Trial; Townley, George Victor, DefendantBiblio.com
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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
1877ref. 577141877. A Complicated Case of Inheritance and Succession. A Complicated Case of Inheritance and Succession. A Complicated Case of Inheritance and Succession Involving a Charity and the Laws of France and Great Britain Trial. Wallace Sir Richard 1818-1890. Gibbs Frederick Waymouth 1821-1898 Reporter. The Case of Lord Henry Seymour's Will Wallace v. the Attorney-General. London: Stevens and Haynes 1877. vii 98 48 pp. Includes forty-eight page publisher catalogue. Octavo 9-1/2" x 6-1/2". Original cloth blind rules to boards gilt titles to front board and spine. Some rubbing to extremities light fading to spine joints and front hinge just starting at ends. Early owner annotation to half-title interior otherwise fresh. $450. Only edition. Text in English and French. At head of title: "Les Hospices de Paris et de Londres." This was an unusually complicated case of inheritance and succession. "France . was the country to whose courts belonged the principal administration of his estate and his will was brought before the Court of Chancery here by Mr. Wallace . in aid of the French administration. The universal legacy gave rise to two questions . 1st what was the extent topographically of the word 'London' as used by the testator; and 2ndly what institutions were included within the description 'Les Hospices de Londres'" 1-2. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1218. 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
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
1795ref. 822471795. Edinburgh: Printed for William Brown 1795. Edinburgh: Printed for William Brown 1795. An Ill-Founded Plot to Establish an Independent Scotland Trial. Watt Robert c.1761-1794 Defendant. Trial of Robert Watt For High Treason Before the Court Under the Special Commission of Oyer and Terminer Held at Edinburgh. Taken in Short Hand by Mr. Blanchard Revised by the Counsel on Both Sides And Published with the Permission of the Court. Edinburgh: Printed for William Brown 1795. ii 364 pp. Folding plate illustrating pikes found in Watt's possession. Octavo 8" x 4-3/4". Contemporary three-quarter calf over paper-covered boards gilt rules to boards along calf blind ornaments and gilt fillets and title to spine speckled edges. Light rubbing and a few minor spots and smudges to boards moderate rubbing to extremities corners bumped and moderately worn. Moderate toning to interior negligible light foxing and tiny smudges and stains to preliminaries plate final leaf of text and rear endleaves. A handsome copy. $450. Only edition. Watt a wine merchant and political radical was the architect of a somewhat confused plot to establish Scotland as an independent country. After a search of his house turned up a number of pikes and the type for a seditious handbill he was arrested and tried for treason. A co-conspirator was pardoned but Watt was not so lucky. He was convicted and sentenced to be hanged and beheaded despite the jury's recommendation of mercy. The sentence reflected the court's opinion of the severity of Watt's crime. It was also intended to be a warning to other radicals. English Short-Title Catalogue N013806. unknown
1846ref. 709871846. Taunton Mass. 1846. Verdict Not Guilty. Taunton Mass. 1846. Verdict Not Guilty. "A House of Human Slaughter" Trial. Williams Benjamin W. Principal Defendant. Report of the Trial of B.W. Williams and Others Editors and Printers of the Dew Drop A Temperance Paper Published at Taunton Mass. For an Alleged Libel Upon William Wilbar A Rumseller of Taunton Before the Supreme Judicial Court at New Bedford At the November Term 1845 His Honor Judge Hubbard on the Bench. Taunton Mass.: Hack & King Printers Dew Drop Office 1846. 60 pp. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-1/4". Disbound stab stitched pamphlet. Moderate toning light soiling to exterior some rubbing to extremities. Light browning to text faint tick marks in light pencil to margins in a few places light foxing to a few leaves. $450. First edition. In January 1845 the defendant published an article in his temperance paper The Dew Drop that referred to Mr. Wilbar as "the incarnate Devil" with a mouth that emitted "flames of fire" that "withered and scorched all the deluded wretches" who entered his shop "a house of human slaughter." The defendants were acquitted after 45 minutes of deliberation. Although there are many reprint editions available the original 1846 printing is scarce in the marketplace. OCLC locates 7 copies in North American law libraries Harvard Library of Congress Social Law University of Minnesota University of Missouri University of Pennsylvania York University. Not in McCoy Freedom of the Press. Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 12078. unknown
