FALL mi¥EE, 
 
 AN 
 
 AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE, 
 
 BY THE AUTHOR OF 
 
 'TALES, NATIONAL, REVOLUTIONARY," &c. &c. 
 
 //^.:'* 
 
 " Oh for a Lodge in some vast wilderDeM, 
 Some boundless contiguity of shade, 
 Where rumour of oppression and deceit 
 Can never reach me more. 
 My eoul is sick with every day's report 
 Of the world's baseness." 
 
 
 SOLD BY ''**— 
 
 LILLY, WAIT & CO. BOSTON: MARSHALL, 
 BROWN & CO. PROVIDENCE. 
 
 1834. 
 
FT4 
 
 FrvV 
 
 Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 
 1833, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United 
 States, within and for the Rhode-Island District. 
 
 Marsh & Harrison, Printerii. ( 
 
 .1 
 
PREFACE 
 
 .. It is with feelings of embarrassment nerer felt on any for 
 
 ^ >w mer occasion, that the writer of this little volume lays it before 
 A the iHxblic. The tale which forms the principal part of its con- 
 ^ vients has been hitherto treated in such an indecent manner, 
 r^ that this, of itself, was nearly sufficient to terrify any one at the 
 J undertaking ; and it was not until after long and reiterated 
 r^ persuasion, tha-t the author was induced to attempt it. Who 
 ^ first proposed it, is of no consequence : it is sufficient that a 
 very great part of the subscribers and patrons of former works 
 have seconded the request ; and if the volume answers no 
 other purpose except proving the wish to oblige, it will cer- 
 tainly answer an important one. But we confidently hope it 
 may answer other and more useful ones. 
 
 The History of Fall River, a place which is becoming of so 
 much importance in the manufacturing world, cannot but be 
 acceptable to the public. The anecdotes connected with its 
 revolutionary history are worthy to be preserved. And a fair 
 and candid statement of facts, connected with the late unhappy 
 affair in that quarter, is desirable. As to the trial, it does not 
 treat of things in their proper order, nor cannot : and in the 
 next place, none but what is called legal evidence is admissi- 
 ble ; and lastly — and its greatest objection — it is not fit for any 
 body to read. A narrative, therefore, that would embrace 
 the facts, without any of the odiou* details in the trial, is high- 
 ly necessary, if public curiosity on the subject is lawful : and 
 who shall say that it is not ? 
 
 There is another way too, in which it is hoped and pre- 
 sumed this work may prove useful : — as a salutary and time- 
 ly warning to young women in the same situation in Hfe, in 
 which the ill fated girl was placed, who is the subject of this 
 narrative. On many accounts it may benefit. That baneful 
 disposition to rove, to keep moving from place to place, which 
 has been the ruin of so many, will her« receive a check. And 
 what is more important still — though an extremely difficiilt 
 1* 
 
VI PREFACE, 
 
 subject to treat upon so as to be understood — they will be warn- 
 ed, by the fate of one, against that idolatrous regard for min- 
 isters, for preachers of the gospel, which at the present day is 
 a scandal to the cause of Christianity ; which neither honors 
 God or benefits his church ; and certainly is calculated to 
 bring reproach and ridicule on the christian character. To 
 venerate the ambassador of the Most High, and listen to him 
 with respect, while in the sacred discharge of his ministerial 
 duties, is right and proper ; to contribute to his relief in sick- 
 ness and support in health, of our abundance, or our personal 
 exertion, if necessary, is likewise our duty ; but here let us 
 stop, and not make ourselves, and the cause we profess to be 
 engaged in, ridiculous, by such attentions as mortal man 
 ovght never to receive. 
 
 The absurd custom of crowding round some handsome 
 preacher on every occasion, in order to share hi^ smiles, and 
 be distinguished by his gracious gallantries, has justly excited 
 the ridicule of a large part of the community, and armed every 
 scoffer with weapons against that holy cause, which ought not 
 to suiFer from the faults of its ignorant professors, but which 
 they nevertheless confound together. Besides, ministers are 
 mortal men ; and, with good intentions, sometimes persons of 
 weak minds : and it requires a very strong mind to resist con- 
 tinual flattery. Some of them too are ignorant persons ; peo- 
 ple, who, if they had their proper places in society, would be 
 hewers of wood and drawers of water, rather than teachers. 
 This description of false teachers is very plainly set forth in 
 the Scriptures, as being " ever learning, and never able to 
 come to the knowledge of the truth;" as "creeping into 
 houses, and leading captive silly women," &c. &c. This last 
 description of preachers take care to insinuate themselves in- 
 to every place where they can possibly find entrance. No 
 matter what the reUgious privileges of the people may be they 
 go among : unless they themselves have built up a sect among 
 them, they consider them as destitute of truth and the means 
 of grace. If a neighborhood is furnished with ever so many 
 
PREFACE. Vll 
 
 good, respectable, competent teachers, supported by those 
 who are able to do it, there must be one more added, if there 
 is no other way to support him but out of the hard earnings 
 of the poor. Now the fact is, that a preacher, who cannot be 
 supported without drawing upon the chanty of poor factoiy 
 girls, ought to ^o in and go to work himself. 
 
 It will be seen too after perusing the history of this unfortu- 
 nate girl, whether a course of spiritual dissipation is favorable 
 to the growth of religion in the soul ; whether a continual 
 round of going to meetings night and day, is in reality recom 
 mending the cause, or likely to recommend the character, or 
 preserve the characters of young women, in an especial man- 
 ner. It is much to be feared it is otherwise. In the first 
 place, this appearance of superior devotedness, this over zeal, 
 fails in no instance to draw all eyes upon her. There is ri- 
 valship in churches it is known, as well as in other communi- 
 ties, and such members are watched with jealous regard , if 
 they go and return protected as they ought to be by one of 
 the other sex, barbarous insinuations will sometimes be made ; 
 if on the contrary they wander about from meeting to meet- 
 ing alone, they are immediately censured. And added to 
 this it is expected that the general deportment of such females 
 should differ from that of others ; that it should present an 
 appearance of stiffness and restraint incompatible with youth, 
 witli cheerfulness and a social temper; hence the slightest 
 deviation from the prescribed forms is censured in such per- 
 sons as a crime ; what would pass in others without remark, 
 is the subject of unqualified abuse in these, and induces a 
 species of persecution, that too often results in loss of charac" 
 ter to the victim. 
 
 And is this counterbalanced by any inward advantage ? — 
 Does religion thrive most in noise and tumult? Does the 
 heart become better, the imagination purer, the temper more 
 placid ? Can that God, who is worshipped only in spirit and 
 in truth, be only honored in a crowd ? Let every heart de- 
 cide the question. 
 
Vlll PREFACE. 
 
 With respect to embellishment in this book, no person ac- 
 quainted with the facts, who has seen it, pretends to say there 
 is any, except in the first interview between the physician and 
 the unfortunate heroine of the tale ; where it is said the phra- 
 seology is improved without altering the facts. If the error is 
 on the side of delicacy we hope to be pardoned. 
 
L 
 
 
 ( im;:.;j-'' 
 
 AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Situated on a rather abrupt elevation of land 
 rising from the northeast side of Mount Hope bay, 
 distant about eighteen miles from Newport, and 
 nine from Bristol, R. I. stands the beautiful and 
 flourishing village of Fall River,so called from the 
 river, which taking its rise about four miles east, 
 runs through the place, and after many a fantastic 
 turn, is hurried to the bay over beds of rocks, where, 
 before the sce'ne was marred by the hand of cultiva- 
 tion and improvement, it formed several beautiful 
 cascades and had a fine and imposing effect. The 
 village is now only picturesque from the variety of 
 delightful landscape by which it is surrounded, the 
 back ground presenting a variety in rural scenery, 
 where neat farms and fertile fields shew them- 
 selves here and there, between hill and dale and 
 rock and wood. The soil, though for the most part 
 fertile, is in some places exceedingly rocky, and 
 often in the midst of such places some little verdant 
 spot shews itself, looking, as Cunningham says, 
 " as tho' it were wrested from the hand of nature." 
 
 But Fall River is chiefly inviting as a place of 
 residence from the salubrity of its air, and the vi- 
 cinity of Mount Hope bay, which spreads before it 
 like a mirror, and extends easterly until it meets 
 the waters of Taunton river, forming on each side 
 immerous little creeks and coves, which add to the 
 charms of the landscape materially ; while on the 
 southwest it takes a bold sweep, and passing round 
 through Howland's ferry, where it is compressed 
 
10 FALL RIVER, 
 
 through the narrow channel of a drawbridge, hav- 
 ing the ishmd of Rhode-Island on one hand and 
 the town of Tiverton on the other, again expands 
 and flows on to meet the ocean. Rowland's ferry is 
 not visible from the village of Fall River, though 
 it ig from the bay when at the distance of three or 
 four miles. Vessels do sometimes pass and repass 
 through the drawbridge at Rowland's ft^rry to and 
 from Fall River and Taunton ; but the most usual 
 way of access to the former is through Bristol fer- 
 ry, two miles south of Bristol port. It requires 
 no great effort of imagination to go back a few 
 years, and imagine the Indian with his light canoe 
 sailing about in these waters, or dodging about 
 among the rocks and trees. I'hfe neighborhood of 
 Fall River has been the scene of frequent skirmish- 
 es among the Ficknets, the tribe of King' Philip, 
 and the Pequods and Narragansetts'. Uncas too, 
 with the last of the Mohicans and the best, has 
 set his princely foot upon its strand. 
 
 Fall River, which in 1812 contained less than 
 one hundred inhabitants, ov/es its growth and im- 
 portance principally, indeed almost wholly, to its 
 manufacturing establishments: which, though not 
 splendid in appearance, are very numerous and 
 employ several thousand persons collected from 
 different parts of the country, as well as many 
 foreigners: the immense fall of water here being 
 now nearly covered by establishments of various 
 kinds. 
 
 There are at least fortythousand spindles in op- 
 eration, and it is only twenty-one years since the 
 erection of the first cotton manufactory. Previous 
 to this the land in this vicinity belonged principally 
 to the families of Bordon, Bowen, and Durfee ; 
 three families from whom the principal part of the 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 11 
 
 stationary inhabitants sprung-. The land now di- 
 vided among the different manufacturing establish- 
 ments is principally held in shares, that is in tJie 
 neighborhood of the establishments. So flourish- 
 ing has business been there, that there is scarce a 
 machanic, trader, or even labourer, who has been 
 there for any length of time, who has not acquir- 
 ed an estate of his own. In 1812 the first cotton 
 manufactory was erected by a company incorpo- 
 rated by the name of the Fall River Company. 
 In the same year, another company was incorpo- 
 rated called the Troy Manufacturing Company, 
 and another factory built. There are nGw,in 1633, 
 thirteen manufactories, viz. two cotton manufac- 
 tories of the Troy Company — Pocasset,one wool- 
 len do. — New Pocasset— Massasoit— 01ne3^*s mill, 
 — Calico works — Fall River Company's mills, 
 three in number — Annawan — Iron Works and 
 Nail Manufactory. The Calico Works alone, 
 which cover a large area of ground, employ nearly 
 three hundred hands ; its state of improvement is 
 not, we believe, exceeded by any establishment of 
 the kind in the country — besides a number of ma- 
 chine shops, &c. which, stuck about on the jutting 
 rocks, many of them, in the very bed of the stream, 
 have a most singular appearance. The fall origi- 
 nally was through a deep black gulf, with high 
 rocky sides. Across this gulf most of the manu- 
 factories are built. There is an appearance of ac- 
 tive industry and a spirit of enterprise, as well as of 
 cheerfulness and contentment, that at once strikes 
 a stranger. It is evident too from the number of 
 houses of worship, schools, &c. that the moral and 
 religious education of the rising generation is not 
 neglected. There are seven houses of worship. 
 Two forCongregationalists, two for Baptists, one 
 
12 
 
 Free- Will Baptist, one Unitarian, one Methodist, 
 &LC. There are a number of free-schools here, to- 
 wards which the inhabitants themselves voluntari- 
 ly contribute twenty-five hundred dollars per an- 
 num. The number of inhabitants at the present 
 date, 1833, is said to exceed five thousand. It is to 
 be supposed that among the heterog-eneous mate- 
 rials which form the community in this place, there 
 is a great variety of character, as well as of creeds; 
 occasionally some differences of opinion as well as 
 clashing of interests. Yet for the most part crime 
 has been unknown there. There have indeed been 
 a few suicides, but they were " few and far be- 
 tween ;"and it has'often been a boast among the in- 
 habitants, that living as they do, on the borders of 
 two states (part, and by far the greater part, is in 
 Troy, Mass. the other in Tiverton, R. I.) the laws 
 of either were seldom called in to punish anything 
 except venial transgressions. Fall River too can 
 boast of its prov^ess in battle, of its revolutionary 
 characters in "the times that tried men's souls." 
 For although their humble attempts to resist inva- 
 sion have not yet found a place on the pagesof his- 
 tory, yet certain it is, the tide of war has once roll- 
 ed its threatening waves as far up as to reach the 
 shores of Mount Hope bay. The character for 
 bravery, generosity, and independence of mind 
 manifested at that period seems to have become a 
 part of their inheritance. Among all the changes 
 which the increase of population causes, the pri- 
 mitive virtues of simplicity and hospitality are still 
 eminently conspicuous. Whoever goes to reside 
 there seems to adopt readilythe manners of the in- 
 habitants. Even the labouring part of the commu- 
 nity in the manufactories, as well as in other ds- 
 partments,are positively distinguished by a degree 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 13 
 
 of refinement and courtesy of manners, superior in 
 a great degree to what we usually meet with in 
 manufacturing villages.* It is a fact that speaks 
 loudly and deserves to be recorded in letters of 
 gold, that Fall River is the only place known to the 
 writer of these sheets where she ever past a week 
 without hearing one individual speak ill of another: 
 and few persons ever had a greater opportunity, 
 having spoken with more than three hundred peo- 
 ple during that time. 
 
