American Criminal Trials Reports (1659 to 1913)

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Description

American Criminal Trials: 1659-1920

Timeline of Main Events

1659-1661: Trials of Quakers (William Robinson, Marmaduke Stephenson, Mary Dyer, and William Leddra) in Massachusetts. These individuals were eventually executed for their religious beliefs.
1691: Trial of Jacob Leisler for high treason in New York.
1692: Witchcraft trials of Bridget Bishop and George Burroughs in Salem, Massachusetts.
1696: Trial of Thomas Maule for slander and blasphemy in Salem, Massachusetts.
1702: Trial of Nicholas Bayard for high treason in New York.
1704: Trial of Captain John Quelch and his crew for piracy in Boston, Massachusetts.
1718: Trial of Major Stede Bonnet and his crew for piracy in Charleston, South Carolina.
1735: Trial of John Peter Zenger for libel in New York City.
1741: Trial of John Ury for inciting slaves to crime and being a Catholic priest in New York City.
1755: Trial of Mark and Phillis, enslaved people, for petit treason in the murder of their master, Captain John Codman, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
1770: Boston Massacre Trial of William Weems and other British soldiers for the deaths of Crispus Attucks and others in Boston, Massachusetts. Trial of Captain Thomas Preston for same. Trial of Edward Manwaring and others for same.
1778: Trial of Bathsheba Spooner, William Brooks, James Buchanan, and Ezra Ross for the murder of Joshua Spooner in Massachusetts.
1778: Trial of Colonel David Henley for improper conduct in Massachusetts.
1779: Trial of Major General Benedict Arnold for certain misdemeanors in Raritan, New Jersey.
1780: Trial of Major John André for being a spy in Tappan, New York.
1783: Trial of Nathaniel Jennison for assault and false imprisonment in Worcester, Massachusetts.
1786: Action of John Trevett against John Wheeden for refusing paper money in Rhode Island, followed by proceedings against the judges of the Supreme Court.
1790: Trial of Thomas Bird and Hans Hansen for piracy and murder in Portland, Maine.
1793: Trial of Gideon Henfield for enlisting in a French privateer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1793: Case of breach of neutrality by citizens of the United States in Richmond, Virginia.
1795: Trials of John Mitchell and William Vigol for treason in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1795: Trial of Western Insurgents for treason in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1795: Trial of John Etienne Guinet for fitting out a warship for a belligerent in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1797: Trial of William Cobbett for libel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1798: Trial of Matthew Lyon for seditious libel in Vergennes, Vermont.
1798: Trial of Robert Worrall for attempting to bribe a public officer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1799: Trial of Jonathan Robbins for extradition under a treaty with Great Britain in Charleston, South Carolina.
1799: Trial of William Duane and others for riot in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1799: Trial of Isaac Williams for accepting a commission on an armed vessel in time of war in Hartford, Connecticut.
1799: Trial of Jacob Eyerman for breaking prison and conspiracy in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
1799: Trial of John Fries for treason in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1800: Trial of James Thomas Callender for seditious libel, Richmond, Virginia.
1800: Trial of Thomas Cooper for seditious libel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1800: Trial of Anthony Haswell for seditious libel in Windson, Vermont.
1800: Trial of Levi Weeks for the murder of Gulielma Sands in New York City.
1800: Second trial of John Fries for treason in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1800: Trial of Conrad Marks for treason in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1800: Trial of Henry Shiffert and others for conspiracy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1803: Trial of Harry Crosswell for libel in Hudson, New York.
1804: Trial of Thomas Hoag for bigamy in New York City.
1805: Trial of Judge Samuel Chase for “High crimes and misdemeanors” in Washington, D.C.
1806: Trial of Josiah Burnham for the murder of Captain Joseph Starkweather in Plymouth, New Hampshire.
1806: Trial of Thomas O. Selfridge for the killing of Charles Austin in Boston, Massachusetts.
1808: Trial of Cyrus B. Dean for the murder of Jonathan Ormsby and Asa March in Burlington, Vermont.
1808: Trial of John Joyce and Peter Mathias for the murder of Sarah Cross in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1808: Trial of Lieutenant James Renshaw for oppressive and unbecoming conduct, New York.
1808: Trial of Alexander Whistelo for bastardy in New York City.
1809: Trial of Lieutenant James Renshaw for sending a challenge to a duel, New York City.
1809: Trial of Samuel Thompson for the murder of Ezra Lovett, Jr. in Salem, Massachusetts.
1810: Trial of James Melvin and others for conspiracy to raise wages, New York City.
1812: Trial of Samuel Tulley and John Dalton for piracy and murder in Boston, Massachusetts.
1815: Trial of John Hodges for treason in Baltimore, Maryland.
1815: Trial of Ruggles Hubbard and James L. Bell for preventing an attorney from seeing a client in New York City.
1816: Numerous trials in New York City, including those of Teunis Van Pelt for bigamy, George Spence and wife against Barney Duffy for false imprisonment, John Morris for assault and battery, Alfred S. Pell for assault and battery, Diana Sellick for the murder of Hetty Johnson, Patrick Duffey against George E. Matthewson and others for assault and battery, and William Farquhar and John H. Clark for assault and battery.
1816: Trial of Christian Smith for the murder of Bornt Lake in New York.
1816: Trial of Richard Smith for the murder of John Carson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1816: Trial of Franz von Ritter on habeas corpus for false imprisonment in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1816: Trial of Frederick Eberle and others for conspiracy fo prevent the use of the English language, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1816: Trial of Peterick Blake for the murder of his wife, New York City.
1817: Trial of John Ball for setting fire to his own house in New York City.
1817: Trial of Francis Mezzars for libel in New York City.
1817: Trial of James Philips for larceny, New York City.
1817: Trial of John Hart for obstructing the United States mail in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1817: Trial of Martha Bradstreet for libel, New York City.
1817: Trials of Levi and Laban Kenniston for robbery in Ipswich, Massachusetts.
1817: Trial of Isaac Roget for conspiracy to defraud, New York City.
1817: Trial of Charles Gill for opening another person’s letter, New York City.
1817: Trial of John Dayton and Thomas Dyer for larceny, New York City.
1818: Trial of Mordecai M. Noah for breaking open and publishing a letter, New York City.
1818: Trial of Alden Spooner for libel, New York City.
1818: Trial of Mordecai M. Noah and Alden Spooner for contempt, New York City.
1818: Trial of Moses Simons for assault and battery, New York City.
1818: Trial of James Maurice against Samuel Judd for a penalty, New York City.
1818: Trial of John Wood for sending a challenge to a duel, New York City.
1818: Trial of Lawrence Pienovi for assault and battery, New York City.
1818: Trial of Henry B. Hagerman for assault with intent to murder, New York City.
1818: Trial of Daniel K. Allen for false pretenses, New York City.
1818: Trial of Francis Wittenburgh for procurement, New York City.
1819: Trial of the Rev. Jacob Gruber for inciting slaves to insurrection and rebellion, Frederick County, Maryland.
1819: Trial of Berthina Tucker for grand larceny, New York City.
1819: Trial of James W. Lent for assault and battery, New York City.
1819: Trial of Joseph Pulford for kidnapping, New York City.
1819: Trial of Charlotte Greenwault and Sarah Moody as common scolds, New York City.
1819: Trial of John Langley for larceny and embezzlement, New York City.
1819: Trial of James Williamson for assault and battery, New York City.
1820: Trial of Isaac Cotteral and Peter Crannel for arson, Troy, New York.
1820: Trial of James Gallaher and James McElroy for passing counterfeit money, New York City.
1821: Trial of Stephen Merrill Clark for arson, Salem, Massachusetts.
1821: Trial of Jared W. Bell for blasphemy, New York City.
1822: Trial of Robert Stakes for cruelty to animals, New York City.
1822: Trial of Archibald McArdle for assault and battery, New York City.
1822: Trial of Benjamin Shaw and others for disturbance of public worship and riot in Ipswich, Massachusetts.
1822: Trial of Raymer C. Wertendyke and James Pike for false imprisonment and Robert R. Browne fo assault and battery, New York City.
1823: Trial of John Degey for disturbing divine worship in New York City.
1823: Trial of Thomas Ward for the killing of Albert Robinson in New York City.
1823: Trial of Leonard Simons and Eber Wheaton for libel in New York City.
1823: Trial of James Dalton for false pretense, New York City.
1824: Trial of John Johnson for the murder of James Murray in New York City.
1824: Trial of William Worcester for driving horses on a trot, Boston, Massachusetts.
1824: Trial of John Moore and others for assault and battery, New York City.
1824: Trial of Hugh M’Evoy and others for assault and battery, New York City.
1824: Trial of Joseph T. Buckingham for libel, Boston, Massachusetts.
1824: Second trial of Joseph T. Buckingham for libel, Boston, Massachusetts.
1824: Trial of David D. How for the murder of Othello Church in Angelica, New York.
1825: Trial of Israel Thayer Jr., Isaac Thayer, and Nelson Thayer for the murder of John Love in Buffalo, New York.
1825: Trial of Ezekiel de Coster and others for riot in Boston, Massachusetts.
1827: Trial of Harris Seymour and others for the abduction of William Morgan in New York.
1827: Trial of Thaddeus P. French for larceny in Boston, Massachusetts.
1828: Trial of Theodore Lyman for libel against Daniel Webster in Boston, Massachusetts.
1830: Trial of William Lloyd Garrison for libel in Baltimore, Maryland.
1830: Trials of John Francis Knapp and Joseph Jenkins Knapp, Jr. and Richard Crowninshield, Jr., as accessories in the murder of Joseph White in Salem, Massachusetts.
1832: Trial of Francis Burke for the manslaughter of Benjamin M. Hazlip in Baltimore, Maryland.
1832: Trial of Lucretia Chapman for the murder of William Chapman, Andalusia, Pennsyvania.
1832: Trial of Carolino de Mina for the murder of William Chapman, Andalusia, Pennsylvania.
1833: Trial of Ebenezer Clough for embracery in Boston, Massachusetts.
1833: Trial of Joel Clough for the murder of Mary W. Hamilton in New Jersey.
1834: Trial of Pedro Gibert and others for piracy in Boston, Massachusetts.
