light foxing to a few leaves. $650. Only edition. As McDade remarks "The murder of a harlot seems to lend a special interest to a case which is measurable by the many publications which ensue." He considers the Tirrell case "one of the triumphs of Rufus Choate who convinced the jury that his client did not cut the throat of Mrs. Bickford or if he did he did it in his sleep. The defense of somnambulism by Choate might well join that other classic of defense put forth by Delphin Michael Delmas who as counsel for Harry K. Thaw pleaded 'dementia Americana.'" Choate a Massachusetts lawyer orator and politician is considered one of 19th-century America's greatest lawyers for his powers of persuasion and innovation in the courtroom. The Tirrell case was one of several landmarks he achieved in private practice: it was the first successful somnambulism defense in an American murder trial. Our 37-page account is not among the 8 accounts in McDade which lists a similar account with 32 pages. OCLC locates 11 copies 3 in law libraries Harvard University of Missouri Yale. McDade The Annals of Murder note to 986. unknown
1864ref. 694191864. Derby: W. Bemrose & Sons 1864. Derby: W. Bemrose & Sons 1864. With "Dr. Winslow's Analysis of the Convict's Mind" Trial. Townley George Victor b. 1838 Defendant. The Trial and Respite of George Victor Townley for Wilful Murder. With Original Documents and Correspondence Now First Published; Dr. Winslow's Analysis of the Convict's Mind Portraits Autographs and Plan. Derby: W. Bemrose & Sons 1864. iii 6-70 pp. Portraits. Plan. Octavo 7-1/4" x 4-3/4"; 18.4 x 12 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers. Negligible light soiling to exterior early owner signature St. John Crookes/ Sunderland/ 1864 to head of front wrapper moderate toning to text slightly heavier in places. $450. Only edition. In 1863 Townley murdered his girlfriend Elizabeth Goodwin after she broke off her engagement to him. An expert witness at Townley's trial was Dr. Forbes Winslow one of the founders of forensic psychiatry and the author of The Plea of Insanity In Criminal Cases 1843. Despite Winslow's testimony Townsend was found guilty and sentenced to death. He was granted a reprieve however after evidence was produced confirming hereditary insanity and a history of delusional behavior. Public outrage over the reprieve led to a second committee investigation which judged him to be sane. Our account includes memorials from the public and the committee's report along with Winslow's account of a visit with Townley in prison. Townley was later transferred to an asylum where he committed suicide. The portraits are of Townley and Goodwin; the plan shows the scene of the crime. Crookes was a British antiquary and bibliophile with an interest in true crime particularly provincial murder cases. OCLC locates 11 copies in North American law libraries. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1210. unknown
1827ref. 684591827. London 1827. London 1827. Contemporary Account of a Famous English Case of Forced Marriage Trial. Wakefield Edward Gibbon Defendant. Wakefield William Defendant. Wakefield Frances Mrs. Defendant. The Trial of Edward Gibbon Wakefield William Wakefield And Frances Wakefield: Indicted with One Edward Thevenot A Servant For a Conspiracy and For the Abduction of Miss Ellen Turner The Only Child and Heiress of William Turner Esq. of Shrigley Park in the County of Chester. London: John Murray 1827. xv 303 pp. Interleaved with de-acidifying paper. Octavo 7-1/2" x 4-1/4". Modern library buckram white-stamped title shelf number and library name to spine. Text notably fresh final leaf and title page laminated and lightly browned library marks and stamps to title page. $150. Only edition. The first account of the Shrigley Abduction an 1826 British case of forced marriage by Edward Gibbon Wakefield to the 15-year-old heiress Ellen Turner. The couple was married in Scotland and travelled to France before Turner's father was able to notify the authorities and intervene. The marriage was annulled by Parliament. Wakefield and his brother William were convicted and sentenced to three years in prison. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1217. unknown
