The Trial of John Gordon and William Gordon, Charged with the Murder of Amasa Sprague, Before the Supreme Court of Rhode Island, March Term, 1844: With All the Incidental Questions Raised in the Trial Carefully Preserved -- the Testimony of the Witnesses Nearly Verbatim -- and the Arguments of Counsel and a Correct Plat of All the Localities Described in the Testimony, Prepared Expressly for This Report.
Providence, RI: Sidney S. Rider, 1884. Second Edition. Hardcover. Item #24053
Second edition after the one published in 1844, enlarged and containing the most complete account of the trial. 153, [2]pp. Errata slip tipped in. Quarter leather and dark red cloth, spine lettered in gold. One foldout map of the vicinity of the print works of A. & W. Sprague. Bound with the original printed wrappers. John Gordon was accused of the murder of wealthy Rhode Island businessman Amasa Sprague and sentenced to death; he was the last person to be executed in Rhode Island. Because of widespread bias and discrimination against Irish Catholics, many people questioned the justness of the trial and verdict. In fact, Gordon was pardoned by Governor Lincoln Chafee in 2011, more than 160 years after his death. Former library copy with a bookplate on the front pastedown, blind stamp on title page and number on page 3. Wrapper covers and front free endpaper are loose. The text block is mostly very clean with the exception of some stains affecting the lower half of the last few leaves and some corrections on the margins. A good+ copy. Uncommon.; Octavo.
Price: $300.00 save 30% $210.00