1834: Trials of William Boott and Robert C. Hooper for sending challenges to a duel in Boston, Massachusetts.
1834: Trial of Abner Kneeland for blasphemy in Boston, Massachusetts, followed by second, third, and fourth trials in 1835.
1834: Trial of Abraham Prescott for the murder of Mrs. Sally Cochran in Concord, New Hampshire.
1835: Trial of Simeon L. Crockett for arson in Boston, Massachusetts.
1835: Trial of Stephen Russell for arson in Boston, Massachusetts.
1835: Trial of Richard Lawrence for shooting at President Andrew Jackson in Washington.
1836: Trial of Richard P. Robinson for the murder of Helen Jewett in New York City.
1837: Trial of John and Sarah Robinson for kidnapping in Boston, Massachusetts.
1838: Trial of Winthop S. Gilman and others for riot in Alton, Illinois.
1838: Trial of John Solomon and others for riot in Alton, Illinois.
1839: Trial of Judge Wilkinson, Dr. Wilkinson and John Murdaugh for the murder of John Rothwell and Alexander H. Meeks in Kentucky.
1840: Trial of William P. Darnes for the killing of Andrew J. Davis in St. Louis, Missouri.
1840: Trial of Hannah Kinney for the murder of George T. Kinney in Boston, Massachusetts.
1840: Trial of Robert McConaghy for the murder of Rosanna Brown and her five children in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.
1841: Trial of Alexander McLeod for the burning of the steamboat Caroline and the murder of Amos Durfee in Utica, New York.
1842: Trial of Alexander W. Holmes for the manslaughter of Francis Askin in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1842: Trial of John C. Colt for the murder of Samuel Adams in New York City.
1842: Trial of Commander Alexander S. Mackenzie for murder before a naval court of inquiry in Brooklyn, New York.
1844: Trial of Thomas Wilson Dorr for treason in Rhode Island.
1844: Trial of Jonathan Walker for aiding slaves to escape in Florida.
1845: Trial of William Wilmar against B.W. Williams for libel in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
1845: Trial of Henry G. Green for the murder of his wife in Troy, New York.
1845: Trial of Orrin de Wolf for the murder of William Stiles in Worcester, Massachusetts.
1846: Trial of William Freeman for the murder of John Van Nest in Auburn, New York.
1847: Trial of the action of Dred Scott against Irene Emerson for false imprisonment and assault in St. Louis, Missouri.
1848: Trial of William Dandridge Epes for the murder of Francis Adolphus Muir in Petersburg, Virginia.
1848: Trial of Dr. Valorus P. Coolidge for the murder of Edward Mathews in Maine.
1849: Trial of Charles Sprague for robbery in Brooklyn, New York.
1850: Trial of Ann K. Simpson for the murder of Alexander C. Simpson in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
1850: Second Trial of the action of Dred Scott against Irene Emerson for false imprisonment and assault in St. Louis, Missouri.
1850: Trial of Professor John W. Webster for the murder of Dr. George Parkman in Boston, Massachusetts.
1851: Trial of Elizabeth Southard for the murder of William P. Walker in Richmond, Virginia.
1851: Trial of Henry B. Allison and others for larceny in Richmond, Virginia.
1851: Trial of Various criminals by the First Vigilance Committee, San Francisco, California.
1853: Trial of the Rev. George W. Carawan for the murder of Clement H. Lassiter in Washington, North Carolina.
1853: Trial of Mrs. Margaret Douglas for teaching colored children to read in Norfolk, Virginia.
1854: Trial of Anthony Burns for escaping from slavery in Boston, Massachusetts.
1854: Trial of the action of Dred Scott, against John F.A. Sanford, for false imprisonment and assault in St. Louis, Missouri.
1854: Trial of Matthews F. Ward for the murder of William H.G. Butler in Kentucky.
1854: Trial of William Arrison for the murder of Isaac Allison in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1854: Trial of Henrietta Robinson for the murder of Timothy Langdon in Troy, New York.
1855: Trial of Oscar T. Caldwell for embezzlement in Chicago, Illinois.
1855: Trial of David F. Mayberry for the murder of Andrew Alger in Janesville, Wisconsin.
1856: Trial of Charles Cora for the murder of William H. Richardson, San Francisco, California.
1856: Trial of various criminals by the Second Vigilance Committee, San Francisco, California.
1856: Trial of James P. Casey for the murder of James King of William, and the trial of Charles Cora for the murder of William H. Richardson by the Second Vigilance Committee, San Francisco, California.
1856: Trial of Judge David S. Terry for an attempt to murder and for other crimes, San Francisco, California.
1856: Trial of Abraham Bogart for misdemeanor in office, New York City.
1856: Trial of Edward Ol Coburn and Benjamin F. Dalton for the manslaughter of William Sumner, Boston, Massachusetts.
1857: Trial of Emma Augusta Cunningham for the murder of Dr. Harvey Burdell in New York City.
1857: Trial of Edward D. Worrell for the murder of Basil H. Gordon in Union, Missouri.
1857: Trial of Edward McGowan for the murder of James King of William in Napa City, California.
1857: Trial of Benjamin F. Dalton against Helen M. Dalton for divorce, Boston, Massachusetts.
1859: Trial of John Brown for treason and insurrection in Charlestown, Virginia.
1859: Trial of Edwin Coppoc for treason, insurrection, and murder in Charlestown, Virginia.
1859: Trial of John Anthony Copeland and Shields Green for insurrection and murder in Charlestown, Virginia.
1859: Trial of John E. Cook for treason, insurrection, and murder in Charlestown, Virginia.
1859: Trial of Daniel E. Sickles for the murder of Philip Barton Key in Washington, D.C.
1860: Trial of Albert H. Hicks for piracy in New York City.
1861: Case of John Merryman on habeas corpus in Baltimore, Maryland.
1862: Trial of Ephraim Gilman for the murder of Harriet B. Swan in Paris, Maine.
1863: Trial of Clement L. Vallandigham for sedition and rebellion in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1865: Trials of the conspirators to assassinate President Lincoln: David E. Herold, George A. Atzerodt, Lewis Payne, Mary E. Surratt, Michael O’Laughlin, Samuel Arnold, Edward Spangler, and Samuel A. Mudd in Washington, D.C.
1865: Trial of Captain Henry Wirz for conspiracy and murder in Washington, D.C.
1865: Trial of Mary Harris for the murder of Adoniram J. Burroughs in Washington, D.C.
1865: Trial of Eli H. Hall for robbery in Geneseo, New York.
1865: Trial of John Y. Beall for violation of the rules of war and acting as a spy in New York City.
1865: Trial of William Landon for breach of the prohibition law of the state in Albany, New York.
1866: Trial of John Ward for the murder of Mrs. Ephriam Griswold in Burlington, Vermont.
1867: Trial of John H. Surratt for conspiracy and murder in Washington, District of Columbia.
1868: Trial of George S. Twitchell for the murder of Mary E. Hill in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1868: Trial of Gerald Eaton for the murder of Timothy Heenan in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1869: Trial of Thomas Lafon Jr. for the killing of Joseph Hebring in Newark, New Jersey.
1870: Trial of John Hanlon for the murder of Mary Mohrman in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1871: Trials of members of the Ku Klux Klan organization for conspiracy in Columbia, South Carolina, including trials of Sherod Childers, Evans Murphy, William Montgomery, and Hezekiah Porter; Robert Hayes Mitchell; John W. Mitchell and Thomas B. Whitesides; John S. Millar; Edward T. Avery; and Sylvanus, William, Hugh H., and James B. Shearer.
1871: Trial of Stephen M. Ballew for the murder of James P. Golden in McKinney, Texas.
1871: Trial of John R. Kelly for the murder of David W. Oxford in Dawson, Georgia.
1871: Trial of Laura D. Fair for the murder of Alexander P. Crittenden in San Francisco, California.
1872: Trial of Henry C. Warlick and others for conspiracy in Columbia, South Carolina.
1872: Trial of F.W. McMaster for contempt of court in Columbia, South Carolina.
1873: Trial of Susan B. Anthony for voting at a Congressional Election in New York.
1873: Trial of Beverly W. Jones, Edwin P. Marsh and William B. Hall for permitting women to vote, New York.
1873: Trial of Noah Cherry and others for the murder of Appie Jane Worley in Goldsboro, North Carolina.
1873: Trial of Charles Hazeltine for exhibiting in public an antique statute in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
1875: Trial of William H. Westervelt for the abduction of Charley Ross in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1878: Trial of Benjamin F. Hunter for the murder of John M. Armstrong in Camden, New Jersey.
1879: Trial of Antonio Ancarola for kidnapping in New York City.
1879: Trial of John Stuyvesant for false pretenses, New York City.
1881: Trial of Charles J. Guiteau for the murder of President Garfield in Washington, D.C.
1883: Trial of Frank James for train robbery and murder in Gallatin, Missouri.
1883-1888: Trials of the actions between Sarah Althea Hill and Senator William Sharon and the proceedings against David S. Terry and his wife (for fraud and perjury, divorce and alimony, fraud and forgery, and contempt of court).
1885: Trial of Thomas J. Cluverius for the murder of Fannie Lillian Madison, Richmond, Vitigina.
1886: Trial of the Chicago Anarchists for conspiracy and murder in Chicago, Illinois.
1886: Trial of Hugh M. Brooks alias Maxwell for the murder of Charles A. Preller in St. Louis, Missouri.
1887: Trial of Charles B. Reynolds for blasphemy in Morristown, New Jersey.
1889: Trial on habeas corpus of David Neagle for the murder of Judge David S. Terry in San Francisco, California.
1891: Trial of Dr. Thomas Thatcher Graves for the murder of Josephine A. Barnaby in Denver, Colorado.
1893: Trial of Charles H. Grasty, Thomas K. Worthington and John M. Carter, Jr., for libel, Baltimore, Maryland.
1895: Trial of William Henry Theodore Durrant for the murder of Blanche Lamont in San Francisco, California.
1899: Trial of Joseph Neet and others for Sabbath breaking in Lexington, Missouri.
1901: Trial of Leon F. Czolgosz for the murder of President McKinley in Buffalo, New York.
1902: Trial of Emil A. Meysenburg for bribery in St. Louis, Missouri.
1902: Trial of Julius Lehman for perjury in St. Louis, Missouri.
1902: Trial of Robert M. Snyder for bribery in St. Louis, Missouri.
1902: Trial of Edward Butler for bribery in Columbia, Missouri.
1913: Trial of Leo M. Frank for the murder of Mary Phagan in Atlanta, Georgia.
1917: Trial of Kate O’Hare for disloyalty in Bismarck, North Dakota.
1918: Trial of John Fontana for disloyalty in Bismarck, North Dakota.
1918: Trial of W.J. Cook for blackmail in Atlanta, Georgia.
1918: Trial of Mrs. Herman H. Hirsch for blackmail, Atlanta, Georgia.
1918: Trial of Rose Pastor Stokes for disloyalty in Kansas City, Missouri.
1918: Trial of Grace A. Lusk for the murder of Mrs. Newman Roberts in Waukesha, WIsconsin.
1920: Trial of Harry E. Wootton for kidnapping in Tombstone, Arizona.