ref. 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
ref. 84690Chicago: I.W.W. Printing Co-Op 1969. Illustrated broadside 44cm x 28cm 17" x 11". Offset lithograph printed in black on white stock. Old horizontal fold; mild toning in margins else Near Fine. A well-preserved example. Signed in plate "Spain" lower right. Chicago I.W.W. printer's bug. Satirical broadside issued to announce the opening of the trial of the Chicago 8 later 7 who had been jailed for conspiracy and inciting a riot for their role in the Chicago street protests during the Democratic National Convention of 1968. This graphic by the prominent underground cartoonist Spain Rodriguez is evidently quite rare not previously seen by us; we can trace no examples in commerce and OCLC notes only a single physical location UVA as of March 2025. unknown
1815ref. 650051815. London 1815. OCLC locates no copies this imprint. London 1815. OCLC locates no copies this imprint. Fraud In The Yorkshire Coal Fields Trial. Stocks Michael Defendant. An Authentic 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 Knt. Chief Baron Of His Majesty's Exchequer And A Special Jury. Huddersfield: Sold by the Principal Booksellers in London; And the Booksellers of York Leeds Bradford Huddersfield Halifax Sheffield Wakefield Rochdale Manchester &c. 1815. 116 pp. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5-1/4". Stab-stitched pamphlet bound into nineteenth-century unlettered pebbled cloth. Light rubbing to extremities with light wear to spine ends corners bumped minor spotting to boards. Light toning to text finger smudges and light foxing to a few leaves. A very good copy. $500. First edition second issue with the errata all corrected. 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. OCLC locates no copies of this imprint. 1 copy located at the Library of Congress. unknown
1822ref. 826501822. Boston: Russell & Gardner 1822. First edition. Boston: Russell & Gardner 1822. First edition. Copy of a Report of an Early U.S. Navy Court Martial with an Interesting Provenance Trial. Abbot Joel 1793-1855 Defendant. Trial of Lieutenant Joel Abbot by the General Naval Court Martial Holden on Board the U.S. Ship Independence At the Navy Yard Charlestown Massachusetts on Allegations Made Against Him by Capt. David Porter Navy Commissioner. To Which is Added an Appendix Containing Sundry Documents in Relation to the Management of Affairs on the Boston Station. Boston: Printed by Russell & Gardner 1822. 164 72 1 pp. Octavo 9-1/2" x 6". Stab-stitched pamphlet with untrimmed edges bound into recent three-quarter morocco over marbled boards raised bands gilt title and blind publication date to spine. Negligible light rubbing to extremities moderate toning to interior light foxing to a few sections marks in early pen to margins of a few leaves early inscription to front endleaf: "Presented to the Honble/ Churchill C. Cambreleng/ Member of the U.S. Congress/ Geo. Washington" "Geo." added in a later mischievous hand. $500. First edition one of two issues the other published in Washington DC by Davis and Force the same year. Abbott was a distinguished naval officer who fought on the frigate President during the War of 1812. He was tried on charges brought by Porter for making "scandalous and false insinuations" of corruption against his superior officer Captain Isaac Hull perhaps the greatest American naval hero of the War of 1812. Found guilty Abbot was suspended from the naval service for the period of two years. Churchill Caldom Cambreleng 1786-1862 was a New York City merchant and politician. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1821 to 1839 where he was a prominent member who chaired several high-profile committees. He later served as U.S. Minister to Russia from 1840 to 1841. Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 13396. unknown
