230 resultados
1823ref. 864751823. Assault and False Imprisonment Trial. Carr Thomas Defendant. Report of the Trial of Watson Against Carr For an Assault and False Imprisonment Before Sir John Bayley Knt. One of the Justices of His Majesty's Court of King's Bench Westminster At the Guildhall Newcastle On Saturday August 2d 1823. Newcastle: Printed for John Sykes Bookseller 1823. 36 pp. Woodcut title page vignette of Samuel Johnson. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet bound in later wrappers. Moderate shelfwear toning light foxing in a few places. Internally clean. $150. Only edition one of at least 2 issues from the same year. This scarce trial report concerns the beating and false imprisonment of Thomas Watson by Carr. The latter claimed as his defense his position as Town Constable during the time of incident and engaged Henry Brougham as his lawyer. The jury found for Watson and Carr was subject to a fine and court costs. Other copies we have seen have a different title page vignette depicting Newcastle's Guildhall. OCLC locates 7 copies of this title 4 in North America Harvard Law School University of Georgia Law School Temple University University of Pennsylvania Law School. unknown
1856ref. 847541856. Well-Illustrated Contemporary Account of a Famous London Poisoning Trial 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 158 Fleet Street 1856. 184 pp. Folding frontispiece woodcut illustrations throughout text several full-page advertisements to wrappers. Report of the final day of the trial and its verdict clipped from the London Times January 14 1856 laid in. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5-1/2"; 20.95 x 13.97 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers. Binding slightly cocked light soiling edgewear and a few tiny stains to wrappers creasing to spine moderate wear to spine ends. Moderate toning to interior light browning to sections light soiling to title page lower corner lacking from frontispiece with minor loss to image. A very good copy overall. $250. Only edition. Also known as the Rugeley Poisoner or the Prince of Poisoners Palmer was a physician who abandoned his practice to own and breed racehorses which often put him in financial difficulty. As a full-blown sociopath he saw murder as a convenient way to restore his finances. In order to collect on their life insurance policies he poisoned his brother wife his mother-in-law and four of his children who were killed before their first birthdays. He also defrauded a friend John Cook when he was poisoning him and cheated his wealthy mother out of thousands of pounds. He was finally convicted in 1855 for murdering Cook and was executed the following year. Davenport-Hines "Palmer William Called the Rugeley Poisoner" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography accessed online. British Museum Catalogue Compact Edition 19:281. unknown
1846ref. 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
1831ref. 833811831. Trial Relating to an Important Event of the July Monarchy With a Presentation Inscription from the Primary Defendant Trial. Valerius Philippe Primary Defendant. Proces du Service Funebre Celebre le 14 Fevrier 1831 a Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois. Accusation Contre MM. Valerius Durouchoux Fils Boblet Quinel et de Balthasar. Paris: Chez G.A. Dentu Imprimeur-Libraire No 21; Et Palais-Royal Galerie d'Orleans No 13 1831. xxi 128 pp. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-1/4"; 21.5 x 13 cm. Pamphlet in stiff wrappers bound into later quarter cloth over marbled boards calf lettering piece and gilt ornaments and publication date to spine fragment of ribbon marker publisher advertisement to rear wrapper. A few minor nicks to boards moderate rubbing to extremities some wear to corners and edges of lettering piece pictorial bookplate of Paul Lacombe to front pastedown. Moderate toning and light foxing to interior creases and corner folds to a few leaves offsetting from bookplate to front free endpaper presentation inscription from Valerius to title page. A very good copy with interesting associations. $250. Only edition. A report of a turning point in the Reign of King Louis-Philippe I also known as the July Monarchy 1830-1848: the trial that followed the failed 1831 uprising against the king a member of the House of Orleans provoked by Legitimists people who denied the legitimacy of a non-Bourbon monarch. This event was sparked by a politically charged memorial service for the Bourbon Duke of Berry who was assassinated in 1820. It ended with the repression of the Legitimists. The wry inscription reads "offered by the accused Valerius." A fervent Legitimist he was a primary organizer and financier of the memorial ceremony which was seen by government as an incitement to riot. Valerius and his co-defendants were ultimately acquitted. This copy was later acquired by Lacombe 1834-1919 an important Parisian archivist and historian who was also a notable bibliophile. This is a scarce title. OCLC locates 2 copies in North America Harvard University of Michigan. unknown