Cast of Characters (with brief bios)

John D. Lawson: Compiler and editor of “American State Trials,” a prolific legal writer, Dean of the Law Department of the University of Missouri, Editor of American Law Review, Associate Editor of the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, and a Special Commissioner to investigate criminal law in Great Britain and France.
William Robinson: Quaker executed for religious beliefs in Massachusetts.
Marmaduke Stephenson: Quaker executed for religious beliefs in Massachusetts.
Mary Dyer: Quaker executed for religious beliefs in Massachusetts.
William Leddra: Quaker executed for religious beliefs in Massachusetts.
Bridget Bishop: Accused and executed for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.
George Burroughs: Accused and executed for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.
Jacob Leisler: Charged with and tried for high treason in New York.
Nicholas Bayard: Charged with and tried for high treason in New York.
John Quelch: Captain of a ship accused of piracy and executed in Boston, Massachusetts.
Stede Bonnet: “Gentleman Pirate” tried and executed for piracy in Charleston, South Carolina.
John Peter Zenger: Printer tried for libel in New York City, whose case established the principle of truth as a defense against libel.
John Ury: Itinerant teacher accused of being a Catholic priest and inciting slaves in New York City, executed after being convicted of conspiracy.
Thomas Maule: Accused of blasphemy and slander in Salem, Massachusetts.
Mark and Phillis: Enslaved people, tried for petit treason in the murder of their master in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
William Weems: British soldier tried for the deaths of civilians in the Boston Massacre.
Crispus Attucks: One of the victims of the Boston Massacre.
Thomas Preston: British captain tried for the deaths of civilians in the Boston Massacre.
Bathsheba Spooner: Woman executed for the murder of her husband in Massachusetts, notably while pregnant.
William Brooks: Accomplice in the murder of Joshua Spooner.
James Buchanan: Accomplice in the murder of Joshua Spooner.
Ezra Ross: Accomplice in the murder of Joshua Spooner, also had an affair with Bathsheba Spooner.
David Henley: U.S. Army Officer tried for improper conduct.
Benedict Arnold: American general tried for certain misdemeanors.
John André: British spy captured and executed during the American Revolution.
Nathaniel Jennison: Tried for assault and false imprisonment in Worcester, Massachusetts.
John Trevett: Sued John Wheeden for refusing paper money.
John Wheeden: Sued by John Trevett for refusing paper money.
Thomas Bird and Hans Hansen: Tried for piracy and murder in Portland, Maine.
Gideon Henfield: Tried for enlisting in a French privateer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
John Mitchell: Tried for treason in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
William Vigol: Tried for treason in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
John Etienne Guinet: Tried for fitting out a warship for a belligerent in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
William Cobbett: Tried for libel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Matthew Lyon: Tried for seditious libel in Vermont.
Anthony Haswell: Tried for seditious libel in Vermont.
Levi Weeks: Accused of murdering Gulielma Sands in New York City.
Gulielma “Elma” Sands: Victim in the Manhattan Well Murder, found dead in the Manhattan Well.
Henry Brockholst Livingston: Lawyer for Levi Weeks.
Aaron Burr: Lawyer for Levi Weeks.
Alexander Hamilton: Lawyer for Levi Weeks.
John Lansing, Jr.: Chief Justice who presided over the Levi Weeks trial.
Cadwallader David Colden: Prosecutor in the Levi Weeks trial.
Thomas Hoag: Tried for bigamy in New York City.
Samuel Chase: Supreme Court Justice impeached for “High crimes and misdemeanors.”
Josiah Burnham: Tried for the murder of Captain Joseph Starkweather in Plymouth, New Hampshire.
Thomas O. Selfridge: Tried for killing Charles Austin in Boston.
Charles Austin: Man killed by Thomas O. Selfridge in Boston.
Cyrus B. Dean: Tried for murder in Vermont.
John Joyce and Peter Mathias: Tried for the murder of Sarah Cross in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Sarah Cross: Murdered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Alexander Whistelo: Tried for bastardy in New York City.
James Renshaw: Tried for oppressive conduct and for sending a challenge to a duel.
Samuel Thompson: Tried for the murder of Ezra Lovett, Jr. in Salem, Massachusetts.
James Melvin: Tried for conspiracy to raise wages in New York City.
Samuel Tulley and John Dalton: Tried for piracy and murder in Boston, Massachusetts.
John Hodges: Tried for treason in Baltimore, Maryland.
Ruggles Hubbard and James L. Bell: Accused of preventing an attorney from seeing a client in New York City.
Francis Mezzars: Tried for libel in New York City.
James Philips: Tried for larceny, New York City.
John Hart: Tried for obstructing the United States mail in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Mordecai M. Noah: Tried for breaking open and publishing a letter and for contempt, New York City.
Alden Spooner: Tried for libel and for contempt, New York City.
Moses Simons: Tried for assault and battery, New York City.
James Maurice: Action against Samuel Judd for a penalty in New York City.
Joel Clough: Tried for murder in New Jersey.
Christian Smith: Tried for murder in New York.
Paterick Blake: Tried for murder in New York City.
Teunis Van Pelt: Tried for bigamy in New York City.
George Spence and Wife: Action against Barney Duffy for false imprisonment, New York City.
John Morris: Tried for assault and battery, New York City.
Alfred S. Pell: Tried for assault and battery, New York City.
Diana Sellick: Tried for murder in New York City.
Patrick Duffey: Action against George E. Matthewson and others for assault and battery, New York City.
William Farquhar and John H. Clark: Tried for assault and battery, New York City.
Charles Gill: Tried for opening another person’s letter, New York City.
Francis Wittenburgh: Tried for procurement, New York City.
James W. Lent: Tried for assault and battery, New York City.
Joseph Pulford: Tried for kidnapping in New York City.
Charlotte Greenwault and Sarah Moody: Tried as common scolds in New York City.
Archibald McArdle: Tried for assault and battery in New York City.
Robert Stakes: Tried for cruelty to animals in New York City.
John Degey: Tried for disturbing divine worship in New York City.
Thaddeus P. French: Tried for larceny in Boston, Massachusetts.
Robert C. Ambrister and Alexander Arbuthnot: Tried for inciting Indians to war in Florida.
Robert Worrall: Tried for attempting to bribe a public officer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Isaac Williams: Tried for accepting a commission on an armed vessel in time of war, Hartford, Connecticut.
James Williamson: Tried for assault and battery in New York City.
William Landon: Tried for breach of the prohibition law in Albany, New York.
John Ball: Tried for setting fire to his

