April 2013 Auction Ends Tuesday, April 2nd, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/2/2013
Scarce first edition booklet, titled in full, ''Trial of the Conspirators for the Assassination of President Lincoln & Co., Argument of John A. Bingham, Special Judge Advocate in Reply to the Arguments of the Several Counsel for Mary E. Surratt, David E. Herold, Lewis Payne, George A. Atzerodt, Michael O'Laughlin, Samuel A. Mudd, Edward Spangler and Samuel Arnold, Charged With Conspiracy and the Murder of Abraham Lincoln, Late President of The United States. Delivered June 27 and 28, 1865, before the Military Commission, Washington, D.C.'' Published by Government Printing Office: Washington: 1865. Controversially, President Andrew Johnson ordered the eight named conspirators tried by military tribunal rather than civil court. Bingham was a congressman and member of the three-man prosecution team, along with Major Henry Lawrence Burnett and General Joseph Holt. Proceedings were transcribed in full by Benn Pitman and assistants; this volume contains the full transcript of Bingham's convincing and ultimately successful closing argument. Matter-of-fact address to the nine-member panel opens with his acknowledgement of the gravity of the assassination and states the importance of the trial itself to the American ideology. Bingham makes cases against each of the accused, resulting in their convictions and the public executions of five of the conspirators, not counting Lincoln shooter John Wilkes Booth himself, who was shot dead as a fugitive. Softcover volume runs 122pp. and contains purely transcript without editorial text of any kind. Measures 5.75'' x 8.75''. Toning, chipping, paper loss to top edge of front cover, and minor pencil notations. Very good condition.
Lincoln Assassination Trial Text -- Scarce 1865 First Edition Transcript of Prosecutor John A. Bingham's Victorious Closing Argument
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