Shall We Suffocate Ed Green?
The First Person to Rob an American Bank. Not in McDade. [Trial]. Green, Edward W. [d.1866], Defendant. A Citizen of Malden. Shall We Suffocate Ed. Green?. Boston: James Redpath, 1864. 61, [3] pp. Octavo (9-1/4" x 5-1/2"). Stab-stitched pamphlet in printed wrappers. Light soiling, staining and edgewear to wrappers and corners of text block, spine abraded, wrappers partially detached but secure. Moderate toning to interior, faint dampstaining to a few leaves, early owner inscription to head of front wrapper. $1,250. * Only edition. Green, the postmaster of Malden, Massachusetts, is believed to be the first person to rob an American bank. He was "a 'secretly drinking man' and had been short on his post office accounts. On December 15, 1863, finding the bank manned solely by the seventeen-year-old son of the president, he went back for his gun. Entering the bank, he shot the youth twice through the head and carried off $5,000. in bills. The crime was very quickly traced to him; his confession disclosed where he had hidden the money, and he was condemned to die" (McDade, annotation to 381). Published during Green's trial, this pamphlet condemns the large number of people who were ignoring the teachings of Christ by demanding his execution. OCLC locates 3 copies in North American law libraries (Harvard, Trial Court Library of Worcester, Yale). Not in McDade, which lists two other accounts of this case, 381 and 382.
Price: $1,250.00
Book number 71293