American Criminal Trials Important and Interesting Trial Reports (1659 to 1913)

This collection, “American State Trials,” comprises 17 volumes and 15,700 pages of detailed accounts of significant and captivating criminal trials in the United States, spanning from 1659 to 1913. These trial records were published between 1914 and 1936.

John D. Lawson, a well-known legal scholar with extensive experience, assembled and edited “American State Trials.” Lawson held numerous prominent roles, including Dean of the Law Department at the University of Missouri, Editor of the American Law Review, and Associate Editor of the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology. He was also appointed by the American Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology to study criminal justice systems in Great Britain and France.

The trials documented in this collection encompass a wide variety of offenses, from minor transgressions like reading someone else’s mail to major crimes such as presidential assassinations. The cases include charges of murder, assault, libel, pimping, witchcraft, dueling, kidnapping, espionage, blasphemy, embezzlement, rioting, corruption, violating Sabbath laws, piracy, bigamy, arson, contempt, sedition, and many others. Lawson’s first book was released after two decades of his investigations. He passed away in 1921, and the final three books were published within fifteen years following his death. In the opening of his first book, which would become his life’s work, Lawson stated that “American State Trials” would be a valuable addition to every lawyer and judge’s collection because it would be unique and timeless. He believed the series’ value would come from the legal principles established by judges in specific cases, along with rulings on evidence and procedure. Further, the arguments from lawyers and the speeches from advocates for both the accused and the state would provide a source of powerful language for them to use. He also noted that fact-finding is often more engaging and important than exploring abstract ideas, and lawyers are required to do both. He argued that the most celebrated advocates have earned their reputations through their addresses to juries.

Lawson also believed the work would be equally valuable to non-legal professionals. He suggested that writers and historians would discover a wealth of information for their study and research. Just as English historians have used England’s “State Trials” as a constant source of historical material, American historians in the future would find this series to be a record of American life, customs, and culture that had previously been unavailable. Both sociologists and criminologists will discover new aspects of human existence through the study of legal proceedings. As Burke noted long ago, a criminal trial vividly displays human nature in a variety of compelling and emotional situations. A researcher will observe the differences between societal norms and public views during periods when witches were executed, compared to times when it’s difficult to convict a woman of even the most severe homicide. They will also note the contrast between eras when a clergyman was prosecuted for stating in a sermon that slavery was unbiblical, and times when a contractor is put on trial for preventing a Black person from breaking a work agreement. The investigator will see the changes from when people were executed for arson, to the present day when that same offense might only result in probation. To truly understand the habits and customs of a specific period in a country’s history, one should study the legal trials of that time and place. The inaugural volume of this publication was assessed in the July 1914 edition of The American Historical Review. According to reviewer Roger Foster, the entire series, starting with this book, will be highly appreciated by academics. He stated that trial transcripts and speeches are among the most captivating texts, and they are also invaluable for historians, providing insights into political, constitutional, social, and even linguistic developments. Foster argued that such records are especially crucial in the United States, where state court trials, particularly those involving impeachment or power disputes between executive and legislative branches, offer vital precedents for future national emergencies. He noted that these materials are exceptionally difficult to locate, as they were initially released as ephemeral pamphlets or newspaper articles, leading to their rapid destruction. Few libraries, whether public or private, possess substantial collections, and no known bookseller specializes in these types of documents. What makes the reviewed book particularly praiseworthy is that it presents the complete testimony and arguments, without any of the usual abridgments or stylistic enhancements often found in such reports. The editor’s qualifications for the job are clear. Listing his past positions, regardless of their significance, in the preface was unnecessary. He is highly regarded in his field, having written two important books on previously overlooked topics and having taken over the editorship of the American Law Review from Judge Thompson. His contributions to the book are helpful and generally well-done. While some of the introductory statements could have been omitted, the included bibliographical and biographical information is researched and valuable. This is especially true for the section on the Levi Weeks trial, where the editor compiles various magazine articles, which many readers, including students, may not know. These articles discuss the story, which sometimes involves Burr and other times Hamilton, about a case where both were lawyers and one of them supposedly got the defendant acquitted by placing a candle in front of a key witness and accusing him of the crime.

The seventeen volumes cover 275 trials, including:

1659 – The trials of Quakers William Robinson, Marmaduke Stephenson, Dyer, and others in Massachusetts.

1692 – The trials of Bridget Bishop and George Burroughs for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.

1741 – The trial of John Ury in New York City for inciting Black people to commit crimes and for being a Catholic priest.

1770 – The Boston Massacre trial of British soldiers William Weems and seven others for the murder of Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, Samuel Maverick, James Caldwell, and Partick Carr in Boston, Massachusetts.

1718 – The trials of “Gentleman Pirate” Major Stede Bonnet and thirty-three others for piracy in Charleston, South Carolina.

1779 – The trial of Major General Benedict Arnold for misconduct in Raritan, New Jersey. Here are the paraphrased sentences:

In 1800, Levi Weeks was tried in New York City for the murder of Gulielma Sands.

In 1805, Judge Samuel Chase faced trial in Washington, D.C., accused of “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

The year 1819 saw the trial of Reverend Jacob Gruber in Frederick County, Maryland, for allegedly inciting slaves to revolt.

William Lloyd Garrison was tried for libel in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1830.

Richard Lawrence was tried in Washington in 1835 for shooting at President Andrew Jackson.

In 1847, Dred Scott, a slave, sued Irene Emerson in St. Louis, Missouri, for false imprisonment and assault, leading to a trial.

Mrs. Margaret Douglas was put on trial in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1853 for teaching black children how to read.

Anthony Burns was tried in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1854 for escaping from slavery.

John Brown was tried for treason and insurrection in Charlestown, Virginia, in 1859.

Clement L. Vallandigham was tried in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1863 for sedition and rebellion.

Several individuals were tried for conspiring to assassinate President Lincoln:

David E. Herold was tried for conspiracy and murder in Washington, D.C., in 1865.

George A. Atzerodt was tried for conspiracy and murder in Washington, D.C., in 1865.

