3.319 resultados
1808ref. 818921808. The Renier Copy of an Unrecorded 1808 "Crim. Con." Trial Pamphlet: A Salacious Window into Regency Legality and Tabloid Culture Trial. Hodgson Charles Defendant. Crim. Con. Between a Lawyer's Clerk and His Mistress. Fairburn's Edition of the Trial Between Joseph Fowler An Attorney And Chas. Hodgson His Clerk For Criminal Conversation with the Plaintiff's Wife Which was Tried at the Court of Common Pleas Before Lord Chief Justice Mansfield And a Special Jury July 13 1808. Taken in Short Hand. Embellished with an Engraved Frontispiece Representing "Her Dear Charles" Putting Her Ear-rings in Her Ears. London: Published by John Fairburn 1808. First and only edition. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5"; 21 x 12.7 cm. 17 1 pp. Folding frontispiece. Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet housed in recent card folder with annotations to front. Moderate toning somewhat heavier to exterior faint offsetting to title page text block split between pages 10 and 11. Owner signature "Renier" to verso of frontispiece small ink "5" to upper outside corner of title page owner initials "AR" to upper inside corner of last page. A rare copy. $350. A fascinating and remarkably rare piece of early 19th-century street literature capturing a classic "Crim. Con." Criminal Conversation trial. In Regency England a husband could sue his wife's lover for damages based on the loss of her "society and comfort"-effectively treating a wife as a piece of stolen property. These trials provided the era's most reliable scandals and enterprising publishers like John Fairburn rushed shorthand transcripts into print to satisfy the public's appetite for voyeuristic melodrama. This specific case captures a classic downstairs scandal: Joseph Fowler an attorney discovered that his clerk Charles Hodgson was carrying on an affair with Mrs. Fowler. Though Fowler sued for substantial damages the court largely agreed that Mrs. Fowler was the aggressive instigator. Lord Chief Justice Mansfield subsequently declined to award a large sum granting Fowler a modest and rather humiliating 150. This pamphlet belonged to Anne Renier 1911-1988. She and her husband Fernand Gabriel Renier 1905-1988 were important collectors of popular books pamphlets and ephemera. OCLC locates 2 copies worldwide University of British Columbia University of Oxford. Librar. unknown books
1860ref. 818971860. New York: Robert M. DeWitt 1860. New York: Robert M. DeWitt 1860. An 1860 Illinois Divorce Case that Dominated Headlines Throughout the United States Trial. Burch v. Burch. Only Complete Report of the Burch Divorce Case; Containing a History of the Case--The Preliminary Movements The "Confession" of Mrs. Burch Opening and Closing Speeches of Counsel The Deposition of Parties Implicated and All the Testimony in Full With the Letters Offered in Evidence but Ruled Out by the Court. New York: Robert M. DeWitt Publisher 30 Frankfort Street c.1860. 116 5-8 pp. Main text in double columns. Pictorial wrappers lacking. Page 5 has drop-head title The Beardsley Divorce sub-titled History of the Case which is followed by a single-column account of that case. Octavo 6" x 9-1/2". Stab-stitched pamphlet in pictorial wrappers untrimmed edges. Light soiling dampststaining tears and notable edgewear to wrappers front wrapper detached moderate toning to interior faint dampstaining to heads of a few leaves. $125. Only edition one of two issues. This sensational Illinois divorce case dominated headlines throughout the United States. It involved a prominent Chicago banker and his socialite wife who denied his accusations of adultery and countered with charges that he married her for her fortune and had mistreated her. The jury agreed and ruled in her favor. Our copy is from the issue that includes a synopsis of the Beardsley divorce a case that involved adultery claims by both spouses. It is not included in the other issue which does not have any additional material. The synopsis is apparently a promotion for DeWitt's report of that case which is advertised on rear wrappers of copies in wrappers that we have seen. This issue not in Cohen or the Harvard Law Catalogue 1909 both of which record the issue with 116 pp. unknown books
1871ref. 821101871. San Francisco 1871. Only edition. San Francisco 1871. Only edition. A Landmark Gilded Age Murder Trial-Offered with Its Definitive Modern History Trial. Fair Laura D. Defendant. Official Report of the Trial of Laura D. Fair For the Murder of Alex. P. Crittenden. San Francisco: Printed by the San Francisco Co-Operative Printing Co. 1871. 4 325 xvii pp. With two full-page woodcut portraits of Fair and Crittenden as a double frontispiece. Octavo 9-3/4" x 6-1/2"; 24.8 x 16.5 cm. Stab-stitched book bound in later twentieth-century three-quarter sheep over marbled boards gilt title to spine. Rubbing light wear to extremities front joint starting chipping to spine ends corners bumped and worn hinges cracked front hinge reinforced with archival tissue library bookplate with deaccession stamp to front pastedown. Moderate toning to interior; light edgewear and a few chips to portrait leaves; light foxing to last few leaves; tear to head of gutter of title page; internally clean. Housed in attractive custom crimson clamshell box quarter morocco over cloth with raised bands and gilt title to spine. $1500. First and only edition of the official report documenting the "Ferryboat Murder" a landmark case of femininity insanity and Victorian scandal. When Laura Fair discovered her lover Alexander Crittenden had no intention of leaving his wife she fatally shot him aboard a San Francisco ferry in front of his family. The ensuing trial became a national lightning rod for Victorian anxieties regarding the "sanctity of the family" and the legal rights of women. In a pioneering and controversial defense Fair's counsel argued she was a victim of "Moral Mania" a temporary insanity triggered by her menstrual cycle and "nervous prostration." While the suffragist movement championed her as a victim of a patriarchal legal system the public was captivated by the scandalous correspondence printed here in full. This historical drama is explored in depth in Gary Krist's Trespassers at the Golden Gate 2025 which contextualizes the trial within Gilded Age San Francisco. This remains a cornerstone text for the study of 19th-century gender politics and the 'insanity' defense. McDade The Annals of Murder 291. Krist Trespassers at the Golden Gate 2025 a copy of this work is included. unknown books
1855ref. 821721855. New Haven: Thomas H. Pease 1855. New Haven: Thomas H. Pease 1855. Rare Account of an 1855 New Haven Murder Case: McDade 178 Trial. Clark Willard d.1855 Defendant. McFarland Henry H. Reporter. Report of the Trial of Willard Clark Indicted for the Murder of Richard W. Wight Before the Superior Court of Connecticut Holden at New Haven On Monday September 17 1855. New Haven: Thomas H. Pease. T.J. Stafford Printer 1855. 217 pp. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-1/2"; 21.6 x 14 cm. Disbound. Moderate toning a few signatures at beginning and end of text block loose light foxing in places light soiling to title page and verso of final leaf residue from wrappers and binding to spine. $450. Only edition. McDade offers a neat summary of this case: "Clark was apparently infatuated with a girl who married Wight. With no warning he shot Wight through the head while Wight was kneeling to tie a bundle. The crime and trial were in New Haven Connecticut; Clark was acquitted on the ground of insanity." OCLC does not locate any printed copies but we found examples at the American Antiquarian Society the University of Michigan Medler Crime Collection Clements Library and Yale Law School. McDade The Annals of Murder 178. unknown books
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 books
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 books
1809ref. 822571809. One of the Great Scandals of Georgian England Trial. Wardle Gwyllym Lloyd 1762-1833 Reporter. Frederick Augustus Prince Duke of York and Albany 1763-1827 Defendant. A Circumstantial Report of the Evidence and Proceedings Upon the Charges Preferred Against His Royal Highness the Duke of York in the Capacity of Commander in Chief In the Months of February and March 1809. Before the House of Commons. Including the Whole of the Original Letters of His Royal Highness the Duke of York; The Speeches Correctly Taken in Full Of the Various Members; With All the Other Documents Produced in the Course of the Investigation And the Decision of the House of Commons Upon This Very Important Subject. Illustrated by Portraits. Albion Press Edition. London: Printed for James Cundee Ivy-Lane 1809. viii 3-700 pp. Stipple-engraved frontispiece 12 stipple-engraved plates. Complete. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5". Nineteenth-century three-quarter calf over marbled boards raised bands gilt fillets and red and black lettering pieces to spine edges colored yellow. Negligible light rubbing and a few minor scuffs to boards moderate rubbing to extremities corners bumped and lightly worn small bookseller stamp Lawrance & Hill London to verso of front free endpaper. Moderate toning to interior light foxing in places finger smudges to a few leaves small hale to leaf 3E2 pp. 403-404 with minor loss to text. $350. Only edition. This trial was one of the great scandals of Georgian England. In 1806 it was discovered that Mary Anne Clarke the mistress of Prince Frederick Duke of York and Albany 1763-1827 commander-in-chief and the second son of King George III was selling commissions for personal profit presumably with Frederick's cooperation. Investigated by Parliament Frederick was exonerated but he resigned his post however because a large minority voted against him. He was reinstated two years later. Clarke was forced to leave London. She was convicted for libel in 1813 and served a nine-month prison sentence. She then moved to France and spent the rest of her life there. Lloyd a former military officer and the reporter of this account initiated the case as a Member of Parliament. British Museum Catalogue Compact Edition 26:691. unknown books
1843ref. 822711843. New York: Tribune Office 160 Nassau Street 1843. New York: Tribune Office 160 Nassau Street 1843. The Only Mutiny Plot That Occurred on a U.S. Navy Ship Trial. MacKenzie Alexander Slidell 1803-1848 Defendant. Case of the Somers' Mutiny. Defence of Alexander Slidell Mackenzie Commander of the U.S. Brig Somers Before the Court Martial Held at the Navy Yard Brooklyn. New York: Tribune Office 160 Nassau Street 1843. 30 11 pp. Octavo 9-1/4" x 6". Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers. Light soiling a few minor stains to exterior spine ends abraded faint traces of erased penciled annotation to front wrapper. Light toning to interior light foxing to p. ii. A well-preserved copy. $450. First and only edition. This trial concerns the only time a mutiny plot was discovered on a U.S. Navy ship. "Alexander Slidell Mackenzie was a career naval officer and author of many books. In 1842 while he was commander of the brig Somers Mackenzie executed three members of his crew for allegedly plotting a mutiny. The three Philip Spencer Samuel Cromwell and Elisha Small were executed without a hearing. The incident aroused much public interest and criticism since Spencer was the son of the secretary of war John C. Spencer. Although a court of inquiry cleared Mackenzie the secretary of the navy charged him with murder. A court martial held at Mackenzie's request found him innocent" Cohen. Because it was the first and as time would show only attempted mutiny in the history of the U.S. Navy this case attracted a fair amount of subsequent attention most recently Philip McFarland's 1985 account Sea Dangers: The Affair of the Somers. Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 13563. unknown books
1918ref. 823221918. Chicago: General Defense Committee 1918. Chicago: General Defense Committee 1918. An Important Trial for Organized Labor Trial. Haywood William 1869-1928. Evidence and Cross-Examination of William D. Haywood in the Case of the U.S.A. vs. Wm. D. Haywood et al. Chicago: General Defense Committee 1918. 312 pp. Portrait. Stapled in stiff printed wrappers. Light soiling and faint creasing to wrappers owner signature Olga S. Halsey and small tear to head of front wrapper faint stain to rear wrapper tearing to spine. Light toning partial crack in text block after title page all leaves secure internally clean. $450. The Haywood trial concerned the murder of Frank R. Steunenberg who had called in federal troops to break miners' strikes as former governor of Idaho. Harry Orchard a former member of the Western Federation of Miners confessed to the crime but when threatened with hanging claimed that he had committed the murder on the orders of senior members of WFM leadership including William "Big Bill" Haywood. Haywood and two other men implicated in the plot were extradited to Idaho from Colorado and tried for murder. The trial became a flashpoint for organized labor. Famed American attorney Clarence Darrow led Haywood's defense successfully undermining Orchard's character and securing an acquittal after one of the passionate closing summaries that would become his trademark as an attorney. Olga Spencer Halsey c.1889-1970 the probable former owner of this item was a social scientist and researcher for the American Association for Labor Legislation. A passionate advocate of health insurance reform she drafted some of the first health insurance legislation in the U.S. unknown books
1801ref. 822491801. McDade 297: One of the Most Sensational American Trials of the Early 1800s Trial. Fairbanks Jason Defendant. Report of the Trial of Jason Fairbanks On an Indictment for the Murder of Miss Elizabeth Fales. At the Supreme Court Holden at Dedham in the County of Norfolk On Thursday the 6th And Friday the 7th Days of August 1801. Boston: Printed by Russell and Cutler 1801. 87 pp. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-1/2". Stab-stitched pamphlet with untrimmed edges bound into later cloth gilt title and fillets to spine. Light rubbing to extremities moderate browning and light foxing to interior corner folds and small chips to edges of a few leaves tears with early repairs to title page and following leaf. $350. Second edition one of four editions all issued in 1801. The second third and fourth editions have a history of the case and an eye-witness account of Fairbanks's execution. This was one of the most sensational American trials of the early 1800s. The parents of Elizabeth Fales objected to Fairbanks's suit and he in revenge or frustration slit her throat in a field attempting at the same time to commit suicide. When apprehended he claimed that she tried to kill herself. After his conviction Fairbanks escaped custody and almost reached Canada but was apprehended in Vermont. He was hanged a short time later. Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 12550. McDade The Annals of Murder 297. unknown books
1818ref. 825711818. A Near-Fatal Response to Negative Criticism Trial. Hagerman Henry B. 1786-1853 Defendant. Bacon David Reporter. Trial of Henry B. Hagerman Esq. On an Indictment for an Assault and Battery With Intent to Murder Committed on William Coleman Esq. Editor of the N.Y. Evening Post. Taken in Short Hand by David Bacon. New York: Printed by Oram and Mott 1818. 68 pp. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5-1/4". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Moderate toning light foxing to most of text small embossed library stamp to final leaf chips to both of its outside corners small de-accession ink stamp of the Long Island Historical Society to title page small chip to its lower outside corner. An appealing copy of an uncommon title. $750. Only edition. Coleman 1766-1829 was the editor of Alexander Hamilton's newspaper The New York Evening Post now the New York Post which opposed to New York's Democratic Party. Shortly after he published a highly critical article about Hagerman a prominent Democrat and state official he was surprised and viciously beaten by Hagerman on a city street. Coleman's recovery took weeks and he suffered bouts of paralysis for the rest of his life. Hagerman pleaded guilty to assault and battery and not guilty to the charge of attempted murder. He was fined and acquitted on the murder charge. In a later civil suit he was ordered to pay Coleman $4000. a notably large award for that time. OCLC locates 8 copies in law libraries Baylor Columbia Harvard Library of Congress LA County Law Library Social Law University of Minnesota U.S. Supreme Court. Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 13829. unknown books
