Item Details

Green, William H.

Ornamental Calligraphy [Prison Art].

Mass: 1868. Unique. Framed Decorative Calligraphy by convicted wife-murderer Rev. William Harrison Green of West Cornwall, Connecticut, lech, polygamist, PT Barnum politician. He convicted of poisoning his second wife with strychnine for her money, sentenced to be hung Dec 4, 1868, a sentence reduced to life imprisonment in 1869, in Litchfield Jail. He produced these sheets to sell for a "small consideration." In addition to the rather creepy lovebirds and portrait of a woman, he has written the rather cryptic inscription: "Communications - Running Hand - 1868 - Denmark - London - Mammion - Communion - Money - Honey", along with a hex circle. History/Biography: “The Rev. Mr. Green is passing his time very quietly in jail, just now. He has gone into the ornamental penmanship and illuminating business, and furnishes specimens for a small “consideration,” some of which are quite highly colored and artistic. We hear he is much grieved at the unfraternal conduct of the clergymen of our village. Circumstances have prevented his calling on them, and none of them have ever visited them.” “The trial of the Rev. William H. Green of Cornwall for murder excited a very general interest. In 1865 Mr. Green resided in Centerville. NY., in the character of an itinerant Methodist preacher, and about that time he married a woman with whom he lived several months occupying with her the parsonage of the parish wherein he preached. In 1866 he abandoned this wife and married a young widow who had a small amount of property amounting to some twelve or fifteen hundred dollars. In the spring of 1867 he came to Connecticut and took the stump for P. T. Barnum who was then running for Congress on the Republican ticket. He was esteemed a very powerful preacher and his political arguments were eloquent and convincing, he also lectured on temperance and was an evangelist and held revival meetings in different places. After a time he joined his second wife's brother in West Cornwall and engaged with him in the general country store business. Mrs. Green was in feeble health with consumption and grew rapidly worse. On the evening of May 6, 1867 she was attacked with spasms and died just after midnight. From certain suspicious circumstances and subsequent conduct of Green, suspicion was aroused to the cause of her death. About the middle of June her body was exhumed and the stomach and liver sent to Prof. Barker of New Haven for examination who found traces of strychnine in those organs. Green was arrested and sent to Litchfield for safe keeping without a mittimus [a warrant issued to a sheriff commanding the delivery to prison of a person named in the warrant] and of course was not locked up. While under keepers here his brother-in-law called upon him and informed him of the result of the analysis. Green concluded that his residence at the jail was not desirable at least on his part and made his departure therefrom unknown to the authorities and was for a few days in parts unknown. In a few days he reported at West Cornwall where he was formally arrested and attempted to save the State the trouble and expense of three trials by cutting his throat with a pocket knife in which he was not entirely successful. He was bound over to the Superior Court for trial and in November 1867 was tried for the crime and convicted of murder and sentenced to be hung on December 4th, 1868. His case was carried to the Supreme Court and a new trial granted him on the ground of newly discovered evidence. In January 1869 he was again before the Superior Court and the new trial resulted in a disagreement of the jury, but in September of that year the third trial was had and the jury returned a verdict of guilty of murder in the second degree. He was sentenced to State Prison for life September 25, 1869, where he died.” [Kilbourn, Dwight. The Bench and Bar of Litchfield County, Connecticut, 1709-1909. 1909]. Very Good. Minor wear to frame, else bright and clean. In mitered grain painted frame, under glass. 15"x10.75'', image: 12"x7.75. Item #11170

Price: $7,500.00