A Brief History of the Town of Stoneham, Mass. From Its First Settlement to the

Description: Silas Dean (1815–1906) A Brief History of the Town of Stoneham, Mass. From Its First Settlement to the Present Time: With an Account of the Murder of Jacob Gould, on the Evening of Nov. 25, 1819. Boston: Printed at S.R. Hart’s, 1843. 36pp. First edition. 12mo. Original plain wrappers with chipping; spine reinforced and title page with expert tissue mends, resewn. History and a tale of mostly getting away with murder. Stoneham, Massachusetts was settled c.1645 and incorporated in 1725 after its separation from the Town of Charlestown. This scarce history focuses on the settlers (including a few Black servants—Simon and Cato), ministers, buildings, and roads. It concludes with the tragic story of “The Stoneham Murder” of Jacob Gould, described as “one of the most brutal murders, any where on record.” A scion of one of the oldest families of Stoneham, bachelor Jacob Gould was known to keep his wealth at home in gold and silver specie. A convict from Stoneham, held in the prison at Charlestown and aware of this hoard, shared this knowledge with a soon-to-be-released prisoner named Daniels. Daniels and two others surprised Gould at home, stabbing him multiple times in the attack. Jacob’s siblings, David and Polly, were seized and bound and all three were compelled to retrieve their money in the house which they shared. After the robbers left, David was able to raise the alarm in Stoneham, but Jacob died in the night and the murderers escaped. A $1,000 reward was offered to catch the assailants. Wounded in the scuffle, Daniels escaped to Newport, Rhode Island, but immediately fell under suspicion. He was returned to Massachusetts and committed to trial. After witnesses came forward, describing Daniels’ pre-meditated plan to steal the money, he hanged himself in his cell. Reasonable doubt let one accomplice escape justice; no one was convicted. Stoneham’s town historian weakly concludes this tragic tale by observing that “Possibly the murderers are all dead.” Scarce to commerce with a Goodpeed catalogue offering only a later 1870 edition. Albeit a hybrid of town history and a murder narrative, neither this title nor anything related to the murder appears in McDade. Sabin 19042.Our Stock# 3731201 About Us Established in 1995, Ian Brabner, Rare Americana, LLC buys and sells rare and antiquarian books and historical manuscripts published or created in pre-1900 America. We are located in Wilmington, Delaware. Member Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA). International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB). The Manuscript Society. Ephemera Society of America. Guarantee All items are guaranteed to be as described. Authenticity is guaranteed for the lifetime of the original purchaser. As a member of the above-named trade organizations, we abide by their published code of ethics. Any item is returnable for any reason within 30 days(prior notice appreciated). If you have questions regarding our description for this item, please contact us. We will be happy to answer them. Shipping Items are expertly packed in bubble wrap and shipped in new boxes or reinforced envelopes. No International Buyers Please, no buyers outside of the USA. Feedback We leave feedback after receiving feedback from buyers. If you're unhappy with any part of your transaction with us, please let us know. Our priority is to make you happy and resolve issues promptly. © 2024 Ian Brabner, Rare Americana, LLC. All rights reserved.

Price: 350 USD

Location: Wilmington, DE

End Time: 2025-01-30T17:54:02.000Z

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