1892ref. 825691892. 3 woodcut illustrations. Laconia N.H. c.1892. 3 woodcut illustrations. Laconia N.H. c.1892. A Notable Case of Fratricide: McDade 852 Trial. Sawtell Isaac d. 1891 Defendant. The History of the Murder of Hiram Sawtell by His Brother Isaac Sawtell. Illustrated. Laconia NH: John J. Lane c. 1892. 32 pp. 3 woodcut text illustrations portraits. Octavo 9" x 6". Stab-stitched pamphlet in pictorial wrappers. Light soiling and a few minor stains to wrappers light wear and creases to corners of wrappers and text block light wear to spine ends moderate toning to interior. A handsome copy. $350. Only edition. "Isaac was anxious to possess himself of his brother's property. Hiram was enticed into the country and murdered near Berwick Maine though there is some doubt whether the murder was in Maine or New Hampshire. Isaac cut off his brother's head and buried it separately" McDade. OCLC locates 5 copies Harvard Law School New Hampshire Historical Society New Hampshire State Library University of Michigan Yale Law School. We located another copy Cornell Law School. McDade The Annals of Murder 852. unknown books
1792ref. 812901792. An Important 1792 Trial Related to an Election From the Library of Anne Renier Trial. Tooke John Horne 1736-1812 Defendant. Fox Charles James 1749-1806 Plaintiff. Johnson Joseph 1738-1809 Publisher. Proceedings in an Action for Debt Between the Right Honorable Charles James Fox Plaintiff And John Horne Tooke Esq. Defendant. Published by the Defendant. London: Printed for and Sold by the Booksellers 1792. 39 1 pp. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5-1/4". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Moderate toning light foxing light rubbing to extremities final two leaves partially detached owner name "Renier" to verso of title page owner initials "AR" to verso of final leaf. $250. First edition one of two issues from 1792. This was a legally and politically important trial. Tooke one of the great English radicals of the period opposed Fox in the Westminster elections of 1790. Defeated by a large majority he petitioned the House of Commons for redress based on allegations of riotous conduct by the electors. The action was declared frivolous and Tooke was sued by Fox for 198 damage. To make matters worse under the 1789 law against vexatious suits Tooke was held liable as well for costs. The trial heard before Lord Kenyon gave Tooke a platform from which he condemned Parliamentary corruption and spoke eloquently against the severe limitations imposed upon juries in this and other trials of a similar nature--from a legal point of view perhaps the most interesting feature of the trial. Counsel for Fox was Thomas Erskine. Despite its topicality this pamphlet had an unusually long history; it was re-issued in 1793 1812 1815 and 1819. This copy belonged to Anne Renier 1911-1988. She and her husband Fernand Gabriel Renier 1905-1988 were important collectors of popular books pamphlets and ephemera. English Short-Title Catalogue N11983. unknown books
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 books
1803ref. 784691803. Lord Admiral Nelson Testified as a Character Witness Trial. Despard Edward Marcus 1751-1803 Primary Defendant. Gurney Joseph Reporter. Gurney William Brodie Reporter. The Trial of Edward Marcus Despard Esquire. For High Treason At the Session House Newington Surry sic On Monday the Seventh of February 1803. London: Sold by M. Gurney 1803. 271 1 pp. Final page is a publisher advertisement. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5". Contemporary three-quarter calf over marbled boards lettering piece gilt fillets and tiny early shelf label to spine speckled edges. Light rubbing and two small paper fragments from a label to boards moderate rubbing to extremities with wear to spine ends front board beginning to separate but secure rear joint starting at ends corners bumped and somewhat worn early owner bookplate John Smith Esq. to front pastedown rear hinge starting. Moderate toning to interior light foxing to a few leaves. $250. Only edition. After a brilliant military career in the West Indies Colonel Despard was recalled from his command and dismissed on frivolous charges. He tried to clear his name and seek compensation but his complaints led to imprisonment without a trial 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. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1061. unknown books