1802ref. 729271802. London: A. Macpherson for J. Lee 1802. London: A. Macpherson for J. Lee 1802. The Consequences of Overzealous Flogging Trial. Wall Joseph Defendant 1737-1802. The Trial of Joseph Wall Esq. Late Governor of Goree For the Wilful Murder of Benjamin Armstrong A Serjeant of the African Corps At the Old Bailey On Wednesday January 20 1802. London: Printed by A. Macpherson for J. Lee 1802. ii 22 pp. Octavo 7" x 4-1/2". Stab-stitched pamphlet bound in recent quarter calf over textured boards. Moderate toning to interior occasional light soiling heavier to first and final leaves faint dampstain to fore-edge of last three leaves. Rare. $750. Third stated edition. Wall was an officer in the British Army and Lieutenant Governor of Goree an island used to control the mouth of the River Gambia. In 1782 he was approached by Armstrong and others about their unpaid salaries. Deciding this was mutinous and without holding a court-martial Wall ordered Armstrong and two others to be flogged eight hundred times with a knotted rope. The three men died later from their injuries. Wall was initially charged but the charges were dropped when the ship carrying the witnesses was believed lost. However the witnesses appeared in 1784. Wall was arrested but he managed to escape to the continent where he married and lived for several years. Later believing many or all of the witnesses were dead he wrote to the Home Secretary Thomas Pelham and surrendered himself for trial. He was tried for murder and found guilty. Despite efforts made by a relative of his wife's to obtain a pardon it was deemed unwise to spare the life of an officer condemned for brutality. No copies of this edition located by OCLC or Library Hub. OCLC locates 3 copies of a different edition with the same title. unknown
1796ref. 730951796. London: T. Hepinstall J. Parsons & C. Wood 1796. London: T. Hepinstall J. Parsons & C. Wood 1796. "Assault Rout and Riot" Trial. Warren John 1730-1800 Defendant. The Trial of the Bishop of Bangor and Others Before Mr. Justice Heath At the Assises at Shrewsbury On Tuesday July 16 1796. For an Assault Rout And Riot: With the Pleadings at Large of Counsellors Adam and Erskine; Also the Charge to the Jury by Mr. Justice Heath. London: Sold by T. Hepinstall J. Parsons And C. Wood 1796. 47 1 pp. Octavo 8-1/4" x 4-1/4". Stab-stitched pamphlet bound in later quarter cloth over plain boards gilt fillets and title to spine. Light toning to boards small scuff to front board light fading to edges of rear board small later ink annotations to front free endpaper and rear pastedown. Light toning to interior light foxing and soiling in a few places contemporary notes in ink to half-title and title page with underlining and marks to a few other pages ownership signature of Peter Bailey Williams dated 1794 to verso of final leaf. $1250. First edition. Warren the bishop of Bangor in northwest Wales had appointed his nephew as registrar of the diocese. Since the nephew was underage Samuel Grindley was appointed deputy registrar but when the nephew attempted to replace him he refused to leave his office. A fight broke out between Grindley and Warren with others joining the bishop's side. At one point Grindley threatened Warren with a pistol and the fight did not conclude until the bishop's wife intervened and dragged him away. Erskine was engaged for the defense and secured an acquittal despite the judge's summing-up in favor of conviction. The notes to the half-title and title page remark somewhat disparagingly on the case describing Grindley as "a man of no principle." Williams 1763-1836 was a Welsh Anglican rector in Caernarfonshire. OCLC locates 11 copies of this title 4 in North America Library of Congress Newberry Library Huntington Library Redwood Library and Athenaeum. English Short-Title Catalogue T191335. unknown
