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A Death at Crooked Creek: The Case of the Cowboy, the Cigarmaker, and the Love Letter Kindle Edition

by Marianne Wesson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 13 ratings
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"This is an
extraordinary and ground-breaking book, a wonderfully creative mix of fact and
theory, imagination and drama. Anyone with an interest in law, history, or, for
that matter, great storytelling will fall in love with A Death at Crooked Creek. The startling origin of the complex
'intention exception' to the hearsay evidence rule becomes canvas on which a
grand and marvelously detailed tale is told. This is modern narrative at its
best: a marriage of spectacular writing and hard, documented truth presented by
a brilliant author who doubles as a gifted and fastidious legal scholar and
historian."

—Andrew Popper,
American University


One winter night in
1879, at a lonely Kansas campsite near Crooked Creek, a man was shot to death.
The dead man’s traveling companion identified him as John Hillmon, a cowboy
from Lawrence who had been attempting to carve out a life on the blustery
prairie. The case might have been soon forgotten and the apparent widow, Sallie
Hillmon, left to mourn—except for the $25,000 life insurance policies Hillmon
had taken out shortly before his departure. The insurance companies refused to
pay on the policies, claiming that the dead man was not John Hillmon, and
Sallie was forced to take them to court in a case that would reach the Supreme
Court twice. The companies’ case rested on a crucial piece of evidence: a faded
love letter written by a disappeared cigarmaker, declaring his intent to travel
westward with a “man named Hillmon.”


In A Death at
Crooked Creek, Marianne Wesson re-examines the long-neglected evidence in
the case of the Kansas cowboy and his wife, recreating the court scenes that
led to a significant Supreme Court ruling on the admissibility of hearsay
evidence. Wesson employs modern forensic methods to examine the body of the
dead man, attempting to determine his true identity and finally put this
fascinating mystery to rest.


This engaging and
vividly imagined work combines the drama, intrigue, and emotion of excellent
storytelling with cutting-edge forensic investigation techniques and legal
theory. Wesson’s superbly imagined A Death at Crooked Creek will
have general readers, history buffs, and legal scholars alike wondering whether
history, and the Justices, may have misunderstood altogether the events at that
bleak winter campsite.

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  1. Print length
    406 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    NYU Press
  5. Publication date
    May 3, 2013
  6. File size
    3495 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The story of the Hillmon trials has all the hallmarks of a compelling mystery, including hidden pieces of evidence and witnesses changing their testimony....A Death at Crooked Creekis a riveting and well-researched account of the intersection of modern forensics and a cold case from the Old West, one that led to a rule of evidence still in use today. A helpful timeline of events and a list of important characters are provided, and the index is thorough and useful. This intriguing true-crime story that made it to the Supreme Court is highly recommended for law, general academic, and public libraries." -- Stephanie Ziegler ― Law Library Journal

"This is an extraordinary and ground-breaking book, a wonderfully creative mix of fact and theory, imagination and drama. Anyone with an interest in law, history, or, for that matter, great storytelling will fall in love with A Death at Crooked Creek. The startling origin of the complex 'intention exception' to the hearsay evidence rule becomes canvas on which a grand and marvelously detailed tale is told. This is modern narrative at its best: a marriage of spectacular writing and hard, documented truth presented by a brilliant author who doubles as a gifted and fastidious legal scholar and historian." -- Andrew Popper,American University

"Marianne Wesson brings empathy, imagination, and dedication to detail to this creative reinvestigation of a landmark Supreme Court decision. Meticulously researched, A Death at Crooked Creek reads like the best kind of historical novel and reminds us that behind every famous court case were the lives of real people and families." -- Alafair Burke,author of Long Gone

"[A] riveting historical investigation of murder, insurance fraud, and a Supreme Court ruling." ― Library Journal

