Trial; Donellan, John, DefendantBiblio.com
3,567 results
1781ref. 831911781. Scarce Account of a Covetous Poisoner Donellan John 1737/8-1781 Defendant. The Trial of John Donnellan sic Esq. Late Master of the Ceremonies at the Pantheon in Oxford-Street at the Assizes Holden at Warwick On Tuesday the 27th of March 1781 Before Francis Buller Esq. One of the Judges of the Court of King's Bench For the Wilful Murder of Sir Theodosius Boughton Bart. Taken in Short-Hand by a Barrister at Law Attending the Midland Circuit. London: Printed for and sold by T. Brewman at No. 1 the Top of Fleet-Market facing the Obelisk in Fleet-Street 1781. 43 1 pp. Final page is a publisher advertisement. Octavo 7-3/4" x 5"; 20 x 12.5 cm. Stab-stitched pamphlet in contemporary thick marbled wrappers. Light rubbing a few minor chips and tears to edges of wrappers moderate rubbing to edges of wrappers and text block. Moderate toning to interior light foxing in places contemporary annotations doodles and marks both in ink and pencil in a few places. A very good copy. $150. Only edition one of two 1781 imprints. "Coveting the estates of Sir Theodosius Boughton who lived at resplendent Lawford Hall in Warwickshire England Captain John Donellan poisoned his host with essence of laurel water in 1780. This was later uncovered at a probing inquest which led to Donellan's conviction and execution; he was hanged at Warwickshire in 1781" Nash. Both imprints are scarce. OCLC locates 3 copies of the London issue in North American law libraries Library of Congress University of Georgia Yale. The English Short-Title Catalogue adds another Harvard. Nash Encyclopedia of World Crime II:999. English Short-Title Catalogue T92907. unknown
1875ref. 832031875. The Mystery of the Headless Skeleton: McDade 633 Trial. Lowell James M. d. 1875 Defendant. Plaisted Harris Merrill 1828-1898 Reporter. Report of the Trial of James M. Lowell Indicted for the Murder of His Wife Mary Elizabeth Lowell Before the Supreme Judicial Court of Maine For Androscoggin County; Containing the Evidence Arguments of the Counsel and the Charge of the Court In Full With the Verdict of the Jury and Sentence of the Prisoner And an Appendix. Portland ME: Published by Dresser McLellan & Co. 1875. 3 ii 260 pp. Frontispiece. Octavo 9" x 5-1/2"; 23 x 14 cm. Contemporary buckram gilt title and publisher name to spine. Light rubbing to spine ends corners bumped. Moderate toning to interior light foxing in a few places brief early annotations to a few leaves minor tears to edges of a few leaves tear to foot of title page with early cellotape repair another cellotape repair to head of rear endleaf. Overall a very good copy. $350. First and only edition. Although the headless skeleton encased in a silk dress was not discovered for more than three years after her murder Lowell was tried and convicted of murdering his wife. The tale is also interesting because the victim's mother foresaw the murder in a dream which is described in the Appendix. Plaisted's preface notes this was "a case of circumstantial evidence.hardly surpassed in the annals of criminal justice." Plaisted was a notable Maine politician who ended his career as a one-term governor of that state. He was Maine's attorney general when he wrote his report of the Lowell trial. McDade The Annals of Murder 633. 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
1841ref. 816021841. From the Library of a Notable Worcester Doctor and Bibliophile Trial. Darnes William P. Defendant. Nelson Thomas S. Reporter. A Full and Accurate Report of the Trial of William P. Darnes On an Indictment Found by the Grand Jury of St. Louis County At the September Term 1840 Of the Criminal Court of Said County On a Charge of Manslaughter in the Third Degree For the Death of Andrew J. Davis Late of Northboro' Mass. In the City of St. Louis On the First of June 1840. Boston: Printed by Tuttle Dennett & Chisholm 1841. 269 pp. 12mo. 7-3/4" x 5". Stab-stitched pamphlet bound into later quarter cloth front and rear wrappers of pamphlet affixed to front and rear boards library shelf label to foot of spine. Light rubbing soiling and a few minor stains to boards moderate rubbing to extremities with some wear to spine ends corners and foot of front board hinges cracked front free endpaper detached. Light toning to interior light spotting in places tiny stain and embossed owner stamp of John Green M.D. to title page library discard inkstamp to verso of title page other embossed Green stamps to front wrapper and rear endleaf. $450. Second and final edition one of two issues both in 1841. Davis was the well-known owner of a St. Louis newspaper that published several highly critical columns about Darnes an important local politician. Enraged Darnes attacked Davis on the street with an iron rod striking him in the head. Davis was rushed to a hospital but died a few days later. Darnes was indicted. The trial lasted two weeks and engaged some of the best lawyers and medical experts in the area. The case turned on whether Davis died from the blow or his medical treatment. Both sides offered a strong case. In the end Darnes was convicted of fourth-degree manslaughter and fined $500. Our copy belonged to John Green III MD 1784-1864. A member of a distinguished Worcester MA family Dr. Green was an avid bibliophile and the founder of the Worcester Public Library to which he donated his personal library of nearly 12000 titles. This case not in McDade. Stevens St. Louis The Fourth City 1764-1911 I:369-370. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1057. unknown
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
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
1818ref. 820231818. The End of Trial by Battle in the United Kingdom Broadside. Trial. Thornton Abraham c.1793-1860 Respondent. Appeal of Murder: The Decision of the Judges in the Case of Ashford ver. Thornton Court of King's Bench April 20th 1818. Nottingham: Shorrock and Son Successors to E. Hodson Printers 1818. 12-1/2" x 7-1/2" broadside mounted to later backing sheet text in two columns separated by rule below headline and woodcut vignette of a landscape. Moderate toning light soiling to edges a few faint creases printer's flaw and clean tear to right column no loss to legibility. Rare. $3000. Ashford v. Thornton dealt with the aftermath of the murder of Mary Ashford in 1817. Abraham Thornton who had seen and been intimate with Ashford the previous night was tried for rape and murder but acquitted of both charges due to a lack of evidence and inconsistencies in the prosecutor's case. Public outcry around his acquittal led to Mary's brother William invoking an "appeal of murder." This uncommon legal practice allowed a retrial of a defendant acquitted for murder but crucially gave the defendant the right to trial by battle. Thornton invoked that right. After extensive proceedings in the Court of King's Bench the court found that he was eligible to do so. Our broadside documents the final hearing in which Ashford declined to battle with Thornton and withdrew his appeal. Thornton was given a pro forma arraignment and released. The case resulted in the abolition of appeals by murder and thus the end of trial by battle. This broadside is rare and appears to be unrecorded. No copies located on OCLC or Library Hub. Not at Harvard or the British Library. unknown
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 early twentieth-century three-quarter sheep over marbled boards gilt title to spine front board detached. 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. $1250. 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
1850ref. 801331850. America's Classic Murder" Trial. Bemis George. Webster John White 1793-1850 Defendant. Report of the Case of John W. Webster Master of Arts and Doctor of Medicine of Harvard University . Indicted for the Murder of George Parkman Master of Arts of Harvard University Doctor of Medicine of the University of Aberdeen And Member of the Massachusetts Medical Society Before The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts; Including the Hearing on the Petition for a Writ of Error The Prisoner's Confessional Statements and Application for a Commutation of Sentence And an Appendix Containing Several Interesting Matters Never Before Published. Boston: Charles C. Little and James Brown 1850. xii 628 pp. With a tissue-guarded frontispiece. Illustrated. Octavo 9-1/4" x 5-1/4". Later library cloth red and black lettering pieces to spine endpapers renewed cloth hinges. Light soiling and shelfwear to exterior lettering pieces abraded hinges starting small ink stamp William C. Schroeder to front free endpaper which has a small clean tear to its upper gutter. Toning to interior light soiling and tiny faint stains in a few places owner signature of J.H. Anthon dated 1858 to front endleaf and title page along with owner signature of J.B. Coppinger pencil underling and brief annotations to several leaves annotations between pp. 469-498. $85. First edition. As McDade notes "The murder in the Harvard Medical School of Dr. George Parkman a prominent Bostonian and Harvard Alumnus by Professor John W. Webster was in the words of Edmund Pearson 'America's classic murder.'" The present account is "the basic book on the case and contains all the evidence." A two-volume edition appeared the same year and the work was reprinted in 1879. The J.H. Anthon who owned this copy was likely John Hone Anthon 1832-1874 a New York attorney and the son of John Anthon an important American jurist and a founder of the New York Law Institute. J.B. Coppinger may have been John B. Coppinger a first lieutenant and adjutant in the 83d New York Infantry during the Civil War. The pencil annotations which provide brief but often lively commentary do not appear to be in either's hand. McDade The Annals of Murder 1060. unknown