1825ref. 699711825. London: Printed for Hatchard and Son 1825. London: Printed for Hatchard and Son 1825. A Trial Concerning the Status of Catholics in Early Nineteenth-Century Britain Trial. Atchison Thomas Defendant and Compiler. Trial of Captain Thomas Atchison Of the Royal Artillery By a General Court Martial At Malta; In Consequence of Having to be Exonerated from Firing Patteraro Salutes And Tolling a Roman Catholic Bell For the Church and Image Rites of Roman Catholic Priests. With an Appendix Describing Those Rites of the Romish and Greek Churches which British Protestant Troops Infantry as Well as Artillery Were Required by the Priests to Attend and Assist; Also The Nature of the Attendance and Assistance Consequently Ordered to be Given. With Official Documents on the Subject. London: Printed for Hatchard and Son 1825. viii 91 pp. Octavo 8-3/4" x 5-3/4". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet untrimmed edges front wrapper retained. Moderate edgewear and soiling front wrapper detached and worn "12" and owner signature in early hand at head moderate toning to text faint dampstaining to heads of a few leaves above text "From the Author" in contemporary had to verso of half-title. $500. Only edition. Atchison was accused of imposing Catholic practices on the soldiers under his command. Found guilty by a court-martial he was dismissed from the army. Atchison compiled this pamphlet to show he was the victim of anti-Catholic prejudice. OCLC locates 4 copies in North American law libraries Harvard Library of Congress Stanford York. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II: 1006. unknown
1855ref. 694171855. Philadelphia: T.K. Collins Jr. 1855. Philadelphia: T.K. Collins Jr. 1855. Raped Under Anesthesia by Her Dentist Trial. Beale Stephen T. Defendant. Trial and Conviction of Dr. Stephen T. Beale; With the Letters of Chief Justice Lewis And Judges Black and Woodward On His Case. Interesting Ether Cases And the Letters of Prof. Gibson Prof. Wiltbank Wm. Badger Esq. W.L. Hirst Esq. Rev. Albert Barnes Dr. Henry Boardman &c. Philadelphia: T.K. Collins Jr. 1855. 30 pp. Octavo 9" x 5-3/4". Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers removed from a volume rear wrapper lacking. Faint dampstaining to head and lower corner at foot of spine through first half of text block light soiling to exterior minor tear and "9" in early hand to front wrapper light toning to text. $500. Only edition. This trial account reflects contemporary anxiety about ether which was used for the first time in 1846. Narcissa Mudge claimed she was raped by her dentist Dr. Beale while unconscious from ether during a procedure. Beale was convicted. This account of the trial is written by someone who characterizes the dentist as an innocent victim. He argues that Mudge's accusation was based on false memory a side-effect induced by ether. His case is supported by the testimony concerning the effects of ether by a group of dentists and other authorities. Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 13774. unknown
1812ref. 759851812. The Only Successful Attempt on the Life of a British Prime Minister Trial. Bellingham John 1769-1812 Defendant. The Trial of John Bellingham For the Assassination of the Right Honourable Spencer Perceval First Lord of the Treasury Chancellor of the Exchequer &c. &c. &c. In the Lobby of the House of Commons On Monday the 11th May 1812. Taken in Short Hand By Mr. Fraser. To Which is Added An Account of Bellingham's Execution On Monday May 18. London: Printed for R. Mercer 1812. ii 108 pp. Octavo 8" x 5-1/2". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Moderate toning light soiling to exterior light foxing to title page and a few other leaves small chip to bottom-edge of final leaf. $500. Only edition. Bellingham was motivated by a baseless claim that the Crown owed him money as compensation for time he served in a Russian prison. He believed he was owed compensation because the government did not try to assist him. His murder of Perceval was the only successful attempt on the life of a British Prime Minister. OCLC locates 5 copies in North American law libraries Harvard LA County Social Law University of Pennsylvania York. Not in the British Museum Catalogue. unknown
