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Murder Most Foul and Other Books of Law from the Lawbook Exchange There are many legal works in Catalogue 54 from the Lawbook Exchange. By Michael Stillman Catalogue 54 of Law and Legal History has been issued by The Lawbook Exchange. It offers a combination of antiquarian legal texts, constitutional documents, and more entertaining works, such as accounts of horrible murder trials. For those of a serious legal mind, and those of a non-serious, Nancy Grace legal entertainment one, there is something here for you. Forgive me for focusing more on the Nancy Grace material, but we are here to entertain, and as television has established, what could be more entertaining than a gruesome murder? So, here we go. The Trial of Charles M. Jefferds for Murder, at New York, December 1861, covered the murder of two respectable citizens. "No occurrence has ever caused greater horror in the city of New York," it says in what is probably a bit of hyperbole. On June 30, 1860, John Walton, a wealthy businessman, was gunned down on the streets of New York. His assailant fled, pursued by a group of public-minded citizens. The fastest of these was John Matthews, who almost caught up. When he was within six feet of the assailant, the latter whirled around and shot Matthews, killing him too. Jefferds was a logical suspect. He was Walton's stepson, and Walton and Jefferds' mother were in the process of an acrimonious split. He was arrested and put on trial for Walton's murder, proclaimed his innocence, and was acquitted. However, there were no other suspects, and police were convinced Jefferds was the killer. So they sent an undercover agent, to whom Jefferds was said to have confessed his guilt. With that and some other later developed evidence, Jefferds was again put on trial, this time for the killing of Matthews. Twice was not a charm for Jefferds, who was convicted in the second trial, sentenced to death, but murdered in prison before making it to the gallows. Item 80. Priced at $150. That was the pleasant murder story. Here is the gruesome one: Fairburn's Third Edition of the Trial of John Holloway and Owen Haggerty for the Wilful Murder of Mr. Steele...and of Elizabeth Godfrey for Stabbing Rd. Prince in the Eye....to which is added a Circumstantial Account of the Dreadful Accident which happened at the Place of Execution... This case was a disaster in many ways. Holloway and Haggerty had been convicted of the murder of Steele for his money primarily on the testimony of a scofflaw who was promised a pardon for his testimony. The result was much public doubt as to their guilt. Godfrey, a prostitute who killed customer Richard Prince, was an afterthought except that she was taken to be hanged the same day. The doubt over Holloway and Haggerty's guilt drew a huge crowd to the gallows, reportedly some 40,000. It turned into a mob scene, with numerous spectators being crushed or suffocated by the crowd. Forty people not sent to the gallows also perished that day. Meanwhile, the hangman apparently panicked and did not properly hang Ms. Godfrey, who was still kicking at the end of her rope a half hour later. This happy story from old London town was published in 1807. $1,250.
Murder Most Foul and Other Books of Law from the Lawbook Exchange Artist's depiction of the murder of Mr. Steele, a version much of the public did not believe. Here is a murder trial with a happier outcome, at least for the defendant, though he seems to have been a suspicious character: Trial of Medad M'Kay, For the Murder of His Wife... printed in 1821. M'Kay, of upstate New York, made the following strange claim of innocence when his wife's body was discovered: "I will not say that they won't find arsenic in her; but if they do, I did not put it there, for I have enemies enough to put it there." Considering that M'Kay fought often with his wife, and neighbors had to prevent him from attacking her, this claim did little to allay their suspicions. M'Kay blamed his sister-in-law, and proposed a strange test where the accused would place a finger on the dead body. If blood appeared, the suspect was guilty. His sister-in-law declined to participate in this exercise, but surprisingly enough, the body was exhumed so that M'Kay could prove his "innocence." To his horror, the test declared him guilty. The jury then did the same. However, there was a technical problem with the jury summons, so M'Kay was granted a second trial, and with the aid of a very skillful lawyer, he was acquitted. We don't know much about what happened to this strange man afterwards, other than unlike his wife, he lived for another three decades, reaching the age of 84. Item 83. $500. Item 81 is an account of the Alton Trials, by William Lincoln, court reporter. These trials concerned a riot in which abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy was killed in 1837. Lovejoy's original press in St. Louis had been destroyed by mobs, whereupon he moved across the river to Alton in the free state of Illinois. His reception there was not much better. Twice more his press was destroyed. When his fourth press was delivered, a group of public-spirited citizens gathered to protect it. Nonetheless, a mob gathered to destroy it once again. His building was set afire, and in the attempted defense, Lovejoy was shot and killed. His last press was then dumped in the river. While the mob may have felt it accomplished something on behalf of slavery, its actions only served to stir even more abolitionist fervor. This account does not deal with the murder of Lovejoy, but of prosecutions resulting from the riot, where the defenders of Lovejoy's press were prosecuted as well as the mob. $500. You will find many more legal books, including those of more technical legal matters, within this catalogue. The Lawbook Exchange may be reached at 732-382-1800 or law@lawbookexchange.com. Their website is www.lawbookexchange.com.

