The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-02-25
The Great Kissing c ase at GOst0n,

Since the days of Helen the world has not
been So widely moved about a lady matter,
as inthe recent case of Miss Henrietta Pow
ers, who was kissed a. Christmas! The
Boston CjronotWc has full report of the
legal proceedings had in the matter. and the
least we can do is to thrill our readers with
few extracts:
Thc complainant, Mr.. n pas.anl-
merchant OF this city, charges Mrs. Eliza
III. Powers, keeper Of a fashionable boarding
house, at No. Is BOwdon street, constable
Jonathan Whipple, and police officers John
Crocker and Icnas Smith, with assauting
himself and wife, by forcibly cjecting them
from the house where they were boarders,
on the night Of the LIST instant.
There was party at the house Of Mrs.
Powers on Chistmas night. After some time
spent in chit. chat, the classic game Of "blind
mans buff was introduced. Miss Henri
eta Powers, lovely girl of eighteen, as
blindiolded, and for some time there was a
deal of fine sport. Other ladies and gentle
men were i'll the room, and participated in
the amusement. In the innocence of his
heart, Mr.. Bostock kissed Miss Powers
while she was running about the room blind
folded.
Counsel for defendants now asked-Well,
what did She do?
UitnesS--She caught Mr. Randall.
CounSei-Wcll, what then?
UH.-Miss Powers asked Mr.. Randall il
he had kissed her.
Coun.-What was the reply?
UH.-lIe said he had not.
Coun.-What followed?
UH.-l exclaimed, ''you needn't llatter
yourself, Miss Iienrietta-itw was not young
man who kissed you-it was -
Coua.-Was the party broken up?
UH.-No-Mr. Randall was blindloded
and the game was continued. After time,
''magic music was introduced. and Miss
Henrietta took part at the piano.
The witness then said that Mrs. Powers
came to him on Wednesday after Christmas.
and said he must apologize for the crime OF
kissing her daughter. He replied that il
Miss p. felt insulted he would apologize a
thousand times. Mrs. Powers said he must
remember that he was not at the south now
but at the north, where ladies would not
stand such things.
On New Year night he was sitting in his
ther; at about Q o'clock, constable Whipple
and officers Croker and Smith, with Mrs.
Powers, came to the door, when Mrs. =.
said TO the officers, "rhis is the room--take
posscssion-put them out immediately.
Whpple thereupon said to him, s'Frienl, |
wish you to leave this house pcaceably."
Witness refused TO 90, and asked, "By what
authority do you Gomez Show ycur author
ity." Whipple replied, "H'm the authority
render unto Caesar the things that are Cn-
snr's." Crocker said if he did not 60 down
peaceably, che would break his neck and
kick him down." His wife was compelled
to leave her apartment, and their baggage
was removed to the lower hall, where much
abusive language was used by the officers.
These gallant gentlemen, ifthc testimony
OF the witness is to be believed, then pushed
Mrs. and Mr.. Bostock into the street.
Miss Henrietta Powers, lovely girl of
eighteen, daughter of the defendant, was
sworn for the defence. She testified that nj
a party Mt her mothers house. on Christina,
night, the game Of blind mans buff was in
troduced, and that somebody kissed her tricc
,rhiic she w0s blindtoided. She was inform
ed that the perpetrator Of this enormous
crime was the complainant, Mr.. J. II. Bos-
took. She told her mamma, and the good
lady took the offender to task on the follow.
ing Tuesday morning, when she roiuri 4
from Philadelphia. EIe explained tina It was
all ia play. She said, don't know what
your manners are ut the south, but we here
consider kiss sacred thing. An audible
"Imcn" here escaped man OF years and
experience, who was sitting within the bar.
The witness, in answer to questions, went
on to describe some little incidents generally
viewed rs harmless.
On the s-examinaton Of Miss Powers,
the following highly important fact was elic-
tied. Besides its bearing on the case. it will
doubtless prove interesting TO all gentlemen
in search Of boarding house.