The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-08-05
From the Correspondent Of the .Neic York
Commercial Advertiser.
MRS. ROYALL'S TRIAL.
WAsHINaToN,

your sprightly and various columns, send .
YOU some account of a trial which has ex-
cited some interest, and considerably graft
fed the lovers of the ludicrous. refer to /
the trial of the retloubtable Mrs. Anne Roy
all. Her brazen front, twinkling eyes, and |
Billingsgate voice, are all present, dare
say, to your fancy She has long been put |
ting to trial the public forbearance IN Wash
ington, which has been to her city of re-
fuge, where, by dint of brass, begging and
scribbling, she has contrived to get her
bread and cheese, together with a great
name. With unabashed face and an in
domtable assurance, she has pushed her
self into the audience rooms of all the heads
ofdepartment, and, as is said. into that OF the
President himself, (of whose friendship she
makes loud boast). Good, easy Mr. Car
rol, who has more houses than tenants, and
more tenants than rents, permitted her TO
inhabit large desolate three story house
of his on Capitol Hill, in the neighborhood
of building frequently used for holding
religious meetings, and on Sunday mornings
for the assembling of Sundayschool. At
the window opposite this building, the old
belle-wether was in the habit of establish
ing herself and gratifying her malignlty, by
loudly ridiculing, and grossly insulting the
in the benevolent work of gratuitously in
structing the poor. Nay, the poor children
themselves could not escape, but were be-
rated as 5lackguards, beggars, impudent
varlets, &c, while the teachers were taunt-
ingly asked, why they did not convert
them? Why they did not teach them man
ners? Whether these were their Chris
tians? with other questions in the same
strain. So far was this carried, that some
of the young ladies were actually afraid to
pass. Nor could they come within hear
ing, without having themselves outraged
by language, to which no delicate female
could listen. The Mayor was appealed to-,
but in vain: and, at length, an information
was lodged with the Grand Jury, accompa-
MED by list of the most reputable witness
es. Granny Swan, our adroit and learned
District Attorney, after poic toOioing over
the matter a long while, This blunders in
the case of Watkins, being doubtless before
his eyes,) at length produced an indict-
ment; two counts Of which were quashed
by the Court. On one of them, however,
after delay of more than week, the lady
was at length brought to trial.
The appearance of the prisoner loudly
greeted by the boys round the door, and
the reading of the indictment, excited much
mirth throughout the court room. But these
smiles all vanished on the examination of
the first witness for the prosecution, who
testified TO outrages on the female part of
his family, so gross and abominable, that a
general feeling of Indignation put every
thing of the ludicrous to flight. The only
provocation for this usage was the fact that
the gentleman himself was an elder in the
church, his son prominent and active pro-
of ahio pf
client character, and his daughter Ia very
timid, difident, retiring girl, one OF the
Sabbath School teachers. None of the
family had done aught to provoke the vira-
go; yet she had not ceased to pour out on
every one of them torrents of the most
coarse, vulgar and obscene language, until
they could not appear even at the windows
of their own house. Other witnesses testi-
ned to the abuse of sisters and mothers,
flor had she confined her attacks to men
alone, the prosecution would never have
been undertaken,) and that both in the
public street and in their own houses. The
testimony on the part of the prosecution
boing closed, that on behalf of the prisoner
followed-and here the farcicai part of the
scene commenced. She had sent a sum-
mons for her alleged friend the President
but ne did not wish to figure in such field,
and he was very properly excused. Not
so his Secretary-a summons proving inef-
fectual, she issued a subpoena, when, 10, Mr.
Eaton, 7lOlens U0lens, had to make his ap-
pearance. Being pressed for time, he was
permitted 70 give his evidence out of turn
1t was delivered in short metre, with nc
great appearance of delight. 1t amounted
in fact to nothing, being merely that when
Mrs. R. was in his room, she was not guilty
of any misconduct. An Irishman by the
name of Hollohan, was next called. This
man is engaged in digging down bank Of
earth opposite Mrs. RS. abode, and lives
next door to her. Being asked if he ever
knew Mrs. R. to be engaged in scolding OF
siandering, his reptiles, delivered in the
broadcast accent of the turf, occasioned great
merriment. They were fiat against her
Sure enough, | have heard her, often
shouting at the people from her window
but was too busy with my carts to give
any great attinshon. It's true, your honors,
what Mr.. c. says-she did shout at him,
and call him Ould Holy Willy, that's sure,
and he was in coach all the while, riding
IN funeral" Defeated in her hopes OF
Hollohan, she next called little Tins, the
door-keeper of the Senate, (of "more-por-
ter-Tims" memory This worthy perhaps
you have seen: so you remember his
manlkin shape, his red picked snufy nose,
ana ludicrously pompous manner. Coke
began by asking him if he knew Mrs. r. to
De common scold? Now it so happened
mat this witness tnore stto) had been some
what familiar with that out of which the
aevll often comes without the aid of con-
lurer; his eyes winked,-or snapped. / he
heve the term is,-his frame see-sawed
over the centre of gravity, and, with his
right hand protruded, he answered the law
yer,s questions by another" Pray, SIR"
saia Tins, "what is the proper and legal
dennltion OF common scold When can.
scold be said 10 be common? for ne 70
6eing scold, you know all women are