1817ref. 740901817. Edinburgh 1817. Edinburgh 1817. Trial of a Leader of an 1816 Plot to Overthrow the British Government Trial. Watson James 1766-1838 Defendant. The Trial of James Watson The Elder Before the Court of King's Bench In Westminster Hall On the 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th And 16th June 1817. For High Treason. Taken in Short Hand. Edinburgh: Printed for Alex. Jameson et al. 1817. vi 250 pp. Octavo 8-3/4" x 5-1/2". Printed wrappers edges untrimmed bound in later patterned cloth gilt-stamped title and date to spine. Light rubbing to boards and extremities spine ends and corners bumped and lightly worn front hinge starting rear hinge cracked. Light toning to interior very light foxing to a few leaves light soiling to wrappers ownership signature of William Macmath dated April 29 1868 to inside of front wrapper. $150. Only edition. Watson was tried for his role in the Spa Fields riot. This riot followed a pair of meetings held by revolutionaries at Spa Fields Islington England on November 15 and December 2 1816. Opponents of the government they resolved to encourage rioting and then seize control of the government by capturing the Tower of London and the Bank of England. Watson Arthur Thistlewood and three other leaders were arrested and charged with high treason as a result. Watson was acquitted and the other three were released without trial. Thistlewood would go on to lead the failed Cato Street Conspiracy in 1820. OCLC locates 7 copies of this title in North American law libraries Yale Columbia University of Minnesota University of Missouri LA County Library of Congress Social Law. unknown
1817ref. 684541817. London 1817. London 1817. Detailed Trial of a Leader of an 1816 Plot to Overthrow of British Government Trial. Watson James 1766-1838 Defendant. Gurney William Brodie 1777-1855 Reporter. The Trial of James Watson For High Treason At the Bar of the Court of King's Bench On Monday the 9th Tuesday the 10th Wednesday the 11th Thursday the 12th Friday the 13th Saturday the 14th and Monday the 16th of June 1817. With the Antecedent Proceedings. London: Sold by Butterworth and Son 1817. Two volumes. 586; 578 pp. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-3/4". Later library cloth red and black calf lettering pieces to spines. Light soiling and a few minor stains light fading to spines and edges of boards some chipping to lettering pieces. Moderate toning light foxing in places front hinge of Volume II cracked several signatures in that volume loose faint library stamps to title pages brief library annotations to versos. $450. Only edition. Watson was tried for his role in the Spa Fields riot. This riot followed a pair of meetings held by revolutionaries at Spa Fields Islington England on November 15 and December 2 1816. Opponents of the government they resolved to encourage rioting and then seize control of the government by capturing the Tower of London and the Bank of England. Watson Arthur Thistlewood and three other leaders were arrested and charged with high treason as a result. Watson was acquitted and the other three were released without trial. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School II:1220. unknown
1765ref. 865801765. London: Printed for J. Almon 1765. London: Printed for J. Almon 1765. A Landmark in the History of Freedom of the Press: The First Edition to Unite Two Landmark Anglo-American Press Trials Zenger and Owen 1765 Trial. Zenger John Peter Defendant. Owen William Defendant. The Trial of John Peter Zenger Of New-York Printer: Who Was Charged with Having Printed and Published a Libel Against the Government; And Acquitted. With a Narrative of His Case. To Which is Now Added Being Never Printed Before The Trial of Mr. William Owen Bookseller Near Temple Bar Who Was Also Charged with the Publication of a Libel Against the Government; Of Which He was Honourably Acquitted by a Jury of Free-Born Englishmen Citizens of London. London: Printed for J. Almon Opposite Burlington-House Piccadilly 1765. 59 1 pp. final page publisher's advertisement. Octavo 9" x 5-1/2"; 22.9 x 14 cm. Contemporary stab-stitched plain paper wrappers title in an elegant contemporary manuscript hand to front wrapper edges untrimmed. Light toning minor dust-soiling to wrappers otherwise a crisp very good copy. Early ownership signature "J. Pickard" to upper margin of title page. An appealing unsophisticated copy preserved in a custom dark green morocco and cloth clamshell box. $5000. First Almon edition and the first edition to combine the celebrated 1735 trial of John Peter Zenger a landmark in the development of freedom of the press in America with the 1752 London libel trial of bookseller William Owen. Prosecuted for printing criticism of New York's royal governor William Cosby Zenger was defended by Andrew Hamilton of Philadelphia who argued that truth should constitute a defense against libel. Although the court rejected this argument the jury acquitted Zenger an influential assertion of the jury's independence in political prosecutions. First published in 1736 the account generally attributed to James Alexander became an enduring statement of resistance to arbitrary government and an important antecedent of the First Amendment. Owen was prosecuted for publishing The Case of Alexander Murray; his acquittal similarly demonstrated the power of juries in prosecutions for political libel. Issued by the prominent London opposition bookseller John Almon during the mounting imperial controversy of 1765 this edition brings together two notable Anglo-American trials illustrating the. unknown