1856ref. 784901856. Five titles in 1 book. Five titles in 1 book. Poisoning and Lunacy Trial. Palmer William 1824-1856 Defendant. Illustrated and Unabridged Edition of The Times Report of the Trial of William Palmer for Poisoning John Parsons Cook At Rugeley. From the Short-Hand Notes Taken in the Central Court from Day to Day. London: Ward and Lock 1856. 184 pp. With numerous woodcut illustrations and a folding frontispiece. Bound with Trial. Windham William Frederick b.1840 Defendant. The Great Lunacy Case of Mr. W.F. Windham. Reported by a Solicitor. London: H. Vickers 1862. 60 pp. 2 pp. publisher advertisements. And Richardson James. Studies from the Antique. Edinburgh: John Baxter 1862. 62 pp. And Runciman David 1803-1872. Marriage and Married Life; A Week Day Homily. Glasgow: Printed by Robert Anderson 1862. 32 pp. And Cooper James Fenimore 1789-1851. The Water Witch; Or The Skimmer of the Seas. A Tale. London: Published by J. Cunningham 1839. 136 pp. Together 5 titles in 1 volume. Octavo 8" x 5-1/2"; 20.3 x 14 cm trim size of Windham trial 7-1/2" x 5"/19 x 12.5 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlets bound in contemporary cloth gilt title to spine early manuscript table of contents to front endleaf. Light rubbing to extremities light fading to spine spine ends and corners bumped and lightly worn faint offsetting to endleaves hinges cracked. Light toning to interior a few mostly partial cracks to text block second item loosening very slightly but secure small spots and tiny faint stains to a few leaves folding frontispiece of first item reinforced at right edge not affecting image. $500. This volume contains accounts of two famous nineteenth-century trials. Palmer a first-rate sociopath was tried and convicted for the 1855 murder of his friend John Cook and executed in 1856. Also known as the Rugeley Poisoner or the Prince of Poisoners he was suspected of several other murders including four of his children killed before their first birthdays. The Windham trial was one of the most famous insanity trials of the time and an early example of the use of forensic psychiatry. Windham's uncle a distinguished soldier and M.P. alleged that his nephew was unfit to take possession of the estate. After weeks of testimony the court disagreed and Windham was found sane. The other titl. unknown books
1794ref. 788761794. New York: Re-printed by James Carey 1794. New York: Re-printed by James Carey 1794. A Member of the "Scottish Martyrs to Liberty" Trial. Margarot Maurice Defendant 1745-1815. The Trial of Maurice Margarot Before the High Court of Justiciary At Edinburgh On the 13th and 14th of January 1794 On an Indictment for Seditious Practices. Taken in Shorthand by Mr. Ramsey. New York: London: Printed. New-York: Re-Printed by James Carey no. 91 Broad-street 1794. 166 pp. Portrait frontispiece of Margarot. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Moderate toning light soiling to exterior occasional light foxing frontispiece and title page just starting to separate at head but secure. $250. Only New York edition reprinted from the London edition of the same year. Margarot was one of the founding members of the London Corresponding Society a radical group inspired by the French Revolution to demand parliamentary reform in the late eighteenth century. Due to the wave of anti-radical and anti-French hysteria initiated by the French Revolution he and four other radicals later known as the "Scottish Martyrs to Liberty" were convicted and transported to Australia in May 1794. English Short-Title Catalogue W20960. unknown books
1917ref. 797951917. New York: Mother Earth Publishing Assn. 1917. New York: Mother Earth Publishing Assn. 1917. The Trial of America's Most Famous Anarchists Trial. Goldman Emma 1869-1940 Defendant. Berkman Alexander 1870-1936 Defendant. Anarchism on Trial: Speeches of Alexander Berkman and Emma Goldman Before the United States District Court in the City of New York July 1917. New York: Mother Earth Publishing Association 1917. 