, 1873-07-27
ABBY FOLSOM.
Trial of tho Noted Fcnin1e AEitntor
:n'tlrty Years AR0-A Verdict Which
Nurpri9Du ERpF.

MoBt porsonB who hnve lived Iii Boston for tho
last thirty years will rocolloot what waB formerly
termed tho Municipal Court" Wliilo tho old
Court Of Common Plcan oxoroiBed 1uriHdtction in
certain particulars over both civil and criminal
casos In ottor parts Of lilo Stato in Boston tho
criminal Jurisdiction WIS invested III Baid Munio-
ipal Court, a tribunal independent of my court
Of tho aanlo grado and presided over by single
Judge.
II waH during tho administration Of the von-
orablo Judge Thatcher that Abby Folaon,, In tho
exercise Of hor wayward disposition disturbed,
nn1 to somo extent disrupted, Il ,nootlng do
voted to Religious worship, md wforo Bho cor
tainly had no right to intorfore. For this ofonno
slo was arrested. indicted, aud arraignod for
trial In tho aforesaid Municipal Court. This
condition Of things was not exactly novelty to
Abby. Indood, slo rather conrted The situation
aB 1t gayo q splendid opportunity to diaplay ler
peculiar talonta
Abby was accordingly arraignod, and at onco
confronted with tho question, "Are YOU guilty
or not guilty." She promptly pleaded mot
guilty" 1lll declared larBclf really for trial.
Judge Thatol1or, III Ills blantost tonc, inquired
ii Mrs: Folsom Ind auy counsel to mauago her
caBo. Tho answor waa rcady and prompt. "If
your Honor plcasos, shall manage tho caso
myaolf."
Iho trial then won't on. Tho Witnesses wero
few tho teatin'any to tho point, tue cross-exn'n-
and In remarkably short time tho Governments
reatcd itu cnso. The Court informed A1rs Fol-
som TINT nho wan ut liberty to put any person on
address tho Jury III her own bolalf. sllo had no
witncRsoB and 1t at onco bocamo apparent that
| Blo intended to rely, not OIL oviaouco, but on
argument. This waA hor strong battle-ground.
| On this fold sl1o has paHgod through many d
desperate struggle, md at lcast in hcr own
opinion, Ind novor suffered defeat. Tho Court
therefore directed hcr to proceed. But tho pre-
liminarieB must first DO settled, and Abby, in
finish my argument to-dny, may 60 on with it
| tomorrow 7" This was atunnur. The Court
waa prepared for a1mout anything elsc. uoreit
was about 10 O'Clock in the morning and tho
| quory WIS, whethor Hho might hnye tho ro1nan-
| der OF tho day aud "Eo OH tomorrow"
Judge Thatcher WAS decidedly startled, and OK
| claimed, To-morrow! why certainly not you
ea't bo allowed all Of I5 to-asy d" |" saia Ably
with some vohemonco, Not mora than an
! hour" Abby very innocently inquired, !" Docs
Your Honor confno oil lawyera to that time ?"
This question was another desperate ono for tho
not, certainly In this court, nor, according to
| tho best Of my information. In nny other, ahy
rule limiting counsel to any given time for mak-
Abby Folsom, and every othor poraon in tla
room know 1t, and Judge Thatcher Was COM
pletcly confounded. A. few words passed In On
undortone botwoon the Judge aud tho Govern"
nlent Attorney, and, without having the ques-
Abby then commenced her plea, Tho argyll
| neut was in hor peculiar stylo. Sho quoted tho
| Constitution, tho Bill Of Rights, Shakespeare, tho
Bible aud whatovor elao calno III her way.
Sho went on, rolling in her .oloquonoo, and
rounding out ler periods for full hour, to the
groat amusement Of tho audience. md tho evil
dent porp1exity Of the Court. at this point, how
ever, The Court decided to stop her. But sho
decided otherwise and concluded to go on. The
Court said, ''No, We will have no moro Of it,"
and ordered babbftt, tho Constable, to take away
her papors. Accordingly, Babbitt sezed her
papers, and boro them on In apparent triumph.
For this now turn Of affairs, Abby was bettor
prepared than tho Court or my QUO olBe antici-
patod. shc madc no struggle, uttered not d
word Of remonstranco, and made not a motion
till the deed WAS accomplished. 6ho then delib-
eratoiy drew from her pocket q copy Of tho Con-
stitution Of Massachusetts, and from tho Pro-
to bo secure from ail unreasonable searches and
seizures Of Lis person Ills house. ..hs paporn, alld
all lia possessions"
Sho thon commenced to cry, 81 Giyo mo my
pore." This CRY slle continued. gradually ralB-
ing her voice, till 1t became scream. Still tho
ory wont on, Give me my papers. Give mo my
papors." bhe said nothing ,elso, uttered no
top OF hor voice, continued to cry q Give mo my
papers," Tho Court was evidently in fault,
though acting undor extreme proyocation. Mira.
Folsom evidently saw hor advantage and deter
mined to mako tho most Of it.
The Court sincod, fdgoted, consulted, aud
succumbed. Babbitt WAS orderod to glyo up the
papors and Mrs. Folsom was direcLe1 to 90 on
% long as sho pleased. Tho Judge, in despair,
tho bench. This last movement was ono which
didnot belong strictly to Judicial proceedings,
and was mover indulged in By auy other Court
and here only. whom ovorriddcn by perfectly un.
2 f,4n n4fr rANr,A
Abby now had the floor to heraelf aud onjoy-
ol hor triumph immensely. Sho won't on III ho.
most eloquent Btylo. Sho dealt hor blows thick
and heavy on society, on religious donomina-
on everybody. But the ordeal she had passed
through, aud WIS now passing, lad produced An
effect not described in her programme. Tho or
citoment had 30 wrought on hor physical system.
compelled to adopt ohange Of baao, q now mar
! nmuyro.
sho therefore stopped, complained Of fatigue,
and asked tho Court that the case bo adjourned,
and she bo allowed to 30 on Tomorrow"
Judge Thatcher was altogether too shrowd
man not to see his advantage in this turn Of tho
case. lie said, "No. Go on Mrs. Folsom; 60
right on. Wo desire to hoar you through. No
better time than tho present Wo aro an1iouH
to hoar you" At this time Abbys Bhrewduess
seemed to desert hor.
Her cunning was in direct antagonism to her
spirit Of opposition. Partly from fatigue, but
|
Vailed Bho refused to comply, and took her
seat Tho Court aoized this advantage, and at
once directed tho attorney to proceed. Ho ad-
dressed tho jury briefly, the Judge charged
with as few words "a possible, and the jury 10.
tired.
While tho Jury Was ont, wo tho spectators,
had occasion to enjoy most singular and nmllB-
ing scone. As soon ns Mrs. Folsom felt relieved
from tho pressure aud excitement Of her trial, 1t
soemod as II her whole mental forco began to
droop, and her faculties generally to fail her,
Yet tho force Of habit was Buch that hor tongue
refused to stop.
Tue Judge evidently appreciated tho difficulty,
aud made no effort to proceed with aIy other
business. Abby therefore took out her Biblo
aud road about three verses. She then conf
moncod an Grafton, Which immediately ran into
thohistoryof her family, the good qualities Of hor
moro, and roferred to herchildhood, showed how
sllo was traiuoa and tho like. Thus tho whole
tlmo waa spont whilo tho jury do!ibcrated:
ltWhen tho jury returnod, every faco in that
| 1r,oa oru anyioi}H Wbntt1ar tia