ref. 159026London: William Hodge and Company 1953 1st printing. Hardcover 305pp. Very good no dust jacket. Illustrations photographs chronology fold-out plan appendices. The spine is faded. Trial of Jeannie Donald. Publisher series: Notable British Trials. Law Murder Trials--England. William Hodge and Company Hardcover
1874ref. 726231874. Otego N.Y.: Otego Job Printing 1874. Otego N.Y.: Otego Job Printing 1874. "Criminal Intercourse" in Otego NY Trial. Smith Charles S. Defendant. The Trial and Conviction of Charles S. Smith Of Otego N.Y. Elder of the Presbyterian Church Superintendent of the Sunday School And Trustee of the School District For Bastardy With Sketch of Lucy Edith Wilson His Victim A Girl Eleven Years and Five Months Old And One of His Sunday School Scholars. Otego NY: Otego Job Printing Office 1874. 60 pp. Octavo 9" x 5-3/4". Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers portrait of Charles S. Smith to front wrapper and title page. Light soiling to wrappers some chipping to extremities with loss to lower right front corner small tear to back wrapper near spine. Light toning to interior occasional light foxing some small folds to corners. $650. Only edition. Smith a married Presbyterian elder was put on trial in December 1873 for repeatedly raping and ultimately impregnating Edith Wilson an eleven-year-old girl. Although the account is highly sympathetic to the victim the assault described as "criminal intercourse" was apparently less at issue than the bastardy. Edith swore an affidavit in November 1873 that she was pregnant by Charles Smith "without means of support" and "likely to become a charge upon the town." Still pregnant she testified against Smith in open court a remarkable act of bravery and self-possession. The scandal rocked the small upstate New York town. Despite gossip that Edith's father had been involved and a certain degree of scapegoating by other witnesses Smith was convicted of criminal bastardy on the strength of her testimony. Nothing is known about the aftermath of this remarkable trial. OCLC locates 8 copies 3 in law libraries Harvard Social Law University of Missouri. unknown books
1830ref. 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
1825ref. 745381825. New York 1825. 16 pp. McDade 1020. Cohen 13136. New York 1825. 16 pp. McDade 1020. Cohen 13136. He Shot Her in the Back: : OCLC Locates 3 Copies in Law Libraries Trial. Van Patten John F. 1801-1825 Defendant. The Trial and Life and Confessions of John F. Van Patten Who was Indicted Tried And Convicted of the Murder of Mrs. Maria Schermerhorn On the 4th of October Last And Sentenced to be Executed on the 25th February 1825. New York: S.n. 1825. 16 pp. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-1/4"; 21.6 x 13.3 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlet in self wrappers woodcut execution vignette to front wrapper untrimmed edges. Moderate toning and dampspotting faint dampstaining to margins of a few leaves lower outside corner lacking from leaf containing pp. 5-6 text not affected ink smudge to p. 11 legibility not affected. A very good copy. $1250. Only edition. A chilling early American true crime narrative. The conflict began when Mrs. Maria Schermerhorn cautioned a local young woman against marrying John F. Van Patten prompting the girl's parents to forbid the courtship. Seeking revenge Van Patten borrowed a shotgun from a neighbor and visited Mrs. Schermerhorn at her home in Rotterdam New York. Under the pretense of needing wadding for his gun he waited until her back was turned as she ascended the stairs to fetch it and shot her dead McDade. This pamphlet is one of only three contemporary accounts published on the Van Patten case all of which are exceptionally scarce. OCLC locates 3 copies of our imprint in law libraries Harvard Library of Congress Yale. McDade The Annals of Murder 1020. Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 13136. unknown books
1802ref. 699631802. London: Printed and Sold by E. Thomas 1802. London: Printed and Sold by E. Thomas 1802. Will the Church Allow Her to Stay on Land Donated by Her Brother Trial. Butler Cathrine O'Brien 1730-1807 Plaintiff. The Trial and Particulars of the Case Wherein the Lessee of Catharine O'Brien Butler Was Plantiff And the Rev. A. Dunn Secretary to the Roman Catholic Collage of Maynooth Defendant. Tried at the Last Trim Assizes 1802. With a Circumstantial Account of the Testimony Given by the Rev. Father Gahan. Second Edition. London: Printed and Sold by E. Thomas 1802. 20 pp. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-1/2". Disbound pamphlet all leaves detached moderate edgewear soiling to title page and verso of final leaf "9." in small early hand to head of title page. $350. Second and final edition published the same year as the first. This case concerned the will of Catharine O'Brien Butler's brother John Butler 12th Baron Dunboyne who had left his property to the St. Patrick's College Maynooth. OCLC locates 3 copies 2 in North America Emory Pitts Theological Seminary Newberry Library which are both first editions. COPAC locates 1 copy Ushaw College Durham which has a second edition. unknown books
1864ref. 694191864. Derby: W. Bemrose & Sons 1864. Derby: W. Bemrose & Sons 1864. With "Dr. Winslow's Analysis of the Convict's Mind" Trial. Townley George Victor b. 1838 Defendant. The Trial and Respite of George Victor Townley for Wilful Murder. With Original Documents and Correspondence Now First Published; Dr. Winslow's Analysis of the Convict's Mind Portraits Autographs and Plan. Derby: W. Bemrose & Sons 1864. iii 6-70 pp. Portraits. Plan. Octavo 7-1/4" x 4-3/4"; 18.4 x 12 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers. Negligible light soiling to exterior early owner signature St. John Crookes/ Sunderland/ 1864 to head of front wrapper moderate toning to text slightly heavier in places. $450. Only edition. In 1863 Townley murdered his girlfriend Elizabeth Goodwin after she broke off her engagement to him. An expert witness at Townley's trial was Dr. Forbes Winslow one of the founders of forensic psychiatry and the author of The Plea of Insanity In Criminal Cases 1843. Despite Winslow's testimony Townsend was found guilty and sentenced to death. He was granted a reprieve however after evidence was produced confirming hereditary insanity and a history of delusional behavior. Public outrage over the reprieve led to a second committee investigation which judged him to be sane. Our account includes memorials from the public and the committee's report along with Winslow's account of a visit with Townley in prison. Townley was later transferred to an asylum where he committed suicide. The portraits are of Townley and Goodwin; the plan shows the scene of the crime. Crookes was a British antiquary and bibliophile with an interest in true crime particularly provincial murder cases. OCLC locates 11 copies in North American law libraries. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1210. unknown books
1796ref. 752461796. With Interesting Commentary on Irish and English Morals Trial. Cavendish Bradshaw Augustus 1768-1832 Defendant. The Trial at Large on an Action for Damages Brought in His Majesty's Court of Exchequer Before the Right Hon. Lord Chief Baron Yelverton and a Jury of Citizens On Saturday the 20th of February 1796; By the Right Hon. George Fred. Earl of Westmeath Against the Honourable Augustus Cavendish Bradshaw For Adultery with the Right Hon. Mary Anne Countess of Westmeath; Containing the Whole of the Evidence With the Speeches of the Learned Counsel And the Charge of the Venerable Judge. On Which a Verdict was Found for 10000. To Which is Prefixed An Epistle Dedicatory to the Fashionable World. London: Re-Printed for Allen and West 1796. Octavo 7-3/4" x 4-3/4". xii 36 pp. Stab-stitched pamphlet disbound and resewn. Light toning light soiling to exterior and a few other pages small inkspots to fore-edge light foxing in a few places. $500. Only London edition reprinted from the first Dublin edition. Westmeath an Irish peer sought 20000 in damages after he caught his wife Maryanne carrying on an affair with Bradshaw during a period of separation. The jury awarded him 10000 though Bradshaw's relative poverty made the damages difficult to recover. The Westmeaths later divorced and Bradshaw and Maryanne married in 1796. An interesting feature of this account is the extensive editor's preface addressed "to the Right Honourable Right Fashionable Truly Liberal and Uncontroulable Amateurs of the Haut Ton." It discusses among other topics Irish assimilation into English culture and high society and the subsequent loosening of Irish morals. English Short-Title Catalogue T2981. unknown books
