The box had a yellow ribbon and bow around it: What led to Dan Abrams' new book

Speaking at the National Press Club on Sept. 24 about his new thriller, Dan Abrams explained that what prompted him to write “Lincoln’s Last Trial” was the discovery of a box, with a yellow ribbon and bow around it, in a garage.

The box contained transcripts of a murder trial in 1859 with Abraham Lincoln as the defense lawyer, Abrams said.

According to him, this is the only transcript of a Lincoln trial. He said transcripts did not become a regular part of trials until the 1880s. This trial had a transcript because the defense paid Robert Hitt do that. Lincoln had previously hired Hitt to do transcripts of the Lincoln-Douglas debates.

The author spoke about Lincoln’s understanding of the power of the press. Trial transcripts were sent to newspapers. He said Lincoln saw the trial as a way to put himself “back on the map” after his loss in the 1858 senate race.

The trial was a murder case and Lincoln agreed to take it even though everyone knew the defendant had killed the victim, according to Abrams. Lincoln argued self-defense. His key witness was Reverend Peter Cartwright, who had beaten Lincoln in the legislative elections of 1832. Cartwright had been called to the bed of the victim as he lay dying. He testified that the victim told him he brought this on himself and the defendant was not at fault.

Lincoln won the case and that propelled him to the Republican nomination and the U.S. presidency, Abrams said. If Lincoln had lost the trial, American history might have been quite different.

Abrams is the chief legal affairs anchor for ABC News and the host of the hit show Live PD on A&E Network. He founded Abrams Media Network, which includes Mediaite.com, The Law&Crime Network and LawandCrime.com, TheMarySue.com, and he also created and sold Sportsgrid.com.

He previously was general manager of MSNBC. He hosted “The Abrams Report” and “Verdict with Dan Abrams”. He was a co-anchor of “Nightline” on ABC News.

Former Club president Angela Greiling Keane conducted the discussion with Abrams.