1796ref. 821781796. A Vermont Estate Case Involving Two Former Mayors of New York City Manuscript. Trial. Vermont. Colden vs. Custis and Morgan. Movnt & Judgment. Woodstock VT September 21 1796. 12-3/4" x 8" 32.4 x 20.3 cm bifolium and 12-3/4" x 8" 32.4 x 20.3 cm leaf which was pinned to bifolium forming 6 pp. document. Text in neat hand to rectos and versos docketed on verso of final leaf. Content in neat hand. Moderate toning light soiling horizontal fold lines rubbing to edges short clean tears along folds pin holes to upper-inside corners. $250. In this post-Revolutionary land dispute the estate of Whitehead Hicks 1728-1780-a prominent Queens landowner judge and pre-Revolutionary Mayor of New York City 1766-1776-was represented by Cadwallader David Colden 1769-1834 a Long Island lawyer future abolitionist and later Mayor of New York City 1818-1821. Acting on behalf of the estate Colden sued two Vermont residents Elias Curtis written as Custis in court records and Isaac Morgan for back rent dating to 1775. The disputed property was located in the colonial-era Gloucester County New York-a territory including Woodstock that was absorbed into the newly declared state of Vermont in 1777. Prepared and intended for official filing this manuscript is divided into two distinct parts: a legal motion and a formal judgment which effectively placed the case on appeal. unknown
1811ref. 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
1741ref. 859421741. Contemporary Account of an 18th-Century Fratricide Case Overlooked by the ESTC Extra-Illustrated by a Notable 19th-Century Collector Includes Two Unrecorded Broadsides. Trial. Goodere Sir Samuel 1687-1741 Principal Defendant. The Trials of Samuel Goodere Esq; Matthew Mahony And Charles White For the Murder of Sir John Dineley Goodere Bart. Brother to the Said Samuel Goodere On Board His Majesty's Ship the Ruby: At the Sessions of the Peace Oyer and Terminer And General Goal-Delivery Held in and for the City of Bristol And County of the Same City In the Guild-Hall of the Said City; Before the Right Worshipful Henry Combe Esq; Mayor of the Said City Michael Foster Esq; Serjeant at Law Recorder; And Others His Majesty's Justices of Goal-Delivery. Begun on Tuesday the 17th of March 1740. And Continued by Adjournment to Thursday The 26th of the Same Month 1741. Publish'd with the Approbation of Mr. Recorder. London: Printed by A. Millar et al. 1741. ii 53 1 blank pp. With an initial leaf headed "Goal Delivery Grand Jurors March 17. 1740." Printed without bookseller advertisement to verso of final leaf. Folio 12-3/4" x 8"; 32.6 x 20.4 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlet bound in late nineteenth-century cloth gilt title to spine. Light shelfwear to exterior spine ends and corners bumped and worn. Moderate toning to interior occasional light foxing and soiling blind-embossed library stamps of the Corporation of Bristol City Library to right margin of first several leaves title page reinforced at fore-edge on verso. Three later annotations detailing this item's provenance to front endleaf early owner signature "W. Mallard" to head of title page. Later sheet with tipped-on woodcut illustration of Goodere bound before title page double-page copperplate engraving dated 1741 bound after title page 6 items related to the Goodere murder bound after text block some mounted to blank leaves 2 of these have extensive annotations to their versos by Mallard. A very good copy with interesting enhancements included two unrecorded contemporary items. $3500. Only edition one of two 1741 issues. The most complete account of this trial. The trial of Sir Samuel Goodere is a classic of English criminal history. The details are particularly grisly because of the breach of both familial and naval du. unknown
1723ref. 860101723. He Escaped the Tower to Join the Jacobite Rising of 1745 Trial. Kelly George 1688-1762. The Speech of Mr. George Kelly. Spoke at the Bar of the House of Lords on Thursday The 2d of May 1723. In His Defence Against the Bill then Depending For Inflicting Pains and Penalties upon Him. London: Printed for A. Moore near St. Paul's MDCCXXIII 1723. Price One Shilling. 15 1 pp. Folio 13-1/2" x 8-1/2"; 34.3 x 21.6 cm. Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Occasional corner creasing; final leaf partially detached with some marginal fraying. Moderate toning and light dust-soiling. A very good unsophisticated copy. $250. "First edition" one of 13 issued by 5 different presses 2 of them anonymous in 1723 6 with later edition statements ranging from "second" to "seventh." The English Short-Title Catalogue ESTC notes that bookseller's name "A. Moore" is fictitious. Kelly an ordained clergyman who refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Hanoverian King George I was implicated in the Atterbury Plot a conspiracy to restore the Stuart monarchy. When the plot was discovered Kelly was arrested. Because the government lacked enough evidence for a traditional treason conviction they passed an Act for Inflicting Pains and Penalties against him which led to the show trial where Kelly delivered the widely-circulated speech recorded in this pamphlet. This specific legislative act sentenced Kelly to life imprisonment and the forfeiture of all his property. Unlike a Bill of Attainder an Act of Pains and Penalties usually stopped short of the death penalty but bypassed the need for a jury trial. After 14 years in the Tower of London Kelly famously escaped in 1736 fled to France. It was a dramatic feat; he reportedly walked out in a disguise after his captors became lax over a decade into his life sentence. His presence as one of the "Seven Men of Moidart"-the small group that accompanied Prince Charles Edward Stuart to Scotland in 1745-cements his role as one of the most persistent and effective Jacobite agents of the 18th century. The imprint "A. Moore" is a classic bibliographical "red herring." During this period printers used fictitious imprints to avoid prosecution for seditious libel. "A. Moore" often punning on "Amour" or simply "more" copies was a common pseudonym used for controversial polit. unknown
1865ref. 860061865. A Rare Record of Civil War Scandal and Political Warfare Trial. Opdyke George 1805-1880 Defendant. The Great Libel Case. Geo. Opdyke Agt. Thurlow Weed. A Full Report of the Speeches of Counsel Testimony Etc. Etc. New York: The American News Company No. 121 Nassau Street 1865. 156 pp. Octavo 5-3/4" x 9-1/4". Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers lower section of spine reinforced with cellotape. Light soiling spine abraded wrappers which are partially detached but secure creased and edgeworn. Moderate toning to interior corner folds to margins of title page and following few leaves. A good copy. $150. Only edition of the comprehensive trial report documenting the explosive legal battle between New York City Mayor George Opdyke and Thurlow Weed the powerful editor of the Albany Evening Journal. At the height of the Civil War Weed accused Opdyke of using his office to reap illicit profits from government military contracts-essentially charging the Mayor with war profiteering. The trial which lasted several weeks and featured a "who's who" of New York political and legal elite ultimately ended in a hung jury leaving both reputations permanently scarred. Beyond the legal arguments the testimony offers a raw look at the intersection of private industry and military supply during the Union's most desperate hours. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1157. unknown
1865ref. 860091865. A Rare Glimpse Into a Scandal that Shocked New York City's Elite Trial. Strong v. Strong. Gerry Elbridge T. 1837-1927. The "Strong" Divorce Case. Argument of Mr Elbridge T. Gerry Of Counsel for Mrs. Strong Before Justice Garvin of the Superior Court of the City of New York On a Motion for a Verdict in the Case of Peter R. Strong Agst. Mary E. Strong December 4 1865. December 4 1865. Reported by Warburton & Underhill Stenographers. New York: Wm. C. Bryant & Co. Printers 41 Nassau Street Corner of Liberty 1865. 69 pp. Octavo 9" x 5-3/4"; 22.8 x 14.6 cm. Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers rear wrapper lacking. Faint vertical crease through center moderate toning faint dampstaing to foot of text block and front wrapper which has some chipping and edgewear light toning to interior. A good copy. $150. Only edition of Elbridge T. Gerry's powerful argument in one of the most sensational legal battles of the 19th century. Spanning 1862-1865 Strong v. Strong titillated New York City's "Knickerbocker" elite exposing a web of adultery and betrayal at the height of the Civil War. As counsel for Mrs. Strong Gerry demonstrates the legal acrobatics required to defend a woman's reputation in an era of strict Victorian morality. This pamphlet printed by the firm of poet William Cullen Bryant serves as a vital primary source for the evolution of American divorce law and the social history of New York's high society. OCLC locates 6 copies in law libraries Columbia Harvard US Supreme Court University of Missouri University of Pennsylvania Yale. unknown
2011ref. 1-1601561652National Institute for Trial Advocacy NITA 2011. Spiral-bound. New. 148 pages. 6.10x4.40x0.40 inches. National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) unknown