87 9 pp. With 2 portraits of Berkman and Goldman and 9 pp. of publisher advertisements. Pamphlet in printed wrappers bound in recent quarter cloth over plain paper boards typed label to front board endpapers added 8-1/4" x 5-1/2" publisher's advertisement for this title laid in. Light shelfwear cloth starting to separate from rear board at head library bookplate to inner front board. Light toning to interior faint offsetting to front wrapper small clean tear to upper corner of title page which has punch and ink library stamps not affecting text small chips and tears to fore-edge of laid-in sheet. $450. Only edition. Published by Goldman's anarchist magazine Mother Earth this pamphlet documents the trial of anarchist activists Alexander Berkman and Emma Goldman who were outspoken opponents of U.S. entry into World War I and called for men to refuse conscription. Both were found guilty of violating the Espionage Act which punished obstruction of the draft or encouragement of disloyalty to the United States. They were sentenced to two years in prison and a $10000 fine. Both were deported to Russia upon their release under the terms of the 1918 Anarchist Exclusion Act. Titled "The Present Situation in re Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman" the laid-in sheet encourages all "sufficiently interested in free speech and fair play" to circulate Anarchism on Trial and donate funds towards an appeal. unknown books
1830ref. 777401830. Dover: Published by Geo. W. Ela 1830. Dover: Published by Geo. W. Ela 1830. Libel and Press Freedom in 1830 New Hampshire Trial. Hill Horatio b.1807 Defendant. Barton Cyrus 1795-1855 Defendant. Report of the Case of Timothy Upham against Hill & Barton Publishers of the New-Hampshire Patriot For Alleged Libels At the Court of Common Pleas Rockingham County March and October Terms.1830. Dover: Published by Geo. W. Ela 1830. 159 pp. Octavo 8-3/4" x 5-1/2". Stab-stitched pamphlet front and rear wrappers lacking later hand-lettered title to spine edges untrimmed. Light browning light edgewear to several leaves light foxing and soiling in a few places light creasing to last few leaves pencil marks and brief annotations to a few pages small tear to title page affecting text without loss to legibility final leaf separated with small tears but secured by thread. $500. Only edition. Hill and Barton publishers of the New Hampshire Patriot and Star Gazette accused Upham of impropriety during his time as Collector of Customs at Portsmouth and "impaired his candidacy for Governor by calling him a smuggler and a federalist" Cohen. Upham sued for damages of $10000; the trial resulted in a hung jury and the case was slated for retrial at the court's next session. OCLC locates 5 copies of this title in law libraries Yale Library of Congress Harvard University of Missouri The Ohio State University. Cohen Bibliography of American Law 12070. McCoy Freedom of the Press U236. unknown books
1794ref. 779351794. New York: Re-printed by James Carey 1794. New York: Re-printed by James Carey 1794. A Member of the "Scottish Martyrs to Liberty" Trial. Margarot Maurice Defendant 1745-1815. The Trial of Maurice Margarot Before the High Court of Justiciary At Edinburgh On the 13th and 14th of January 1794 On an Indictment for Seditious Practices. Taken in Shorthand by Mr. Ramsey. New York: London: Printed.-New-York: Re-Printed by James Carey no. 91 Broad-street 1794. 166 pp. Portrait frontispiece laid-in between pp. 52-53. Octavo 8-1/2" x 5-1/4". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Light browning occasional light foxing light edgewear to several leaves first and final few leaves separating but secure. $250. Only New York edition reprinted from the London edition of the same year. Margarot was one of the founding members of the London Corresponding Society a radical group inspired by the French Revolution to demand parliamentary reform in the late eighteenth century. Due to the wave of anti-radical and anti-French hysteria initiated by the French Revolution he and four other radicals later known as the "Scottish Martyrs to Liberty" were convicted and transported to Australia in May 1794. English Short-Title Catalogue W20960. unknown books
1676ref. 751371676. A Powerful Defense of Habeas Corpus Trial. Shaftesbury Anthony Ashley Cooper Earl of 1621-1683 Defendant. The Case of Anthony Earl of Shaftsbury; As it was Argued before His Majesties Justices of the Kings Bench Trin. Term. 29. Car. 2. Being Upon His Confinement in the Tower &c. With a Speech of this Worthy Earl Pleading His Own Case And the Liberty of the Subject. London: Printed by K.P. for C.R. 1679. 16 pp. Folio 12" x 7-1/2". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet fore and bottom edges untrimmed. Light toning folio numbers to upper corners in an early hand upper corner of first leaf lacking with minor loss to "E" of "Case" negligible light foxing and soiling to a few pages. $500. Only edition. A founder of the Whig party and an important patron of John Locke Shaftesbury was a prominent English politician during the Interregnum and reign of King Charles II. He frequently clashed with the king and Tory leadership including in 1676 when he and allies argued that the current parliament was illegitimate and were subsequently sent to the Tower. When Shaftesbury's petition for release failed he brought a writ of habeas corpus. "In a very powerful argument he admitted the supreme judicature of the lords but denied their power to commit to indefinite imprisonment on a general warrant. The judges however said that they had no jurisdiction in the case and Shaftesbury was sent back to the Tower" DNB. Dictionary of National Biography accessed online. English Short-Title Catalogue R4010. unknown books
1793ref. 759751793. The Trial of a "Scottish Martyr" Trial. Palmer Thomas Fyshe 1747-1802 Defendant. The Trial of the Rev. Thomas Fyshe Palmer Before the Circuit Court of Justiciary Held at Perth On the 12th and 13th September 1793 On an Indictment for Seditious Practices. Taken in Court by Mr. Ramsey An Eminent Short-Hand Writer from London. With an Appendix. Edinburgh: Printed for W. Skirving 1793. 195 1 pp. Lacking portrait frontispiece. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Moderate toning light soiling and a few faint stains to exterior light foxing to a few leaves clean tear to leaf O3 pp. 109-110 affecting text without loss to legibility. $125. Only edition. Palmer an English minister and political reformer active in Scotland was convicted of sedition in 1793 for circulating a radical address to the public. Along with six other men referred to as the "Scottish Martyrs to Liberty" he was sentenced to seven years' transportation to Botany Bay. English Short-Title Catalogue T93757. unknown books
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 books
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 books
1819ref. 745771819. Concord NH: 1819. Concord NH: 1819. Daniel Webster for the Defense: A Landmark in His Career as a Lawyer Trials. Jackman Joseph. Goodridge Elijah Putnam 1787-1851 Defendant. The Sham-Robbery Committed by Elijah Putnam Goodridge On His Own Person In Newbury Near Essex Bridge Dec. 19 1816. With a History of His Journey to the Place Where He Robbed Himself. And His Trial with Mr. Ebenezer Pearson Whom He Maliciously Arrested for Robbery. Also the Trial of Levi & Laban Kenniston. Concord NH: Printed for the Author 1819. 151 1 pp. Bound with Powers Michael 1769-1820 Defendant. The Trial of Michael Powars sic For the Murder of Timothy Kennedy Before the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts Boston April 11 1820. Boston: Published by Thomas G. Bangs 1820. 35 pp. 12mo 6-1/2" x 4-1/4"; 16.5 x 10.8 cm. Contemporary three-quarter sheep over marbled boards lettering piece and gilt fillets to spine early owner label of Albert C. Jenks to front board. Moderate rubbing to boards heavier rubbing to extremities with wear to spine ends and corners front board beginning to separate but secure rear hinge cracked armorial bookplate of Asa P. French dated 1913 and pasted over an earlier bookplate to front pastedown description of this item clipped from a bookseller catalogue tipped-in to front free endpaper. Light browning and foxing to interior. $500. Sham-Robbery: only edition; Trial: second and final edition published in the same year as the first. This volume collects accounts of two trials in which Daniel Webster served as a defense attorney. Jackman's Sham-Robbery is a detailed account by one of the accused of one of the trials connected with this Massachusetts case one of the most famous cases of its day. The respected and well-connected Major Goodridge's accusation of robbery against the witless low-life Kenniston brothers was supported by popular sentiment until Webster began his defense which meticulously unraveled the major's story and led to an acquittal. The trial was a landmark in Webster's legal career and his final address to the jury first printed here is considered a classic example of his oratorical skill. The Powers case involved a fatal encounter in Boston. As McDade notes: "Even the great Daniel Webster could not save Powers who was condemned for killing Kennedy. unknown books