 We have stated that previous to the commence- 
 ment of its settlement as a manufacturing village, 
 and even as far back as the revolutionary war, the 
 families of Bordon, Bo wen and Durfee, were the 
 principal proprietors of the soil, and brave fellows 
 they were too, some of them. Even the soil around 
 this secluded spot was stained with the contest. 
 At the time Newport was in possession of the Brit- 
 ish, there was an attempt made to destroy their 
 mills at this place, consisting of saw mills, grist 
 mills and a fulling mill. An expedition was fitted 
 out in boats, and came upon them in the night with 
 the intention of firing the village, consisting of a 
 little cluster of houses, about ten in number, and 
 those remote from each other. They were aided 
 by some of the tory refugees, and succeeded in 
 landing on the shore, a little below the long wharf, 
 that now is, where they fired the house of Thomas 
 Bordon. Several little bridges lay between them 
 and the mills, and these were immediatly destroy- 
 ed by the brave little handful of men collected on 
 the spot, except the last, behind which they en- 
 
 * I shall always recollect with pleasure one little incident, in one of the weav- 
 ing rooms of the manufactory, where the noise was very distracting arising 
 from a vast number of looms going at once. The machinery suddenly stopped, 
 and a strain of music arose simuhaneously from every part of the room, in such 
 perfect concord that I at first thought it a chime of bells. My conductor smiltd 
 when I asked him if it was not, and pointed to the girls, who each kept their sta- 
 tion until they had sung the tune through. 
 
 2 
 
14 FALL RIVER, 
 
 trenched themselves, and commenced firing a ft w 
 yankee sliot, and from behind the house of Rich- 
 ard Borden, at the corner of which one of the ene- 
 my was shot. (The okl fabric is still standing.) 
 The enemy continuing to advance, and become 
 more formidable, they succeeded in levelling two 
 of them ; one was shot dead, supposed by Doc. 
 John Turner, and the other mortally wounded. 
 This rather intimidated the assailants, who made 
 a motion to retreat, but after haulting at a little 
 distance, returned again, and the scuiHe was re- 
 newed — the yankees lighting bravely, with their 
 last powder and ball ; finding their ammunition ail 
 e5ipended,they contrived to make up the defect by 
 management. One of them, Sherman, by name, was 
 mounted on the wall, and instructed to give orders, 
 which he did with a great flourish, telling them to 
 fight on bravely — the day was their own, and they 
 had ammunition enough to last a month. The poor 
 fellows had then the very last in their guns-but they 
 gave a great shout, and discharged that in the face 
 of the foe, who swallowed the bait, and retreated 
 to their boats, carrying with them, however, one 
 prisoner, old Mr. Richard Borden, who had ven- 
 tured too near in the zeal of the moment. Boys fif- 
 teen and sixteen years old, fought in that contest, 
 and women brandished their broomsticks, and tra- 
 dition says only one small boy was frightened, and 
 he ran off and hid in the woods until it was over. 
 One of the tories who had been an inhabitant of 
 Fall River,and guided the enemyto this little nook 
 was named Holland. The business not prospering 
 as he expected, he was glad to retreat with the 
 British, and at the evacuation of Newport went to 
 reside at Halifax, Many years subsequent to this, 
 and after he had become quite an old man, he re- 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 15 
 
 turned to America, and being anxious to see Fall 
 River, the scene of his treacherous attempts, he 
 visited it under an assumed name. Thomas Bor- 
 den was then an old man, and the stranger made 
 some pretence for calling at his house, but in spite 
 of his disguise and the lapse of years, his eagle eye 
 detected the resemblance, and hastily advancing 
 he demanded to know " if he was not the traitor 
 Holland." The stranger stoutly denied himself to 
 be that character. " If I knew you was," said the 
 old man, clenehing his fist, " I would lay you on 
 that forestick, (pointing to the lire) and roast yon 
 to a cinder." Holland, terrified, fled again from 
 the place and has never been there since. 
 
 This Richard Borden was a singular character 
 for oddity. He was taken prisoner, I before ob- 
 served, at the memorable contest of the mills, and 
 as they were carrying him off laid down in the boat 
 while they were passing Bristol Ferry, lest some 
 Rhot from his enraged countrymen should reach 
 them. The enemy commanded him to stand up, 
 which he refusing, two men took hold of him and 
 attempted to force him upon his feet, when a chain 
 shot from the shore, mowed them both down at 
 once, and they fell on the body of the prisoner, 
 dead men. 
 
 The wounded prisoner, meanwhile at Fall River, 
 died the next day, and the two comrades were 
 buried on the spot where they fell, side by side. 
 One Peter Thatcher, who had distinguished him- 
 self on that memorable night, advanced to the 
 grave while this operation was performing, and 
 protesting if their heads were laid together there 
 would be some mischief hatching, commanded 
 them to be laid heads and points. This was ac- 
 cordingly done, and in 1828, when the ground was 
 
16 
 
 excavating for the erection of the Mossasoit Fac- 
 tory, the bones of the unfortunate victims of king- 
 ly power, of the poor wretches dragged from their 
 families three thousand miles across the water to 
 engage in a broil of which they probably knew 
 nothing — werediscoveredlayingheadsand point?. 
 
 " War is a game, that were their subjects wise 
 Kings could not play at." 
 
 The growth of Fall River from the period of the 
 revolutionof the year 1812, must have been slow, 
 and even since that, until 1822,* when there 
 was butfour stores in the place, of any description, 
 and not to exceed four hundred inhabitants- 
 There is now about 100 shops and stores of vari- 
 ous descriptions — but excepting two or three on 
 the Tiverton side of the village, scarce any where 
 spirituous liquors are retailed, and not a single 
 distillery in the place. 
 
 The roads north and south of the village, lead 
 through a delightful country. The view of the 
 island of Rhode-Island on the south one is beauti- 
 ful, almost enchanting — while that leading to 
 Taunton is scarcely less picturesque. On this road 
 lies the little village of Assonet, where there is 
 considerable commerce carried on. It is a singu- 
 lar sight to see large vessels coming up to the very 
 doors of the cottages, sheltered and shut in by the 
 little woody point that encloses the tiny harbor — 
 and music to hear the voices and loud laugh of nu- 
 merous little urchins who are frequently seen 
 playing on the hull of some old vessel on the strand. 
 These fairy landscapes on the one hand, are 
 strangely contrasted by the wildness and sterili- 
 ty of that on the east, which resembles a newly 
 settled country. The land lying between Fall 
 
 ♦ The third manufactory was erected in 1821, and two more in the ensuing 
 year. At this period, 1833, a large and elegant one is going up. 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 17 
 
 River and New-Bedford, a distance of from sixteen 
 to eighteen miles, is a perfect desert for the most 
 part, being only diversified by bogs, rocky pas- 
 tures and forests of scrub oak and vi^ild poplar. 
 The village of Fall River perhaps owes much of 
 its picturesque appearance to the rocks which are 
 seen rising on all sides, some of the most finished 
 buildings being nearly surrounded by rocks. 
 
 It almost seems in the law of destiny that every 
 place shall have something in its history to recom- 
 mend it to the attention of mankind. 
 
 In the countries of Europe, in every part of the 
 old world, scarce a village or hamlet is past, where 
 the attention of the traveller is not called to some 
 circumstance of notoriety connected with the his- 
 tory of the place, either it has been the birthplace 
 of some hero, or statesman, or poetj renowned in 
 ihe annals of the world, or the spot where some 
 bloody battle has been fought that perhaps decided 
 the fate of nations. Here was once the resort of 
 banditti, and here once stood the monastery of 
 some religious fanatics. Here was the cell of an 
 anchorite,and here the home of unbounded luxury 
 and unbridled licentiousness. Those ruins cover 
 the springs once so celebrated in history where the 
 beauty and fashion of centuries long gone by re- 
 sorted for health and pleasure, and drank from the 
 fountains now hidden fathoms under ground. This 
 place witnessed ages since, the vows of those cel- 
 ebrated lovers, and this was the scene of a black 
 iind midnight murder. Here dwelt the witches of 
 yore, and here the sorcerers. Here was lighted the 
 fires of the martyrs, and there, their persecutors 
 breathed their last. Here wept an injured, banish- 
 ed queen, and here a king abdicated his throne. 
 In short, there is no end to the catalogue of events 
 2* 
 
18 FALL RIVER, 
 
 by which each place is consecrated in the memo- 
 ry of man. 
 
 In our happy coimtry,new to crime and unknown 
 to greatness comparatively speaking, there is lit- 
 tle of this kind of distinction known. It is suffi- 
 cient that the thriving city exhibits the appearance 
 of industry and application and enterprise, that 
 the rural landscape teems with sights and sounds 
 of human happiness, that it is clothed with the 
 flowers of spring, the verdure of summer, and the 
 fullness of autumn. The unenvied distinctions 
 conferred by the monuments of former greatness 
 and vengeful crimes, we desire to leave to our old- 
 er neighbors. Yet even in this our new and favor- 
 ed country, crime is sometimes known. The pri- 
 meval curse which extends over the whole earth, 
 has not left our plains and vallies without some 
 demonstrations of its universality. " The blood of 
 man, slain by his brother man, has at intervals 
 stained the soil where peace and purity were wont 
 to dwell, and the cry of murder, borne on the mid- 
 night blast, has sometimes been heard, even in 
 someof the most secluded parts of happy America. 
 The traveller in future ages, as he wends his way 
 through the delightful village we have been de- 
 scribing, shall point to the lowly grave on the side 
 of yonder hill, and say " even here, has the curse 
 been felt — even here, has murder stalked abroad, 
 amidst scenes of nature's loveliness, calculated to 
 warm the coldest heart with gratitude towards that 
 good and glorious Being who clothes the fields in 
 plenty and bids the landscape smile, has the assas- 
 sin lurked, here plotted the direst deed of darkness, 
 here executed a scheme of cruelty which the 
 savages of our western woods might have shrunk 
 from." Here at this lonely grave, whose plain and 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 19 
 
 unobtrusive stone just tells the name and age of a 
 female, cut off in the prime of her days — and tells 
 no more — shall the young- and the beautiful read 
 the warning against the wiles of man, here try 
 while recounting the sad story of her who sleeps 
 beneath to fortify each other against the encroach- 
 ments of vice, especially of that which captivates 
 under the mask of love. Here the prudent mother 
 shall bring her lovely daughters to read those les- 
 sons of prudence and caution, which of all other 
 lessons the youthful heart is most apt to revolt at, 
 the youthful mind to forget. And pointing to this 
 place, the drunkard, the swearer, the Sabbath 
 breaker, the gambler, and even the highway rob- 
 ber, shall exclaim, " that grave attests that mon- 
 sters have lived worse than me !" On yonder slope 
 where nature has spread her richest carpet of al- 
 most perpetual verdure, and where the quiet of 
 the scene might seem to speak of sweet repose 
 and heavenly contemplation, a deed of darkness 
 has been perpetrated, at which even such might 
 have revolted. But this is digression, and we 
 hasten on to the story. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 About half a mile from the centre of the village 
 of Fall River, in a southerly direction, on the di- 
 rect road to Rowland's Ferry and rather remote 
 from any other dwelling, there is a large old fash- 
 ioned farm house belonging to a family by the 
 name of Durfee. The land descends from here to- 
 wards the bay with a gentle slope, and is probably 
 about 150 or 200 rods to the water. The house 
 stands in the State of Rhode Island, and near the 
 line that marks the boundaries of the two states. 
 
20 
 
 Proceeding from here towards the village you en- 
 ter the suburbs of Fall River. In the State of 
 Massachusetts in about a quarter of a mile dis- 
 tance, within a short distance from this line on the 
 Mass. side is the residence of a physician esteemed 
 in his profession as well as in his private life, of 
 unaffected manners, and unassuming deportment. 
 His appearance is the very epitome of plain old 
 fashioned Republican simplicity ; there is a de- 
 gree of frankness and benevolence expressed in 
 his countenance that at once secures the confi- 
 dence, even of strangers. 
 
 It was on the evening of the 8th Oct. 1832, that 
 the Doctor was summoned to the parlor to see a 
 lady who desired to speak with him. This circum- 
 stance to a physician was nothing extraordinary, 
 and therefore it was without any feelings of curi- 
 osity or awakened attention that the doctor obey- 
 ed the summons : he perceived a young woman 
 very plainly habited and of most dejected appear- 
 ance : her age he judged might be about 28, and 
 her countenance bespoke the possession of beau- 
 ty in happier days — but it was now clouded with 
 care and shaded with grief, and as she arose to 
 address the doctor upon his entrance, the air of ex- 
 treme dejection that she wore, caught his eye, and 
 in a moment interested him in behalf of the un- 
 known sufferer. He begged her to be seated: while 
 drawing a chair opposite, he endeavoured to pe- 
 netrate so deep a grief and ascertain the cause of 
 this visit. " She had come she said to consult him 
 on the subject of her health. She had not been 
 well for some time, and washed to ascertain with 
 certainty the nature of her disease." 
 
