National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-04-11
ABBY FOLSOM IN COURT.

3XDHence, snc WAS arrested, lnulcted anG
rraignsd for trial in tho aforesaid
Municipal Court.
~ Abby was arraigned, and at once con.
ia fronted with the question, "Are you
#guilty or not guilty? ?" She promptly
"a pleaded Not guilty" and declared
"a herself ready for t. '. Judge Thatcher,
N in his blandest toue, inquired if Mrs.
Folsom had any counsel to manage her
case. heanswer was ready and prompt
M /" II your honor pleases, ! shall manage
#the case myself" The trial then went
on. The witnesses were few, the testi-
mony to the point, the cross-examina-
tion by the defendant amounted to moth.
|Iing, and in a remarkably short time the
government rested it's case. The court
informed Mrs. Folsom, that she was at
N liberty to put any person on the stand
a to testify in her favor, or she might
Il address the jury in her own behalf
N She had no Witnesses and it at once
n became apparent, that she intended to
"a rely, not on evidence, but on argument
81 This WAS her strong battle ground. On
u this field, she had passed through many
y desperate struggle, and, at least in
her own opinion, had never suffered
defeat The court therefore directed
her to proceed. But the preliminaries
must first be settled, and Abby in her
most winning tone inquired, "If l do
not finish my argument to-day, may l
go on with it tomorrow ?" The court
was prepared for almost anything else.
Here it was, about ten o'clock in the
morning, and the query was, whether
she might have the remainder OF the
day, and "go on tomorrow" Judge
Thatcher was decidedly startled, and
exclaimed, Tomorrow why certainly
not! you can't be allowed all of to-day"
Said Abby, How long may l have ?"
The judge replied with some vehemence,
Not more than an hour"
Abby very innocently inquired,
Does your honor contine all LAWYERS
to that time p This question was an.
other desperate one for the court. n
perfect snag. At that time there was
not, certainly in this court nor, accord
ing TO the best of my information. in
any other, any rule limiting counsel to
any given time for making plea. 1 be-
iieve Judge Thatcher's hour rule has
been adopted in some courts since that
period. But 1t was not so then, and
Abby Folsom and every other person in
the room knew it, and Judge Thatcher
was completely confounded. A few
words passed in an undertone between
the Judge and the government attorney,
and, without having the question an
swered, Mrs. Folsom was directed to go
on.
Abby then commenced her plea. The
argument do not propose to describe.
1t was in her peculiar style. She quoted
the Constitution, the Bill of Rights,
Shakespeare, the Bible, and whatever
else came in her way. She went on,
rolling IN her eloquence, and rounding
out her periods for full hour, to the
great amusement of the audience and
tae evident perplexity of the court. At
this point, however, the court decided !
to stop her. But she decided otherwise
and concluded to go on. The court
SAID, No. We will have no more of |
It, and ordered Babbitt, the constable,
70 take away her papers. Accordingly |
Daooltt selzed her papers, and bore |
'hem on IN apparent triumph.
For this new turn OF affairs, Abby
was better prepared than the court or
any one else anticipated. She made no
struggle, uttered not word Of remon-
STRANGE, and made not a motion, till the
ueed was accomplished. She then de.
hoerately drew from her pocket copy
OF the Constitution of Massachusetts,
ana from the Preamble thereof read,
Every subject has right to be secure
from all unreasonable searches and
set<"res OF his person, his house, his
laperS |, and all his possessions. She
lheh commenced the cry, "Give me nv
papers, Give me my papers. Give me
my papers. This cry she continued,
raising her voice till it be-
20 ,alne IN. scream. Still the cry went on,
ulve me my papers. Give me my
papers. papers She said nothing else, ut
.ered no other sound, but in one steady
.ream .;m at the top of her voice, con-
1hued nm to cry, "Give me my papers" :
a. une court was evidently in fault, ,
.nouSh acting under extreme provoca-
,,1n' Mrs. Folsom evidently saw her ,
and determined to make the ,
most of it. The court WINGED. fidgetted.
onsulted and succumbed. Babbitt
vas 'su ordered to give up the papers, and r
als. Folsom was directed to go on as !
ong as she pleased. The Judge in
espair threw himself back IT, his chair. I
aooy now had the floor to herself, 7
lo I enjoyed her triumph immensely. 7
le went on in her most eloquent style. 2
ne dealt her blows thick and heavy on <
,clety, on religious denominations, on \
.natics, on the clergy, on the courts, on
'ery6ody. But the ordeal she had a
'ssed through, and was now passing, 8
~ produced an effect not described n
her programme. The excitement had h
wrought on her physical system, that v
q strength began to fail, and she was q,
'mpeiled to adopt a change of base, a "
" mannuvre. She therefore stopped,
implanted of fatigue, and asked the C
urt' that the case be adjourned, and 8,
9 ne allowed to go on Tomorrow. it
Judge Thatcher was altogether too &.
rewd man, not to see his advantage is
'his turn of the case. He said, "No. CT
? on Mrs. Folsom. Go right on. We to
sire to hear you through. No better W
ne than the present. We are anxious d,
hear you" At this time Abby's pl
rewdness seemed to desert her. Her In
;nning was in direct antagonism to her W
mt OF opposition. Partly from Sc