Lewis Payne was tried for conspiracy and murder in Washington, D.C., in 1865.

Mrs. Mary E. Surratt was tried for conspiracy and murder in Washington, D.C., in 1865.

Michael O’Laughlin was tried for conspiracy and murder in Washington, D.C., in 1865.

Samuel Arnold was tried for conspiracy and murder in Washington, D.C., in 1865.

Edward Spangler was tried for conspiracy and murder in Washington, D.C., in 1865.

Samuel A. Mudd was tried for conspiracy and murder in Washington, D.C., in 1865.

Captain Henry Wirz was tried for conspiracy and murder in Washington, D.C., in 1865.

John H. Surratt was tried for conspiracy and murder in Washington, D.C., in 1867.

In 1871, members of the Ku Klux Klan were tried for conspiracy in Columbia, South Carolina.

Susan B. Anthony was tried in New York in 1873 for voting in a Congressional Election.

Charles J. Guiteau was tried in Washington, D.C., in 1881 for the murder of President Garfield.

Frank James was tried in Gallatin, Missouri, in 1883 for train robbery and murder. In 1901, Leon F. Czolgosz was prosecuted in Buffalo, New York, for the assassination of President McKinley.

In 1913, Leo M. Frank stood trial in Atlanta, Georgia, accused of murdering Mary Phagan.

Despite being considered major events in their time, some trials have faded from public memory. Significant examples include:

The 1659 trials in Massachusetts of the Quakers William Robinson, Marmaduke Stephenson, and others, known as the Boston Martyrs Trial.

The term “Boston Martyrs” designates four members of the Society of Friends, specifically Marmaduke Stephenson, William Robinson, Mary Dyer, and William Leddra. They were sentenced to death and publicly hanged for their religious convictions by the Massachusetts Bay Colony between 1659 and 1661. While several other Friends faced death sentences in Boston during this period, their punishments were reduced to public whippings and expulsion from the colony.

In 1741, John Ury was tried in New York City for allegedly encouraging criminal activity among Black people and for being a Catholic priest. During the 1741 New York Slave Insurrection, John Ury, a traveling teacher of European descent, was accused of being both a Catholic priest and a Spanish spy. His knowledge of Latin was used as evidence against him. His true religious affiliation remains unclear. The Catholic Encyclopedia identifies him as a Catholic priest who discreetly served in New Jersey and taught in Burlington, New Jersey for about a year. Mary Burton, the primary witness for the prosecution, identified Ury as the mastermind of the slave conspiracy, leading to his arrest on June 24, 1741. He was formally charged on July 15 and 22. Lacking legal representation, Ury defended himself at his trial. He consistently maintained his innocence. The lead prosecutor was Attorney General Richard Bradley. Ury was officially convicted of conspiracy on July 29, 1741, and subsequently executed by hanging in New York City on August 29, 1741.

The following is about the trial of Bathsheba Spooner, William Brooks, James Buchanan, and Ezra Ross for the murder of Joshua Spooner in Massachusetts, 1778. Bathsheba Ruggles Spooner holds the unfortunate distinction of being the first woman executed in the United States by American authorities, rather than the British. She was born into a prominent family; her father was a well-known lawyer, judge, and military leader in Colonial America. Before her father was exiled from Massachusetts in 1774 for supporting the British, Bathsheba Ruggles was forced into marriage with a rich farmer named Joshua Spooner. She was reportedly miserable in her marriage, admitting she disliked her husband. She then began a relationship with Ezra Ross, a young soldier in the Continental Army. After becoming pregnant, Spooner tried to get Ross and two servants to help her kill her husband, but they were reluctant. Eventually, she persuaded two escaped British soldiers to help her. On March 1, 1778, one of the soldiers murdered Joshua Spooner by beating him to death in front of his house, and then his body was thrown into the well. Bathsheba Spooner and the three men were found guilty of the murder, and all were sentenced to die. After her conviction, Spooner requested a delay in her execution due to her pregnancy. Initially, this was denied, but some “examiners” later supported her request. Nevertheless, all four were executed. A post-mortem examination, which Spooner had requested, confirmed that she was five months pregnant. Historians suggest that the anti-Loyalist feelings of the time, as well as the fact that Joshua Spooner’s stepbrother signed her death warrant, may have contributed to the swiftness of her trial and execution.

Trial of Levi Weeks for the Murder of Gulielma Sands, New York City, 1800 Levi Weeks was the defendant in the notorious 1800 Manhattan Well Murder case. At the time of the crime, Weeks was a young carpenter living in New York City. His brother, Ezra Weeks, was a well-known and prosperous builder in the city. Levi Weeks was charged with the murder of Gulielma “Elma” Sands, a young woman he was romantically involved with. Elma vanished on the evening of December 22, 1799. Two days later, some of her belongings were discovered near the newly constructed Manhattan Well in Lispenard Meadows, which is now part of the SoHo neighborhood in Manhattan, close to the intersection of Greene and Spring Streets. Her corpse was pulled from the well on January 2, 1800. Before departing her boarding house on the 22nd, Elma confided in her cousin, Catherine Sands, that she and Levi planned to secretly marry that night. The trial, held on March 31 and April 1, 1800, was highly publicized. Due to his brother’s influence and money, Weeks was represented by three of New York’s leading lawyers: Henry Brockholst Livingston, Aaron Burr, and Alexander Hamilton. Chief Justice John Lansing, Jr. presided over the court, and Cadwallader David Colden, who would later become Mayor of New York, served as the prosecutor. Despite the fact that Elma was seen leaving with Weeks and a witness testified to seeing Weeks taking measurements at the well the Sunday before the murder, Weeks was found not guilty after just 5 minutes of jury deliberation. The public was outraged by the verdict, and Weeks was shunned by the people of New York City, which led him to leave the city.

The provided additional text lists the following: the 1834 trial of Abner Kneeland for blasphemy in Boston, Massachusetts, the second 1834 trial of Abner Kneeland for blasphemy in Boston, Massachusetts, and the third and fourth 1835 trials of Abner Kneeland for blasphemy in Boston, Massachusetts. Abner Kneeland, an American preacher and religious scholar, promoted numerous religious and societal ideas that were seen as highly unconventional during his time. Because he openly expressed these beliefs, Kneeland was the last person in the U.S. to be imprisoned for blasphemy. Although rarely enforced, blasphemy was still a crime under Massachusetts’s colonial laws. However, possibly because his other opinions angered the legal system, Kneeland was accused of breaking this law. His final court case took place in 1838, five years after he initially made the controversial statements. Kneeland was found guilty and spent two months in jail. The judge characterized him as “a stubborn and unyielding nonconformist.”

Trial of John C. Colt for the Murder of Samuel Adams, New York City, 1842 John Caldwell Colt, related to the famous gun manufacturer Samuel Colt, had a diverse career including fur trading, bookkeeping, legal work, and teaching. He was briefly a Marine, but faked a discharge letter after only three months. Following various business endeavors, he became a recognized expert in double-entry bookkeeping, authoring a highly successful textbook that was continuously printed for many years, even after his death, reaching 45 editions. In 1842, Colt was accused of murdering Samuel Adams, a printer to whom he owed money for publishing his bookkeeping book. Colt claimed self-defense, stating he killed Adams with a hatchet the year before, but was accused of hiding the crime by getting rid of the body. The discovery of the body made Colt the prime suspect. His trial gained significant attention in the New York media due to his family’s prominence, the way the body was disposed of, and his seemingly arrogant behavior in court. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 1842, but took his own life on the morning of his scheduled execution.