1833ref. 573241833. A Scarce Scottish Defamation Case Trial. Nairne James 1782-1847 Defendant. The Trial Before the Lord President of the Court of Session Lord Mackenzie And a Special Jury Taken in Shorthand Of the Issues in the Action of Damages at the Instance of Lady Ramsay Widow of the Late Colonel Sir Thomas Ramsay of Balmain Baronet Against James Nairne W.S. For Falsehood and Defamation; Containing the Speeches of Counsel and Charge of the Lord President With the Whole Evidence And an Appendix of Letters and Documents. Edinburgh: Published for the pursuer by W. and R. Chambers; London: Orr and Smith 1833. iv 234 80 pp. Quarto 11-1/4" x 9". Original three-quarter cloth over paper-covered boards rebacked retaining original spine and printed paper title label hinges mended untrimmed edges. Some rubbing a few stains to boards early owner signature of John Osbourne Browne Esq. to front. Annotations in contemporary hand to foot of table of contents interior otherwise clean. Ex-library. Shelf number to foot of spine bookplate to front pastedown date-due sheet and label to front free endpaper. A nice copy of a scarce title. $250. Only edition. A highly detailed record of a case involving accusations of marital infidelity by a colleague of Lady Ramsay's late husband. Lady Ramsay prevailed; the jury determined that her "character" was "perfectly pure and unsullied" and awarded her damages of 200 pounds sterling. 234. OCLC locates 10 copies in North American law libraries. Catalogue of the Library of Harvard Law School 1909 II:1171. unknown books
1873ref. 694441873. A Constant Reminder that Innocent Persons Can Be Convicted" Trial. Boorn Stephen Defendant. Boorn Jesse Defendant. Sargeant Leonard 1793-1880 Reporter. The Trial Confessions and Conviction of Jesse and Stephen Boorn for the Murder of Russell Colvin And the Return of the Man Supposed to Have Been Murdered. Manchester VT: Journal Book and Job Office 1873. 48 pp. Octavo 9" x 5-3/4". Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers publisher advertisement to rear wrapper. Light soiling to wrappers light foxing to front wrapper light toning to text. A well-preserved copy. $150. As noted by McDade this famous case is a "constant reminder that innocent persons can be convicted. Russell Colvin the alleged victim had married a sister of the Boorns and had several children by her. He was mentally deficient and disappeared in 1812. Local gossip credited the Boorns with having disposed of him presumably because he was a burden on the family. In the spring of 1819 the Boorns were arrested and either from fear or mental weakness they told stories involving each other in the death of Colvin--Stephen's amounting to a confession of murder. They were tried and sentenced to be hanged; the state legislature however commuted Jesse's sentence to life imprisonment. As a last resort a notice was placed in the papers requesting information about Colvin. A farmer in Monmouth County New Jersey believed he recognized a hired man in the vicinity from the description. This man who was mentally deranged was enticed to Manchester arriving.six weeks before the day set for Stephen's execution. It was definitively established that he was the missing Colvin; he had apparently wandered off on his own volition annotation to Entry 111. Though published fifty-four years after the event the pamphlet was prepared by one of the defense counsellors and contains important information on the discovery and return of Colvin." McDade The Annals of Murder 113. unknown books
