Beschreibung:

Purports to be an early legal document from the offices of Lincoln & Herndon in Springfield. This is apparently one of Joseph Cosey's numerous forgeries, especially evident in how he makes the "t" in words such as "the" - nothing like the way Lincoln actually made them. Another Cosey trait is that his "Lincoln" is written on one plane, where Lincoln himself wrote on a couple of levels, with the "ln" at the end being higher than the rest of the name. Almost certainly a "Cosey Special." There are probably still hundreds, if not thousands, of Cosey forgeries still circulating and sitting in various institutions. Cosey's documents were so convincing, they fooled expert after expert (including us). Joseph Cosey (born Martin Coneely, 1887-?) was an apprentice printer, possibly inspiration for his later career, before serving 4 years in the army. After a dishonorable discharge, he began his career in crime in earnest. He began with theft, then moved on to attempting to cash counterfeit checks and carrying a concealed weapon. It was after serving 10 years in San Quentin for these various crimes that he embarked on his forgery career. He was inspired by a visit to the Library of Congress, where he stole a Benjamin Franklin document, which he then used to practice Franklin's writing style. He was so successful, that he moved on to other historical figures. Lincoln became his specialty, although he also forged John Adams Thomas Jefferson George Washington, Patrick Henry, and more (Poe, Twain, Kipling, etc.). Part of the reason his forgeries were so convincing is that somewhere he obtained reams of old paper - especially the blue legal type used before the Civil War, and old writing instruments and ink. Cosey was eventually exposed, and served one of three years to which he was sentenced. Upon his release, he went right back to forgery. He was so successful at his "craft" that Cosey's forgeries are collectible in their own right. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). Sixteenth President of the United States (1861-1865). This forgery of a legal document signed, 1p, 12.25 x 8.375 in., Urbana (IL), 1 March 1858. Entered in the Circuit Court of Champaign County, March Term 1858, No. 24, the suit seeks redress for Trespass and Damage in the sum $600. Lincoln, representing plaintiff William Burton alleges that defendant C.R. Matthews was trespassing upstream of plaintiff's gristmill on the Sangamon River, from which point he threw some saw-logs into the river and the same floated downstream and burst his plaintiffs mill-dam causing him loss of produce and destruction of his machinery. Signed A. Lincoln. Docketed on verso the usual information, including -- most interestingly -- the name of the defendant's counsel: McClernand. John Alexander McClernand (1812-1900) was one of Abraham Lincoln's closest personal friends and professional advisors. His pre-Civil War biography is remarkably similar to that of Lincoln's: he was born in Kentucky, largely self-educated, practiced law in central Illinois, volunteered for the Blackhawk War, and represented Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1840s. Interestingly when one compares this forgery with the other (lot 246), one sees that Cosey was not so creative. Both are dated 1 March 1858, but one is from Champaign County, and the other from Sagamon Co. Sagamon is nearly in the center of Illinois, while Champaign is near the Indiana border (only Vermillion County stands in the way). Springfield (seat of Sagamon Co.) and Urbana (seat of Champaign Co.) are about 100 miles apart. Was the court meeting both places? Could he be in two places when travel was by horse, riverboat, train, foot? One lists William Burton as the Plaintiff, the other is William C. Davidson. In one the Defendant is C.R. Matthews, the other Edward Cole. Both asking $600 in damages for trespassing upstream of the gristmill and logs thrown in the river damaging the mill dam. Two identical cases on the same day? Reference: Crime Lib