2264

Mayfield Murder Trial Witness Certificate, Carson City, Nevada Territory Signed by Nye [192813]

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Paper Start Price:200.00 USD Estimated At:400.00 - 800.00 USD
Mayfield Murder Trial Witness Certificate, Carson City, Nevada Territory Signed by Nye [192813]
CURRENT BID
0.00USD+ applicable fees & taxes.
ENTER YOUR MAXIMUM ABSENTEE BID[?]
You must bid at least
200.00USD
USD
200.00 x 1 unit = 200.00USDApplicable fees & taxes are added at checkout.
[?]Live Online Auction Starts In 2025 Feb 01 @ 08:00 (UTC-8 : PST/AKDT)
FINAL AUCTION RECORD The Auctioneer’s podium notes serve as the final, legally binding record of the auction results, superseding any electronic bidding records. See Terms and Conditions
This witness certificate is a piece of history from a very big murder trial in the Nevada Territory! It also has TWO Nevada governor signatures on the reverse (Nye and Kinkead). It certifies that "William Mann has served as a Witness in the case of the People vs. William H. Mayfield, twelve days before said District Court January Term, AD 1862." Signed by the clerk (Helen?), and on the reverse, signed by Governor James W Nye, treasurer JH Kinkead, auditor P Childs, and William B. Mann. Black print on blue paper, 5.5 x 7.5"

William Mayfield was a gambler accused of murdering John L. Blackburn, the Sheriff of the Nevada Territory. Mayfield's trial took place in Carson City, in the Second Judicial District. He was convicted, but later escaped from prison.

William Mann, who died in Reno in 1885, is likely the brother of SA Mann, who served as county clerk for Washoe County, as well as Secretary of Utah, and once served as Acting Governor of Utah Territory.

In 1861, Nye was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln as Governor of the newly created Nevada Territory. As Nevada's territorial governor, Nye strongly supported civil rights; he was one of a handful of political leaders opposed to discriminatory legislation. He was equally outspoken in his opposition to gambling, encouraging the First Territorial Legislature to pass stringent laws to prevent gambling. Upon the admission of Nevada as a state into the Union in 1864, he was elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate.

Kinkead held several different political offices, in Nevada and Alaska. He served as Nevada's first Territorial Treasurer between 1862 and 1864. He later served as Nevada's third governor between 1879 and 1883. Then, he moved to Alaska and became the first governor of the District of Alaska from 1884 to 1885.
[]
Date: 1862
Country (if not USA):
State: Nevada
City: Carson City
Provenance: