THE QUEEN VS. F.V.C. SHORTIS English Addresses of Counsel and the Charge of the Hon. Mr. Justice Mathieu to the Jury

Hardback. A book which documents the 1895 trial of Valentine Francis Cuthbert Shortis, an Irish immigrant charged with murdering two co-workers at the Montreal Cotton Company in Valleyfield, Quebec. Contents featuring English addresses by counsel and Justice Michel Mathieu’s charge to the jury, details the sensational case. Shortis, a 20-year-old clerk, shot his victims during a payroll robbery attempt, later pleading insanity due to mental instability. Despite a compelling defence, the jury convicted him of murder. Sentenced to hang, his penalty was commuted to life imprisonment, reflecting debates on criminal responsibility and mental health. 231pp. 8vo. h/back. With small rubber stamp to tp. which has sl. chipped edges. Rebound green cloth with gilt title to sp. Contents Vg. covers F. with protective film. Scarce.