A Narrative of the Mysterious and Dreadful Murder of Mr W Weare..

1824. London, 1824.. London, 1824. Rare Account of a "Mysterious and Dreadful Murder" [Trials]. Thurtell, John [1794-1824]. Probert, William [d.1825]. Hunt, Joseph. A Narrative of the Mysterious and Dreadful Murder of Mr. W. Weare, Containing the Examination Before the Magistrates, The Coroner's Inquest, The Confession of Hunt, And Other Particulars Previous to the Trial, Collected from the Best Sources of Intelligence, With Anecdotes of Weare, Thurtell, Hunt, Probert, And Others; And a Full Report of the Trial, And Subsequent Execution at Hertford. London: Printed and Published by J. M'Gowen, [1824]. 247 pp. Stipple-engraved frontispiece, 2 stipple-engraved plates, 4 woodcut text illustrations. Octavo (8-1/4" x 5-1/4"). Later three-quarter calf over marbled boards, lettering piece, gilt ornaments and gilt fillets to spine. Moderate rubbing to boards and extremities, corners bumped, front joint starting at foot. Moderate toning, occasional light foxing, tiny holes to Leaves C2 (pp. 15-16) and 2C (pp. 197-198) with negligible loss to text, small faint inkstain to Leaf D (pp. 21-22), a tiny hole in its right-hand margin. An appealing copy of a rare title. $1,500. * Only edition. John Thurtell, an unlucky gambler, was deeply in debt to the crooked bookmaker William Weare. Deciding to take revenge, Thurtell, along with his friends Joseph Hunt and William Probert, murdered Weare in a grisly manner and tossed his body into a pond. Thurtell tried to escape conviction. He was hanged. Hunt confessed his involvement and stated that Thurtell was the killer. He was sent to the penal colony in Botany Bay, Australia. Charges against Probert were dropped in exchange for his wife's testimony. OCLC locates 5 copies, 3 in North America, 1 in a law library (US Supreme Court). Not in the Harvard Law Catalogue. British Museum Catalogue (Compact Edition) 25:136.