 The doctor desired her to mention her symp- 
 toms. She did so. Not havinfr the slightest recol- 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 21 
 
 lection of seeing Iier before, he inquired, was she 
 a stranger here ? "Not exactly ; she had been em- 
 ployed to weave in one of the cotton manufacto- 
 ries for some time past." " Her work probably 
 disagreed with her : had she been used to such em- 
 ployment ?" Yes, for several years. " Would she 
 be so good as to state her symptoms o«ce more ?" 
 she did so, with a faltering voice, and changing 
 cheek. The doctor rose, took a turn or two across 
 the room, and again seating himself opposite, ask- 
 ed the question, "Are you married, madam ?" 
 
 " No sir," said the young woman faintly. A 
 long pause ensued. 
 
 " If you were a married woman I should be apt 
 to tell you what I thought, but as it is I scarcely 
 know what to say, except it is my opinion you will 
 not be able to work in the factory much longer." 
 The miserable young woman clasped her hands 
 together and wept profusely. 
 
 ",Can you speak with certainty, sir, as respects 
 my case ?" " I cannot, said the doctor, nor no oth- 
 er person with certainty. I only give my opinion, 
 grounded upon the facts you have stated with re- 
 spect to your ill health, and I may add your too 
 evident distress bespeaks you to have been the 
 prey of a villain ; but has not the person who has 
 thus entailed misfortune upon you, the power to 
 take you from the hardships of a factory and place 
 you in a comfortable situation, until you can again 
 resume your employment with safely to yourself?" 
 
 " I am afraid he would not be willing to do so." 
 
 " Not be willing ! then he must be a very base 
 man. It certainly is in his place to do so. Who 
 is he ?" no answer but tears. 
 
 " Can you not tell me his name ?" 
 
 " I cannot, I dare not," said she at last, burst- 
 ing into a fresh flood of tears. 
 
22 
 
 " Have you no connexions in tliis place young 
 woman f ' demanded the doctor. 
 
 " None, sir, except religious connexions." 
 
 " Then you are a member of some religious so- 
 €iety — of which ?" 
 
 " Of the Methodist, sir." 
 
 " Well your case is certainly a very peculiar 
 and a very distressing one, but I can see no reason 
 why you cannot tell who this person is — this man 
 who has led you into this trouble — there seems to 
 be some great mystery about it, which I am desi- 
 rous of unravelling. Perhaps I can advise you to 
 some safe course, and if I am to be your physician 
 I insist upon knowing before I give you any fur- 
 ther advice, and if it is in my power to befriend 
 you in any way I should certainly do so. It was 
 not until many apparent struggles with herself, 
 much persuasion, solemn injunctions to secresy, 
 and finally a promise on the part of the doctor not 
 to expose the name, that she at length reluctantly 
 disclosed it ; and great was the doctor's astonish- 
 ment indeed when she named a preacher of the 
 gospel as her betrayer — a Methodist minister !" 
 
 "Monstrous!" said the appalled physician, "and 
 does he preach now ?" " Yes sir, in Bristol, 
 next town to this." 
 
 " But how, where, which way, could a minister 
 of the gospel contrive to insult one of his flock ? 
 Where young woman, I must ask, has your inter- 
 views taken place ?" 
 
 "Our interview', sir, was at the late Camp Meet- 
 ing in Thompson, Ct. It was unsought by me for 
 any such purpose, but I trusted myself with him in 
 a lonely place, and he acted a treacherous part." 
 
 "Amazing," exclaimed the doctor, "under the 
 mask of religion too ! well young woman it is use- 
 
AN AUTHE^TIC NARKATIVE. 23 
 
 less to mourn over what is past and cannot now be 
 mended. Your business must now be to take care 
 of yourself — and there is as I conceive one straight 
 forward course for you to pursue. Such a man 
 deserves to be exposed. It is a duty you owe 
 not only to yourself but to the public to expose 
 the man. It is outrageous that such a man should 
 continue to deceive the public. I would therefore 
 if I were you boldly go forward and expose him to 
 the world, and compel him by law to do me jus- 
 tice. You would certainly be doing society a 
 service to unmask such a person." 
 
 " Oh I cannot, I cannot sir, indeed," said the 
 young woman, with a shudder. " 1 cannot consent 
 to bring such disgrace and trouble upon the church 
 and upon his innocent family too. He has a wor- 
 thy woman for a wife, and she and all his innocent 
 children must be disgraced if he is exposed." 
 
 " Well, I know not what to advise you, young 
 woman, if you are averse to this course. There 
 is but one other way to obtain redress — and that 
 is by threatening him. You must at all events be 
 provided for before long, and the best way is in 
 case you do not expose him, to threaten to do so 
 unless he settles handsomely with you, and ena- 
 bles you to leave the factory until after the termi- 
 nation of this unhappy affair. To this the young 
 woman assented, and saying she would call again, 
 after writing to him, withdrew." 
 
 The image of this afflicted and unhappy person 
 could not momently be erased from the mind of 
 the doctor. The circumstance of itself was calcu- 
 lated to interest, and the sufferer, though not very 
 handsome, was certainly a very interesting per- 
 son. It was not long though before she called 
 again, and the subject of her second communication 
 
24 FALL RlVERj 
 
 was certainly not less interesting than the first. 
 She came now she said to ask advice as a friend. 
 She had recently received a letter from Mr Avery 
 requesting her to come to Bristol and sec him 
 there — that he had appointed a time and place, 
 and seemed anxious for the interview. She stated 
 also, she had received another letter from Provi- 
 dence, during the four days meeting. 
 
 The doctor again advised her to compel Avery 
 to a settlement, and she asked what she had better 
 say to him. He observed that she ought at leaslt to 
 demand three hundred dollars and he had no doubt 
 Avery would think himself wtll off to come off so. 
 
 " Why," said she, "he is not able to give such a 
 sum ; the Methodist ministers are poor — all poor. 
 They are very iJly paid for their services, and I 
 doubt his power to make up such a sum, besides I 
 should not dare to name so much for fear he would 
 think I had told some one." And she seemed to 
 be in considerable terror at the idea that he should 
 suspect he had been exposed to any one. She then 
 informed the doctor that she had a short interview 
 with him at Fall River, where she met him on the 
 meeting-house steps, and walked away with him, 
 and that he wished her to take a medicine that he 
 recommended, in order to prevent future trouble 
 and expense, and at once obliterate the effects of 
 their connexion. The doctorinquired whatit was, 
 and was shocked and surprised to learn it was one 
 of such deadly effect that she would probably have 
 expired on the spot had she taken it. The drug 
 referedto was the oil of tansy, one of the most vio- 
 lent things ever used, and never given except in 
 very small quantities, and under the direction of a 
 physician. Comprehending as he now thought a 
 little of the plot, he advised her against a private 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 25 
 
 interview with Avery, and begged her by no means 
 to go to Bristol and give him the private interview 
 he requested, nor to take any medicine of his pre- 
 scription, telling her the one recommended would 
 probably have killed her on the spot, if not, it 
 would have utterly destroyed her health forever.* 
 The girl seemed shocked, but could not seem to 
 believe her betrayer had designs on her life. The 
 doctor observed if she meant to do any thing of 
 thatsort she must apply to another physician. She 
 however avowed her determination to take no- 
 thing,but bear as she said, the whole shame and dis- 
 grace of it herself, " and take care of her child as 
 well as she was able." The doctor commended 
 her in this resolution, and told her it was his duty 
 to come to her, not hers to go to him, and to have 
 him by all means come to Fall River, and meet him 
 in some suitable place, where they could talk it 
 over and make some settlement with him, that was 
 in case she had still resolved not to expose him 
 publicly. This she seemed resolved not to do, 
 and spake again of the distress such a disclosure 
 would bring upon his family, and mentioned the 
 agitation the first disclosure of her situation had 
 caused him. He protested to her afterwards that 
 he passed the " most wretched night that night he 
 had ever done, having scarcely closed his eyes.^^ 
 Much more conversation occurred of the same de- 
 scription, accompanied by many tears, which the 
 doctor observed she always shed when conversing 
 on that subject ; and thanking him for his kindness 
 she withdrew, leaving an impression of pity and 
 admiration upon the mind of the good physician, I 
 that one so feelingly alive to sentiments of virtue s/ 
 
 * Thirty drops, she said he told her to take at once , Four drops is considered 
 a large dose. 
 
26 FALL RIVER, 
 
 and propriety should have fallen into such a snare. 
 She had, between these interviews mentioned, call- 
 ed for medicine to take, such as her health requir- 
 ed, and the doctor observed he never saw her with- 
 out shedding tears and betraying most painful feel- 
 ings with respect to her situation, although she 
 was calm, and seemed to have resigned herself to 
 the event. 
 
 A few weeks only elapsed since the last visit of 
 Miss Cornell,during which the doctor often thought 
 of her, and wondered how she was likely to settle 
 the difficulty wdth her seducer as he termed him, 
 for so perfectly modest and proper was her deport- 
 ment that he could on no account harbor an opin- 
 ion, but that she had been artfully led from the 
 paths of virtue, by one in whom it was perfectly 
 natural she should place the utmost confidence. 
 He looked upon her as one of the most unfortunate 
 of women, but could not despise her as he might 
 have done in other circumstances. 
 
 It was on a cold frosty morning, the 21st Dec. 
 that the doctor observed some people running up 
 the street, apparently in great haste ; he stood at 
 the window watching when they should return, to 
 know what the matter was ; but no body came 
 back, while another and another party followed 
 close upon the heels of the former. The women 
 appeared to be horror struck as they collected in 
 groups at the doors or in the streets, and many 
 leaving their families just as they were, (it was 
 about breakfast time) and hastily throwing some- 
 thing over them pushed on in the direction of Dur- 
 fee's farm. Presently some one came running into 
 the doctor's saying a young women had just hung 
 herself up at Durfee's. The doctor stopped to ask 
 no more, biit catching his hat, ran up to the farm,, 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 27 
 
 without however having the least suspicion who it 
 was. Upon gaining a stack yard some fifty rods 
 south of the house, he perceived a female lying on 
 the ground, for they had taken her down. She lay 
 with her cloak, gloves and calash on, and her arms 
 drawn under her cloak. 
 
 " Does any one know her ?" asked one. " She 
 is well dressed," said another, '* I think she must 
 be somebody respectable." *' Yes I know her," 
 said the Methodist minister who had arrived on the 
 grr>imd a little previous to the doctor — " she is a 
 respectable young woman, and a member of my 
 church." 
 
 Just then the physician reached the yard, and 
 hastily lifting the profusion of dark locks that had 
 fallen entirely over her face, he discovered with 
 grief and astonishment the countenance of his late 
 interesting patient. Horror struck, he endeavored 
 to loosen the cord from her neck ; it was nearly 
 half an inch imbedded in the flesh. But alas! there 
 was nothing in the usual remedies to produce re- 
 susitation that would have availed any thing here, 
 for the young woman appeared to have been there 
 all night and was frozen stiff. And is this the end 
 of the sorrows, poor unfortunate! thought the kind 
 physician, as bending over the helpless victim of 
 unhallowed passion. He gazed upon that altered 
 countenance — altered it was indeed — it was livid 
 pale, — her tongue protruded through her teeth — 
 pushed out her under lip,that was very much swol- 
 len as though it had received some hard blow, or 
 been severely bit in anguish, gave a dreadful ex- 
 pression of agony, while a deep indentation on the 
 cheek looked as though that too must have been 
 pressed by some hard substance ; but whatever he 
 thought at that time respecting the means by which 
 
28 FALL RIVER, 
 
 she came to her death, he wisely forbore to utter 
 it, and the jury of inquest was summoned in im- 
 mediately.* In the mean time the respectable 
 farmer on whose premises the deceased was found, 
 after having her carefully conveyed to the house, 
 inquired of the Methodist minister if she had any 
 friends in the place, and if not whether the society 
 of which he said she was a respectable member 
 would not see to the expense of her funeral. That 
 person replied that he did not exactly know their 
 rules in such cases, but he would go and consTilt 
 them and return soon and inform them. Mean- 
 while the truth struggled hard in the breast of the 
 doctor. He had felt himself bound to secrecy in 
 case the girl had lived, respecting the name of her 
 betrayer, but her death and the awful manner of it 
 impelled him to reveal what he believed to be the 
 cause. He felt that death had taken off the injunc- 
 tion of secrecy; and stepping after the clergyman, 
 he related the confession of the unhappy girl to 
 him, and what she had said respecting his brother 
 Avery. In what language he expressed himself, 
 or whether he gave way to the feelings of indigna- 
 tion which the knowledge of such a transaction 
 was calculated to awaken, is not known, but the 
 reverend listener was at once roused to defend 
 him, and express his full belief that his brother was 
 perfectly innocent, and finally asserted " that the 
 deceased was a very bad character, and that Avery 
 had told him so, and warned him against her, and 
 that she was not in full communion with the meet- 
 
 * Her countenance was exceedingly distorted, and there was not only an ex- 
 pression of anguish upon it, but one of horror and affright, combined with an 
 angry frown. " That terrible look," said the doctor, ''was present with me 
 for months, and often in the dead of night has appeared to my imagination with 
 sueh force as to awake me. and I can scarcely think of it now without a chill.— 
 That look never was seen on the countenance of a person who did not die by vio- 
 lence." He expressed his amazement that among all that was said in Court that 
 circumstance was not attested. 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 29 
 
 ing but only received upon probation." Very 
 shortly he returned to the house of Mr. Durfee, 
 and said that " the deceased was a bad character 
 and the meeting would have nothing to do with 
 burying her." 
 