Clement Vallandigham, an Ohio politician and a prominent figure among the anti-war Copperhead Democrats during the Civil War, held two terms as a U.S. Representative. Following General Burnside’s General Order Number 38, which prohibited expressing support for the Confederacy within the Military District of Ohio, Vallandigham delivered a notable speech on May 1, 1863. In this speech, he argued that the war was not about preserving the Union but about freeing slaves, claiming that “King Lincoln” was sacrificing American liberties. Here are the paraphrased sentences:

In 1800, Levi Weeks was tried in New York City for the killing of Gulielma Sands.
Samuel Tulley and John Dalton faced trial in Boston, Massachusetts in 1812 for committing piracy and murder.
Francis Mezzars was prosecuted for publishing libelous material in New York City in 1817.
The Reverend Jacob Gruber was tried in Frederick County, Maryland in 1819 for allegedly encouraging slaves to revolt.
George Bowen was accused of murdering Jonathan Jewett and stood trial in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1816.
In 1741, John Ury was tried in New York City for inciting Black people to commit crimes and for being a Catholic priest.
Judge Wilkinson, Dr. Wilkinson, and John Murdaugh were tried in Kentucky in 1839 for the murders of John Rothwell and Alexander H. Meeks.
Francis Wittenburgh was prosecuted for pimping in New York City in 1818.
Alexander W. Holmes was tried in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1842 for the manslaughter of Francis Askin.
Simeon L. Crockett was accused of arson and went to trial in Boston, Massachusetts in 1835.
John C. Colt was tried for the murder of Samuel Adams in New York City in 1842.
Bridget Bishop and George Burroughs were tried for practicing witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692.
Commander Alexander S. Mackenzie faced a Naval Court of Inquiry in Brooklyn, New York in 1842 for a murder accusation.
Oscar T. Caldwell was tried for embezzlement in Chicago, Illinois in 1855.
Mordecai M. Noah was prosecuted in New York City in 1818 for opening and publishing a private letter.
Alden Spooner was tried for libel in New York City in 1818.
Mordecai M. Noah and Alden Spooner were jointly tried for contempt in New York City in 1818.
Clement L. Vallandigham was tried in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1863 for sedition and rebellion.
Moses Simons was tried in New York City in 1818 for assault and battery.
Joel Clough was tried for the murder of Mary W. Hamilton in New Jersey in 1833.
Christian Smith was tried for the murder of Bornt Lake in New York in 1817. Here’s a paraphrased list of the legal cases you provided:

Volume 1

In 1818, John M. Trumbull sued Thomas Gibbons in New York City for defamation.
The 1659 trials in Massachusetts involved Quakers, including William Robinson, Marmaduke Stephenson, and Dyer, among others.
Paterick Blake was tried for the murder of his wife in New York City in 1816.

Volume 2

Robert Stakes faced trial in New York City in 1822 for animal cruelty.
Thomas Wilson Dorr was tried for treason in Rhode Island in 1844.
John Degey was tried in New York City in 1823 for disrupting a religious service.
In 1778, Bathsheba Spooner, William Brooks, James Buchanan, and Ezra Ross were tried in Massachusetts for the murder of Joshua Spooner.
Teunis Van Pelt was tried for bigamy in New York City in 1816.
Nathaniel Childs, Jr., was tried for embezzlement in St. Louis, Missouri.
John Johnson was tried in New York City in 1824 for the murder of James Murray.
In 1816, George Spence and his wife brought a false imprisonment case against Barney Duffy in New York City.
Thomas O. Selfridge was tried in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1806 for the killing of Charles Auston.
John Morris was tried in New York City in 1816 for assault and battery.
Dr. John W. Hughes was tried in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1865 for the murder of Tamzen Parsons.
Alfred S. Pell was tried in New York City in 1816 for assault and battery.
David F. Mayberry was tried in Janesville, Wisconsin, in 1855 for the murder of Andrew Alger.
Diana Sellick was tried in New York City in 1816 for the murder of Hetty Johnson.
Charles Gill was tried in New York City in 1818 for opening someone else’s mail.
Thaddeus P. French was tried for larceny in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1827.
Alexander Arbuthnot faced trial in Florida in 1818 for inciting Native Americans to war.
Robert C. Ambrister was tried in Florida in 1818 for inciting Native Americans to war.
Patrick Duffey brought an assault and battery case against George E. Matthewson and others in New York City in 1816. Here are the paraphrased sentences:

Volume 3.

Elizabeth Southard was prosecuted in Richmond, Virginia in 1851 for the killing of William P. Walker.

John Dayton and Thomas Dyer were tried for theft in New York City in 1817.

Susan B. Anthony was put on trial in New York in 1873 for casting a vote in a Congressional Election.

Beverly W. Jones, Edwin P. Marsh, and William B. Hall faced legal proceedings in New York in 1873 for allowing women to vote.

Matthews F. Ward was tried in Kentucky in 1854 for the murder of William H.G. Butler.

Archibald McArdle was prosecuted for assault and battery in New York City in 1822.

John Hanlon was tried in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1870 for the murder of Mary Mohrman.

William Boott was prosecuted in Boston, Massachusetts in 1834 for issuing a challenge to a duel.

Robert C. Hooper was tried in Boston, Massachusetts in 1834 for sending a challenge to a duel.

Harris Seymour, Moses Roberts, Holloway Hayward, Henry Howard, and James Ganson were prosecuted in New York in 1827 for the kidnapping of William Morgan.

William Dandridge Epes was tried in Petersburg, Virginia in 1848 for the murder of Francis Adolphus Muir.

Berthina Tucker was prosecuted for grand theft in New York City in 1820.

Richard Lawrence was tried in Washington in 1835 for shooting at President Andrew Jackson.

Cyrus B. Dean was tried in Burlington, Vermont in 1808 for the murder of Jonathan Ormsby and Asa March.

Jared W. Bell was prosecuted for blasphemy in New York City in 1821.

Noah Cherry, Robert Thompson, and Harris Atkinson were tried in Goldsboro, North Carolina in 1873 for the murder of Appie Jane Worley.

James Maurice initiated a legal action against Samuel Judd in New York City in 1818 to recover a penalty.

Ebenezer Clough was prosecuted for jury tampering in Boston, Massachusetts in 1833.

Dr. Valorus P. Coolidge was tried in Maine in 1848 for the murder of Edward Mathews. Volume 3.

Raymer C. Wertendyke and James Pike were tried in New York City in 1822 for the crime of false imprisonment, while Robert R. Browne faced charges of assault and battery. Colonel David Henley was court-martialed in Massachusetts in 1778 for behavior unbecoming an officer in the American Army. In 1844, Jonathan Walker was prosecuted in Florida for assisting slaves in their escape to freedom. Antonio Ancarola was tried in New York City in 1879 for the offense of kidnapping.

Volume 4.

Francis Burke was tried in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1832 for the manslaughter of Benjamin M. Hazlip. Charles Sprague faced trial in Brooklyn, New York, in 1849 for robbery. Professor John W. Webster was tried in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1850 for the murder of Dr. George Parkman. Thomas Hoag was prosecuted for bigamy in New York City in 1804. Henry B. Allison, along with others, were tried for larceny in Richmond, Virginia, in 1851. Thomas Lafon, Jr. was tried in Newark, New Jersey, in 1869 for the killing of Joseph Hebring. James W. Lent was tried in New York City in 1819 for assault and battery. John Trevett brought an action against John Wheeden in Rhode Island in 1786 for refusing to accept paper money. The General Assembly of Rhode Island took action against the judges of the Supreme Court in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1786, due to their ruling in the case of Trevett against Wheeden. A case regarding the breach of neutrality by citizens of the United States was heard in Richmond, Virginia, in 1793. Gideon Henfield was tried in Philadelphia in 1793 for enlisting in a French privateer. John Etienne Guinet was tried in Philadelphia in 1795 for equipping and arming a warship for a belligerent nation. James Williamson was tried in New York City in 1819 for assault and battery. Major Stede Bonnet and thirty-three others were tried for piracy in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1718. Tucker, Robinson, Paterson, Scot, and Bayley were tried for piracy in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1718. Smith, Carman, Thomas, Morrison, Livers, Booth, Hewet, and Levit were tried for piracy in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1718. Here are the paraphrased sentences:

Volume 4

In Charleston, South Carolina, a piracy trial was held in 1718 for Eddy, Annand, Ross, Dunkin, Nichols, Ridge, King, Perry, and Virgin.
Robbins, Mullet, Price, Lopez, and Long were tried for piracy in Charleston, South Carolina, during 1718.
A piracy trial took place in South Carolina in 1718 involving Robinson, Tucker, Scot, Bayley, Paterson, Smith, Carman, and Thomas.
Morrison, Livers, Booth, Hewet, Levit, Eddy, Annand, Ross, Dunkin, and Nichols were prosecuted for piracy in South Carolina in 1718.
Brierly, Boyd, Sharp, Clarke, and Gerrard faced a piracy trial in South Carolina in 1718.
Major Stede Bonnet was tried for piracy in South Carolina in 1718.
John and Sarah Robinson were brought to trial for kidnapping in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1837.
In 1871, John R. Kelly was tried in Dawson, Georgia, for the murder of David W. Oxford.
Thomas Ward was prosecuted for the killing of Albert Robinson in New York City in 1823.

