Antique 1889 Charleston SC Mercantile Lawsuit Jewish History Bernheim Bros. For Sale
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This is an original, complete two-page handwritten court document from an 1889 commercial lawsuit in Charleston, South Carolina, featuring a remarkable connection to American whiskey history. The plaintiffs bringing the suit are Bernheim Bros. & Uri—the famous Kentucky liquor wholesalers founded by German-Jewish immigrant brothers Isaac W. and Bernard Bernheim, who created the legendary I. W. Harper bourbon whiskey brand.They teamed up with Philadelphia Jewish wholesale merchant A. K. Massman Bros. & Co. to sue local Charleston German grocers, including Henry Kangeter and H. Henry Knee, over unpaid commercial trade debt. The legal text details a fascinating defense argument by Knee to protect Kangeter from an immediate foreclosure that would completely break up his grocery business.Condition: This manuscript document is in good antique condition. It features natural age-toning, clean horizontal fold lines from historic filing, and minor edge wear consistent with 130+ year-old paper ephemera.