 Of course Mr. Durfee's astonishmerii; was very 
 great,having just before heard the Rev. gentleman 
 say " she was a respectable woman and a member 
 of their society." But nothing influenced the hon- 
 est and benevolent farmer to omit his own duty, 
 and deny the right of burial to the poor unhappy 
 girl whose remains Providence seemd in a pecu- 
 liar manner to have confided to his care. 
 
 " She shall have a burial place in my grounds," 
 said he, " near my family, and as respectable a 
 funeral as anybody,and as respectable a clergyman 
 as any other to make the prayer, and every thing 
 that is necessary and decent shall be attended to. 
 And without any fear of contamination, from the 
 neighborhood of one whom the clergyman chose 
 to denominate a vile character, he gave orders to 
 have a grave prepared for her near his own family. 
 
 In the mean time a hasty and irregular jury had 
 been selected and sitting upon the question, and 
 after a very superficial observation, and no exami- 
 nation whatever of her person, brought in a ver- 
 dict of "suicide.". The corpse was then delivered 
 into the hands of five or six of some of the most 
 respectable matrons of the village who had vol- 
 unteered to perform this office of benevolence 
 towards the hapless stranger. 
 
 They commenced this work with mournful re- 
 flections upon the subject of sclf^murder,and some 
 expressions of pity towards her whose hard for- 
 tune some way or other must have driven her to 
 so rash and daring an act, for that she died othcr- 
 3^ 
 
30 FALL RIVER, 
 
 wise than by her own hand never entered the 
 heads of either of the good women. But what was 
 their astonishment when stripping the body for the 
 purpose of arraying it for the grave they discover- 
 ed marks of violence about her person. " Oh said 
 one of the oldest of the ladies who they called aunt 
 Hannah, whathas been done?" the person address- 
 ed answered "rash violence." Just above each hip 
 were marks of hands, the bruises of which were 
 very bad, so that the spots of the thumb inwards, 
 and the fingers outside were distinctly visible, they 
 were thjse of a large hand, for one or two of the 
 women applied theirs and they were not large 
 enough to cover the marks : one only, the person 
 they called aunt Hannah, found her hand to fit : 
 there were bad bruises on the back, and the knees 
 scratched and stained with grass as though ihey 
 had been on the ground during some struggle : 
 spots below the knee where the skin was rubbed 
 off and bad bruises on the back ; the right arm was 
 bent up and the hand turned back, and it was with 
 much difficulty the females could bring it down, af- 
 ter fomenting it for some time with warm water, 
 and when they succeeded in bending it down it 
 snapt so that they thought it must have been brok- 
 en : appearance of a blow on the under lip, which 
 was much swollen, and the tongue projected out a 
 little. Still those women said but little, except a 
 few whispers among themselves : in fact the time 
 was too short for much talking. The body was not 
 laid out until past noon on the day she was found, 
 and she was buried at 1 o'clock on the next day. 
 One most startling circumstance however occurred 
 to arouse the attention and petrify the blood of the 
 spectators. 
 
 Mr. Durfee, the farmer who found the deceased, 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVK. 31 
 
 took his vvagon(short]y after the verdict of the jury 
 of inquest) and proceeded to the house where she 
 had boarded, after ler things, the object of this was 
 to find something suitable for grave clothes, and if 
 possible to ascertain by some letters or something 
 of that kind where the friends of this poor girl, if 
 she had any, were to be found. He found a trunk, 
 locked, and a bandbox of clothes, &;c. which he 
 took, and returned about noon. The key of the 
 trunk was found in the pocket of the deceased, in 
 presence of a number of persons. The trunk was 
 examined, and four letters found in the bottom of it. 
 One was addressed to the Rev. ]\Ir. Bidwellof Fall 
 River, her minister, written by herself. The other 
 three were anonymous, but directed on the outside 
 to Sarah M. Connell, Fall River. Near the middle 
 of the bandbox lay a small piece of soiled paper 
 and a lead pencil. Mr. Durfee did not open the 
 little piece of paper or think of its being of any 
 consequence whatever. Two of the women, on 
 rummaging the bandbox late in the afternoon, in 
 hopes by some means to discover where to direct 
 a letter to her friends, chanced to observe this 
 very piece of paper, which, though very small, soil- 
 ed and looking like waste paper,they unfolded and 
 read. It contained these words — ■" If I am missing 
 enquire of the Rev. E. K. Avery. S. M. C." 
 
 There was a great many persons in the house, 
 and constantly going and coming, and although 
 the women talked much about it and shew it to 
 others in the house, one of whom was the wife of 
 the congregational clergyman, invited to make the 
 prayer, yet it was not seen by the muster of the 
 house until next morning. His thoughts upon read- 
 ing it may easily be discerned. The hour of the 
 ii.neral however drew near and active duties pre- 
 
32 
 
 vented mucli time from being spent in debate. 
 The resolution however of Mr. Durfee and some 
 others to have the matter investigated, seemd to 
 have been taken. A crowd gathered early to the 
 house, and solemn and appropriate prayer was 
 made by the congregational minister, the Rev. Mr. 
 Fovv^ler, and, followed by a numerous procession, 
 the remains of the unfortunate and mysterious 
 stranger were conveyed to the grave. Providence 
 however had determined that though consigned to 
 the grave it should not be to present repose. A 
 storm was gathering which was destined not only 
 to call forth the dead from her grave, but to shake 
 the society to which she belonged to its centre — 
 a storm whose effects have continued to be felt 
 ever since — a contention which has embittered 
 many former friends against each other, created 
 many heart-burnings, assailed the peace of fami- 
 lies, hindered the christian missionary in the ex- 
 ercise of his pious duties, caused the name of Christ 
 to be blasphemed, and in some places almost de- 
 populated churches. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Although consigned to her grave, the image of 
 the murdered maid (for murdered he now no long- 
 er doubted she was) continued to haunt the pillow 
 of Mr. Durfee, and he rose on the following day 
 determined to investigate the dark mystery which 
 hung over her fate. A circumstance occurred on 
 this morning to materially increase the evidence 
 of the murder of the young woman. A man in the 
 neighbourhood, (Thomas Hart,) while walking 
 near the scene of the sad catastrophe, found about 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 33 
 
 thirty rods from the place, in the direction towards 
 Fall River, a piece of a comb, which upon being 
 shown to the woman where the deceased boarded, 
 was identified as hers. It was also known by the 
 jeweller who had mended it for her a short time 
 before, by the rivetting, which was peculiar. This 
 piece of comb, evidently broken in a struggle, was 
 carried by Mr. Hart to Mr. Durfee. That gentle- 
 man took it, and with that and the piece of paper 
 found in the bandbox, waited on the coroner.* 
 The case seemed to call loudly for examination, 
 and the coroner ordered thebodydisinterredonthe 
 following day, and called a new jury. Three of the 
 principal physicians and surgeons of the place ex- 
 amined the person of the deceased, that is the ex- 
 ternal bruises, and ascertained she had told no 
 falsehood with respect to her situation. From the 
 state of the lungs it appeared she died of suffoca- 
 tion, and from the mark of the rope around her 
 neck, that she could not have died by hanging, but 
 by the drawing of the cord, which had been drawn 
 so tight as to strangle, and must have been so be- 
 fore suspension from the stake, as the knot they all 
 deposed was not a slip knot, but what is called a 
 clove hitch, and could not have been drawn but by 
 pulling the two ends separately. Various other 
 
 * The first part of the comb was found some rods from the place, while she lay 
 near the stack, after they had taken her down, and the man who found it 
 brought it and laid it on her cloak. They did not then know but she wore a 
 broken piece in her hair, until after its fellow was found. Some way further 
 off, on the lonely path leading round the corner of the wall towards Fall River, 
 s'le wasbaried with tie first piece in her hair, and when disinterred it was taken 
 out and compared with the remaining- piece found, and they fitted, and both parts 
 were then identified. It was singular that the pocket handkerchief of the deceas- 
 ed, found near her wound up in a hard bunch and wet through and through, 
 should have been so little thought of at the time. By soaking it in cold water it 
 would have been ascertained it was wet with saliva, but they did not think of this 
 test at the time, though it was afterwards believed to have been used to stop her 
 mouth by some person wh» murdered her. Doctor Wilbour remarked that the 
 cloak showed marks of tears, which combined with the discharge from the nose 
 appeared to have been very plentifully shed and ran down on each side of her 
 cloak. He has even r xpressed his hope "that they might have been tearsof peni- 
 tence as well as anguiali, shed when she found the fangs of the murderer were 
 upon her, and she was about to appear in the presence of her God." 
 
34 FALL RIVER, 
 
 circumstances now for the first time detailed, were 
 related, such as the deceased being found with her 
 cloak hooked down before and her hands under it, 
 her knees within four inches of the ground, and her 
 clothes smooth under them, and moreover as it 
 was known that when the neck is not broken by 
 hanging, and hers was not, there is a great strug- 
 gle in death, and there was not on the ground be- 
 neath the least signs of any. On the contrary, her 
 feet were quite close together, her clothes stand- 
 ing off from her behind as far as they would reach, 
 and smooth under her. And lastly, and most ex- 
 traordinary of all, her gloves on her hands, with- 
 out any marks of a rope or any thing of the kind 
 upon them, although the rope must have been 
 drawn with great strength by two hands before it 
 was tied to the stake. 
 
 With all these proofs before them it was not sur- 
 prising their verdict should be " murder." It was 
 true suspicion pointed at Avery before, but the sup- 
 posed sanctity of his character shut the mouths of 
 many who but for that and his profession would 
 have been ready to exclaim " thou art the man." 
 
 Although Mr. Durfee and others were thus alone 
 in acting, it must not be supposed that circumstan- 
 ces of the nature just described could be concealed. 
 They were not ; and the inhabitants of Fall River 
 on the Massachusetts side (where they do business 
 offhand, and not quite so clumsily as in Rhode-Isl- 
 and) having heard from the first the circumstances 
 of suspicion that had been developed, became very 
 much amazed at the slowness of enquiry respect- 
 ing such a horrible transaction ; and feeling them- 
 selves rather scandalized, as a place, although the 
 matter did not come under their immediate cog- 
 nizance, at length began to take active, measures 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 35 
 
 in relation to it. All day Sunday there was a sort 
 of half stifled hum heard through the village. The 
 bells as usual called people to public worship, but 
 not as usual was the solemnity of it regarded by 
 the great mass of the people. Many, to be sure, 
 went to meeting ; but many did not appear to hear 
 after they got there. Some thought ministers were 
 such wicked creatures, they did not want to hear 
 them ; and some too just to condemn all, for the 
 sins of one, endeavoured to listen with reverence, 
 while their thoughts, in spite of themselves, would 
 wander after him, who in their mind was guilty of 
 this foul deed, and at this very time calling sinners 
 to repentance. 
 
 Oh you ! upon whom the authorities of the 
 church, and the partiality of man, have conferred 
 the envied distinction of speaking in your Master's 
 cause, of being ambassadors for the greatest and 
 highest of potentates, how great is your responsi- 
 bility! a stain upon that spotless garment who shall 
 wash away ? If you are defiled by abominations, 
 the destruction of your own souls is the least evil 
 of which you are the cause. 
 
 All day, little knots of citizens were seen gather- 
 ing at the corners of the streets, and even at the 
 meeting-house doors, discussing the subject of the 
 murder, though in an under tone of voice. Upon 
 separatingjthey were invariably observed to shake 
 their heads and walk away sorrowful. No active 
 measures were, however, taken until morning ; 
 when a few citizens met in the street, and agreed 
 upon having a meeting at the Lyceum Hall. A 
 boy was sent about the streets with a bell, to noti- 
 fy the people to assemble, and very soon after the 
 hall was filled to overflowing. Upon motion, a 
 committee, consisting of five gentlemen, some of 
 
36 
 
 the most respectable persons in the place, was 
 appointed ; who were directed to "meet the Coro- 
 ner and jury of inquest, who, it was understood, 
 were that morning to be in session, and disinter 
 the body for further examination ; and if, upon ex- 
 amination, they should believe a murder had been 
 committed, and upon having the evidence that 
 some person was implicated in the murder, they 
 should proceed to aid and assist the authorities 
 of Rhode-Island in having the subject properly 
 investigated, and in prosecuting it to a final issue." 
 
 At this meeting too, another and larger commit- 
 tee was appointed to collect and report to the first 
 named committee, "any evidence or circumstance 
 that might come to their knowledge, having a 
 bearing upon the case." It was resolved that the 
 truth should, if possible, be elicited in this search ; 
 and that they should report every thing of a 
 favourable nature respecting the accused, as well 
 as that which should appear unfavourable. Anoth- 
 er meeting was subsequently held to make provis- 
 ions for defraying the expenses of this committee. 
 