1822ref. 848091822. The Plaintiff was Represented by Two Distinguished Scottish Jurists Trial. Stevenson Duncan 1776-1867 Defendant. Report of Trial of the Issues In the Action of Damages for Libel in the Beacon James Gibson of Ingliston Esq. Clerk to the Signet- Pursuer Against Duncan Stevenson Printer in Edinburgh Defender. Taken in Short Hand. Edinburgh: Printed for Archibald Constable and Co. London: Hurst Robinson and Co. and James Ridgway 1822. 139 2 pp. With a half-title. Publisher advertisement to recto of final leaf verso blank. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5-1/4"; 20.95 x 13.33 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlet bound into recent watered cloth gilt title to spine endpapers renewed. Negligible light rubbing to binding. Light toning to interior negligible light spotting to a few leaves. A very good copy. $350. Only edition. Gibson 1765-1850 later Sir James Gibson-Craig 1st Baronet was a lawyer government official and Whig politician. An article in The Beacon a Tory newspaper alleged that he passed forged bank notes. Represented by Francis Jeffrey 1773-1850 and Henry Cockburn 1779-1854 two eminent Scottish jurists who were also notable literary figures Gibson prevailed and was awarded 500 in damages. Library Hub locates 3 copies outside of Scotland. Macleod "Craig Sir James Gibson" Moss "Stevenson Duncan" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography accessed online. British Museum Catalogue Compact Edition 24:250. unknown
1815ref. 848071815. Hanged after a Denied Clemency Petition Trial. Blackburn Joseph d.1815 Defendant. Report of the Trial of Mr. Joseph Blackburn Attorney at Law Leeds For Forgery At the Yorkshire Lent Assizes 1815. With an Appendix Containing Some Details Relative to the Attempts that were Made to Obtain for Him the Extension of the Royal Clemency; And Some Particulars Respecting His Execution &c. Carefully Transcribed from the Notes of the Short-Hand Writer. Leeds: Printed by Benjamin Dewhirst. Sold by Davies and Booth 1815. ii 46 pp. Octavo 8" x 5"; 20 x 12.7 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlet bound in recent marbled boards printed title label to spine. Moderate toning to interior light foxing and faint staining in a few places title page re-hinged. A very good copy. $650. Only edition. Blackburn a Leeds attorney was accused of committing revenue fraud by altering duty stamps on executed deeds and conveyances. Though he denied the accusations and a number of witnesses testified to his good character he was found guilty and sentenced to death. According to our report of his trial and execution "upwards of three thousand persons" signed a clemency petition. Petitions like these were common during the years of the so-called "Bloody Code." Many were successful; Blackburn's was not. He was hanged on April 8 1815. Our account notes that the execution was botched and it took him six or seven minutes to die. This is a scarce title. OCLC and Library Hub locate 6 copies York Minster University of York Leeds Public Libraries York University Law School University of Toronto Harvard Law School. No others added by Library Hub. unknown
1872ref. 857421872. London 1872. Oblong sheet folded into 16 panels. London 1872. Oblong sheet folded into 16 panels. A Rare and Vibrant Victorian Pictorial Satire of the Century's Most Infamous Legal Charade Trial. Tichborne Case. The Tichborne Trial As Told to Our Grandchildren. London: H. G. Clarke and Co. c.1872. Oblong 34-1/4" x 11-1/2" 87 x 29 cm sheet 5-3/4" x 4-3/4" 14.5 x 12 cm when folded completely in sixteen panels glued into pictorial wrappers title to front wrapper and advertisements to its verso and rear wrapper. Front illustration and panels each with a woodcut vignette and accompanying satirical verse hand-colored. Unobtrusive light foxing and soiling a few small tears along fold lines not affecting images colors vivid. A well-preserved survival of a fragile and seldom-encountered form of Victorian popular ephemera. $1750. This folding satirical panorama was issued during the height of public fascination with the Tichborne case which captivated Victorian England in the 1860s and 1870s. In 1854 Roger Tichborne the 25 year-old heir to the Tichborne baronetcy disappeared while traveling in South America presumed to have died in a shipwreck. His mother refused to abandon hope. When she heard rumors that he was in Australia she placed several advertisements concerning his whereabouts in Australian newspapers. In 1865 an Australian butcher named Thomas Castro sometimes referred to as Arthur Orton claimed to be the missing heir. He failed to convince the courts was convicted of perjury and served a long prison sentence. The dispute over his identity continued until his death in 1898. The case generated a vast body of popular literature and has continued to captivate the public as recently as Zadie Smith's 2023 novel The Fraud. Our example is one of several known silhouette illustration satires of the case by Clarke & Co all of which are rare. The vivid hand-coloring highlights the illustration style which had the advantage for the publisher of emphasizing Orton's size. OCLC locates 7 copies of Clarke & Co. satires under this title 2 in law libraries Yale Harvard. unknown
1840ref. 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
