Lincoln's Last Trial

Dan Abrams

📚 GENRE: History

📃 PAGES: 344

✅ COMPLETED: June 18, 2018

🧐 RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Short Summary

With help from transcribed court documents discovered in 1960, Dan Abrams details the final case of Abraham Lincoln’s highly successful legal career — an 1859 murder trail case between The State of Illinois and Quinn Harrison. Lincoln won the case and went on to win the 1860 presidential election. 

Key Takeaways

1️⃣ Lincoln Prioritized Preparation — Lincoln was an incredibly talented lawyer, but he was also always prepared. He went out of his way to be over prepared for everything. Take pride in preparation. 

2️⃣ Stand Up For What’s Right  — Lincoln didn’t have to defend Harrison in this case; in fact, it was quite risky. Lincoln was the favorite to win the Republican Party nomination, and a loss would have hurt him. He took the case because he believed Harrison’s claim of self-defense. 

3️⃣ Lincoln was Great With People — One of Lincoln’s strengths as a lawyer was his ability to connect with witnesses and the jury. This skill also served him well as President. 

Book Notes 📑

*Did not take chapter-by-chapter notes on this one. Running list below.

  • This book is about an 1859 murder trial case — The State of Illinois vs. Quinn Harrison
    • Trial was in Springfield, Illinois — hometown of Abraham Lincoln. 
  • Lincoln was a very successful lawyer before becoming president. 
  • Harrison was indicted with murder after killing his friend and neighbor, Greek Crafton, with a knife.
    • Crafton attacked and Harrison defended himself. 
  • Lincoln took the defense case. He only took the cases he believed in.
    • This was risky for Lincoln because he was the favorite to win the Republican Party nomination for the 1860 presidential run.
      • He was in good favor with the US population. If he lost the case, he would suffer with the public. 
  • The author used actual transcripts from the case handwritten by a stenographer, Robert Hitt.
    • The transcripts were found by Harrison‘s great, great grandson in Fresno in 1960 in his house wrapped in a box.
  • Stenographers in court were fairly rare at the time, but Harrison‘s family was wealthy, and Lincoln and Hitt had a good working relationship.
    • Hitt had transcribed Lincoln vs. Douglas debates.
  • Harrison talked junk about Crafton at a Fourth of July party in 1859. It had something to do with Crafton hitting Harrison‘s sister.
    • A few weeks later, Crafton attacked Harrison in the store. Harrison did not want to fight. He held on to a countertop until Crafton and his brother dragged him into a back room in the store. They stumbled over boxes and Crafton‘s brother started hitting Harrison.
      • Harrison stabbed Crafton in self-defense. Crafton later died from the injury. 
  • Hitt had went to school to become a stenographer, which was a lucrative trade at the time.
  • John Palmer, a successful lawyer, prosecuted the case.
    • Palmer argued that Harrison was waiting to kill Crafton. 
    • He used evidence that Harrison bought a knife as proof.
  • Lincoln claimed self-defense. He used witnesses to try to show that Harrison was worried that Crafton might attack him.
    • Lincoln was great with witnesses and the jury.
    • He was known for being a master preparer.
  • Lincoln used dialogue and witnesses to prove that Harrison resisted fighting until he was being double-teamed by Crafton and his brother.
  • Most important evidence was Harrison‘s grandpa testifying that Crafton had accepted blame and knew he caused the result.
    • Harrison’s grandpa was a reverend and had visited Crafton in the hospital. The admission was made there.
      • Palmer tried to prove that nothing like that was ever said. 
  • Palmer fought to prevent the grandpa from taking the stand.
    • The judge ultimately allowed the grandpa to take the stand. 
    • Harrison was not able to take the stand because accused people were not allowed to testify at the time.
  • After long final statements by both sides, the jury ruled that Harrison had acted in self-defense.
    • Lincoln won the case.
  • Lincoln went on to win the 1860 presidential election.
    • This was Lincoln’s very last murder trial. 
    • He was an excellent lawyer. He didn’t really specialize in anything. He defended many cases, but he also prosecuted some. 
  • Lincoln’s strengths as a lawyer:
    • He was always ultra prepared
    • He had an ability to connect with jury and witnesses
    • He knew how to ask strategic questions of witnesses
    • He knew how to get what he was after with witnesses