The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-07-27
THE WOMAN WHOSUED
Rx N. ouAn-

Auh0 anu paShAuL she was 50 as q
wife, and she was 30 as q widow up
TO certain date. One day three years
after the loss Of her husband she was
going to the postofIice when she came
across the village cooper and the VII
lage butcher engaged IN wraneie
The wrangle became fight as she ap
preached, and she was SO frightened
that she had to lean up against the
fence and gasp for breath. The butch.
er brought an action against the coop.
or for assault and battery, and the
widow was summoned as witness.
She took the oath and the stand. but
that was all. She was so affected that
she had to be removed from the court
room.
A few days later Mrs. Colville was
left legacy Of $1,000 Men, women
and children rejoiced over it and con-
graduated her, but not for long, how
ever. Within month she developed
nm idiosyncrasy that soon surprised the
whole county. She fell in love with the
law-she who had never been In
court Of justice bat once and then to
be carried out IN fninting condition.
II was a thanderclap to the villa
gers to hear one day that she had
sued Elder johnson for trespass. For
ten long years the elder had been IN
the habit of cutting across a corner OF
the Coiville property on his way to and
from the store. He was on good
terms with the widow. and she had
not warned bin. She had simply APP
piled for a summons and engaged a
lawyer The elder called to see her,
summons in hand but. while she was
demure. she was also obstinate. She
had long felt that she did not have her
rights IN law, and now she was bound
TO get them.
AS the elder had not been warned
personally and as there had been no
notice to the public the widows case
was quashed. she was not a bit disap-
pointed or cast down. she simply
looked around for some one else to
sue. In a couple Of weeks she brought
suit against widower named Solo
mon Lee for breach Of promise Mr.
lee lived at the other end OF the VII
lage and was never IN her house. On
n certain occasion year before the
suit he was passing her place as she
was trying to drive a strange hog out
OF the garden The hog was an artful
d0dger and the widower volunteered
his services. He not only drove out
the hog. according to the Widows tes-
timony. but he patted her on the Shout
der and observed that a little woman
like her ought to have a husband ike
him to keep the garden clear Of hogs.
In a breach Of promise case there
has got 70 be something more than a
hog incident to nail the lid down. The
widower denied the gentle words at
tributed to him. and no fond letters
or other thrilling incidents were
brought forward. The case was there
fore dismissed. The widow seemed to /
revel 10 being called TO the stand, and
she paid the costs without losing her
smile Two weeks later came the
turn Of Deacon Tracy. He lived near
the widow and had known her since
her marriage Wanting a hoe one day. |
he called to borrow hers. She hap
pened to be out, and he took the hoe
along. He hadn't returned it yet when
q summons was served on him for
trespass and unlawfully converting
property to his own use. he FASTENED
over to see the widow, but it was no
use. she said she had come to just
love the law ana the suit must 20 on.
1t did 60 on, and the widow was non
suited and had the costs to pay.
BY this time the citizens Of Quincy
had begun to sit up and take notice.
There were laws. and there was
widow. The query OF whether she had
had enough OF it was soon answered
She hadn't, Half a dozen women had
criticised her for bringing the suits.
and so she brought half q dozen more.
The local Justice Of the peace refused
to issue the papers, but a justice over
at Perry's Corners did The six wom
en asked forgiveness. and their bus
bands tried to fix things, but it-was no
20. The suits had to 60 on. They
caused the defendants considerable
trouble and anxiety. but when they
came to trial the verdict was in their
favor. They had criticised instead Of
scandalized. The widow, however, !
Ionged for more suits. and It wasn't
long before fortune favored her
she was buying some calico at the
store when & clerk who was known
for his humor expressed the hope that
she would not sue him for breach Of
promise. Is he was already engaged 70
three different widows aud more com |
ing. Next day she had him summon
cd for assault and battery Under the
law one can assault and batter with |
the tongue alone. Under the law I'M
due Ievity or humiliating any person
Is misdemeanor The humorous
clerk was haled into court and lined
s5 The whining Of that suit melted
the widows ambition. She sued the
parents Of children that stole her ap-
pies; she sued two farmers Tor tifow-
ing stones at her dog; she sued the
COOPER because her vinegar barrel
leaked. she sued q woman for saying
that her bonnet was ten years old; she
sued the town for maintaining mud
puddle in front Of the postotiice. AS
matter Of fact she had twenty-one
snts on hand at once, and as they
came to trial she lost every one but
that against the humorous clerk The
lawyers and the law got a good snare
ST her money, and after two years had