1776ref. 802001776. London: Charles Bathurst 1776. London: Charles Bathurst 1776. In Original Wrappers Trial. Kingston Elizabeth Chudleigh Hervey Duchess of 1720-1788 Defendant. The Trial of Elizabeth Duchess Dowager of Kingston for Bigamy Before the Right Honourable the House of Peers In Westminster-Hall In Full-Parliament On Monday the 15th Tuesday the 16th Friday the 19th Saturday the 20th and Monday the 22d of April 1776; On the Last of Which Days the Said Elizabeth Duchess Dowager of Kingston was Found Guilty. Published by Order of the House of Peers. London: Printed for Charles Bathurst 1776. iv 176 pp. Title page preceded by imprimatur leaf. Folio 15" x 10"; 38 x 25.4 cm. Original wrappers untrimmed edges. Light soiling to exterior light wear to spine ends moderate soiling to edges light toning to interior. A very good copy uncommon in wrappers. $450. Only edition. When she determined to marry the Duke of Kingston Elizabeth feared the scandal of divorce from her first husband Augustus Hervey later Earl of Bristol who wanted a divorce so she instituted a suit of jactitation against him. His negative response ignored she took an oath that she was unmarried and the court so declared her. She married the Duke of Kingston in 1769 and he died in 1770 and left her a substantial estate on the condition that she remain a widow. The duke's nephew Mr. Evelyn Meadow brought suit against her for bigamy shortly after the duke's death while she was traveling in Italy. She returned to England to stand trial. Found guilty she would have been "burned on the hand" but she claimed the privilege of her peerage which served to exempt her from corporal punishment. She continued a life of travel and adventure until her sudden death in Paris in 1788. Famous because of this trial Kingston was often depicted directly or indirectly in popular and serious literature. She is believed to have been the inspiration William Makepeace Thackeray's character of Beatrix Esmond Baroness Bernstein in The History of Henry Esmond and The Virginians. Dictionary of National Biography IX:730. English Short-Title Catalogue T92941. unknown
1795ref. 801421795. Edinburgh: Printed by C. Denovan 1795. Edinburgh: Printed by C. Denovan 1795. A Landmark Case with the First Use of an Insanity Defense in Scotland Trial. Kinloch Sir Archibald Gordon c.1749-1800 Defendant. The Trial of Sir Archibald Gordon Kinloch Of Gilmerton Bart. For the Murder of Sir Francis Kinloch Bart. His Brother-German. Before the High Court of Justiciary on Monday June 29 1795. Taken in Short Hand--And Carefully Revised by the Counsel. Edinburgh: Printed by C. Denovan 1795. vi 161 pp. With a half-title. Octavo 8-1/4" x 5"; 21 x 12.7 cm. Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Light soiling to exterior corner folds to lower outside corners of first few leaves. Moderate toning light foxing to a few leaves. $150. Only edition. Sir Francis was murdered in his home by his brother Sir Archibald. Although Archibald was convicted he was released into the care of his family rather than sentenced to death because he was judged to be insane. This was the first time an insanity defense was presented in a Scottish court and one of the very first trials in Great Britain to consider the criminal liability of the insane. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1121. 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
1832ref. 802881832. Philadelphia: G.W. Mentz & Son 1832. Philadelphia: G.W. Mentz & Son 1832. "The True Character of the Spanish Adventurer": McDade 169 Trial. Chapman Lucretia 1788-1841 Defendant. Du Bois William E. 1810-1881 Compiler. Trial of Lucretia Chapman Otherwise Called Lucretia Espos y Mina Who was Jointly Indicted with Lino Amalia Espos y Mina For the Murder of William Chapman Esq. In the Court of Oyer and Terminer Held at Doylestown for Bucks December Term 1831 Continued to February Term 1832. Philadelphia: G.W. Mentz & Son 1832. 