The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1895-11-15
WILL NOT BE DUCKED.
MISS ESTHER T. JACQUES AS A COMMON
SCOLD.

New York Evening World.
No women found guilty of being
common scold in New Jersey has yet
been ducked in the river, according to
the statute made and provided. Three
have been convicted within ten years.
Two were fined, but the third and
most interesting, Esther r. Jacques,
of Westheld, is at large on a peace
bond. This was the only penalty i'm
posed on her by Judge Mccormick in
the Elizabeth court yesterday, to the
great disappointment Of a crowd OF
curious lOafers.
Should the irate spinster ever scOld
her sister so loudly in their home as
to break up the prayer meeting in the
church quarter Of a mile away, as
imaginative people charge, or cause
the village swains to leave their sweet
hearts and run to the cottage of Miss
Jacques in the fear that murder ac-
companied by riot was in progress,
she may be ducked. She must not
stand for hours on the veranda of her
house and scold continuously in tones
that suggest megaphone. She must
no longer give to cx-Town Commit
teeman c. +. Conant, who lives handy
by the exasperating conviction that
he has settled in the midst of a boiler
factory.
She cannot tell the basso and the so.
prano of the choir what she thinks OF
them halfa mile away, nor when there
is Il political meeting on must she
hold a rival one of her own. If she
does she may again be brought up
before Judge Mccormick, and he may
sentence her to be ducked. There is
no law which prevents a woman from
scOlding as much as she may please in
private, but the tones Of her voice
must be modulatcd so that they will
not disturb her neighbors.
She is only little slip of woman,
not very many years more than forty,
and Of most excellent character and
habits, save for her wayward tongue.
The mere visitor to the courtroom
yesterday could not but feel instinc.
lively a pity for her. There were men
and women in the crowd who wanted
to see her ducked. Their presence did
them no credit. The casual visitor
would have relished seeing them all
locked in and have Miss Esther let
loose at them. They would have de.
served her best efforts. Her bright
eyes snapped with fire though not a
muscle of her face moved.
1t was hardly worth while foI
Spinster Esther to dispute the facts
Ex-Town Committeeman G. +. Co
nant, who lived next to ex-Justice
j. j. Jacques, on on side, Mrs. j. NJ
Stutzman, who lives next door on tho
side, G. G. Endicott, whose house is
opposite, and one other witness testi
fed before the grand jury that Els
theirs tongue was going morning
noon and night. She said she gave
her opinion constantly to her soft.
voiced sister, Mary; that she jawcd
with a resounding voice, kept people
awake nights, drowned out the clang
of the church bell on Sunday, and
made life a burden to each of them
There we're also a dozen other people
about the courtroom who were ready
to corroborate any testimony, howev'
er improbable, of the peace-destroy'
ing power and ear-piercing quality OF
the strident voice of Miss Jacques
Even good-natured "Bob Wampoole,
from Walpoole, on whom evolved the
unpleasant duty of arresting this fe
male pillar Of Parson Cadwell's Pres
byterian church in Wcstfleld, only
shook his shaggy head in sadness ant
silence when appealed to, to stem
the tide of evidence against his fai
prisoner.
The mother pleaded effectively will
judges for clemcncy toward her favo
rite child. When her indictment
was called by Prosecutor Marsh
Miss Jacques stood up before the bar
and Judge Mccormick said:
"The court has fully Investigates
this matter and believes the state
ments made by the mother Of the de
fcndant. In this case the court will
suspend sentence"
Miss Jacques mother gave 5000 bal
for her appearance at any future time
should the court desire her presenc
before it.
There was much disappointment
among the neighbOrs who had mad
the charges against the woman be
cause she got of so lightly, as the,
fully expected to see her heavily fined
at least. She retired with her mother
both seemingly highly pleased at tn
outcome of the affair.
Miss Jacques is small woman, wit
firm features. She has long uppe
lip, aud her mouth closes very, yer
tightly. She has a sallow complexion
and small, sharp, piercing black eyes
She has lron-gray hair and confcsse
to James G. Marsh, when he took tn
Estate census for Westheld last sum
mcr, that she was forty-four year
tld.
She sat in court with her head bow
q A