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
1833ref. 661941833. New Orleans 1833. New Orleans 1833. Religious Liberty and the Tyranny of the Mississippi Presbytery Trial. Clapp Theodore 1792-1866 Defendant. Channing William Ellery 1780-1842. A Report of the Trial of the Rev. Theodore Clapp Before the Mississippi Presbytery At Their Sessions in May and December 1832. New Orleans: Printed and Published by Hotchkiss & Co. 1833. xiv 374 pp. Octavo 9-1/4" x 5-1/4". Publisher's quarter cloth over plain boards printed paper title label to spine. Light soiling and a few minor stains to boards moderate rubbing to extremities with some wear to spine ends and corners which are bumped chipping to spine label. Some toning to text occasional light foxing brief early annotations in pencil to a few leaves. Ex-library. Location label to foot of spine bookplate to front pastedown small embossed stamp to title page. $500. Only edition. Clapp paid a heavy price for his gradual rejection of Calvinist views and embrace of Unitarian principles. He spent seven stormy years at the First Presbyterian Church of New Orleans affiliated with the Mississippi Presbytery which finally convicted him of heresy in 1832. This record of his trial is preceded by a reprint of a sermon concerning the trial "On the Subject of Religious Liberty" by William Ellery Channing the foremost Unitarian preacher and theologian of the early nineteenth century. It warns of the evils of religion when it turns into "tyranny" as exemplified by the Mississippi Presbytery. Indeed says the introduction "no Presbytery in the United States ever before had the moral turpitude the hardihood the utter recklessness of justice evinced by the Mississippi Presbytery" xiv. OCLC locates 2 copies in North American law libraries Harvard Social Law. Jumonville Bibliography of New Orleans Imprints 790. unknown
1852ref. 665911852. 1808 Court Martial of Rhode Island Militia Officers Who Refused to Select Six Guardsmen for Federal Service Trial. Court Martial. Kentish Guards. Trial of Colonel David Pinniger Lt. Col. William P. Maxwell Major Nathan Whiting Captain Allen Tillinghast: Officers of the Kentish Guards Before a General Court-Martial Holden at the Court-House In Providence April 27 1808 For Disobedience of Orders and Neglect of Duty. Warren RI: Printed by Nathaniel & John F. Phillips 1808. 41 4 pp. Errata slip pasted to verso of p.41. Octavo 7-3/4"x 4-3/4". Stab-stitched pamphlet fragments of wrapper along spine untrimmed edges. Moderate toning early owner signature to verso of final leaf. $500. Only edition. Formed in 1774 the Kentish Guards of Rhode Island boasted General Nathanael Greene as an original officer. The Guards distinguished themselves at the Siege of Boston and elsewhere. In 1807 Colonel David Pinniger refused an order to select six guardsmen for federal service asserting that the Guards's charter permitted the call up of the entire unit but not individual soldiers. Pinniger's refusal precipitated his court martial and that of the fellow officers who supported him. All were removed from office without further penalty. The guards elected replacement officers; no one went into the U.S. Army. This pamphlet was published by the officers after the "unfavorable result" of the court martial in order to protect their reputations. All aspects of the case are covered. Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 13588. unknown
1825ref. 829431825. Nottingham: Sutton and Son 1825. Nottingham: Sutton and Son 1825. An Early And Unsuccessful Insanity Defense for the Impulsive Murder of a Woman Trial. Dewey Thomas d.1825 Defendant. A Copious Report of the Trial of Thomas Dewey For the Wilful Murder of Maria Austin Before the Hon. James Allan Park Knt. On Monday July 25 1825 At the Town Hall Nottingham. To Which is Added Some Particulars of His Life Character Behaviour And Execution. Copied from the Nottingham Review With Some Additions. Nottingham: Printed and Sold by Sutton and Son Review Office 1825. 