213; 11 pp. Final section 11 pp. has the drop-head title Supplement to the Trial of Mrs. Chapman Published by George W. Mentz & Son Philadelphia. Octavo 9" x 6". Contemporary sheep blind rules to boards blind fillets to spine lettering piece lacking. Light rubbing and a few scuffs to boards front board detached rear board partially detached but secure moderate rubbing to extremities spine abraded spine ends and corners worn early owner bookplate Owen Stover to front pastedown. Moderate toning and light foxing to interior offsetting to margins of endleaves annotations in early hand to rear free endpaper. $350. First and only edition with the Supplement that as noted by Cohen was not included in all copies. Lucretia Chapman began an affair with Lino Amalia Espos y Mina a Spanish boarder who claimed to be the son of the governor of California. They poisoned Chapman's husband with arsenic moved to New York and married. McDade notes: "Almost immediately the true character of the Spanish adventurer came out with the disappearance of the family silver and other obvious signs of his chicanery. Other swindles drew the attention of the Philadelphia constable to him and once suspicion was directed to the curious couple the evidence mounted rapidly. . In separate trials she was acquitted while he was convicted and executed. It is difficult to tell whether they had acted in concert in the murder; at least the jury gave her the benefit of the doubt." The former owner of our copy was likely Owen Stover 1801-1878 an attorney from Chester County Pennsylvania. Cohen Bibliography of Early American Law 12416. McDade The Annals of Murder 169. unknown
1822ref. 802081822. Imprisoned for Criticizing the Court of Session Trial. Hay John. A Narrative of Procedure Before the Court of Session And Circumstances Connected Therewith In the Trial of John Hay Who was Prosecuted at the Instance of the Lord Advocate of Scotland And Without the Verdict of a Jury Sentenced to Four Months Imprisonment By the Judges of the Court of Session. Edinburgh: Printed by D. Webster and Son for John Hay 1822. viii 123 115 pp. Octavo 8-3/4" x 5". Later three-quarter sheep over marbled boards lettering piece and gilt date to spine edges untrimmed marbled renewed endpapers. Moderate rubbing and light wear to extremities corners bumped and worn small bookseller ticket and later bookplate Geoffrey G. Briggs to front pastedown. Moderate toning to interior occasional light foxing and soiling. $150. Only edition. Hay an Edinburgh merchant publicly alleged that the Court of Session had erred in settling his father-in-law's estate. The criticisms led to contempt of court charges. Hay was denied a jury trial and his case was decided by the judges of the Court of Session who ruled against him. He then published this account of his prosecution and trial. Our copy was owned by Sir Geoffrey Briggs 1914-1993 an English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Justice of Hong Kong and Brunei. Catalogue of the Library of the Harvard Law School 1909 II:1096. unknown
1752ref. 803961752. The "Love Philter" was Arsenic Trial. Blandy Mary 1720-1752 Defendant. The Tryal of Mary Blandy Spinster; For the Murder of Her Father Francis Blandy Gent. At the Assizes Held at Oxford for the County of Oxford On Saturday the 29th of February 1752 Before the Honourable Heneague Legge Esq; and Sir Sydney Stafford Smythe Knt. Two of the Barons of His Majesty's Court of Exchequer. Published by Permission of the Judges. London: Printed for John and James Rivington At the Bible and Crown In St. Paul's Church Yard 1752. ii 46 pp. Folio 11-3/4" x 7". Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Moderate toning margins trimmed closely with no loss to text. Light soiling to exterior clean tear from a fold near center of lower half of text block early repairs to inner margins of several leaves a few minor tears and chips to edges of title page chips a few tears with minor loss to text to final leaf. $250. Only edition one of three issues the others an octavo issued by Rivington and an octavo issued in Dublin by Faulkner. Blandy was the daughter of a prosperous lawyer. Her father Francis advertised a large dowry of 10000 which attracted many suitors including one who captivated her Captain William Henry Cranstoun the son of a Scottish nobleman. Francis learned later that he was married and a father. Confronted with these facts by Francis Cranstoun claimed his marriage was invalid and made several attempts he claimed to have it annulled. Over time Francis became suspicious about Cranstoun's motives. Sensing danger Cranstoun gave Mary a "love philtre" and told her to mix it into one of her father's meals. He said it would change his behavior towards him. It was actually arsenic. When Mary realized what she had done she foolishly burned Cranstoun's letters and discarded the rest of the arsenic. Cranstoun fled to France. Mary was tried and sentenced to death by hanging. This was a sensational trial and it was covered extensively by the press. It also generated a secondary literature that included several contributions written by Mary such as "Miss Mary Blandy's Own Account of the Affair between Her and Mr. Cranstoun." As indicated by her last request to the execution officials she remained a proper middle-class lady to the end. "For the sake of decency gentlemen" she pleaded "don't hang. unknown
