clement vallandigham, a lawyer who, while trying to demonstrate\

by Alanna Rowe 5 min read

Clement Vallandigham – A defence lawyer who accidentally shot himself while trying to prove that someone shot himself. He died and the defendant was set free Sep 18, 2016 Tijana Radeska Clement Vallandigham Cl ement L. Vallandigham was a politician during the American Civil War who had Southern sympathies.

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What happened to Clement Valland Brigham in Horrible Histories?

 · Clement Vallandigham – A defence lawyer who accidentally shot himself while trying to prove that someone shot himself. He died and …

Who was the witness in the vallandigam trial?

 · The unfortunate Clement Vallandigham As Myers rose, scrabbling to draw his pistol from his pocket, a muffled shot was heard. He pulled out the gun, fired off a couple of wayward rounds, then ...

Why was William Valland Brigham arrested?

On this date, Clement Vallandigham, a Representative who was eventually convicted of treason, was born in Ohio. The son of a Presbyterian minister, Vallandigham eventually became a prominent lawyer in a thriving practice in Dayton. A believer in states’ rights, low tariffs, and slavery, Vallandigham was an ardent Democrat and his passion for the party sustained him …

Why was Valland Brigham dismissed from Jefferson College?

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What did Mr. Vallandigham do?

On the evening after the prosecution had closed their arguments, Mr Vallandigham took a piece of muslin from his hotel, headed out for open land, and conducted his own CSI Ohio experiment to establish the levels of residue left by a shot fired at point-blank range.

What happened to McGehan?

What became of McGehan? He was acquitted, only to be shot himself in Hamilton, a few years later.

How did the sailor pull the trigger?

He grabbed a pistol, put it in his pocket, drew it slowly, turned the muzzle on himself and pulled the trigger.

Who is the author of Victorian Strangeness?

Victorian Strangeness: The lawyer who shot himself proving his case. Author Jeremy Clay tells the strange story of the 19th Century lawyer who accidentally shot himself while demonstrating the innocence of a defendant in a murder trial.

What happened on Christmas Eve in Hamilton?

The Christmas Eve before, a rough and ready character called Thomas Myers had been playing cards in a private room above a bar in nearby Hamilton when five thugs burst in and a huge brawl broke out. As Myers rose, scrabbling to draw his pistol from his pocket, a muffled shot was heard.

What doctrine did Clement Vallandigham believe in?

Clement Vallandigham always believed in predestination. “I may, however, be mistaken,” he said even on his deathbed, “but I am a firm believer in that good old Presbyterian doctrine of predestination. ”. Of course, the reason that he was on his deathbed was that he’d just accidentally shot himself while in the process of demonstrating how another ...

What did Clement Vallandigham do in the last years of the war?

In the last years of the war, Vallandigham met with a Confederate representative in an attempt to form a “Northwest Confederacy” that would see Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana , and Illinois overthrow their governments and secede from the Union. However, the plan failed, Vallandigham withdrew from politics, and went back to Ohio. And within a few years, Clement Vallandigham was dead by his own hand.

How did Myers accidentally shoot himself?

He accidentally lifted the loaded pistol from the table, put it into his pocket, drew it back out, and left it pointed at his abdomen.

Did McGehan shoot Myers?

One night at the outset of the trial, Vallandigham sought to test out his defense, which suggested that McGehan hadn’t shot Myers, but that Myers had accidentally shot himself while drawing his own pistol. After conducting some ballistics tests that night, Vallandigham and his companions started back to the hotel.

Who was the lawyer who killed Tom Myers?

It was July 1871 and former congressman Clement Vallandigham was working as a lawyer in Lebanon, Ohio, defending Thomas McGehan, who was accused of killing a man named Tom Myers during a saloon brawl.

Was Vallandigham wounded?

Over the next 12 or so hours, Vallandigham lay mortally wounded as friends, reporters, doctors, and onlookers filtered in and out in an attempt to help and comfort him, but to little avail, as the bullet could not be found. Even McGehan was escorted in from his cell and reportedly cried upon witnessing the scene.

Did McGehan die in the saloon?

McGehan was soon acquitted and set free. After all, Vallandigham may have died in the process, but he did prove this theory. Nevertheless, McGehan himself died four years later — in a saloon shooting not unlike the one of which he’d been exonerated.

Who was Clement Vallandigham?

The son of a Presbyterian minister, Vallandigham eventually became a prominent lawyer in a thriving practice in Dayton. A believer in states’ rights, low tariffs, and slavery, Vallandigham was an ardent Democrat and his passion for ...

What was the Vallandigham party?

A believer in states’ rights, low tariffs, and slavery, Vallandigham was an ardent Democrat and his passion for the party sustained him through a long series of electoral losses. In his third attempt to win a Dayton-area seat in the House, Vallandigham lost by 19 votes in 1856.

What was the name of the group that led the anti-war movement?

A prominent leader of the anti-war “Peace Democrats” (or Copperheads), Vallandigham was arrested on May 5, 1863, and charged with “publicly expressing…his sympathies with those in arms against the Government of the United States.”. Upon his conviction, the Lincoln administration banished him to the Confederacy.

Where was Clement Vallandigham born?

Clement Vallandigham was born on July 29, 1820, in Lisbon, Ohio, United States of America. He was raised by his parents, Rebecca, and Clement Laird Vallandigham. He was homeschooled by his father, a Presbyterian minister.

When was Vallandigham reelected?

In 1856, Vallandigham was defeated when he ran for the Congress. However, he was re-elected in 1858, after his appeal to the ‘Committee of Elections.’. He once again won in 1860, but was defeated comprehensively in 1862, when he contested for a third term.

