$850
Estimate: $500 - $800
The Collection of Victor Niederhoffer, Part III
Auction: January 30, 2020 10:00:00 AM EDT
London: Printed for Joseph Cox, 1756. First edition. 8vo. (v), 110 pp. Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece. 19th-century three-quarter burgundy leather over marbled paper-covered boards, spine stamped in gilt, front and rear joint rubbed; all edges trimmed; later endpapers; text trimmed, affecting some letters on title-page.
A scarce and sensational account of the Macdaniel Scandal that rocked Britian in 1754. Led by Stephen Macdaniel, a group of "thief-takers" (private individuals hired by victims to capture criminals) orchestrated a corrupt racket of arresting and framing innocent men in order to collect reward money from bounties, and in one instance leading to the execution of the innocent Joshua Kidden. The scandal led to the implementation of a salaried public police force. Written by the constable who exposed the conspiracy.