Volume 5

William Arrison was tried for the murder of Isaac Allison in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1854.
Thomas Maule was put on trial for slander and blasphemy in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1696.
Emma Augusta Cunningham was tried in New York City in 1857 for the murder of Dr. Harvey Burdell.
Charles H. Grasty, Thomas K. Worthington, and John M. Carter, Jr. were tried for libel in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1893.
Captain John Quelch and his associates were tried for piracy in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1704.
John Lambert and Charles James faced a piracy trial in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1704.
Christopher Scudamore and the rest of Captain Quelch’s crew were tried for piracy in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1704.
Lawrence Pienovi was prosecuted for assault and battery in New York City in 1818.
Ann K. Simpson was tried for the murder of Alexander C. Simpson in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1850.
Winthop S. Gilman and others faced a riot trial in Alton, Illinois, in 1838.
John Solomon and others were tried for riot in Alton, Illinois, in 1838.
Anthony Burns was tried for escaping from slavery in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1854. Here’s a rephrased list of the trials you provided:

Volume 5

In 1819, Charlotte Greenwault and Sarah Moody were tried in New York City for being common scolds.
Richard Smith was prosecuted for the murder of John Carson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816.
Abraham Bogart faced trial in New York City in 1856 for misconduct while in office.
The 1834 trial of Abraham Prescott in Concord, New Hampshire, concerned the murder of Mrs. Sally Cochran.
Eli H. Hall was tried for robbery in Geneseo, New York, in 1865.
Gerald Eaton was accused of murdering Timothy Heenan and went to trial in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1868.
Joseph Pulford was tried for kidnapping in New York City in 1819.

Volume 6

The 1868 trial of George S. Twitchell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, centered on the murder of Mary E. Hill.
John Wood was prosecuted in New York City in 1818 for sending a challenge to a duel.
Stephen and Jesse Boorn were tried in Bennington, Vermont, in 1819 for the murder of Russel Colvin.
William Farquhar and John H. Clark were tried for assault and battery in New York City in 1816.
Lucretia Chapman was tried for the murder of William Chapman in Andalusia, Pennsylvania, in 1832.
Also in 1832, Carolino de Mina was tried in Andalusia, Pennsylvania, for the murder of William Chapman.
Major General Benedict Arnold faced trial in Raritan, New Jersey, in 1779 for certain acts of misconduct.
Major John André was tried in Tappan, New York, in 1789 for acting as a spy.
Joshua H. Smith was tried for aiding the enemy in Tappan, New York, in 1780.
Reverend George W. Carawan was tried for the murder of Clement H. Lassiter in Washington, North Carolina, in 1853.
Stephen Merrill Clark was tried for arson in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1821.
Stephen Russell was tried for arson in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1835.
William Cobbett was tried for libel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1797.
Matthew Lyon was tried for seditious libel in Vergennes, Vermont, in 1798.
Anthony Haswell was tried for seditious libel in Windsor, Vermont, in 1800.
John Brown was tried for treason and insurrection in Charlestown, Virginia, in 1859. Here are the paraphrased sentences:

Volume 6

Edwin Coppoc was prosecuted in Charlestown, Virginia, in 1859 for betrayal, rebellion, and homicide.
John Anthony Copeland and Shields Green were tried in Charlestown, Virginia, in 1859 for revolt and homicide.
John E. Cook faced charges of treason, insurrection, and murder in Charlestown, Virginia, in 1859.
David D. How was put on trial in Angelica, New York, in 1824 for the killing of Othello Church.

Volume 7

In 1825, Israel Thayer, Jr., Isaac Thayer, and Nelson Thayer were tried in Buffalo, New York, for the murder of John Love.
Mrs. Margaret Douglas was prosecuted in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1853 for educating Black children to read.
Alexander McLeod was tried in Utica, New York, in 1841 for the burning of the steamboat Caroline and the killing of Amos Durfee.
Stephen M. Ballew was on trial in McKinney, Texas, in 1871 for the murder of James P. Golden.
John Stuyvesant was prosecuted in New York City in 1879 for fraudulent misrepresentation.
John Francis Knapp was tried in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1830 for the murder of Joseph White.
Joseph Jenkins Knapp, Jr., was tried in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1830 for his role as an accomplice in the murder of Joseph White.
Richard Crowninshield, Jr., was tried in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1830 as an accessory to the murder of Joseph White.
John Ball was prosecuted in New York City in 1817 for setting his own house on fire.
William Duane, James Reynolds, Robert Moore, and Samuel Cuming were tried in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1799 for rioting.
John Langley was tried in New York City in 1819 for theft and embezzlement.
John Joyce and Peter Mathias were prosecuted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1808 for the murder of Sarah Cross.
Ephraim Gilman was tried in Paris, Maine, in 1862 for the murder of Harriet B. Swan.
John Scott, Jewitt Prime, Samuel Wynant, Oliver Bancroft, Jacob Miles, and Patrick Hildreth were tried in New York City in 1817 for rioting and assault. Here’s a rephrasing of the provided text:

Volume 7

In 1799, Jonathan Robbins was tried in Charleston, South Carolina, regarding his extradition under a treaty with Great Britain.
A case involving libel was heard in New Bedford, Massachusetts, in 1845, where William Wilmar sued B.W. Williams.
William Landon faced trial in Albany, New York, in 1865 for violating the state’s prohibition law.

Volume 8

Josiah Burnham was tried for the murder of Captain Joseph Starkweather in Plymouth, New Hampshire, in 1806.
In 1865, a trial was held in Washington, D.C., for individuals involved in the conspiracy to assassinate President Lincoln.
David E. Herold was tried in Washington, D.C., in 1865 for his involvement in conspiracy and murder.
George A. Atzerodt was tried in Washington, D.C., in 1865 for his involvement in conspiracy and murder.
Lewis Payne was tried in Washington, D.C., in 1865 for his involvement in conspiracy and murder.
Mrs. Mary E. Surratt was tried in Washington, D.C., in 1865 for her involvement in conspiracy and murder.
Michael O’Laughlin was tried in Washington, D.C., in 1865 for his involvement in conspiracy and murder.
Samuel Arnold was tried in Washington, D.C., in 1865 for his involvement in conspiracy and murder.
Edward Spangler was tried in Washington, D.C., in 1865 for his involvement in conspiracy and murder.
Dr. Samuel A. Mudd was tried in Washington, D.C., in 1865 for his involvement in conspiracy and murder.
The government’s case against the Lincoln assassination conspirators was presented by Judge Advocate Bingham in Washington, D.C., in 1865.
The verdict, sentences, and executions related to the Lincoln assassination conspirators were documented in Washington, D.C., in 1865.
Captain Henry Wirz faced trial in Washington, D.C., in 1865 for conspiracy and murder.
Leonard Simons and Eber Wheaton were tried for libel in New York City in 1823.

Volume 9

John H. Surratt was tried for conspiracy and murder in Washington, D.C., in 1867.
Emil A. Meysenburg was tried for bribery in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1902.
Julius Lehman was tried for perjury in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1902.
Robert M. Snyder was tried for bribery in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1902.
Edward Butler was tried for bribery in Columbia, Missouri, in November 1902. Here are the paraphrased sentences:

Volume 9

In 1871, several members of the Ku Klux Klan were prosecuted for plotting illegal activities in Columbia, South Carolina.
Sherod Childers, Evans Murphy, William Montgomery, and Hezekiah Porter faced a conspiracy trial in Columbia, South Carolina in 1871.
Robert Hayes Mitchell was tried for conspiracy in Columbia, South Carolina in 1871.
John W. Mitchell and Thomas B. Whitesides were defendants in a conspiracy case in Columbia, South Carolina in 1871.
John S. Millar was on trial for conspiracy in Columbia, South Carolina in 1871.
Edward T. Avery was tried for conspiracy in Columbia, South Carolina in 1871.
Sylvanus, William, Hugh H., and James B. Shearer were jointly tried for conspiracy in Columbia, South Carolina in 1871.
Henry C. Warlick and others were tried for conspiracy in Columbia, South Carolina in 1872.
F.W. McMaster was prosecuted for disobeying the court in Columbia, South Carolina in 1872.
The case of John Merryman, involving a writ of habeas corpus, was heard in Baltimore, Maryland in 1861.

