Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-08-13

TIE Tyrone Herald OF last week publish
ed the following A case Of rare occurrence
was tried in court on Monday afternoon.
Since the time of the revision of our Penal
code it has been generally supposed that the
old common law against witchcraft. COM
mon scolds, &c, had become obsolete in
this State, and We're consigned to oblivion,
along with the punishment on the ducking
stool, pi!lory, whipping post and the like.
SO when il was announced about the Court
House that the first case would be the trial
Of 4 woman for being a common scold, there
was great deal Of speculation as TO whether
cient practice of ducking women for having
unruly tongues, and for riding through the
ar on i hroomstick, and whether the gal
lantry of a more civilized age, which leaves
common scolding, Lad disappeared. II Is
said that a case of this kind was never tried
before in this co,intJ, and in the reports the
last mention OF a Gaze is contained in re-
mark by one of the Chief Justices who is
reported to have sad that there was ira
dition vf a woman having been tried in
Huntingdon county, somewhere about lsil,
aud that she was acquitted. IN the case
tried here, Mrs. Anne Walker, resident of
Seventeenth street, Altoona, Pa, WAS pros
ecuted BY ". C. Jacobs, neighbOr, living
81, l,,- xK-s- hat
pied by Ms. Walker, for being common
scolI, to the nuisance and evil example OF
her neishbors and other citizens. Mr.. Ja-
cobs and his daughter testified 10 having
been prosecuted Tor months by a constant
flow of Biliingsgate and abuse from the
tongue of the defendant; but admitted that
Mrs. Walker had been orderly enough until
difficulty about spitz dog arose tetweeh
the families. Other witnesses were called
to prove that Mrs. W aiker had assaulted her
landlords at two Other houses which she
had occupied within two years, and that on
account ot complaints of neighbors the
landlords had in each case forgiven her
from two to three months rent as the con-
di,iou of her removal. Other Witnesses
were called to tell their experience in the
way OF receiving abuse from the defendant
But in every case it appeared that the WIZ
nesses who complained Of Mrs. Walkers
tongue, had personal quarrels with her; and
this fact formed the grcund Of the defense,
which was. that however violent and abusive
The defendant may have been toward those
with whom She came in personal contact,
vet she was not a public scold, because II
was not shown that the general public was
inconvenicnced by her acts. number oil
peighbors were called to prove that she had
never been unruly excepting with those
with whom she had a private quarrel. The
defendant herself was put upon the stand
AID related, for an hour OF more, IN the
mIldest, meekest manner imaginable, the
grievances she had suffered at the hands oil
those who testified against her. During the
whole time she vas on the stand she never
displayed the least sign of temper, either IN
the examination in chief or the eross-exam-
ination. The defendants counsel asked
that the Court direct verdict OF aciulttai,
citing the ore washing case, Commonwealth
rs. S. c. Baker, as precedent. But upon
lhe Court suggesting that there was an ex-
cellent iury in the box, which could dispose
of the case as well as the Court, the case
was left with the jury, which found YER
diet acquittlng the defendant, and di'idihg
the costs equally between het and the pros
ecutor.
The Harrisburg Telegram on Mon
day say; The rumors concerning Al
h,icht.s marriage to Miss Hammaker
we're current all Of Yesterday, eyen to
naming ;hs pastor who performed 4 the
ceremony. An Interview with that
gentleman only revealed the fact that
xb,le be was stationed in Miffi'ntown a
Young man by the name of Albright, IN
company with a girl named Hammaker
called at the parsonahe to be married.
sbd that be declined to comply with
the REQUEST because both were under
,ee at the time. He has no record 10
bis regular diary of having performed
this ceremony, and therefore JUDGES
he did not marty the parties.