22 pp. 12mo. 6-1/2" x 3-3/4"; 16.5 x 9.5 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers. Moderate toning light soiling to exterior a few creases to rear wrapper faint dampstaining along spine and head of text block around gutter. A very good copy overall. $500. Only edition. Thomas Dewey stabbed Maria Austin a neighbor and acquaintance after a quarrel in which she told him not to order her children about. Dewey claimed insanity and several witnesses testified to this effect but the judge and jury disagreed. He was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. Though it was unclear at trial whether a romantic connection between the two existed at the time of the murder the account appended to the trial in our work suggests that Dewey was a womanizer jealous of Austin's husband from whom she was estranged. It concludes with a poem titled "The Morning of Execution." OCLC locates 7 copies of this scarce title 3 in North America Harvard Law School Library of Congress University of Kansas. Library Hub locates no additional copies. unknown
1825ref. 742171825. A "Fatal Catastrophe" in Nottingham Trial. Dewey Thomas d.1825 Defendant. A Copious Report of the Trial of Thomas Dewey For the Wilful Murder of Maria Austin Before the Hon. James Allan Park Knt. On Monday July 25 1825 At the Town Hall Nottingham. To Which is Added Some Particulars of His Life Character Behaviour And Execution. Copied from the Nottingham Review With Some Additions. Nottingham: Printed and Sold by Sutton and Son Review Office 1825. 22 pp. 12mo. 6-3/4" x 3-3/4. Stab-stitched pamphlet resewn into recent plain wrappers recent white label with shelf mark to front wrapper. Moderate toning to interior library stamp to verso of title page several leaves trimmed close on right margin with no loss to text very light foxing to last few leaves small tear to fore-edge of title page not affecting text. $500. Only edition. Thomas Dewey stabbed Maria Austin a neighbor and acquaintance after a quarrel in which she told him not to order her children about. Dewey claimed insanity and several witnesses testified to this effect but the judge and jury disagreed. He was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. Though it was unclear at trial whether a romantic connection between the two existed at the time of the murder the account appended to the trial in our work suggests that Dewey was a womanizer jealous of Austin's husband from whom she was estranged. It concludes with a poem titled "The Morning of Execution." OCLC locates 7 copies of this scarce title 3 in North America Harvard Law School Library of Congress University of Kansas. Library Hub locates no additional copies. unknown
1767ref. 727311767. London: for W. Griffin 1767. 56 23 1 pp. London: for W. Griffin 1767. 56 23 1 pp. A Sensational Inheritance Case Trial. Douglas Cause. A Concise Narrative of the Proceedings in the Douglas Cause: With Remarks Upon the Memorials: In a Letter to a Friend. London: Printed for W. Griffin 1767. 56 23 1 pp. Octavo 9" x 5-3/4". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet fore and bottom edges untrimmed. Light toning light soiling to exterior light foxing in a few places a few creases to final leaf. $500. First edition. The "Douglas Cause" which involved claims on the estate of Duke Douglas was one of the most sensational Scottish trials of the eighteenth century. Douglas died without issue leaving his sister Lady Jane Douglas the heir presumptive. His relatives the Hamiltons had hoped to lay claim to the estate but were foiled when Lady Jane had twin sons at the age of 50. A bitter dispute ensued over whether these children were in fact legitimate but the case was decided against the Hamiltons and the estate went to Lady Jane's surviving child Archibald Stewart Douglas. This was a rancorous case which attracted a great deal of public attention most of it sympathetic to the young Douglas. A second edition was published later the same year. English Short-Title Catalogue T184001. unknown
