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Collection

Clark W. Hatch collection, 1889-1891

3 volumes

This collection is made up of a letter book, stenographer's notes, and scrapbook pertaining to the trials of Clark W. Hatch of Boston, Massachusetts. Hatch was accused of murdering his uncle, Henry Hatch of Kit Carson County, Colorado, and, later, of defrauding his employer, the Travelers Insurance Company.

This collection is made up of a letter book, stenographer's notes, and scrapbook pertaining to the trials of Clark W. Hatch of Boston, Massachusetts. Hatch was accused of murdering his uncle, Henry Hatch of Kit Carson County, Colorado, and, later, of defrauding his employer, the Travelers Insurance Company.

The letter book (102 pages) contains correspondence regarding Hatch's arrest and trial for the murder of his uncle, Henry Hatch. Most items are copies of letters by William J. Lewis, an acquaintance of Clark W. Hatch. Lewis requested information from officials involved in the case, including a local sheriff, and on at least one occasion provided information on Hatch's movements around the time of the murder (September 5, 1889). Lewis also affirmed his loyalty to Hatch and urged the accused to maintain a calm demeanor, lest he raise suspicions about the funding of his legal assistance (March 3, 1890). The letter book also includes letters from Hatch and other parties interested in the case; some of these are pasted onto the letter book's pages.

H. C. Hollister, the official stenographer for Clark W. Hatch's initial trial under Judge Lewis C. Greene in Burlington, Colorado, in May 1889, composed typed copies of witnesses' testimonies (189 pages). Witnesses included Henry Hatch's acquaintances, the boys who discovered his body, and several people who had seen Henry Hatch or Clark Hatch around the time of the murder. Clark W. Hatch and his father-in-law, Orrin Poppleton, also testified. The testimonies provide details about Henry Hatch's life, Clark W. Hatch's life and occupation, and their mutual histories.

A 70-page scrapbook contains newspaper clippings about Clark W. Hatch's murder trials and his later legal difficulties. Most clippings are from the Burlington Blade, the Burlington Boomerang, and the Rocky Mountain News. The editors of the Burlington papers wrote about the case and its background, and shared their stances regarding Hatch's guilt. The scrapbook also contains recapitulations of Hatch's arrests and trials. Later clippings detail a late investigation into the forgery charges against Clark W. Hatch. The final clipping, dated May 1891, pertains to Hatch's disappearance.

Collection

John Hughes and Sussex County Jury papers, 1875-1876

11 items

The John Hughes and Sussex County Jury papers are made up of legal documents pertaining to the 1875 trial of John Hughes for the murder of his wife Catharine, as well as lists of jury members in Sussex County, New Jersey, in 1875 and 1876. Two jury lists concern the trial of Robert Kimble for manslaughter.

The John Hughes and Sussex County Jury papers are made up of 8 legal documents and testimonies pertaining to the 1875 trial of John Hughes for the murder of his wife Catharine, 1 jury list for the Sussex County, New Jersey, Court of Oyer and Terminer for the April 1875 term, and 2 jury lists concerning the 1876 manslaughter trial of Robert Kimble.

John Hughes, an Irish immigrant, was accused of murdering his wife Catharine (or Catherine) with an axe on January 7, 1875. Legal records include a recapitulation of the case's proceedings (April 3, 1875), an affidavit with a sworn statement by Thomas A. Rogers (January 7, 1875), and a writ for the arrest of John Hughes (January 7, 1875). A bound group of documents (around 50 pages) contains testimonies and other documents from an inquisition related to the Hughes case. The collection also contains lists of potential jurors and witnesses. Newspaper clippings with printed testimonies or witness statements regarding the murder are affixed to 3 additional sheets of paper.

The remaining items are a list of grand jurors for the court's April 1875 term and 2 documents with lists of possible jurors for the manslaughter trial of Robert Kimble in the Sussex County Court of Oyer and Terminer in September 1876.

Collection

Lincoln County (Ky.) slave affidavits, 1808

16 pages

This collection consists of 8 affidavits recorded in Lincoln County, Kentucky, in 1808. The statements, all provided by slaves, concern events leading up to the stabbing of a slave named Moses in May 1808.

This collection consists of 8 affidavits (16 pages) recorded in Lincoln County, Kentucky, in 1808. The statements, provided by slaves named Ben, Peter, Caleb, Martin, Frank, David, Lew, and Jim, concern events leading up to the stabbing of a slave named Moses in May 1808. According to their testimony, Ben and Lew had a financial dispute after a card game, which later led to an altercation between a slave named Surry, who was a relative of Ben, and Moses, who was acquainted with Lew. The slaves who were involved in and who witnessed the incident belonged to several different masters. The affidavits provide detailed information about the men's activities before and during the fight between Surry and Moses.