 It is said by the friends of Avery often, that he 
 gave a manifest proof of his innocence in remain- 
 ing in Bristol till the warrant came, and not fleeing 
 or shewing any difl*erence in his manners. The 
 fact was, that he did not know any thing was sus- 
 pected of him, except his being the seducer of the 
 girl. Mr. Bidwell, to whom Doct. Wilbour had, 
 as before mentioned, related the conversations of 
 the deceased, had proceeded immediately to Bris- 
 tol and communicated with Avery, and had stated 
 to him he was suspected of being the betrayer of 
 the helpless girl. Avery and his friends got Mr. 
 Bartlett, the stage driver, and a Methodist by pro- 
 fession, to go to Fall River and see how matters 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 37 
 
 stood. In tha mean time, Avery kept his house, 
 walking it, as was said, in a state of very great 
 agitation. He did no preaching that day. Bartlett 
 proceeded to Fall River, and went in search of 
 Doct. Wilbour, who was from home, visiting a pa- 
 tient. He followed him, and met him returning 
 not far from his house, which they entered toge- 
 ther. Upon going into the house, the Doctor per- 
 ceived J. Durfee and another man from Tiverton 
 waiting for him. Aiding Bartlett into the parlour, 
 he went out to see them. They informed the Doc- 
 tor that the warrant they had got was informal; 
 and that it had been decided to apprehend Avery, 
 and they requested him to go over the lina and 
 complain of him. This the Doctor refused to do, 
 because.he thought it was not his business; "but," 
 observed he, '* if he is not apprehended soon, he 
 will be oft". Here is Bartlett in the other room now 
 come to see how the business stands ; and he will 
 not get out of the place without finding out he is 
 suspected of the murder." One of the gentlemen 
 then proposed they should proceed immediately to 
 Bristol, and have him put under arrest until the 
 succeeding day, when a proper warrant could be 
 procured ; and begging the Doctor to keep Bartlett 
 as long as possible, they departed, and in a few mo- 
 ments were on the way to Bristol. In the mean 
 time, the Doctor apologized for delaying conversa- 
 tion until he had dined, after which he recounted, 
 the particulars of his conversation with the deceas- 
 ed to his interrogator,and concluded with the ques- 
 tion, "and do you know that he is suspected of the 
 murder too ?" Amazed, the messenger answerd, 
 "no!" upon which the Doctor assured him of the 
 fact. Of course, he did not wait long after this, but 
 hastened to convey the alarming intelligence to his 
 4 
 
38 FALL RIVER, 
 
 employer. However, long before his arrival at 
 Bristol, his friend and brother was under arrest. 
 
 It seems scarcely possible Avery could have 
 refrained from preaching on that day merely from 
 delicacy, because he had heard 'it was suspected 
 he was the betrayer of the deceased girl, when he 
 thus perseveres in it at the present day. However, 
 Bartlett stated he was then very much disturbed 
 and distressed in mind indeed, and that " he did 
 not know when he had been kept from the house 
 of God before." 
 
 Nothing was done hastily ; the jury of inquest 
 were very slow in iheir operations ; and it was not 
 until several days after the murder that Avery was 
 arrested ; and he probably might have escaped 
 even that, had not new circumstances continually 
 come up calculated to strengthen former suspi- 
 cions. For instance, the other piece of the broken 
 comb was found on the same back route to Fall 
 River ; fitted the first piece with which she was 
 buried, and both were sworn to and identified as 
 her's by the person who mended it and the people 
 where she boarded, who, with the persons who 
 worked next to her in the factory, deposed that she 
 went out about six in the evening with it whole : 
 changed her dress for one better ; went in good 
 spirits, and was exceedingly anxious to get leave 
 to go out at the hour of six : had spoken of an ap- 
 pointment several days before to the daughter of 
 the lady where she boarded; said she "did not care 
 how many days it rained, if it was only fair on that 
 day," 20th of December; shewed the pink and yel- 
 low letter which were afterwards found in her 
 trunk to this young lady, who identified them ; the 
 white one also, with which she returned from the 
 Post Office, on the 8th of December. The lady did 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 39 
 
 not read the inside, but looked at the post marks 
 and hand writing and was able to testify to them. 
 
 Those letters corroborated the statement made 
 by Doct. Wilboiir. The first of these letters, 
 written on yellow paper, was dated, Nov. 13th, 
 1832, and was as follows : 
 
 " I have just received your letter with no small 
 surprise, and will say, I will do all you ask, only 
 keep your secrets. 1 wish you to write me as soon 
 as you get this, naming some time and place where 
 I shall see you, and then look for answer before I 
 come ; and will say whether convenient or not, 
 and will say the time. I will keep your letters till 
 I see you, and M'ish you to keep mine, and have 
 them with you there at the time. Write soon — 
 say nothing to no one. Yours in haste." 
 
 They observed that he says, "I have just receiv- 
 ed yours ;" and upon examining at the Post Office, 
 Fall River, it was found there was one letter mail- 
 ed for Bristol on the day preceding that address- 
 ed to S. M. Cornell, viz. on the 12th. But who it 
 was for had escaped their recollection, if they ob- 
 served at the time. Again, there was a letter on 
 pink paper, addressed to the deceased, which Mr. 
 Orswell, the engineer of the King Philip, (a steam- 
 boat plying between Fall River and Providence) 
 deposed was given him by Avery, in person, to 
 deliver to Sarah Maria Cornell, near the last of 
 November, while the four days meeting was hold- 
 ing " among the Methodists at Providence. This 
 letter too appeared to be in answer to one written 
 not long before ; and on the 19th of November the 
 Post Master recollected that on that day, while 
 making up the mail, he heard something drop into 
 the letter box after he had cleared it ; and upon 
 looking, saw two letters, one for Bristol and one 
 
40 
 
 directed to Mr. Rawson, brolher-in-law of the de- 
 ceased, South Woodstock. This letter was after- 
 wards produced by Mr. Ilawson. His impression 
 was, the other was directed to Avery; remembered 
 distinctly it was for Bristol : and as it was ascer- 
 tained he was correct about the first name, the 
 committee could have no doubt about the other. 
 
 But so extremely cautious were they to go upon 
 facts, that they delayed their proceedings until Ors- 
 well went up the river and saw Avery, to ascertain 
 to a certainty, whether he would recognize the 
 man who gave him the letter for that person. This 
 letter, the one mentioned when speaking of her 
 communications, to Doct.Wilbour,was as follows. 
 
 Providence, Nov. 1832. 
 
 *'Dear Sister — I received your letter in due sea- 
 son and should hare answered it before now but I 
 thought I would wait till this opportunity — as I 
 told yeu 1 am willing to help you and do for you 
 as circumstances are I showld rather you would 
 come to this place, viz Bristol on the 18th of Dec, 
 and stop at the Hotel and stay till six in the even- 
 ing and then go directly up across the main street 
 to the brick building near to the stone meeting 
 house where I will meet you and talk with you — 
 when you come to the Tavern either enquire for 
 work or go out in the street on pretence of looking 
 for some or something else and I may see you — 
 say nothing about me or my family — should it 
 slorm on the 18th come on the 20th if you cannot 
 come and it will be more convenient to meet me at 
 the Methodist meeting house in Somersett just 
 over t^e ferry on either of the above evenings I 
 will meet you there at the same time or if you can- 
 not do either I will come to Fall River on one of 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 41 
 
 the above evenings back of the same meeting 
 house where I once saw you — at any hour you say 
 on either of the above evenings when there will be 
 the least passing I should think before the mill 
 stops work — this I will leave with you if I come 
 will come if it does not storm very hard — if it does 
 the first I will come the second write me soon and 
 tell me which — when you write direct your letters 
 to Betsy Hill and not as you have done to me re- 
 memher this your last letter I am afraid was bro- 
 ken open. 
 
 ware your calash not your plain bonnet you can 
 send your letter by mail Yours &c. B H 
 S. M. C. 
 
 let me still injoin the secret — keep the letters 
 in your bosom or burn them up." 
 
 The white letter found in her possession, mark- 
 ed 04ie cent postage, was as follows : 
 
 Fall River Dec 8th 
 " I will be here on the 20th if pleasant at the 
 place named at 6 o'clock if not pleasant the next 
 monday eve. — say nothing." 
 
 With respect to this last, final and fatal letter, 
 upon examination, it was ascertained that Avery 
 had been at Fall River on that very day ; had been 
 heard asking for paper in a store kept by a mem- 
 ber of the Methodist meeting ; and that that man 
 went into the next store to get a wafer for him : 
 could not recollect whether he wrote in the store, 
 but remembered hearing him talk about writing to 
 the editor of a paper in the village, (whom, upon 
 enquiry, he did not write to.) From thence he 
 went in the direction of the Post Office, and the 
 deputy post master recollected, a few moments 
 before the stage started for Bristol, in which he 
 4* 
 
42 FALL RlVERj 
 
 went, hearing a letter drop : and looking at the 
 moment saw Avery just withdrawing his hand 
 from the hox. He then looked, and took out the 
 one cent letter addressed to S. M. Cornell, when 
 the wafer was wet. That wafer was recollected as 
 the one supplied by the lady next door to the store 
 where the paper was supposed to be procured — 
 remembered from its peculiar colour. 
 
 The first letter, the yellow one, was post mark- 
 ed at Warren; and on that day it was ascertained 
 the accused had been there. 
 
 The other letter was written by Sarah Maria 
 herself, and directed to her minister, Mr. Bidwell- 
 It expressed much compunction for her sins, con- 
 fessed herself unworthy of a place in the meeting, 
 and requested to Qe set aside as unworthy, &-e. 
 
 With all these concurring circumstances before 
 them, it is most evident the committee could not, 
 in conscience, take any other course than the one 
 they did take. Now previous to the arrest, when 
 the suspicions of the murder were first excited at 
 Fall River, his friends (Avery's) consoled them- 
 selves with the assurance that Avery would be 
 able to prove where he was at the time of the mur- 
 der; and it being a very cold blustering day until 
 towards night, they had little doubt it would be 
 found he was at his own house. What then was 
 their consternation to find, upon enquiry, that he 
 had actually crossed the ferry, at Bristol, on the 
 afternoon of that very day, and after being absent 
 on the island until a very late hour in the evening 
 had gone back to the ferry-house requesting to be 
 set over, which Mr. Gifford, the ferryman, declin- 
 ed doing on account of ihe lateness of the hour 
 and tediousness of the weather. There had been 
 a rough wind for most part of the day, and gener- 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 43 
 
 ally in that place tiiere is a considerable swell for 
 some lime after. 
 
 Still the friends of Mr. Avery kept up a good 
 courage, for they felt morally certain that being in 
 a methodist neighbourhood near so many friends 
 and acquaintance he could easily be recognized, 
 and would undoubtedly bring proof of where he 
 was. But when after the examination at Bristol, 
 it was found that he could not bring a single in- 
 dividual M'ho even thought they saw him on the 
 route he described himself to have taken, many 
 who had trust in him before fell off. He observed 
 he had been on a walk of pleasure and observa- 
 tion, walking about the Island towards the coal 
 mines, near the Union Meeting-house, &c. &c. 
 past brother such a one and sister 'tother one, 
 crossed a brook, went through a white gate, saw 
 a " man with a gun, and a boy with some sheep," 
 and finally wandered back to the ferry somewhere 
 about ten o'clock, of a cold December night, with- 
 out any supper or appearing to think of any ! 
 (though travelling ministers are not apt to forget 
 such accommodations.) No man with a gun, or 
 boy with sheep, could be heard of in that part of 
 the country from any body but him.self, and no 
 one saw him, through all that route : nevertheless 
 the justices appointed to examine him at Bristol, 
 after what they declared to be a " patient, labori- 
 ous and impartial examination of the subject," dis- 
 charged him. The county of Newport claimed 
 him as their prisoner in the first place, and it was 
 not a legal examination, because the offence al- 
 leged against him was perpetrated in that county. 
 But his friends were determined to have his ex- 
 amination there, and they had it. By this illegal 
 and ill judged proceeding the State was put to the 
 
44 FALL RIVER, 
 
 expense of another examination, besides some 
 much more heavy ones. The inhabitants of Fall 
 River calied another meeting and entered com- 
 plaint to a magistrate in the county of Newport. 
 A warrant was issued and a sheriff sent once more 
 to take him. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Upon arriving at Bristol, the sheriff found the 
 prisoner had lied. Thirteen days had been spent 
 in his examination, during which time he appear- 
 ed so firm and unmoved for the most part that it 
 was thought there was no danger of his decamp- 
 ing. He had fled however, and left his character 
 to take care of itself. Those who believed him 
 innocent, had thought he would court a trial in 
 order to free himself from the odium attached to 
 him, which unless wiped off they knew must for- 
 ever destroy his usefulness as a minister of the 
 gospel ; but when they found he had decamped and 
 left his friends and partiz^ns to fight it out in the 
 best manner they were able, they were confounded, 
 but for the most part wise enough to keep still ; 
 and had he never been found, as most people be- 
 lieved he never would, it is probable the point 
 would have been conceded. But he was gone : and 
 Col. Harnden, the person who went in pursuit of 
 him, was almost at a loss to know what to do. 
 There seemed no trace of him to be discovered. 
 But although the person of the accused appeared 
 to be beyond their reach, his character was not ; 
 and this flight, disgraceful and unmanly as it was, 
 put the finishing seal to it. 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 45 
 
