This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/24/2025
[TRUE CRIME]. HOWARD, H. R. The History of Virgil A. Stewart, and His Adventures in Capturing and Exposing the Great “Western Land Pirate" and His Gang, in Connexion with the Evidence. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1836. 8vo. 36pp. publisher's catalogue at end. (Spotting throughout). Original textured cloth, printed spine label (spine and label toned, worn, and chipped, boards worn, soiled, text toned, soiled foxed). Good. This book was in Stephen H. Gale's pioneering circulating library in the early city of Chicago (Gale published the first law book in Chicago and was Chief of the Fire Company before he became a Director of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. The manuscript statement of sale (on the front blank) was in the hand of Gale's relative, Augustus H. Burley (an original member of Chicago's Board of Trade) dated July 19th 1839. With the ownership signature (on the title-page) of Lewis Ellsworth of Naperville (Ellsworth was a DuPage County pioneer from Lisle, IL, and he became a county judge in 1839; he owned “Ellsworth Grove" in Naperville). FIRST EDITION of “the earliest account of a detective's experiences in bringing to justice the Murrell gang of outlaws" (Adams). Adams, One–Fifty 73; Adams, Six Guns 1045; Howes