The Trial of the Hon Maturin Livingston, Esq., Against James Cheetham

1807. Bowie, Ralph (former owner). Bowie, Ralph (former owner). A Card Game and a Libel Case [Trial]. Livingston, Maturin [1769-1847], Plaintiff. Cheetham, James [1772-1810], Defendant. Sampson, William [1764-1836], Reporter. The Trial of the Hon Maturin Livingston, Esq., Against James Cheetham, For a Libel; Held at the Sittings, On the Twenty Eighth of Nov. 1807, Before the Hon. Judge Spencer. Taken in Short Hand. New York: Printed and Published by S. Gould, Law Bookseller and Law Stationer, 1807. 63, [1] pp. Octavo (7-3/4" x 5-3/4"). Disbound stab-stitched pamphlet. Light browning, light foxing in a few places, title page detached and lightly edgeworn, early owner signature ("R. Bowie," affected by trimming) to its head. $450. * Only edition. Livingston, a member of the prominent Livingston family, was a New York City lawyer and politician. "Cheetham was accused of libeling Livingston by charging in the Republican Watch Tower, 14 September 1805, that the latter cheated at cards. The defendant was found guilty and fined $1,000" (McCoy). The R. Bowie who owned this pamphlet may be Ralph Bowie [1755-1816]. Born and educated in Scotland, he emigrated to the United States in the early 1780s for political reasons and established himself in York, Pennsylvania, where he became a connected and well-respected attorney. Cohen, Bibliography of Early American Law 11994. McCoy, Freedom of the Press C296.