1886ref. 791321886. London: Stevens and Haynes 1886. London: Stevens and Haynes 1886. Bartlett Adelaide Defendant. Beal Edward Editor. Clarke Edward Preface. The Trial of Adelaide Bartlett for Murder. Held at the Central Criminal Court Monday April 12 to Saturday April 17th 1886. London: Stevens and Haynes 1886. x 313 pp. Octavo 8-1/2" x 6". Original cloth. Bookplate of "Sir John Hall of Dunglass Baronet" to front pastedown. Some shelfwear and dampstaining binding somewhat cocked. Internally clean. A good copy. $95. The Dunglass family was a noble Scottish family. The plate may belong to Sir John Richard Hall of Dunglass 9th Bt 1865-1928 who was an author and decorated serviceman appointed to Commander Order of the British Empire. thepeerage.com. One of the more unusual and baffling English murder cases it involved liquid chloroform and an incestuous family. Mrs. Bartlett the lover of her brother-in-law was accused of poisoning her husband in order to inherit his estate. How she murdered him remains a mystery however. Although chloroform was found in his stomach no traces were found in his mouth or throat. Unable to determine how she could have killed her husband the jury did not convict Mrs. Bartlett. unknown books
1846ref. 694211846. Boston: Daily Mail Report-Full and Complete 1846. Boston: Daily Mail Report-Full and Complete 1846. Not in McDade: A Skilled Boston Orator's Courtroom Triumph Trial. Tirrell Albert J. Defendant. The Trial of Albert J. Tirrell Charged with the Murder of Mrs. Maria A. Bickford. Before the Supreme Court in Boston. Boston: Daily Mail Report-Full and Complete 1846. 37 pp. Text in parallel columns. Portraits. Illustrations. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-1/4"; 21.6 x 13.3 cm. Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet in pictorial wrappers rear wrapper lacking. Portrait of Tirrell on front wrapper depiction of crime scene to verso; portrait of Bickford on p. 37. Light soiling small chip to upper corner of front wrapper moderate toning light foxing to a few leaves. $650. Only edition. As McDade remarks "The murder of a harlot seems to lend a special interest to a case which is measurable by the many publications which ensue." He considers the Tirrell case "one of the triumphs of Rufus Choate who convinced the jury that his client did not cut the throat of Mrs. Bickford or if he did he did it in his sleep. The defense of somnambulism by Choate might well join that other classic of defense put forth by Delphin Michael Delmas who as counsel for Harry K. Thaw pleaded 'dementia Americana.'" Choate a Massachusetts lawyer orator and politician is considered one of 19th-century America's greatest lawyers for his powers of persuasion and innovation in the courtroom. The Tirrell case was one of several landmarks he achieved in private practice: it was the first successful somnambulism defense in an American murder trial. Our 37-page account is not among the 8 accounts in McDade which lists a similar account with 32 pages. OCLC locates 11 copies 3 in law libraries Harvard University of Missouri Yale. McDade The Annals of Murder note to 986. unknown books
1822ref. 763231822. Clifford's Inn Seeks an Exemption from Poor Rates Trial. Hickin John. The Trial of an Action of Trespass in the Court of Common Pleas Guildhall Before the Right Honorable Lord Chief Justice Dallace and a Special Jury On the 28th of July 1821 Between John Allen Esq. Plaintiff And Frederick Waller and John Shaw Overseers of the Poor of St. Dunstan's in the West Defendants Respecting the Liability of the Honorable Society of Clifford's Inn to Payment of Rates for the Relief of the Poor; To Which are Prefixed Observations on the Liability of Places Usually Termed Extra Parochial Including the Inns of Court and Chancery To Payment of Poor Rates. London: Printed for Joseph Butterworth and Son 1822. viii lxxxix 1 79 pp. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-1/4". Near-contemporary pebbled cloth institutional name and seal to boards rebacked retaining existing spine with gilt title endpapers renewed. Faint dampstain to upper outside corner of rear board light rubbing to extremities light wear to corners library bookplate to front pastedown. Light toning to interior occasional light foxing faint dampstain to upper outside corner of first three leaves early underlining and annotations in several places a few affected by trimming ownership signature of John Jopson to title page which has a small ink library stamp along with a few other leaves. $450. Only edition. Extra-parochial areas such as universities