The Trial of Ruth Snyder & Judd Gray [Series Title: Notable American Trials]

New York: Doubleday, Doran & Company, 1938. First Edition. First printing. Octavo. Red cloth hardcover, stamped in black and gilt on spine; dustjacket; xvi,[1]-377pp; frontispiece and seven inserted leaves of photographic plates (halftones). A tight, clean, Near Fine copy. In the original dustwrapper, unclipped (priced $3.50 on front flap); sunned but legible on spine panel and with a shallow loss at crown, just affecting spine title; else lightly worn, Very Good or better. Detailed study, including transcripts, legal analysis, and a historical synopsis by Kobler, of one of the most-publicized trials of the 20th century. Ruth Brown Snyder and her (truncated) lover Judd Gray were convicted of the murder of Snyder's husband in 1927; after nearly a year of appeals they were executed at Sing Sing Prison on January 12, 1928. Snyder was the first woman ever to be put to death in the electric chair. The Snyder–Judd case inspired a number of fictional works, most notably (and literally) James M. Cain's great noir novel Double Indemnity, which was later adapted for film by Billy Wilder. A volume in the Doubleday Doran series "Notable American Trials." Somewhat uncommon in dustwrapper. (Inventory #: 81423)