What was the name of the book that Edward Everett Haleto wrote about the deportation of the

Vallandigham’s deportation had inspired author Edward Everett Haleto write a short story titled ‘The Man without a Country.’ . The story was published in ‘The Atlantic’ magazine as part of its monthly edition. Vallandigham was also mentioned in a couple of other novels.

What would happen if Tom Myers' theory was proved?

If proved, his theory would not only place him in the winning team, but would also save the life of an innocent man. After examining Myers’ unloaded pistol, Vallandigham placed it next to his own pistol, which had three live rounds. Just as when he was writing his theory down, he had a few visitors, whom he decided to show how Tom Myers might have shot himself to death.

What was the order number that made it illegal to criticize the war within the Department of the Ohio?

Even after the issuance of ‘General Order Number 38,’ which made it illegal to criticize the war within the ‘Department of the Ohio,’ Vallandigham delivered many speeches criticizing the war and its effects. For violating ‘General Order Number 38,’ Vallandigham was arrested on May 5, 1863.

Who killed himself in the murder case?

Vallandigham shot himself accidentally while trying to prove his point in a murder case, which involved his defendant Thomas McGehan. Vallandigham's deportation had inspired author Edward Everett Hale to write a short story titled ‘The Man without a Country.’.

Where did Clement go to college?

Clement went to ‘Jefferson College’ in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. However, he did not receive his degree as he was dismissed after a dispute with the president of the college. Edwin M. Stanton, who was Clement’s friend back then, lent him $500.

Who was Clement Vallandigham?

Vallandigham was a lawyer, newspaper editor, and former member of Congress who spoke his mind freely on political issues. He detested abolitionists and the Emancipation Proclamation, criticized the war and compulsory military service, and supported a negotiated settlement that would let the South peacefully leave the Union.

Why did Vallandigham refuse to plead guilty?

Vallandigham refused to plead because he did not recognize the military court’s jurisdiction over him, because the civilian courts were open, and he argued he was consequently being denied his Fifth Amendment right to due process. The two-day trial proceeded nonetheless. Vallandigham asserted in vain that he had exercised his constitutional right to free speech. He was found guilty and sentenced to prison for the duration of the war.

Why did Lincoln say no American citizen could be arrested for criticizing the government?

Lincoln conceded that no American citizen could be arrested for criticizing the government but argued that Vallandigham had interfered with recruiting and encouraged desertion from the army. He explained his constitutional reasoning with a folksy analogy:

What did the President say about the prosecution of Vallandigham?

The president defended the prosecution and conviction of Vallandigham and stated that the “case requires, and the law and the Constitution sanction, this punishment.” He asked with particular insight about his presidential duties: “Must I shoot a simple-minded soldier boy who deserts, while I must not touch the hair of a wily agitator who induces him to desert?”

What was Lincoln's most controversial use of executive war powers?

In several northern cities, opposition to conscription took the form of draft riots in 1863 that led the president to declare martial law and suspend habeas corpus in select areas. The Emancipation Proclamation, which on January 1, 1863, freed the slaves in states then in rebellion against the United States, was perhaps Lincoln’s most controversial use of executive war powers.

How many soldiers were in Vallandigham's house?

A few nights later, 100 soldiers appeared at Vallandigham’s home at 2:30 a.m. and kicked down his front door. The soldiers then marched into the bedroom and took the startled former congressman into custody. They transported him to a Cincinnati prison where he awaited trial by a military commission, charged with violating Order No. 38 and expressing disloyal statements that aided the enemy and weakened the power of the federal government to prosecute the war, especially recruiting.

Who ordered General Burnside to issue Order No. 38?

Lincoln had ordered General Burnside to issue Order No. 38.

Why did Vallandigham lose his term?

However, his loss was at least partially due to redistricting his Congressional district . Despite this loss, some still considered him to be a future presidential candidate.

Where was Clement Vallandigham born?

Clement Laird Vallandigham was born July 29, 1820, in New Lisbon, Ohio (now Lisbon, Ohio ), to Clement and Rebecca Laird Vallandigham. His father, a Presbyterian minister, educated his son at home.

What did Vallandigham say about Lincoln?

He denounced Lincoln's violations of civil liberties, "which have made this country one of the worst despotisms on earth". Vallandigham openly criticized Lincoln's preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, charging that "war for the Union was abandoned ; war for the Negro openly begun.".

What was the speech that Vallandigham gave to the House of Representatives?

On February 20, 1861, Vallandigham delivered a speech titled "The Great American Revolution" to the House of Representatives. He accused the Republican Party of being "belligerent" and advocated a "choice of peaceable disunion upon the one hand, or Union through adjustment and conciliation upon the other.".

When did the Supreme Court rule that it had no power to issue a writ of habeas corp

In February 1864 , the Supreme Court ruled that it had no power to issue a writ of habeas corpus to a military commission ( Ex parte Vallandigham, 1 Wallace, 243).

Who was the editor of the Dayton Empire?

Shortly after beginning to practice law in Dayton, Ohio, Vallandigham entered politics. He was elected as a Democrat to the Ohio legislature in 1845 and 1846, and served as editor of a weekly newspaper, the Dayton Empire, from 1847 until 1849.

Was Vallandigham requested by Horace Greeley?

The peace proposal of France was true; Vallandigham had been requested by Horace Greeley to assist in the peace plan.

The case

Clement Vallandigham’s client, Thomas McGehean, was standing trial for the murder of Thomas Myers.

The uncanny defense

The case eventually went to trial in 1871, where Clement Vallandigham came to the aid of McGehean’s defense.

Aftermath

Doctors attempted to remove the bullet but were unable to find it. The good counsel died of inflammation the very next day.

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