"A COMMON SCOLD”

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11660, 26 October 1923, Page 5

"A COMMON SCOLD”

REVIVAL OF OLD LAW. WOMAN FINED £6O. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association (Received October 25. 10.10 p.m.) NEW YORK. October 25. At Belvedere, for the first time in 100 years, a woman was convicted under an old colonial law <>f New Jersey, of being a common scold. The neighbours who brought the chargee gave such eloquent and speedy proof of the vitriolic qualities of tho woman's tongue, and the endless disquiet which living pear her means, that the jury brought a verdict cf guilty within tventv minutes. Tho judge, consulting the statute 5 , found the designated punishimmt was a duckingstool, but after 21 hours' meditation bo imposed a fine of 300 dollars, and a suspended sentence of six month-* imprisonment. The woman returned homo, but within three hours the neighbours flocked to the court and informed the judge die was scolding as hard afl ever.

Common seohU at one time were tied to a stool or chair and plunged into water, by way of punishment.