 Matters seemed so well arranged with respect 
 to the reverend fugitive, that it would have puz- 
 zled wise heads to have known which way to look 
 for him. But the indefatigable Col. Harnden was 
 not to be daunted or disheartened in the cause he 
 had undertaken. He had been one of the commit- 
 tee appointed to examine into this affair by the in- 
 habitants of Fall River, and had satisfied himself 
 that the accused ought at whatever cost to be 
 brought to trial. He therefore commenced a most 
 laborious and arduous search, and after traversing 
 hundreds of miles backwards and forwards, in 
 three States, having as he believed got on a track 
 of him, he finally succeeded in his search, finding 
 him in a remote neighborhood in New-Hampshire, 
 at the house of a Mr, Mayo. He was indebted at 
 last to the sagacity of a baker's boy, who related 
 a story of Mrs. Mayo being accused of some mis- 
 demeanor in the meeting, and Avery being sent 
 for to plead her off, which he succeeded in doing, 
 and saved her from the censures of the meeting — 
 an evil of no ordinary character, if we may judge 
 from the manner of handling the character of the 
 deceased — and the lad thinking according to the 
 old saying that one good turn deserved another, 
 thought it must be he was concealed at that house. 
 Upon arriving at the house, Mr. Mayo denied his 
 being there, but observing his wife glide out of the 
 room, Mr. Harnden followed her, and found Avery 
 hid, pale and tremibling behind th^ door of a cham- 
 ber, evidently fitted up for his concealment, having 
 the windows completely darkened, with lights and 
 fire wood laid in, and all the comforts of life in 
 abundance bore witness to the gratitude of her who 
 held him in such gentle durance : pity that such 
 comfortable quarters should Itave been disturbed 
 
46 FALL RIVER, 
 
 by the intrusion of such an unwelcome guest. Mr. 
 Harnden returned with him through Boston, 
 where, as in several other places, he, like other 
 great characters, received the calls of his friends, 
 the Methodists : Divines and all flocking to pay 
 their respects — giving him the right hand of fel- 
 lowship, &c. and having several " comfortable 
 seasons of prayer," <fcc.* with a man then laboring 
 under the strongest presumption of being both an 
 adulterer and murderer — of a man caught in the 
 very act of hiding himself from the ministers of 
 justice. " O tempora ! O mores !" 
 
 The authorities of the county of Newport, after 
 examination, bound him for trial and he was in- 
 dicted for murder b}^ the grand jury, and the first 
 Monday in May assigned for his trial. The inter- 
 val between the March term of the Supreme Judi- 
 cial Court for the county of Newport, and the first 
 Monday in May, was a busy one ; scouts were out 
 in all directions, and oh the racing and chasing 
 there was to look up witnesses. Turnpike cor- 
 porations and tavern keepers reaped a golden har- 
 vest during those two months. There was scarce- 
 ly a factory village within a hundred and fifty 
 miles but what underwent a thorough examination. 
 The deceased it appeared, had been a moving 
 planet, which she accounted for in one of her let- 
 ters to her friends, by saying, " she belonged to a 
 people who did not believe in staying long in a 
 place." She seemed to have adopted for her mot- 
 to, the text, that " here we have no continuing 
 city ;" and she adhered to it in the spirit and the 
 letter. Poor unfortunate being ! she did not real- 
 ize the danger of changing neighborhoods so of- 
 
 * Who can wonder that infidels should he strengthened by such things as 
 these? what a farce does even christian worship appear wheu prostituted to 
 secular purposes. 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 47 
 
 ten, nor know that it was safest for people to stay- 
 where they are best known, and where slanderers 
 make out to live upon one old story for a thousand 
 years, but transport it into a new neighborhood 
 and ten thousand will immediately be added to it. 
 She probably had never read that admirable fable 
 of the Fox, who Avas advised to remove on account 
 of the swarm of flies who beset him, and who wise- 
 ly chose to remain where they might after a time 
 get gorged with his blood, rather than to encoun- 
 ter a fresh "«end hungry set, when he should be 
 robbed of every remaining drop of it. 
 
 In the mean time public indignation could not 
 wait with patience for the issue of the trial, and 
 from time to time it would speak out through the 
 medium of the papers. This the methodists ter- 
 med " persecution," whatever it was it is certain 
 that much of it was provoked by their own im- 
 prudence in continually and loudly asserting his 
 innocence, and the violence with which they en- 
 deavored to bear down public opinion, as well as 
 their ridiculous fidgetting about the safety of his 
 person, and his personal accommodation, through 
 all the stages of his travels. Had Avery constitu- 
 ted solely in his person the palladium of their 
 rights, they could not have guarded him with more 
 jealous care. Tliey pretended to discover in the 
 natural curiosities of the populace to see one who 
 had become the lion of the day, a conspiracy to 
 mob him ; and at once took the responsibility of 
 his flight upon their own shoulders, averring it to 
 have originated in their fears for his person, and 
 expressing terrible apprehension lest the Fall 
 River folks should take justice into their own 
 hands instead of v/aiting for the slow remedy of 
 the law. ' The disgrace of flying from the pursuit 
 
48 FALL RIVER, 
 
 of justice, they affirmed belonged to them, having 
 as they said persuaded him off and conveyed him 
 to a secret place, against his own judgment. This 
 last assertion may well be believed, viz. that " it 
 was against his own judgment;" as that, if he had 
 any, must have told him that his flight, under such 
 circumstances, amounted to a strong presumption, 
 if not to a confession of guilt. That he had fears 
 cannot be doubted : he might have been in the 
 situation of Trumbull's hero, 
 
 " Who found his fear of tar and ropes, 
 By many a drachm out weigh his hopes." 
 
 Their fears however of the vengeance of the 
 *' Fall River folks" were entirely without founda- 
 tion, since nothing was inU'nded but to bring the 
 accused to a fair trial, and if his friends knew of 
 such resources as they boasted of, they ought to 
 have been the last to be afraid of that. But the 
 important sixth of May arrived, and headed by an 
 army of preachers, stout muscular men as ever 
 took the field, followed by a company of women 
 as a " corps de reserve" — and flanked by a hun- 
 dred and sixty witnesses — the force of the prisoner 
 made its appearance. Newport swarmed with 
 people of every denomination — curiosity was on 
 tiptoe. There was a deep anxiety that truth 
 should be brought to light by the friends of justice 
 and humanity — and a restless and watchful one 
 with others, to prevent if possible its development. 
 
 The trial came on, and the prisoner was pro- 
 duced. He was a middle aged man, tall, and of 
 very stout frame, and a face that might have pas- 
 sed for good looking, had not a certain iron look, 
 ajp'dir of very thick lips, and a most unpleasant stare 
 of the eyes, have taken much from the agreeable ; 
 however it was agreed on all hands that notwith- 
 standing these blemishes, ha weuld almost any 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 49 
 
 where pss for a tolerable good looking man, and 
 moreovir " looked lilie no fool ;" or to use the 
 languagi of the spectators, " looked as though he 
 knew niTe than he told for." He was charged 
 with thne counts in the indictment. First — " for 
 chokingind strangling the deceased." Secondly, 
 ** for tyiig her to a stake," and thirdly, inflicting 
 various Tounds and bruises on the deceased, cal- 
 culated t> cause death ; or at least that must have 
 l}een ther meaning, though it was worded in the 
 dndictnaeit, " of which she instantly died," but as 
 no persoi could die twice, we presume this must 
 have beei the meaning. The prisoner of course 
 plead " not guilty." The difficulties experienced 
 in the foraation of a jury were greater, it is be- 
 lieved, tlian were ever known before in any court 
 in the Urited States, so strong was the presump- 
 tion of tie prisoner's guilt that it seemed almost 
 impossib]e to find a man who had not made up his 
 mind, anc this mind was pretty rudely and une- 
 quivocally expressed by all on the spot : some few 
 declared Iheir feelings to be perfectly neutral, but 
 one only solitary instance could be found of a man 
 who said ae had formed an opinion rather favour- 
 able to the prisoner ; and it was not until after one 
 hundred and eight were challenged that a jury 
 could be found : the difficulty was materially in- 
 creased by the prisoner's counsel, who in this as 
 well as in every part of the trial seemed determi- 
 ned to carry every point by what is called manage- 
 ment, and who fought the ground inch by inch — 
 with so little apparent reverence to the authorities 
 of the law that many a native of Rhode-Island 
 blushed to hear the highest court in his state dic- 
 tated to thus by a Boston lawyer. 
 
 As there are many, probably, who read this who 
 
60 FALL RIVER, 
 
 have never read the trial and never will, and some 
 who will not even permit that documeit to come 
 into their houses, we shall endeavour to give a 
 summary of the evidence, though in a ery brief 
 and perhaps superficial manner; without going 
 into the whole revolting particulars. 
 
 First then, the case was stated in a clea- light, by 
 D. J. Pierce, Esq. of Newport, the witufsses were 
 then sworn. The fact of the death of S. M. Cor- 
 nell was then proved, and of her appearince when; 
 found, as presumptive evidence she couM not have 
 hung herself, that she was taken down vith the ut- 
 most care, rolled in a blanket and laid (n straw in 
 a horse wagon, and carried over a smooth road to* 
 the dwelling of Mr. Durfee, so that n^ne of the 
 bruises could have been inflicted after death. — 
 Here followed the testimony of the women who 
 laid her out, and of the physician who examined 
 her, the first and second time, for she was disin- 
 terred the second time on the 25th Jtn. when a 
 more complete examination was had : this to be 
 sure was nearly or quite a month aftei her inter- 
 ment, but it was in the coldest part of the year ; 
 she had been laid in a dry and marly soil, was fro- 
 zen when she was buried, and the earth frozen 
 that was thrown upon her, and the physician depo- 
 sed that there was little alteration in her from the 
 first examination. Every succeeding one brought 
 to light new barbarities, and imagination sickens 
 at the idea of the cruel butchery which this most 
 unfortunate girl must have undergone, previous to 
 her being strangled. No person could hear them 
 unmoved : the very judges, though used to the de- 
 lineation of crime and pictures of violence, wept 
 upon the bench : yea wept like children at the de- 
 scription of her mangled person. We question 
 
an authentic narrative. 51 
 
 whether (he mere bodily sufferings of any woman 
 ever crea ed such excitement, since the death of 
 her whoiii the Levite cut in pieces and sent to all 
 the coasts of Israel, which caused the death of 
 more than forty thousand persons, and the exter- 
 mination of a tribe.* 
 
 The circumstances of the letters were sworn to, 
 and ha fa sheet of paper found in the store where 
 the letter of the 8th of December was supposed 
 to be written, which exactly matched one of the 
 letters, both the water mark and even the very 
 fibres of the paper. 
 
 It was proved that the prisoner left his home on 
 the 20tii Dec. without any good reason, without 
 informing his family where he was going or assign- 
 ing any excuse for absenting himself, that he had 
 refused an invitation for that day to visit a Metho- 
 dist lady, without giving any reason; that no person 
 had been seen on the route he pretended to have 
 taken on that afternoon, but that a man answering 
 his description exactly was traced step by step all 
 the way to Fall River, even to the very stack yard. 
 One man, Mr. Cranston, at Howland's ferry 
 bridge, s'vore to his identity. Mr. Lawton, the 
 man on the Tiverton side, remembened a person of 
 his exact description passing at the same hour, 
 three o'clock. Mr. Durfee had been blowing rocks 
 quite near the stack yard, and saw a man standing 
 and looking about with his back towards him — 
 Abner Davis, at work there, saw the same man 
 sitting on the wall, and upon his proceeding in the 
 direction of the rock where they had just laid a 
 tram of powder (the direction of Fall River) call- 
 ed out to him, when he stopped. Both of their 
 
 * What mig-hty despotism, what scheme of bondaee, what film of ignorance 
 and fanaticism, what synem of ecclesiastical tyranny, may not the death of 
 this woman be iuteuJed to break? 
 