1836ref. 802841836. A Poisoning in Pennsylvania: McDade 280 Trial. Earls John 1802-1836 Defendant. Packer William F. Reporter Editor. Cummings Alexander Jr. Reporter Editor. Report of the Trial and Conviction of John Earls For the Murder of His Wife Catharine Earls Late of Muncy Creek Township Lycoming County Pennsylvania; In the Court of Oyer and Terminer Held at Williamsport For Lycoming County February Term 1836. Including the Arguments of Counsel At Length; Together with the Confession of the Prisoner. Williamsport PA: Printed by the Publishers Packer and Cummings 1836. iv 188 pp. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-1/4". Contemporary quarter sheep over paper-covered boards lettering piece and blind fillets to spine. Light soiling spotting and a few minor stains to boards joints cracked wear to spine ends edges of lettering piece and fore-edges of boards edges corners bumped front hinge partially cracked. Moderate toning to interior light browning in places light foxing to a few leaves "G.W. Stout/ from Elisha Allis/ Oct: 5 1870" to front pastedown. $500. Only edition. Earls murdered his wife with poison and this trial account discusses poisons at length. McDade notes: "Earls' motive was the usual other-woman. He gave as his reason for purchasing the poison 'to kill mink and muskrats' an imaginative variant. He poisoned his wife the day after she gave birth." "G.W. Stout" is likely George W. Stout 1830-1906 a prominent Easton Pennsylvania lawyer. The giver is likely Elisha Allis 1832-1893 also a resident of Easton. His wife Sarah was the daughter of William F. Packer 1807-1870 one of the reporters of our account who later became the governor of Pennsylvania. McDade The Annals of Murder 280. unknown
1824ref. 699621824. London: Knight and Lacey Publishers 1824. London: Knight and Lacey Publishers 1824. The Trial and Execution of Henry Fauntleroy: A Landmark Case in British Financial History Trial Fauntleroy Henry 1785-1824 Defendant. Egan Pierce 1772-1849 Reporter. Pierce Egan's Account of the Trial of Mr.Fauntleroy For Forgery At the Session's-House In the Old Bailey On Saturday The 30th of October 1824 Before Mr.Justice Park and Mr.Baron Garrow. London: Knight and Lacey Publishers 1824. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5-1/4". 67 1 pp. Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Light soiling and edgewear; moderate toning to text. Minor chips and tears to a few leaf margins not affecting text. Early ownership signature and "5" to head of title page. A very good copy. $500. Only edition. Henry Fauntleroy was a prominent English banker whose conviction for forgery became a cause celebre. Though he admitted to the acts he maintained they were committed solely to sustain his firm's credit. Despite the testimony of numerous merchants to his character and multiple appeals for clemency he was executed in November 1824. He remains one of the last individuals in Great Britain to be hanged for forgery before it ceased to be a capital offense in 1836. The ownership inscription on the title page belongs to "Thos. Fisher / 3 Union Street / Bath" likely Thomas Fisher 1787-1863 a mid-nineteenth-century British solicitor. British Museum Catalogue Compact Edition 9:70. unknown
1886ref. 742401886. The Personal Copy of the Author who was the Attorney General at the Time Trial. Goodwin Henry K. Defendant. Sherman Edgar J. 1834-1914. Commonwealth vs. Henry K. Goodwin: Charged by Indictment with the Wilful Murder of Albert D. Swan: Eighth Day of the Trial Before Charles Allen and William S. Gardner Justices. Edgar J. Sherman Attorney General Henry F. Hurlburt District Attorney For the Government. Benjamin F. Butler John P. Sweeney For the Prisoner. Argument of the Attorney General In Behalf of the Government. Lawrence MA: American Electric Job Print 1886. 43 pp. Octavo 8-3/4" x 5-3/4"; 22.2 x 14.6 cm. Stapled pamphlet in stiff printed wrappers. Light soiling a few tiny stains and moderate edgewear and chipping to wrappers which are partially detached but secure owner signature in faint pencil Edgar J. Sherman to front wrapper. Moderate toning to interior folds to lower outside corners of first 8 leaves. A very good copy. $500. Only edition. Goodwin shot Swan because he thought Swan was trying to cheat him out of his patents relating to the telephone. He was convicted of second degree murder. This pamphlet contains the argument of Edgar J. Sherman who led the state's case against Swan. It appears to have been his personal copy. Attorney general of Massachusetts from 1883 to 1887 Sherman went on to serve as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and an associate justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court. This is a rare title. OCLC locates 5 copies 1 in a law library Social Law. McDade The Annals of Murder 360. unknown