Additional research about the collection and the context of Surry's murder trial is available in the Manuscripts Division.

Collection

Milton Lester and Sarah Parker papers, 1847

24 items

This collection is made up of legal documents and court records pertaining to the murder trial of Milton Lester and Sarah Parker in Washington County, Texas, in late 1847. Lester and Parker were accused of killing George Parker, Sarah's husband.

his collection is made up of legal documents and court records pertaining to the murder trial of Milton Lester and Sarah Parker in Washington County, Texas, in late 1847. Lester and Parker were accused of killing George Parker, Sarah's husband. The items are dated August 1847-December 1847. The first item is a formal indictment against Milton Lester and Sarah Ann Parker, accusing Parker of hiring Lester to shoot her husband, with notes about the case dated as late as April 1848. Other items include orders for the county sheriff to arrest Lester and Parker and summons for witnesses, some of which are signed by John B. Dupuy, a justice of the peace. One brief document and a 44-page group of records contain witness testimonies. One item relates the results of an inquisition on the cause of George Parker's death, deemed to be a single bullet to the chest. The final items pertain to the defendants' requests for their trial to take place in Austin County, as they did not believe that a jury of men from Washington County would be impartial.

Collection

Winnie Ruth Judd papers, 1931-1933

0.25 linear feet

This collection is made up of correspondence, legal documents, and newspaper clippings related to Winnie Ruth Judd and George W. Stephens. Judd was sentenced to death after being found guilty of the murder of her friend and roommate Agnes LeRoi, but avoided capital punishment after being declared insane at a later trial. The focus of the collection is on Judd's mental health and her second trial.

The Correspondence series consists of incoming and outgoing letters of George W. Stephens (24) and Winnie Ruth Judd (5). Stephens, superintendent of the Arizona State Hospital, sent and received 24 letters in the early 1930s. On June 13 and November 4, 1931, he wrote to George S. Adams of Yorkton State Hospital in South Dakota, discussing his salary, hospital funding, and his involvement as a witness in a murder trial. The remaining items are letters that Stephens received from various correspondents about his involvement with the Judd trial and his work at the hospital. Some criticized Stephens for testifying on behalf of Judd at her insanity trial and otherwise discussed the mental health aspects of the case. One correspondent suggested that exposure to aluminum had contributed to Judd's insanity (February 10, 1932), and a longtime acquaintance of the Judd family suggested that Winnie had always been slightly unstable (April 15, 1933). Additional items include a lengthy letter from Juanita Rose Baker, possibly a patient at the Napa State Hospital in Imola, California (January 30, 1932), and an open letter from H. C. Reichenbach of Detroit, Michigan, to the "Supreme Justice" about the religious aspects of capital punishment (April 16-17, 1933).

Winnie Ruth Judd wrote letters to George W. Stephens on October 17 and December 30, 1932. She complained of her poor treatment by "Dr. Stewart," including her imprisonment in a "death cell" where she could hear executions, and thanked Stephens for his assistance in her case. In letters to H. Richardson (October 26, 1932) and her husband, William C. Judd ([December 7, 1932]), she discussed her many health problems and related treatments. Judd received an unsigned letter of support dated December 12, 1932.

The Legal Documents series (13 items) contains materials related to Winnie Ruth Judd's physical and mental health around the time of her murder and insanity trials. Some items mention family members' own mental health issues. Items include a judge's decision regarding Judd's initial appeal of her conviction and sentence (December 12, 1932), and undated transcripts of testimonies by Dr. H. E. Pinkerton and George W. Stephens, both of whom believed that Judd suffered from dementia praecox.

The Newspaper Clippings and Other Printed Items series (37 items) is made up of articles related to the murders of Agnes LeRoi and Hedvig Samuelson and to Winnie Ruth Judd's trials. The materials cover several aspects of the case, including initial reports of the murders, lawyers and other legal personnel involved in Judd's trials, and trial proceedings and judgments. Some materials concern Jack Halloran, a Phoenix businessman and acquaintance of the three women who may have been involved in the murders. Included is Burton McKinnell's printed defense of his sister, entitled "The Truth About Winnie Ruth Judd."

The Photograph is a studio portrait of a young boy.