52 FALL RIVER, 
 
 descriptions of clothes, person, &c. agieed with 
 that of Avery, and upon seeing him they felt con- 
 vinced he was the person, but as they difl not see 
 his face could not swear to his identity. William 
 Hamilton passing this spot about a quarter before 
 nine in the evening, heard sounds as of stifled 
 groans of some female in distress. The sounds ap- 
 peared to proceed from the spot where the first 
 piece of comb was found. He rose the hill and 
 stopped, when hearino^ nothing more, went on. — 
 One Ellinor Owen, who lived within sight of the 
 place, about a quarter of a mile distant, testified 
 to hearing screechings from that, direction at half 
 past seven in the evening. The cord was identi- 
 fied as belonging to some bags that lay in a cart 
 of Mr. Durfee's within a few rods. A man an- 
 swering his description went into the back room 
 of Lawton's hotel, early in the evening on that 
 day, and had a glass of brandy carried in. They 
 did not know Avery, but upon seeing him, be- 
 lieved him to be the same person. Some person 
 passed round the toll gate, at Howland's ferry, in 
 returning, after it was closed, (after nine o'clock) 
 by the beach. Their tracks were seen on the 
 sand, where the water effaces any print once in 
 twelve hours. The gate-keeper looked in the 
 morning and ascertained some one had passed. — 
 He returned to Gifford's, at the Ferry late at night, 
 about a quarter before ten, and said he had been 
 on the island on business ; and to the question of 
 the ferryman's daughter, if he "had a meeting that 
 evening ?" he returned for answer, he had not, 
 but had, " been on business to brother Cook's." 
 Nothing perhaps through the whole proceed- 
 ings of the trial, examination, &c. gave more 
 offence to the feelings of the public than the reck- 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. oS 
 
 less disregard to character shewn by the prison- 
 er and his friends in impeaching witnesses. This 
 last mentioned witness, Miss Jane Gifford, was a 
 young lady about eighteen years of age, of fair 
 character it is believed as any other in the coun- 
 try : she had been a member of the Methodist class, 
 and previous to this no one heard any thing to her 
 discredit, but on this occasion they brought wit- 
 nesses to swear " her character was not good for 
 truth and veracity," though upon cross examina- 
 tion they were obliged to acknowledge "they had 
 never heard anything to her disadvantage previous 
 to the Bristol examination." Several very respec- 
 table persons in the neighbourhood testified to her 
 good character, among the rest Judge Childs, who 
 had " known the girl from infancy." They first 
 spoke against her at the examination at Bristol, 
 where she deposed to the fact. Another instance of 
 this barbarity occurred at Bristol, whence it seemed 
 an object to prove that S. M. Cornell was a wander- 
 er and interloper at the camp meeting in Thomp- 
 son : it was there mentioned she was seen with a 
 Miss Rebecca Burk of Providence, and by her in- 
 troduced to one or two Methodists. Rev. Mr. 
 Merrill was asked if she was not a leading member 
 of their meeting ? " No," he answered, " she was 
 not a leading member there, that she had been set 
 aside for impudence, and imprudence of conduct," 
 or something like that, when the fact was that this 
 same woman had been considered as a leading 
 member in that society for more than twenty years, 
 that she had been of great service in the cause of 
 methodism in Providence particularly, and it is 
 believed by many has done more towards building 
 up the Methodist society in that town than any 
 three persons who could be named, that she has 
 
54 FALL RIVER, 
 
 given liberally of her substance towards the sup- 
 port of their meetings, though obliged to labour 
 with her hands for her own support. The only 
 thing they could have said, and that if fairly ex- 
 plained would have done her no harm, was some 
 little disagreement between some of the members, 
 of whom she was one, some time previous, where- 
 in they were all what they call " put back," for six 
 months, and at the end of that time restored, and 
 every thing went on as before,* but there was no- 
 thing to affect her character. The words " impu- 
 dence" and " imprudence" are generally under- 
 stood to mean a great deal ; but we are digressing. 
 Mr. Orswell, the engineer of the King Philip, 
 gave a very clear and comprehensive evidence with 
 respect to the delivery of the pink letter by Avery, 
 in Providence — that he received it from the hands 
 of Avery himself in person, who gave it to him be- 
 tween the hours of 8 and 9, or a little past 9 in the 
 morning — that he received it with an express in- 
 junction to have it delivered as soon as the boat ar- 
 rived, and gave him ninepence for carrying it — 
 that he did not know Avery then, but went up to 
 Bristol to see him, and recognised him at once, at 
 his (Avery's) house, and to his anxious inquiries 
 of " what he meant to swear?" he replied, " that 
 to the best of his knowledge and belief he was the 
 person." Avery then put on liis spectacles and 
 asked him if he looked like him, and then turning 
 to his friends asked them " if he ever went out 
 without spectacles ?" No notice appeared to be 
 taken of this in court which was singular, as all 
 the witnesses who saw him when he crossed the 
 ferry (Mr. Pearce, Mr. Gifford, &c.) attest to his 
 
 *Itis saLdtobetheir rule, where people dispute, to crwnpel them to live in 
 harmony. If so it is a good rule at any rale. People cannot always see alike, 
 l3ut they can refrain from disputing on their differences. 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 55 
 
 "being without spectacles. It certainly amounted 
 to proof positive of his artifice and dissimulation. 
 He did in general, and for all that is known to the 
 contrary, invariably wear his spectacles on going 
 out, except this once, and on the fatal 20th of Dec. 
 What could possibly be his motive for going on 
 those tw*? occasions without them, unless it was to 
 disguise himself? Mr. Orswell did not positively 
 swear to the day the letter was delivered him, but 
 thought it was on Thursday. The letter was iden- 
 tified as the one he received, by the marks of his 
 fingers which were smutty and oily at the time, 
 ;and he recollected the manner. 
 
 With respect to the Camp Meeting, the source 
 and origin as she asserted, of her misfortunes, it 
 was stated by a Mr. Paine, the young gentleman 
 who carried her there at the request of her brother- 
 in-law, " that he had seen her at various times dur- 
 ing the summer at the shop where she worked while 
 there, and that her conduct always appeared be- 
 coming and proper, and that he neither knew or 
 suspected or heard of any impropriety in her." 
 
 The sister of the deceased stated that she (S.M. 
 Cornell) returned from the Camp Meeting to her 
 house with a young man, an apprentice of theirs, 
 Mr. Saunders ; and that in September she confess- 
 ed her fears of her situation to her, acknowledging 
 her connexion with Avery at the Camp Meeting. 
 The sister also swore to the fact that S. M. Cornell 
 was free from any such embarrassment previous 
 to that meeting. This was also sworn to by a Miss 
 Lawton, a very respectable young woman in the 
 family at the time, and who was her bed fellow. 
 
 The brother-in-law of the deceased also testified 
 to this confidence placed in himself and wife, and 
 fceing troubled about it, he consulted his minister, 
 
56 FALL RIVER, 
 
 Rev. Mr. Cornell, and alawyer, and that they both 
 advised her removal to Rhode-Island. And fur- 
 ther, both stated they never Imd the least reason 
 to suppose she meditated self-destruction. That 
 she had never, notwithstanding what had past, 
 spoken reproachfully of Avery, but always mildly, 
 and that her conduct at their house was j;crfectly 
 proper." 
 
 Mr. Saunders, the young man mentioned, gave 
 his testimony to the bringing of her from Camp 
 meeting — her behaviour perfectly proper, &c. in 
 answer to the questions asked, and to his having 
 put letters in the post office for her several times. 
 ** Were any of them directed to Bristol?" it was 
 asked. " Yes." " Were the letters sent to Bristol 
 before or after the Camp meeting?" " Before." 
 Before was the answer, and by what strajige over- 
 sight this witness was not even interrogated we 
 cannot tell ; why after an answer that promised to 
 them so much light on the subject, it was pressed 
 no further is beyond conjecture. Many people 
 previous to this had formed the conclusion that 
 " Marmion and she were friends of old." And 
 that the betrayer had connived at her expulsion 
 from the meeting, in order to conceal his own vil- 
 lany the better, and they thought they saw in this 
 testimony of the correspondence with Bristol pre- 
 vious to the Camp Mveimg a confirmation of their 
 suspicions, that the interview with Avery at that 
 meeting- was concerted by letter : they therefore 
 eagerly looked to see the witness further interro- 
 gated, but no such interrogation took place. What 
 he would have said^ if interrogated, belong to ano- 
 ther part of this story — and we hasten along 
 with the trial. 
 
 The testimony of her sister and sister's husband 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 57 
 
 was the only one which related directly to the in- 
 terview of the deceased with the prisoner at the 
 Camp Meeting. She had told them of an ac- 
 knowledg-ement which she had given the meeting, 
 about being unworthy, fine. <fec. ; that although she 
 was then in good standing with them, it had not 
 been returned ; that Avery still had the paper in 
 his hands and ought to restore it to her ; that she 
 had asked him on the Camp ground for that letter, 
 and he requested an interview with her ; that she 
 met him in a retired part of the wood, where he 
 afeked her to be seated, which she complied with, 
 and then asked him if he had got the letter with 
 him ?" that he said " no," and then proceeded to 
 take unwarrantable liberties, and that she made 
 ineffectual resistance. 
 
 It seemed the friends of the prisoner had made 
 great objections to the time it must have taken to 
 walk the distance back from Fall River to Bristol 
 ferry, on the night of the 20th ; and two men now 
 appeared and swore to the fact of travelling it re- 
 cently in fifteen minutes less than it took the pris- 
 oner, according to all their statements : and further 
 it seemed the person whose route.was traced all the 
 way on that afternoon, was no slouch of a walker; 
 for when he went over, a lady who saw him just 
 on the Fall River side of Rowland's ferry, remark- 
 ed " that if that man kept on as he was going, he 
 would get to Ohio before night." The evidence 
 mentioned constituted the most important part, 
 and pretty much all (though condensed into a 
 much smaller compass) that was given. After the 
 Government evidence was closed, the host of testi- 
 mony on the part of the prisoner was brought 
 forward. 
 
 And first, there were six physicians, most of 
 
58 FALL RIVER, 
 
 them of very considerable eminence in their pro- 
 fession ; one or two holdins; professorships in the 
 medical department of some of our Universities. 
 By them they endeavoured to prove, first that the 
 deceased might have hung herself; that there was 
 a possibility of her hanging herself up after she 
 had strangled herself to death with the cord : next 
 that the internal injuries discovered in her person 
 on the second examination, viz. a little more than 
 a month after the first interment, might have been 
 occasioned by decomposition. Those observed at 
 the first disinterment they did not attempt much 
 to account for. Next, that hanging was a very 
 common death by suicide, and an uncommon way 
 of murder. (This was certainly a great discovery, 
 and no doubt edified the court and jury.) Thirdly, 
 a long and most indecent examination and discus- 
 sion was entered into, to prove that the prisoner 
 could not have been the father of the child which 
 the deceased was about to give birth to, and that 
 her situation must have commenced previous to 
 the Camp Meeting. This they ground on the cir» 
 cumstance of the child itself, who perished with 
 the mother, being larger than common for that 
 period of time. This seemed to be the hinge on 
 which they meant the case should turn; and for this 
 six physicians, some from a very considerable dis- 
 tance, were brought together at a great expense, 
 and a most lengthy and elaborate investigation 
 was entered into, which for indelicate exposure 
 was probably never txcce(\(i(\ in any Court of Jus- 
 tice. It was a saying afterwards that " the next 
 age would have no need of physicians, as every 
 boy capable of reading would be perfectly instruct- 
 ed in all the secrets of the Materia Medica — in the 
 sciences of Anatomy and Surgery, at least." How- 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 59 
 
 ever learned and elaborate it was, it is certain that 
 one single question put to those physicians, if 
 properly answered, as no doubt it would have been 
 would have put the whole to rest at once, by over- 
 throwing the whole theory they had been endea- 
 vouring to establish. But the counsel for the 
 Government happening to understand more of the 
 laws of the land than the laws of nature, probably 
 never thought of this test.* 
 
 Immediately after the testimony of the physi- 
 cians, commenced the examination of along string 
 of witnesses'respecting the character of the deceas- 
 ed, and here it has been shrewdly said the law was 
 violated which provides that "persons shall not be 
 compelled to give evidence against themselves." 
 The whole sum and substance of the charges 
 seemed to be taken from her own mouth, and 
 women appeared on the stand and testified to 
 things told them by the deceased of herself, " not 
 lit for mortal ear to hear, or mortal tongue to utter." 
 Such a repetition of village gossip — such a hunt- 
 ing up of old factory stories, and of legends long 
 since as one would have supposed, forgotten, (that 
 is if they ever existed,) never was heard of before. 
 Such a display of the amazing powers of memory 
 too. That these witnesses were from different 
 States, and therefore voluntary witnesses, relaters 
 of scandals, of village gossip which never yet spar- 
 ed any one, and of which the good and the bad 
 have sometimes to be equal partakers ; betrayers 
 of confidence reposed in them (by their own ac- 
 count) which if true proved at least that the deceas- 
 ed, however bad herself, considered them of the 
 
 * What sort of opinion those physicians had of the effect of their evidence may 
 be eatliered from the fact that one of them was heard to declare, not more than 
 three weeks after the trial, " that he had no more doubt Avery killed her, than 
 he had of his own existence." 
 
60 FALL RIVKR, 
 
 same stamp, for whoever heard of a loose woman 
 pouring into the ears of a modest one the history 
 of her intrigues ? Whoever heard of such degrad- 
 ing herself by being in the conlidence of a wanton? 
 It appeared the obvious intent of such testimony 
 to prove the deceased a perfect fiend, capable of 
 plotting any atrocity and of carrying it through. 
 But to what purpose it may be asked was all this 
 directed ? What possible bearing upon the case 
 could such evidence have? It was not to prove the 
 deceased good, but the prisoner bad, that the pro- 
 cess was instituted. It was not supposed that an 
 immaculate, incorruptible being would have fall- 
 en a victim to the clumsy courtship and bungling 
 attempts of a fellow who by the testimony of his 
 own letters docs not appear to have understood 
 even the language he preached in, and a married 
 man too. Why then this innumerable company 
 of witnesses to blacken her character? 
 