and the Inns of Court were geographically defined areas considered to be outside of ecclesiastical or civil parishes and thus exempt from certain payments such as tithes or poor rates. As these areas became populated it became increasingly difficult to provide the governance and assistance to residents that parishes traditionally maintained. In 1822 Clifford's Inn sued after being assessed a poor rate. It was determined by the court that Clifford's Inn was functioning as part of the parish of St. Dunstan's in the West and the case was dismissed as a nonsuit. OCLC locates 5 copies of this title 3 in law libraries Harvard University of Pennsylvania Social Law. Sweet & Maxwell A Legal Bibliography of the British Commonwealth 2:165. unknown books
1818ref. 728811818. Edinburgh: Printed for Manners and Miller 1818. Edinburgh: Printed for Manners and Miller 1818. "For Administering Unlawful Oaths" Trial. McKinley Andrew 1799-1817 Defendant. The Trial of Andrew McKinley Before The High Court of Justiciary At Edinburgh On the 18th Day of July 1817 For Administering Unlawful Oaths. Edinburgh: Printed for Manners and Miller 1818. iv 70 pp. Octavo 7-3/4" x 5". Stab-stitched pamphlet in near-contemporary three-quarter calf over marbled boards gilt title to spine. Moderate rubbing to extremities with some wear to spine ends and corners front hinge cracked rear board separating but secure front hinge mended later owner bookplate of Norman and Janey Buchan to front pastedown. Light browning to interior light soiling to p. 70 and title page which has an owner signature of Andrew Snody likely Andrew Snody SSC c.1795-1881 dated 1858 to the upper outside corner. $650. Only edition. Intended to suppress radicalism the Unlawful Oaths Act of 1812 c.104. 52 Geo. 3 prescribed the death penalty for anyone guilty of "administering of any oath or engagement purporting or intending to bind the person taking the same to commit any treason or murder or any felony punishable by law with death." McKinley was tried under this act and ultimately acquitted for his role in an unsuccessful 1817 labor uprising one of many instigated by the economic depression that followed the Napoleonic Wars. These uprisings culminated in the Cato Street Conspiracy and Radical War or Scottish Insurrection a week of strikes and unrest in Scotland England and Ireland. OCLC locates 6 copies 1 in North America University of Pennsylvania Law School. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1137. unknown books
1736ref. 684421736. Newcastle upon Tyne 1736. Newcastle upon Tyne 1736. Early Account of a Famous Scottish Murder Trial This Copy Includes Two Pages of Contemporary Manuscript Notes Trial. Porteous John 1695-1736 Defendant. The Trial of Capt. John Porteous Before the High Criminal Court Or Lords of Justiciary In Scotland; For Wounding and Killing Several Persons at a Late Execution of a Criminal In the Grass-Market at Edinburgh By Firing and Ordering his Men to Fire on the Spectators. Newcastle upon Tyne: Printed by John White 1736. 32 pp. Octavo 8-1/8" x 5-7/8". Stab-stitched pamphlet and two manuscript leaves in contemporary hand bound into later library cloth calf lettering piece and paper shelf label to spine. Light soiling some fading to spine chipping to edges of lettering piece. Light browning to text some soiling library inkstamps and early owner signature David Hilton to title page library marks to verso. $1500. This appears to be a reissue of an account published the same year in Edinburgh. Porteous was convicted of murder and sentenced to be hanged after soldiers under his command accidentally killed six people while trying to control a mob during an execution. Under pressure from Prime Minister Walpole his execution was deferred pending further investigation. Angered at what was perceived as English interference a mob dragged Porteous from prison and lynched him. More than a murder case this was a highly charged referendum on Scottish autonomy. The events surrounding this case are treated in the early chapters of Sir Walter Scott's novel The Heart of Mid-Lothian 1818. The carefully written manuscript notes appear to have been laid into this pamphlet. It discusses a 1737 Act of Parliament calling for the punishment of the people who lynched Porteous. No print copies located on OCLC. English Short-Title Catalogue T174154. unknown books