"The 'whodunit' lives in law professor Marianne Wesson's A Death at Crooked Creek. Her book tells the story of one of the most intriguing mysteries in American legal history: who was shot and killed at Crooked Creek, Kan., on a late winter's day in 1879? For evidence teachers, and possibly even law students slogging their way through hearsay and its exceptions, Mutual Life Ins. v. Hillmon, 145 U.S. 285 (1892), is a classic 19th-century mystery story....A Death at Crooked Creekis a productive melange of fact and fiction, of then and now, of mystery and science, and an enjoyable meditation on law and persons." -- Michael Ariens ― The Federal Lawyer

"This engaging and vividly imagined work combines the drama, intrigue, and emotion of excellent storytelling with cutting-edge forensic investigation techniques and legal theory." ― Kansas State Library

"Known for her legal thrillers, University of Colorado law professor Wesson (Chilling Effect) employs her expertise to great effect in this exhaustive study of famous crime that left its mark on the American legal system...Wesson's efforts result in a true crime drama that's well researched, easy to read, and oddly compelling." ― Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Marianne Wesson is Professor of Law and President’s Teaching Scholar, University of Colorado Law School. She is the author of best-selling and prize-winning legal novels including Render up the Body, A Suggestion of Death, and Chilling Effect. She lives in a Colorado mountain valley with her husband, llamas, dogs, and visiting wildlife.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00C59RM7I
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ NYU Press (May 3, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 3, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3495 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 406 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 13 ratings

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Marianne Wesson

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
13 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Julia Frey
5.0 out of 5 stars The best true crime story I've ever read! 21st-century attorney solves a mysterious death from 1879.
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2022
Verified Purchase
What a page-turner! It was so gripping that I’ve been glued to my kindle. I was particularly struck by the author's premonitory rapprochement of the populist politics in Kansas during the mid-20th century and current 21st century American conspirationists who still insist that Trump was elected. Will humans never learn?
A Death at Crooked Creek: The Case of the Cowboy, the Cigarmaker, and the Love Letter, contains the kind of research and writing that make it utterly convincing. The imaginative way Wesson handles the interplay amongst past events and her own work uncovering further facts, as well as the scenes she openly invents to show how characters are feeling, all prove what an excellent writer she is. A book that gave me many hours of pleasure.
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Jim Coburn
5.0 out of 5 stars The primary event of this story took place near 99 ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
The primary event of this story took place near 99 Springs, a summer resort north of Medicine Lodge, Kansas. I have passed the location, Crooked Creek, on Highway 281 many times on my way to 99 Springs.

The story line is intriguing with all of the various twists and turns. The Supreme Court ruling on here say evidence was a stunner.

The ending is outstanding. Marianne Wesson has produced a masterful presentation.
One person found this helpful
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Boulder gal
5.0 out of 5 stars A legal history that sizzles?
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2014
Verified Purchase
Besides being just a good read, it's interesting to ponder how many times bad facts have made bad law. If you enjoy reading history, about the West, or the law, this is a great read.
One person found this helpful
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Fire Penguin XVI
5.0 out of 5 stars If you love Law and History
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2013
Verified Purchase
It's a great read. The Author includes her thoughts about what the people were thinking and feeling, and it makes it more interesting. It goes in and out from novel to historical analysis.
One person found this helpful
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Maui
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2015
Verified Purchase
My husband loved the book, it came promptly and was an otherwise difficult title to locate. Great job.
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Lyn Smock
4.0 out of 5 stars Thought Provoking & Suspenseful
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2013
Thought Provoking & Suspenseful
A great book! You will continue to think about this book even after you turn the last page. Death at Crooked Creek is a fast-paced book that makes it hard to sit down. Well researched and well written. Very well organized and easy to read. Enjoy! NetGalley provided an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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James Babcock
5.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful Armchair Adventure
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2013
In my weekly ransacking of the public library's New Books shelf, I find many worthy nonfiction books. Among this wealth of enjoyable reading, "A Death at Crooked Creek" stands out. Having tried my hand at publishing novels, I recognize the craft with which Professor Wesson constructed this great historical mystery in the form of a novel where her own part in the unraveling is as interesting as the underlying story itself. And what a story---six trials!---plus a superb surprise ending.
3 people found this helpful
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