The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-11-30
Trial OF q Female Mt Norfolk.


Mrs. Margaret Douglass was tried at Norfolk on
the oath inst, on the charge of violating q law OF
Virginia. by teaching colored children to read aad
write. 1t appears that Mes. D. and her daughter
kept q school in Norfolk, and, when arrested, h I'd
eighteen or twenty colored children under their tut.
ton. They we're both indicted for the ofIence, but
the daughter, it is said, subsequently fed to New
York. 1t having been understood that Mrs. d. in
tended to a?t rs her own counsel at the trial. large
concourse of persons assembled in the court room to
witness the novel spectacle. The Norfolk Ne,cs
says
he entered the court room and took her seat among
the attorneys at the bar profound fensaton was
created ard upbounded curiosity to Obtain glimpse
of the intrep female who O. uld thus boldly e1croach
uron the prercgatves hitherto reserved to and
falcons, was visible in every countenance The jury had
sooner be- than the lady, ithout Waiting
for the examination of witnesses the Up,
of the at orpey for the commonwealth, protested in
clear and metdcus voice to the nsideration Of the
charges set orth in the indictment
The surprise Of the whole legal fraternity 80 great
at this sudden revolution in the time honored practice
the courts tnat she had progressed
merits Of the before his honor recovered himself
sufficiently to inform her that it would be regular
to tusp nd her remarks until after the examn alton of
win esses was concluded The lady readily asseated
the OF his honor and the witnese for the
commonwealth were called to the stand.
On the part of the defence the lady examined several
prominent and respectable witnesses, members of the
church. for the purp If showing that the practice of
teaching blacks had been sapctAed BY customs OF the
mbss OF the different churcnes in the city in having
Sunday schools for that purpose II did not appear from
the evidence Of Of the gentlemen called upon by Mrs.
al they had actually negroes taught from
books In any of the Sunday schools OF The city
fact as stated by Them that nearly all of the negroes at
tending ths Sunday schools could ead gave rise to vio
lent suspicion that many of the ladies and gentlemen Of
our city, moving in the higher circles Of society had ben
guilty of as fragrant violation of the law ud be i'm
puted to Mrs. Douga es and her daue liter.
AT the conclusion of the evidet the attorney for tho
COMMONWEALTH kindly gave way for Mrs, Douglass TO
tmte her appeal to the jury, woch doGe the part
OF at lady In that ould have reflected credit
on Mrs Lucy Stone any other member of the strong
minded sRterhood she disdaned to deny the charge
preferred sganst her to shirk the sbity in
any way whatever but gloed in the duties
In which abe had been engaged She denied, however,
any knowledge OF IL existing laws upon the bec and
confidently expected that the jury would not
her utility for having committed other offence than
that Of being betrayed into error- such Il was-by
what she had deemed distng presidents Having
concluded her address, she retired from the court and
the care briefly concluded by the attorney for the
conrobweAlth.
The jury, on Friday, found the defendant guilty
and fined her one dollar The Judge, in passing sem
tercc, according to he statute will condemn hsr to
impsisonnsat hr not lem than nix months.