Life And Confessions Of James Gilbert Jenkins: The Murderer Of Eighteen Men. Containing An Account Of The Murder Of Eight White Men And Ten Indians; Together With The Particulars Of Highway Robberies, The Stealing Of Several Horses, And Numerous Other Crimes, Committed In Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas, New Mexico, Nebraska, And California: As Narrated By Himself To Col. C.H. Allen, Sheriff Of Napa County, While In Jail Under Sentence Of Death For The Murder Of Patrick O'Brien.

WOOD, R.E. [PHONOGRAPHICALLY REPORTED AND ARRANGED

Publication: CH ALLEN and RE Wood, 1864, Napa City

First edition. 8vo. Pictorial wrappers, [2], 56 pp., frontis. [portrait], advertisements on verso of back wrapper, has two similar illustrations after p.48. First Edition of one of California's few contributions to the literary genre of the gallows confession. The condemned man blamed his long and bloody criminal career on the demon rum. Six Guns 2440 says, "An exceedingly rare little book on one of the early outlaws of California." Cowan p.312 says, "The dispensation of justice in that day was not impeded by iniquitous technicality, nor disturbed by false sentiment. This abandoned wretch was arrested Jan. 19, 1864, and hanged on March 18 of the same year." Jenkins killed O'Brien after O'Brien's wife talked him into it with an offer that he could have his way with her or her young daughter and run the ranch and marry who he wanted, and he believed it. Small water stain to first page that gradually becomes smaller as the text progresses, minor edge wear to bottom edge of first 38 pages, else a very good tight copy, housed in a full-leather four-point folding case, with gold stamping to front cover and spine.

Inventory Number: 2792