1824ref. 857701824. The Fatal Consequences of Sports Betting Trial. Thurtell John 1794-1824 & Joseph Hunt d.1825 Defendants. Egan Pierce 1772-1849 Reporter. Pierce Egan's Account of the Trial of John Thurtell and Joseph Hunt. With an Appendix Disclosing Some Extraordinary Facts Exclusively in the Possession of the Editor. With Portraits And Many Other Illustrative Engravings. London: Knight & Lacey Publishers 1824. iv 105 1 pp. With an engraved portrait frontispiece of Thurtell Hunt and William Probert and 6 unnumbered full-page woodcuts as called for. Bound with Egan Pierce. Recollections of John Thurtell Who was Executed at Hertford on Friday The 9th of January 1824.Being an Appendix to His Account of the Trial Which May Now be Had Price 2s. London: Knight & Lacey Publishers 1824. iv 44 pp. With a woodcut frontispiece depicting Thurtell's execution. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5"; 21.4 x 12.7 cm. Contemporary three-quarter calf over marbled boards gilt fillets and lettering piece to spine. Some rubbing to exterior light wear to extremities front joint cracked spine varnished corners bumped rear hinge cracked. Light toning to interior occasional light foxing and soiling unobtrusive faint dampstaining to first three leaves of Account. A good copy. $250. Only editions. John Thurtell an unlucky gambler was deeply in debt to the bookmaker William Weare. Deciding to take revenge Thurtell along with his friends Joseph Hunt and William Probert murdered Weare in a grisly manner and tossed his body into a pond. Thurtell tried to escape conviction. He was hanged. Hunt confessed his involvement and stated that Thurtell was the killer. He was sent to the penal colony in Botany Bay Australia. Charges against Probert were dropped in exchange for his wife's testimony which minimized his role in the crime. Our account of the trial and its aftermath was produced by Pierce Egan a popular journalist and sportswriter. Thurtell himself was an admirer--the chance to read Egan's coverage of a recent prizefight was purportedly among his final wishes. Recollections was issued separately as the appendix which is referenced on the title page of Account. unknown
1853ref. 852571853. Corrupt Conduct and Malfeasance" Trial. Hubbell Levi 1808-1876 Defendant. Leland T.C. Reporter. Trial of Impeachment of Levi Hubbell Judge of the Second Judicial Circuit By the Senate of the State of Wisconsin June 1853. Madison: Argus & Democrat Steam Press 1853. 820 pp. Octavo 8" x 5-1/4"; 20.4 x 13.5 cm. Contemporary sheep blind rules to boards blind fillets and lettering piece to spine blind tooling to board edges. Worn rubbing spotting and some shallow scuffing to boards which are separated but secured by cords spine ends abraded corners of lettering piece lacking corners bumped and worn faint offsetting to edges of endleaves upper outside corner of front free endpaper lacking. Light toning to interior occasional sparse light foxing and soiling small clean tears to upper outside corner of pp. 513-514 without loss to text. Owner signatures of Ewing Sibbett and Charles C. Dey with a note indicating presentation from Dey to Sibbett to front pastedown owner signature of Charles C. Dey to title page. Internally sound. $750. Only edition. A comprehensive official record of the impeachment trial of Levi Hubbell. Hubbell was a judge on Wisconsin's 2nd Circuit a position he held by virtue of a prior appointment to the state Supreme Court. In 1853 he was accused of eleven separate charges of "corrupt conduct and malfeasance" including embezzlement taking bribes and luring women into hotel rooms using his position. The heated proceedings went on for a month. Impeached but not removed Hubbell holds the dubious distinction of being the first state official impeached in Wisconsin. He resigned three years later. He went on to a career as a representative in the state legislature and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Again accusations of corruption led to his resignation as U.S. Attorney. Charles Carr Dey 1854-1935 a former owner of this copy began his legal practice in Milwaukee. He later moved to Salt Lake City Utah and established himself as an eminent attorney and judge. 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
