Details:

David Lamson murder trial archive consisting of a four-page handwritten letter dated October 16, 1933, addressed from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Sheriff William Emig, San Quentin Warden James B. Holohan, the presiding judge, and other officials involved in the celebrated Lamson murder case. The heartfelt letter passionately argues for Lamson’s innocence, asserting that his wife, Allene Lamson, died accidentally after slipping in a bathtub rather than being murdered. The anonymous writer recounts a personal near-fatal bathtub accident as evidence that such a tragedy was possible, urging authorities to reconsider the circumstantial evidence before carrying out Lamson’s scheduled execution. Accompanying the letter are the original mailing envelope addressed to Sheriff Emig and Warden Holohan at San Quentin Prison with period postage, a contemporary newspaper clipping titled “Lamson Enters San Quentin Cell” depicting Lamson entering the prison alongside Sheriff Emig and Warden Holohan, and a printed copy of the Stanford Magazine retrospective, “Was It Murder?”, examining the controversial case decades later.

Overall very good condition with expected folds, handling wear, and age toning.

The David Lamson case became one of the most sensational murder trials of the 1930s. Lamson, advertising manager for Stanford University Press, was accused of murdering his wife, Allene, in the bathtub of their Stanford Faculty Row home on Memorial Day 1933. Prosecutors argued that the death had been staged to resemble an accident, while supporters maintained that Allene’s fatal injuries were consistent with an accidental fall. Convicted and sentenced to death, Lamson’s case attracted nationwide attention and inspired an extraordinary public campaign asserting his innocence. Following years of appeals and mounting criticism of the largely circumstantial evidence, the conviction was ultimately overturned, and prosecutors declined to retry the case. The collection offers a compelling contemporary glimpse into one of California’s most debated criminal cases, illustrating the public sentiment and controversy surrounding a trial that continues to fascinate legal historians nearly a century later.

Authentication:
Includes a full letter of authenticity from JG Autographs, Inc.

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Reference sku: 11624 1416823-1