Volume 10

In 1857, Edward D. Worrell was tried for the murder of Basil H. Gordon in Union, Missouri.
John Hodges was tried for treason in Baltimore, Maryland in 1815.
Leo M. Frank was tried for the murder of Mary Phagan in Atlanta, Georgia in 1913.
William Weems and seven other British soldiers were tried for the murder of Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, Samuel Maverick, James Caldwell, and Partick Carr in Boston, Massachusetts in 1770.
Captain Thomas Preston was tried for the murder of Crispus Attucks and others in Boston, Massachusetts in 1770.
Edward Manwaring, John Munro, Hammond Green, and Thomas Greenwood were tried for murder in Boston, Massachusetts in 1770.
Jacob Leisler was tried for high treason in New York in 1691.
Nicholas Bayard was tried for high treason in New York City in 1702.
Orrin de Wolf was tried for the murder of William Stiles in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1845.
Alexander Whistelo was tried for fathering a child out of wedlock in New York City in 1808.
Robert McConaghy was tried for the murder of Rosanna Brown and her five children: John, Elizabeth, George, Jacob, and David, in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania in 1840. Here are the paraphrased sentences:
In Chicago, Illinois, during 1886, August Spies, Michael Schwab, Samuel Fielden, Albert R. Parsons, Adolph Fischer, George Engel, Louis Lingg, and Oscar Neebe were tried for conspiracy and murder as the Chicago Anarchists.
John Weeks faced a trial in New York City in 1818 for the crime of larceny.
Theodore Lyman was put on trial in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1828 for writing a libelous statement about Daniel Webster.
Richard P. Robinson was tried in New York City in 1836 for the murder of Helen Jewett.
Ezekiel de Coster, Andrew Horton, Hosea Sargent, and others were tried in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1825 for participating in a riot.
Daniel E. Sickles was tried in Washington, D.C., in 1859 for the murder of Philip Barton Key.
John Hart was tried in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1817 for obstructing the delivery of United States mail.
James Gallaher and James McElroy were tried in New York City in 1820 for the crime of passing counterfeit money.
Robert Worrall was tried in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1798 for attempting to bribe a public official.
Isaac Williams was tried in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1799 for accepting a commission on an armed vessel during wartime.
Daniel K. Allen was tried in New York City in 1818 for using false pretenses.
Frederick Eberle and others were tried in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816 for conspiring to prevent the use of the English language.
John Fontana was tried in Bismarck, North Dakota, in 1918 for disloyalty.
Kate O’Hare was tried in Bismarck, North Dakota, in 1917 for disloyalty.
William Worcester was tried in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1824 for driving horses at a trot.
Benjamin F. Hunter was tried in Camden, New Jersey, in 1878 for the murder of John M. Armstrong.
John Moore and others were tried in New York City in 1824 for assault and battery.
Hugh M’Evoy and others were tried in New York City in 1824 for assault and battery.
In St. Louis, Missouri, in 1847, Dred Scott, a slave, brought a case against Irene Emerson for false imprisonment and assault. Here are the paraphrased sentences:

Volume 13

In 1850, a second legal proceeding took place in St. Louis, Missouri, where the enslaved Dred Scott sued Irene Emerson, alleging wrongful confinement and physical assault.
A legal case was held in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1854, where Dred Scott, an enslaved man, brought suit against John F.A. Sanford, claiming he had been unlawfully imprisoned and assaulted.
The 1891 trial in Denver, Colorado, concerned Dr. Thomas Thatcher Graves, who was accused of murdering Josephine A. Barnaby.
Abner Kneeland was prosecuted for blasphemy in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1834.
A second blasphemy trial for Abner Kneeland took place in Boston, Massachusetts, also in 1834.
In 1835, Abner Kneeland faced his third and fourth trials for blasphemy in Boston, Massachusetts.
In 1810, James Melvin and others were tried in New York City for conspiring to increase wages.
The 1886 trial in St. Louis, Missouri, involved Hugh M. Brooks, also known as Maxwell, who was accused of murdering Charles A. Preller.
Franz von Ritter sought release through habeas corpus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816, arguing he was unlawfully imprisoned.
Rose Pastor Stokes was tried for disloyalty in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1918.

Volume 14

Charles J. Guiteau was tried in Washington, D.C., in 1881 for the assassination of President Garfield.
Leon F. Czolgosz was prosecuted in Buffalo, New York, in 1901 for the murder of President McKinley.
Thomas Bird and Hans Hansen were tried in Portland, Maine, in 1790 for committing piracy and murder.
Levi and Laban Kenniston faced trial in Ipswich, Massachusetts, in 1817 for robbery.
William Lloyd Garrison was tried for libel in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1830.
In 1815, Ruggles Hubbard and James L. Bell, a sheriff and jailor, were tried in New York City for preventing an attorney from visiting their client in jail.
Grace A. Lusk was tried in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in 1918 for the murder of Mrs. Newman Roberts.
James Dalton was tried in New York City in 1823 for obtaining something by false pretense.
Joseph T. Buckingham was prosecuted for libel in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1824.
A second libel trial for Joseph T. Buckingham took place in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1824. Here are the paraphrased sentences:

Volume 14

The legal case against Isaac Cotteral and Peter Crannel for setting a fire was held in Troy, New York around 1820.
John Ward was prosecuted for the killing of Mrs. Ephriam Griswold in Burlington, Vermont in 1866.
In 1899, Joseph Neet and others were tried in Lexington, Missouri for violating laws regarding Sabbath observance.
Henry B. Hagerman faced a trial in New York City in 1818 for an assault with the intention to kill.
Albert H. Hicks was tried for engaging in acts of piracy in New York City in 1860.
Benjamin Shaw, John Alley Jr., Jonothan Buffum, and Preserved Sprague were tried in Ipswich, Massachusetts in 1822 for disrupting a religious service and causing a riot.
John Y. Beall was prosecuted in New York City in 1865 for breaking the rules of war and acting as a spy.

Volume 15

The First Vigilance Committee in San Francisco, California, held trials for various individuals accused of crimes in 1851.
Charles Cora was tried in San Francisco, California, in 1856 for the murder of William H. Richardson.
The Second Vigilance Committee in San Francisco, California, conducted trials for various accused criminals in 1856.
The Second Vigilance Committee in San Francisco, California, tried James P. Casey for the murder of James King of William, and also tried Charles Cora again for the murder of William H. Richardson in 1856.
In 1856, Judge David S. Terry was tried in San Francisco, California for attempted murder and other offenses.
Edward McGowan was prosecuted for the murder of James King of William in Napa City, California in 1857.
Laura D. Fair was tried in San Francisco, California, in 1871 for the murder of Alexander P. Crittenden.
Legal proceedings took place between Sarah Althea Hill and Senator William Sharon, as well as against David S. Terry and his wife, from 1883 to 1888. The first trial was for fraud and perjury, the second for divorce and alimony, the third for fraud and forgery, and the fourth for contempt of court. Here are the paraphrased sentences:

Volume 15

The legal proceedings concerning David Neagle’s petition for release, after he killed Judge David S. Terry, took place in San Francisco, California in 1889.
The court case against William Henry Theodore Durrant, accused of murdering Blanche Lamont, was held in San Francisco, California in 1895.

Volume 16

John Peter Zenger was tried in New York City in 1735 for the crime of publishing defamatory material.
Harry Crosswell faced trial in Hudson, New York, in 1803, for the offense of libel.
The legal proceedings against William P. Darnes for the killing of Andrew J. Davis occurred in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1840.
William Freeman was tried for the murder of John Van Nest in Auburn, New York, in 1846.
Edward Ol Coburn and Benjamin F. Dalton were tried in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1856, for the unintentional killing of William Sumner.
Benjamin F. Dalton initiated divorce proceedings against Helen M. Dalton in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857.
Charles B. Reynolds was tried for the crime of blasphemy in Morristown, New Jersey, in 1887.

Volume 17

Harry E. Wootton was tried for the crime of kidnapping in Tombstone, Arizona, in 1920.
William H. Westervelt was tried in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1875, for the abduction of Charley Ross.
Mary Harris faced trial in Washington, D.C., in 1865, for the murder of Adoniram J. Burroughs.
Nathaniel Jennison was tried in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1783, for assault and unlawful detainment.
Thomas J. Cluverius was tried for the murder of Fannie Lillian Madison in Richmond, Virginia, in 1885.
Martha Bradstreet was tried in New York City in 1817 for the offense of publishing libelous material.
Hannah Kinney was tried for the murder of George T. Kinney in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1840.
Lieutenant James Renshaw faced a court-martial in New York in 1808 for behavior deemed oppressive and inappropriate.
Lieutenant James Renshaw was court-martialed in New York City in 1809 for issuing a challenge to a duel.
Henry G. Green was tried for the murder of his wife in Troy, New York, in 1845.