1833ref. 849161833. 2 works in 1 books. 2 works in 1 books. Two Landmark Accounts of a Infamous 19th-Century American Murder Trial Including the Rare Harnden "Narrative" Trial. Avery Ephraim 1799-1869 Defendant. Hallett Benjamin Franklin 1797-1862 Reporter. Trial of Rev. Mr. Avery: A Full Report of the Trial of Ephraim K. Avery Charged with the Murder of Sarah Maria Cornell Before the Supreme Court of Rhode Island at a Special Term in Newport Held in May 1833: With All the Incidental Questions Raised in the Trial Carefully Preserved The Testimony of the Witnesses Nearly Verbatim and the Arguments of Counsel And a Correct Map and References of All the Localities Described in the Testimony Prepared Expressly for this Report Alone. Boston: Published at the Offices of the Daily Commercial Gazette And the Boston Daily Advocate May 1833. 191; 40 pp. Two parts each with individual pagination pp. 33-40 of second part which has the running title Avery's Trial Supplementary Edition in duplicate due to a binder error. Folding map. Bound with Harnden Harvey. Narrative of the Apprehension in Rindge N.H. Of the Rev. E.K. Avery Charged with the Murder of Sarah M. Cornell Together with the Proceedings of the Inhabitants of Fall River. Providence: W. Marshall & Co. Printers 1833. 36 pp. Octavo 7-3/4" x 4-3/4"; 19.70 x 12.10 cm. Contemporary three-quarter pebbled calf over marbled boards gilt fillets and title to spine. Moderate rubbing to extremities hinges starting armorial bookplate of the estate of William Paine Sheffield to front pastedown. Moderate toning and light foxing to interior negligible light dampstaining to a few leaves creases and minor edgewear to folding map in Trial signature of William Gilpin to head of title page of Narrative. A very good volume. $750. The Avery case stands as one of the most sensational and culturally significant American murder trials of the nineteenth century. The Reverend Ephraim K. Avery a Methodist minister was accused of murdering factory worker Sarah Maria Cornell after discovering she was pregnant with his child. Avery allegedly strangled Cornell before staging the scene as a suicide by hanging her from a barn rafter. The trial pitted anti-Masonic and anti-clerical sentiments against a defensive Methodist church capturing the absolute fascination of the American. unknown
1951ref. 1903891951. The failed appeal against the "trial of the century" One of very few copies of Emanuel Bloch's appeal seeking to overturn the prosecution of the Rosenbergs at their infamous trial signed by Bloch for submission to the Court of Appeals on the final page. Bloch 1901-1954 an attorney who focused on civil rights was known for defending clients associated with left-wing and communist causes. The Rosenbergs communists accused of sending atomic secrets to the Soviets chose Bloch to lead their defence. The court found the Rosenbergs guilty of espionage in March 1951 and sentenced them to death in April following a trial widely criticized as prejudiced and motivated by Cold War hysteria. J. Edgar Hoover dubbed the case which attracted worldwide attention "the trial of the century". The Rosenbergs were granted time to prepare the appeal which Bloch submitted to the Circuit Court on 5 November 1951. Comprising 143 pages of argument extensively referenced against other legal cases and with an index Bloch sets forth his legal case. It rests on three grounds: the government had not established definite guilt the Rosenbergs had not been granted a fair trial and the "cruel and unusual punishment" violated the eighth amendment. Besides the constitutional grounding Bloch emphasizes the "frantic atmosphere" in which the Rosenbergs were arrested placing the trial within the context of the panic caused by the Soviet Union's acquisition of the atomic bomb. The appeal was denied by the three judges on the court on 25 February 1952. They reported they had carefully examined the trial record against Bloch's appeal and had found the death sentence was constitutional and would stand. Following the defeat Bloch filed a further appeal with the Supreme Court which declined to review the case. A stay on execution was granted to appeal to President Eisenhower who denied the petition. Various other legal challenges the last of which reached the Supreme Court also failed. Despite an international campaign for clemency backed by the Pope and Albert Einstein the Rosenbergs were executed on 19 June 1953. Despite the failure of Bloch's appeal his brief greatly impressed the Rosenbergs. Julius wrote to Ethel on 4 November 1951 "I read the brief and I wrote Manny Bloch telling him what a stupendous job he did and how everlastingly grateful we are for his tireless efforts for us. Darling the brief is a legal masterpiece and in addition is a literary gem. Although I don't have the background to really pass on the legal fine points I can attest to its excellent organization its meticulousness in presenting in a fair light our case the devastating logic of his points and the tremendous assiduous effort Manny exerted in preparing this document. Believe me it's a priceless piece of work from a great man. How proud we are to be considered his friends. I intend to reread it a number of times so I'll be able to better understand some of the legal points raised" The Rosenberg Letters 2013 pp. 253-4. Bloch is often seen as a lawyer unsuited to the case more suited to civil rights work than a major criminal trial. His failure to interrogate properly the government's key witness Harry Gold has been much criticized. This appeal shifted more to Bloch's speciality of constitutional and civil rights probably constitutes a stronger legal case