Ellen Hardin Walworth's copy

Hardin, John J., General

Speech of Gen. J. J. Hardin, of Morgan, on the bill to re-organize the judiciary. Delivered in the House of Representatives, on the 27th day of January, 1841 [drop title]

n.p., n.d. [Springfield, IL ? 1841.]. Single sheet composed in 8s, approx. 19" x 25" and folding down into an unopened octavo (approx. 9½" x 7"); occasional spotting; very good. "The bill proposed to repeal out of office all the circuit judges, and to elect five additional judges of the Supreme Court, who, with the four already in office, were to act as judges of both the Supreme and Circuit Courts." With the signature at the bottom of p. 1 of Ellen Hardin Walworth, General Hardin's eldest child, and an American author, lawyer, and activist who was a passionate advocate for the importance of studying history and historic preservation. Walworth was one of the founders of the Daughters of the American Revolution and was the organization's first secretary-general. Wikipedia notes the family's singular tragedy: "Walworth's husband was an unstable person with a violent temper who physically assaulted her ... After their divorce, Mansfield Walworth continued to threaten his former wife. After failed attempts by family members to intervene on her behalf, on June 3, 1873, her oldest son, Frank, shot his father to death in a New York City hotel room. After a widely publicized trial that included Ellen Walworth testifying on behalf of her son, Frank was sentenced to life imprisonment on July 5, 1873. Following the conviction, Walworth devoted herself to securing his release which she achieved in 1877. In August 1877, New York Governor Robinson pardoned Frank Walworth on the grounds that the prisoner was not legally responsible for the crime due to insanity. Walworth studied law to gain the knowledge needed in order to overturn the conviction of her son." Byrd 625a (locating only a privately held copy). 7 in OCLC. Item #53696

Price: $450.00