You searched for: Melville Davisson Post

The Strange Schemes of Randolph Mason - Melville Davisson Post

1896 - G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York - First Edition
A fine and thus rare copy of this ground breaking work of detective fiction which controversially laid out the legal loopholes on which a criminal could carry out his plans on the basis that he would be acquitted in court (the relevant statutes are cited). Obviously an unscrupulous and highly intelligent lawyer is required, that man being Randolph Mason, who features in this collection of seven stories.

Housed in custom clamshell case, with additional signed compliments slip from the author loosely laid in.

‘Post (1871-1930) studied law at West Virginia University in 1892, several years spent in the practice of criminal and corporation law in his native state gave him the background for these short stories. The book created something of a furore, moralists objecting that it gave too much advice to criminals. Post retorted that nothing but good could come of exposing the law’s defects. And in fact the second story ‘
The Corpus Delicti’ is credited with hastening a long need change in criminal procedure.’ - Howard Haycraft, ‘Murder for Pleasure’. 
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Price HK$ 20,000