than that which he presented in the original trial. Nonetheless the Rosenbergs were very confident in him and he became a close friend. Bloch delivered the eulogy at their funeral and took guardianship of their sons though he died soon afterwards of a heart attack. This copy of the brief is evidently one of a small number produced for official use alongside the copies which each Rosenberg received. This copy was deposited in the Civil Rights Division of the American Jewish Committee - it is marked as their file copy and subsequently "withdrawn". It is unknown how they acquired the brief - the American Jewish Committee pointedly distanced themselves from the case likely to avoid the association of Jews with communism and treachery which the case did much to encourage among the public. An inscription on the first page reads "Return to Ted Leskes" - Theodore Leskes 1908-1964 was director of the legal division of the American Jewish Committee focusing on civil rights and discrimination. We trace only one other example of the brief at the University of Kansas and no other copy in commerce. Quarto 285 x 217 mm. Containing 154 mimeographed leaves printed recto only paginated comprising i-xi index 143 pages of contents firmly staple-bound in "Accopress binder" an early likely original binding printed title page mounted to front of binder. Housed in a black cloth flat-back box by the Chelsea Bindery. Stamps of American Jewish Committee to front cover and p. i verso. Chipping around title on front cover reinforced with tape at extremities slight wear to binder extremities contents a little toned else clean. A good copy. hardcover
1794ref. 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
1853ref. 838311853. Albany: David M. Barnes and W.S. Hevenor 1853. Albany: David M. Barnes and W.S. Hevenor 1853. McDade 468 Trial. Hendrickson John 1832-1854 Defendant. Barnes David M. Reporter Compiler. Hevenor W.S. d.1909 Reporter Compiler. Trial of John Hendrickson Jr. For the Murder of His Wife Maria By Poisoning at Bethlehem Albany County N.Y. March 6th 1853: Tried in the Court of Oyer and Terminer at Albany N.Y. In June and July 1853. Albany: David M. Barnes and W.S. Hevenor Publishers 1853. 176 pp. Woodcut frontispiece depicting John Hendrickson and Maria Hendrickson. Octavo 9-1/4" x 5-3/4"; 23.5 x 14.6 cm. Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet wrappers lacking. Moderate toning light soiling to exterior corner folds to several leaves at beginning of text early manuscript table of contents to verso of frontispiece. A good copy overall. $125. Only edition. John Hendrickson was a wastrel who married into the wealthy Van Dusen family of Albany NY. Unfaithful to his wife and eager to acquire her fortune he poisoned her with aconite. This is believed to be the first American murder committed with this substance. New ground was broken by the forensic testimony presented in this case by several experts most notably Benjamin Silliman the eminent chemist and Yale professor. OCLC locates 3 copies 1 in a law library Harvard. McDade The Annals of Murder 468. unknown
1857ref. 839041857. 4 titles in 1 book. 4 titles in 1 book. Account of a Famous Glasgow Murder Trial Bound with Three Other Diverting Books Trial. Smith Madeleine 1835-1928 Defendant. Glasgow Poisoning Case. Unabridged Report of the Evidence in this Extraordinary Trial With All the Passionate Love Letters Written by the Prisoner to the Deceased And Numerous Illustrations Including Portrait of Madeleine Smith. London: George Vickers Angel Court Strand 1857. 77 pp. 7 woodcut plates 3 folding. Only edition. Bound After Ward Artemus Pseud. of Charles Farrar Browne 1834-1867. Artemus Ward His Book: Being the Confessions & Experiences of a Showman. London: S.O. Beeton 248 Strand W.C. 1865. viii 168 pp. Half-title lacking. Later edition; first published in 1862. And Barnum P.T. 1810-1891. The Life of P.T. Barnum Written by Himself. Author's Edition. London: Sampson Low Son & Co. 47 Ludgate Hill 1855. viii 372 pp. Woodcut frontispiece. Woodcut text illustrations. First London edition published the same year as the first edition New York 1855. And Hawthorne Nathaniel. Pansie: A Fragment. The Last Literary Effort of Nathaniel Hawthorne. London: John Camden Hotten Piccadilly 1864. 48 pp. Only edition. Octavo 6-1/4" x 4"; 15.9 x 10.2 cm. Contemporary three-quarter calf over marbled boards. Some bubbling and rubbing to boards heavier rubbing to extremities with wear to fore-edges of boards front joints just starting at ends corners bumped and moderately worn hinges cracked some bubbling to pastedowns bookplate residue to front pastedown. Moderate toning to interior wear and clean tears to folding frontispiece of Glasgow Poisoning Case one tear mended with cellotape. A very good volume overall. $450. These unrelated small-format titles may have been assembled to provide diversion to a traveler. It includes a book of humorous sketches by Ward Barnum's entertaining and inspiring autobiography the first part of Hawthorne's novel The Dolliver Romance and an account of a famous murder trial. In 1855 Smith a Glasgow socialite began a passionate affair with Pierre Emile L'Angelier. When her parents found a more suitable match she attempted to break the relationship but he threatened to use their love letters to expose her if she did not marry him. He died from arsenic poisoning. unknown
