Year: 1879

From the Springfield Republican. Jan. 81


The trial Of Mrs. Louisa Avery. aged about sixty
eight. for brutally misusing another woman named
Betsey Wright. aged eighty. that sho died Sum
day night. occupied nearly the whole of yesterday
before the westheld Police Court and Judge Fuller
As stated yesterday all the parties lived in Mont
gomery. and Mrs. Wright, who was very
decrepit. was being boarded by the selectmen
at the house of Mrs. Avery for 81 rs
week. The morning session taken up with tho
examination of two female witnesses who testified
to the fact that when preparing Aunt
Betsey's" body for burial bruises found
upon her feet, legs body neck and face One of the
witnesses evidently very reluctant in giving her
testimony, but the other. who daug ughter-inw Of
Mrs Wright. told her story in straightforward
minds of the large number OF people present The
first witness in the afternoon was young man
named Chapman, who was at Mrs. Avery's house last
Friday and heard weak voice In Mrs. wrlghts bed.
room cry. "Oh, don't. A few moments afterward
deceased into bed. He did 40. and noticed ON the
sheets in the middle of the bed spots of blood and


stick on the floor also bloody. The most damuing
evidence of ALL however given by Ida Avery. aged
about nineteen and granddaughter OF the prisoner.
She was visiting ut her grandInothers from Tuesday
of last week until this week Monday She said she
her relative whip "Aunt Betsey" with horse
whip several times. The latter was unable to walk,
but having st. Vitus dance would in her agony roll
out OF bed and had to be lifted back into it, Every
time she fell out Mrs Avery would whip her Severely
while lying on the floor with both ends of the whip
Aunt Betsey would fall out several times night and
was every time whipped. On Wednesday night sho
whipped eight times in tho girls presence for
rolling out upon the floor Sometimes Mrs.
wrights feet would project from under tho
bed clothing. and then Mrs. Avery would lash
them with the whip. Tho girl said. Aunt
Betsey whipped several times every night ]
was ut grandmother's until the night she died; J
asked grandmother not TO whip her but she didn't
stop; helped pick up deceased from tho floor and
put her into bed quite number OF times; grand
mother whipped her every time before or after she
got her back into the bed don't think Mrs. Wright
In her right mind. and believe she know nothing
OF her rolling out of bed; she would only moan ana
cry. oh. DON'T when being whipped; mover struck
her myself IN any way; told Mrs. Wrights son and
daughter after their mother died that l should
tell the truth and not lie to eld grandmother;
my neice Minnie Wilson. also told them the
same; she was visiting at grandmothcr's with me.
and often saw Mrs. Wright whipped by grand
mother" A severe cross-oxamnation by Lawyer
Ely failed to shake the girls testimony In the least
The next witness the Minnie Wilson referred to-
n uirl of ten or twelve. Before she put the
stand she was sobbing bitterly. and her tears In.
creased when questions were asked her. With her
face buried in her handkerchief shc would between
violent sobbng quite sharply answer the few quos'
tions put to by Lawyer Dunbar who appeared for
the prosecution but she evidently did not propose 70
ego back" her grandmother. for shc denied ever
seeing the latter beat Mrs. Wright. that she had
snid what previous witnesses had said she had. Her


mother by the child and at last In disgust Judge
Fuller told her to take the girl away, and probably
only the girls youth saved her from being charged
vial poriurv.