1814ref. 712731814. Edinburgh: S.n. 1814. 97 pp. Edinburgh: S.n. 1814. 97 pp. Divorce and the Conflict of Laws Trial. Gordon Mary Margaret Pye Alleyne H. A Report of the Judgment Delivered in the Supreme Consistorial Court of Scotland By the Honourable the Judges of that Court In the Divorce Cause of Mrs. Mary Margaret Gordon Or Pye The Wife Against Lieut. Col. Pye The Husband As Printed in the Appendix of the Lord Advocate's Petition to the Court of Session in Scotland. Edinburgh: S.n. 1814. 97 pp. Quarto 9-1/2" x 7-3/4". Disbound. Light soiling to exterior light rubbing to extremities "11" in early hand to head of title page. Moderate toning to interior faint spotting to a few leaves. $500. Only edition. An interesting case that involved the conflict of English and Scottish divorce law Gordon v. Pye held that a Scottish court did not have the power to dissolve the marriage of two English subjects who married in England and were currently living there. It is one of a group of Scottish cases cited by Story in his discussion of marriage in Commentaries on the Conflict of Laws 1834. No print copies of this report located on OCLC. Library Hub locates a printed copy at the British Library. We located additional printed copies at Harvard Law School and Yale Law School. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1086. unknown
1814ref. 684431814. Canterbury 1814. Canterbury 1814. Manslaughter on the Parade Ground Trial. Gordon William Defendant. The Trial of Major William Gordon Of the 2d Or Queen's Regiment of Dragoon Guards On a Charge of the Murder of George Gregory A Private in the Same Regiment at the Guildhall Sandwich On Friday April 15 1814. As Taken by a Short Hand Writer. Canterbury: Printed by Rouse Kirkby and Lawrence 1814. iv 145 pp. Octavo 8-5/8" x 5-1/4". Later library cloth red and black calf lettering pieces and fragment of paper shelf label to spine. Light soiling light staining to spine and front joint which is starting at head front joint cracked title page partially detached. Moderate toning faint dampstaining to corners of a few leaves moderate soiling library stamp and a few minor stains to title page a few library annotations to verso. $500. Only edition. Gordon fatally impaled Private Gregory on his sword during a review on a parade ground. At first it appeared that Gordon used excessive force when the private fell out of ranks. The trial showed that Gregory his reflexes impaired by alcohol lost his footing and fell into the major's sword. OCLC locates 6 copies in North American libraries Columbia Harvard LA County Library of Congress Social Law University of Georgia. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1086. unknown
1821ref. 849031821. Elizabeth-Town NJ: J. and E. Sanderson 1821. Elizabeth-Town NJ: J. and E. Sanderson 1821. A Schoolteacher Sues to Redeem Her Reputation and Save Her School Trial. Hall Eunice Plaintiff. Rogers Daniel Reporter. Report of the Trial of Eunice Hall vs. Robert Grant For Slander. Tried Before the Court of Common Pleas for the County of Essex In New-Jersey And a Special Jury In June Term 1821. Taken in Short Hand by Daniel Rogers Counsellor at Law. With an Abridgement of the Arguments of Counsel And an Appendix. Elizabeth-Town NJ: Printed by J. and E. Sanderson 1821. 137 pp. Octavo 9-1/2" x 6"; 24.10 x 15.20 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers untrimmed edges. Moderate rubbing and faint dampstaining to wrappers heavier rubbing to extremities with wear to spine ends. Moderate toning and light foxing faint dampstaining to sections of text corner folds to several leaves clean tear to leaf 7 pp. 49-50 early owner inscription "Robt. Fitch/ August 29th 1822" to front endleaf. $500. Only edition. Robert Grant a physician who treated one of Hall's students alleged that Hall a teacher was responsible for the student's death which destroyed her reputation and that of the school she kept. Hall sued Grant for fifteen counts of libel; the jury awarded her $250 in damages. The first page has a statement by Grant that indicates his interest in the publication of this pamphlet. OCLC locates 7 copies in law libraries Harvard Library of Congress NYU Nova Southeastern University University of Minnesota University of Missouri Yale. Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 11981. Felcone New Jersey Books 2nd ed. 1982. unknown