1808ref. 849821808. Richmond: From the Press of Samuel Pleasants 1808. Richmond: From the Press of Samuel Pleasants 1808. Streeter 1693: The Prosecution's Arguments at the Burr Treason Trial Trial. Burr Aaron 1756-1836 Defendant. Wirt William 1772-1834. The Two Principal Arguments of William Wirt Esquire On the Trial of Aaron Burr For High Treason And on the Motion to Commit Aaron Burr and Others For Trial in Kentucky. Richmond: From the Press of Samuel Pleasants Jun. 1808. iv 221 pp. Advertisement leaf follows title page. Not issued with the portrait frontispiece of Aaron Burr which is true of only a few copies. 12mo. 5-3/4" x 3-1/2"; 14.6 x 8.9 cm. Contemporary tree calf gilt title and ornaments to spine endpapers renewed with marbled paper. Light rubbing nicks and scratches to boards moderate rubbing to extremities front hinge cracked chips to spine ends and front board at foot of joint and lower outside corner corners bumped and somewhat worn. Moderate toning to interior light browning light foxing and faint dampstaining in places chips to fore-edges of front endleaf and title page. A very good copy overall. $2500. Only edition. Burr was implicated in a plot to steal land from Mexico and the Louisiana Purchase in order to establish an independent country. Arrested and tried in 1807 on charges of treason he was acquitted due to a lack of specific evidence. Wirt his prosecutor was United States Attorney for the District of Virginia. His famous principal speech in the trial of Aaron Burr lasting nearly four hours. Characterized by considerable eloquence wit and logic it enhanced his national stature. Wirt went on to serve as United States Attorney General under Presidents Monroe and John Quincy Adams where he did much to define the office and enhance its stature. The last copy at auction was sold at Sotheby's in 2021 for $2142. Like ours it does not have a frontispiece. Streeter The Celebrated Collection of Americana Formed by the Late Thomas Winthrop Streeter 1693 with frontispiece. Identical to our copy: Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 14120. Howes USIana W-587. Sabin A Dictionary of Books Relating to America 104883. unknown
1803ref. 842451803. The Only Edition with an Appendix Which Offers a "Particular Account of the Execution" Trial. Despard Edward Marcus 1751-1803 Primary Defendant. The Whole Proceedings on the Trials of Col. Despard And the Other State Prisoners Before a Special Commission At the New Sessions House Horsemonger Lane Southwark Feb. 7 and 9 1803; Including the Indictment The Evidence on Both Sides And the Speeches of Counsel. To Which are Prefixed Original and Authentic Memoirs of Col. Despard And Lord Ellenborough's Eloquent Charge to the Grand Jury. With an Appendix Containing the Behaviour of the Convicts And a Particular Account of the Execution. London: Printed by W. Flint Old Bailey; For R. Bent et al. 1803. iv 70 3-12 pp. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5"; 21.2 x 13 cm. Disbound pamphlet. Moderate toning light soiling to exterior occasional unobtrusive light foxing ink notation of price paid to foot of title page longer annotation in an early hand to its verso. $150. Fourth stated edition the only one with an appendix. After a brilliant military career in the West Indies Colonel Despard was made superintendent of the Bay of Honduras present-day Belize which was the site of significant British logging concessions. To the dismay of the local aristocrats Despard distributed land by lottery and without regard to distinctions of race religion or social class. Their complaints led to his dismissal and several lawsuits which put him in debtors' prison for two years. Financially ruined and bitter he came to resent the establishment. He joined the radical London Corresponding Society and revolutionary United Irishman and took part in a plot to organize uprisings in London and Ireland. After the plot was foiled Despard and six others were convicted of treason. A highlight during the trial was Lord Admiral Nelson's testimony as a character witness on Despard's behalf. Despard and his co-conspirators share the dubious distinction of being the last men in Great Britain sentenced to be hanged drawn and quartered the form of execution given to convicted traitors since 1283. However the king commuted their sentences to death by hanging followed by decapitation. This is a scarce edition. OCLC locates 1 copy in a North American law library University of Minnesota. Chase "Despard Edward Marcus" Oxford Dic. unknown