Murder Most Foul and Other Books of Law from the Lawbook Exchange

There are many legal works in Catalogue 54 from the Lawbook Exchange.

By Michael Stillman

Catalogue 54 of Law and Legal History has been issued by The Lawbook Exchange. It offers a combination of antiquarian legal texts, constitutional documents, and more entertaining works, such as accounts of horrible murder trials. For those of a serious legal mind, and those of a non-serious, Nancy Grace legal entertainment one, there is something here for you. Forgive me for focusing more on the Nancy Grace material, but we are here to entertain, and as television has established, what could be more entertaining than a gruesome murder? So, here we go.

The Trial of Charles M. Jefferds for Murder, at New York, December 1861, covered the murder of two respectable citizens. "No occurrence has ever caused greater horror in the city of New York," it says in what is probably a bit of hyperbole. On June 30, 1860, John Walton, a wealthy businessman, was gunned down on the streets of New York. His assailant fled, pursued by a group of public-minded citizens. The fastest of these was John Matthews, who almost caught up. When he was within six feet of the assailant, the latter whirled around and shot Matthews, killing him too. Jefferds was a logical suspect. He was Walton's stepson, and Walton and Jefferds' mother were in the process of an acrimonious split. He was arrested and put on trial for Walton's murder, proclaimed his innocence, and was acquitted. However, there were no other suspects, and police were convinced Jefferds was the killer. So they sent an undercover agent, to whom Jefferds was said to have confessed his guilt. With that and some other later developed evidence, Jefferds was again put on trial, this time for the killing of Matthews. Twice was not a charm for Jefferds, who was convicted in the second trial, sentenced to death, but murdered in prison before making it to the gallows. Item 80. Priced at $150.

That was the pleasant murder story. Here is the gruesome one: Fairburn's Third Edition of the Trial of John Holloway and Owen Haggerty for the Wilful Murder of Mr. Steele...and of Elizabeth Godfrey for Stabbing Rd. Prince in the Eye....to which is added a Circumstantial Account of the Dreadful Accident which happened at the Place of Execution... This case was a disaster in many ways. Holloway and Haggerty had been convicted of the murder of Steele for his money primarily on the testimony of a scofflaw who was promised a pardon for his testimony. The result was much public doubt as to their guilt. Godfrey, a prostitute who killed customer Richard Prince, was an afterthought except that she was taken to be hanged the same day. The doubt over Holloway and Haggerty's guilt drew a huge crowd to the gallows, reportedly some 40,000. It turned into a mob scene, with numerous spectators being crushed or suffocated by the crowd. Forty people not sent to the gallows also perished that day. Meanwhile, the hangman apparently panicked and did not properly hang Ms. Godfrey, who was still kicking at the end of her rope a half hour later. This happy story from old London town was published in 1807. $1,250.

Murder Most Foul and Other Books of Law from the Lawbook Exchange

Artist's depiction of the murder of Mr. Steele, a version much of the public did not believe.

Here is a murder trial with a happier outcome, at least for the defendant, though he seems to have been a suspicious character: Trial of Medad M'Kay, For the Murder of His Wife... printed in 1821. M'Kay, of upstate New York, made the following strange claim of innocence when his wife's body was discovered: "I will not say that they won't find arsenic in her; but if they do, I did not put it there, for I have enemies enough to put it there." Considering that M'Kay fought often with his wife, and neighbors had to prevent him from attacking her, this claim did little to allay their suspicions. M'Kay blamed his sister-in-law, and proposed a strange test where the accused would place a finger on the dead body. If blood appeared, the suspect was guilty. His sister-in-law declined to participate in this exercise, but surprisingly enough, the body was exhumed so that M'Kay could prove his "innocence." To his horror, the test declared him guilty. The jury then did the same. However, there was a technical problem with the jury summons, so M'Kay was granted a second trial, and with the aid of a very skillful lawyer, he was acquitted. We don't know much about what happened to this strange man afterwards, other than unlike his wife, he lived for another three decades, reaching the age of 84. Item 83. $500.

Item 81 is an account of the Alton Trials, by William Lincoln, court reporter. These trials concerned a riot in which abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy was killed in 1837. Lovejoy's original press in St. Louis had been destroyed by mobs, whereupon he moved across the river to Alton in the free state of Illinois. His reception there was not much better. Twice more his press was destroyed. When his fourth press was delivered, a group of public-spirited citizens gathered to protect it. Nonetheless, a mob gathered to destroy it once again. His building was set afire, and in the attempted defense, Lovejoy was shot and killed. His last press was then dumped in the river. While the mob may have felt it accomplished something on behalf of slavery, its actions only served to stir even more abolitionist fervor. This account does not deal with the murder of Lovejoy, but of prosecutions resulting from the riot, where the defenders of Lovejoy's press were prosecuted as well as the mob. $500.

You will find many more legal books, including those of more technical legal matters, within this catalogue. The Lawbook Exchange may be reached at 732-382-1800 or law@lawbookexchange.com. Their website is www.lawbookexchange.com.