 Why, as people generally understood it, it was 
 for a threefold purpose. In the first place, the 
 mere introduction of such a crowd of witnesses, 
 the mere repetition of such a mass of evidence, 
 was of itself sufficient to divert the attention, and 
 confuse the intellects of any court and jury that 
 ever sat. It had a certain tendency to throw dust 
 in people's eyes, a phrase too well understood to 
 need explanation here. And above all, its efiect 
 would be to turn indignation into another channel. 
 This the wily counsel were fully aware of, and the 
 doors once open to admit such evidence, they took 
 care should not be speedily closed, but that every 
 possible frailty or imprudence from the cradle to 
 the grave should be hunted up and expatiated 
 upon. It had the certain tendency to turn the 
 public indignation from the murderer, whoever he 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. G\ 
 
 miirht be, to the person murdered. And some 
 were almost ready to exclaim, " No matter who 
 killed her — such a person were better out of the 
 world than in it — they have certainly done society 
 a good service — whatever were the motives of the 
 slayer, he has certainly conferred a public bene- 
 fit." One person went so far as to say that " he 
 did not think such a drab worth having a trial 
 about." 
 
 Persons of sense and discernment however there 
 were who thought they discovered in this host of 
 evidence great contradiction with itself. One of 
 these evidences, a physician, related that she had 
 come to him for advice, and told him she was a bad 
 girl. Several witnesses too corroborate his testi- 
 mony, and say that she told him ol her calling on 
 this doctor, and that he insulted her, and upon her 
 repulsing him, threatened, unless she complied 
 with his solicitations, that he would ruin her charac- 
 ter with the meeting, and knowing therefore that 
 it is esteemed a point of honour with physicians to 
 keep all such ihings secret, and that he did imme- 
 diately after the threat, as she said, and after the 
 visit at any rate, say those things against her, they 
 believed it done for revenge.* It was further prov- 
 ed that this physician made a demand often dollars 
 which she refused to pay, saying she did not owe 
 him more than half a dollar. Moreover one ot 
 these persons testified that the deceased told her 
 she was doctored for a humour which orignated in 
 getting cold at a camp meeting — a thing by no 
 means incredible to those who know the danger of 
 sleeping in the night air, and on the damp earth. 
 
 The story of this insult she persisted in through 
 all the subsequent trouble she met with, and they 
 
 • Otl^ii»ifeow«Ter «wor« she confeeeed this ehargrc. 
 6 
 
62 FALL RIVER, 
 
 inquired if one part of her testimony was to be 
 credited, why not all. 
 
 One witness testified to her going out of a facto- 
 ry with a string in her hand and she followed her, 
 and really believed she was going to hang herself 
 if she had not interrupted her. 
 
 Another witness of the Methodist Society testi- 
 fied that the deceased once told her that she at- 
 tempted her life, and had not courage to go 
 through with it. 
 
 Two persons, a tavern keeper and his wife, by 
 the name of Parker, gave a most singular testimo- 
 ny. They averred that eight years before, a girl 
 calling her self Mana. Cornell, came to their house 
 in the evening, being evidently in a situation no 
 young woman w^ould want to travel alone in, and 
 *' appeared much engaged in the work of God^^^ 
 That was the expression. When two young men 
 entered, and she immediately charged one with 
 being her betrayer, and frightened him out of a 
 sum of money to settle with her, and gave him a 
 receipt ; and that they all staid all night ; and she 
 came down stairs next morning looking entirely 
 different ; and the young man thus swindled took 
 no notice of her altered looks ; and they all went 
 away, it would seem perfectly satisfied. This 
 evidence was judged of great importance it appear- 
 ed by the prisoner's counsel, by the manner in 
 which it was handled by them. By others it was 
 received as exhibiting inconsistencies not to be re- 
 conciled. 1. That any young man would put up 
 with such an imposition. 2. That any one en- 
 gaged in such a fraud would so soon throw off the 
 mask. 3. That persons so very religious as they 
 evidently wanted to be thought, would tolerate 
 such transactions in their houses, and lodge the 
 
AN AUTHENriC NARRATIVE. 63 
 
 •whole company after it, the woman, whoever she 
 was, and her paramour. 
 
 Four women and two men (Methodists) were 
 then examined ; the women gave a history of such 
 disgusting intrigues, as couki scarce be parelleled, 
 which they said the deceased acknowledged to 
 them in the way of confession. That she appear- 
 ed very penitent for them, and one said " wept 
 upon her neck until she was quite disgusted with 
 her." Two testified she had threatened vengeance 
 upon Mr. Avery for signing her expulsion from 
 the meeting, and that she said " she would be re- 
 venged on him if it cost her her life," although it 
 did not appear she had any known cause of hostili- 
 ty against him. No one could attach any blame to 
 him, who being her minister was obliged to act as 
 the rules of the meeting required. One of these 
 fair swearers was one of those who went off with 
 him at the time of his flight from Bristol. 
 
 Another instance of that recklessness displayed 
 by the prisoner's friends of the character and peace 
 of individuals, and perhaps the most barbarous, 
 was the trying to disgrace the character of her sis- 
 ter's husband, a young man of most unexception- 
 able character, always known for his modesty, 
 sobriety and piety, and who had not seen the de- 
 ceased for several years previous to the fatal sum- 
 mer — the last of her earthly pilgrimage, when she 
 came to visit them and her aged mother, who re- 
 sided in the family. They brought witnesses to 
 say, that S. M. Cornell had told her sister's hus- 
 band had loved her better than his wife, and that 
 they had been as free as man and wife ; and one 
 of the witnesses, a young girl, recited a long piece 
 of poetry which she recollected she said from read- 
 
64 FALL KIVER, 
 
 ing it once or twice, and which Maria had said 
 her brother addressed to lier.* 
 
 The next company of witnesses were called to 
 cover the time of the prisoner's being at the camp 
 meeting, which if we recollect was three days, in 
 such a manner as to occupy every moment of it, 
 and make it an impossibility of his having any as- 
 signation with the deceased. In fact, if all this tes- 
 timony could be relied on, llie prisoner had not 
 only no time for an interview with any woman out 
 of their sight, but no time neither for the ordinary 
 occasions of life, no hour for private devotion or 
 any thing of that sort ; wherever he went, it ap- 
 peared from the testimony, there was some one at 
 his elbow ; if he walked or rode, or sat or slept, 
 or eat or drank, or preached, somebody appeared 
 to testify to the hour, whose memory was fresh 
 with every particular. As one dropped him an- 
 other took him up ; if one left him another join- 
 ed him at the same moment, until they fairly 
 guarded him out of the premises, and out of the 
 country. Had E. K. Avery been a State prisoner, 
 suspected of treason, under one of the most ar- 
 bitrary governments in the world, he could not 
 have been'more strictly guarded and closely watch- 
 ed than lie must have hi en, even if the whole Col- 
 lege of Jesuits had been on the alert — besides hav- 
 ing such fine memories that they could all remem- 
 ber so exact about ever j moment of time, and even 
 the slightest circumstance respecting this man. 
 
 * It did not seem sufficient that her almost distracted sister hi^d to be di-agg-ed 
 to Court, to hear iliit, load of infamy laid upon the departe<I, but h'T i:o nesiic 
 
 Eeace must be assaued, by suspicions endeavored to be infused of the fiucuty of 
 er husband, of the father of her children, now her only earthly support and 
 consolation. " Ob," said she, when speaking of ths trans iciion'alterwardr to 
 a friend, " had I been at all addicted to jealousy , or ha>l the least cau»e to be so, 
 or possessed as weak; a mind as they imputed to my sister, what might not th« 
 consequences hi'Ve be-^n. They might have broken up my family and pi-rhap* 
 driven me to distraction or suicide, but to disturb my peace in thai way is beyond 
 the;r power." fcitill w« must suppose she was a very greiU sulTertj- 'in heai:iijj 
 sucU abuii«. 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE, 65 
 
 Many argued, who heard this testimony, that this 
 was suspicious ; that it was a tiling contrary to gen- 
 eral experience — that among such a multitude, one 
 person of no very extraordinary character for any 
 thing, should be singled out as an object of remark, 
 a point of observation, a centre of attraction to 
 which all eyes were turned, and argued from this 
 very testimony, as well as the similar one of the 
 four days meeting in Providence, that it was over- 
 done, and would undoubtedly have a tendency to 
 convince the court of the delinquency of the pris- 
 oner — the result however disappointed their cal- 
 culations. 
 
 In the same manner they endeavored to cover 
 the time of day Orswell supposed was the one that 
 the letter was handed him. The Attorney Gene- 
 ral staled in his remarks, that so earnest had they 
 been to cover the time, when the letter could have 
 been delivered, that " they made out fifteen min- 
 utes more than there really was of it." It appear- 
 ed from the testimony of the witnesses, that he was 
 constantly with some of them except when the 
 went from breakfast to the clergyman's, when the 
 walk was accomplished in as short a space of time, 
 as ever man walked it, and immediately appeared 
 in another place, when the Rev. somebody else 
 took him to brother somebody's, and instantly he 
 appeared again in the Methodist meeting-house, at 
 the beginning of the meeting, precisely at nine 
 o'clock ; this they remarked by one particular cir- 
 cumstance, it is that he did not open the meeting 
 which he had previously agreed to do; for this 
 omission no reason appeared from him or his 
 friends, so that people were left to conclude, either 
 that there was a mistake in the day, which Ors- 
 .well did not swear to, or that he had slipped away 
 
06 
 
 a few moments before the meeting (eluding the 
 vigilance of liis sentinels,) and was too much fa- 
 tigued to open the meeting after such a race; or 
 that he excused himself from making the first pray- 
 er, in Older to slip away while the people were on 
 their knees and would not observe him ; and as to 
 other profane spectators, they would not have ob- 
 served the circumstance of a man gliding in and 
 out, where there is such constant ingress and 
 egress.* 
 
 While the evidence was taking, witnesses ar- 
 rived post haste from Providence, to swear that 
 they had just measured the distance from the Me- 
 thodist meeting-house to the steamboat wharf, and 
 found the distance so great that it was impossible 
 he could have travelled it that morning before 
 meeting. So Mr. Orswell was completely sworn 
 down. Nevertheless a little time after that trial 
 was decided, a respectable farmer came forward 
 and testitied to seeing Avery when he delivered 
 the very letter to Orswell. He did not know 
 Avery at the time, but when the trial came to be 
 published, accompanied with a striking likeness 
 of the Rev. accused, this man, Mr. Angell, im- 
 mediately recognized the person. f 
 
 Witnesses from the Camp ground were produ- 
 ced against S. M. Cornell, the deceased : one of 
 whom testified she saw her slap a young man on 
 
 * This dodging about in Methodist meeting is believed to be nothing uncom. 
 men. The writer of these pages has a very distinct recollection of J. N. Maffit, 
 who used frequently while another minifeter was praying, to climb up and look 
 ovL-r the house, to see who stood'efTected and either go to ^uch after, or have them 
 brouH-ht up to have tlie benefit of his prayers : as it was not noticed as a breach 
 of decorum, we conclude it is not uncommon. 
 
 t The measuring the ground and deciding he could not have g.one on account 
 of the distance, reminds us of the trial of John N. Maffit, whom a clergyman ©f 
 unimpeachable character saw kiss his hand during service time to a lady in the 
 gallery. The methodist conference went and measured the distance from where 
 Maffit stood to the gallery, and verj^ gravely decided that the distance was so 
 great that the witness could not possibly have heard the report of the kiss! 11 
 and that their worUiy brother must be innocent. 
 
AT /LTilKNTIC NARRATIVF. t)l 
 
 th« shoulder; nnother thoii<rhi Bomething niipht 
 Iiave been the matter with her, as she thought <^he 
 walked diH'ereiU from other folks ; another im- 
 agined something against her character because 
 her frock did not quite meet together beliind ; an- 
 other testified that it was said there were persons 
 of bad character there, who w-ere directed to be 
 orde.ed off the ground. But although it was 
 known the deceased Avas there, it appeared she 
 was not molested. As to the character of Avery 
 a number of their witnesses w^ere examined, all of 
 whom testified to the fiiultlessness of his character, 
 never heard but what his disposition was good, his 
 character for every thing, good. Two of these 
 witnesses, Methodist ministers by the name o£ 
 Merrill, upon being cross examined, confessed he 
 had been prosecuted for defamation in Massachu- 
 setts, but stated it resulted in nothing to impeach 
 his character, and that the Ecclesiastical Council 
 acquitted him of all blame. 
 
 And what, asks the reader \vho has never read 
 the trial and is unacquainted wdth the events of 
 this story (unless Ecclesiastical Councils should 
 take the place of Courts of Justice and become the 
 law of the land, and such books be condemned to 
 be burnt by the common hangman an/^ their authors 
 to some modern "Inquisition,") what did they, th€ 
 witnesses say respecting the absence of Avery from 
 Bristol on the day of the murder ? and how did 
 they manage to clear up the circumstance of the 
 letters ? of his being so unfortunate as to be in the 
 very places, on the very day when the letters were 
 dated, and of having letters charged him at the 
 Post Office on the very day w^hen the letters of the 
 deceased must have reached him ? Surely hep© 
 must have been their strongest stand ; and thes* 
 
68 FALL RIVER, 
 
 things satisfactorily aceoimted for would not only- 
 have saved his life, but what is of more value, or 
 ought to be to a christian minister, his character. 
 Doubtless this must have been the ransacking for 
 witnesses at the time the turnpike gates saw such 
 hard service. This must have been the dodging 
 in and out of every tavern, factory village and 
 factory boarding house in the country. 
 
 N© such thing, no such witnesses were brought 
 forward, nothing of the kind attempted. Relying 
 upon the protection of the law, that the accuser 
 shall prove where the accused is, not he prove 
 where he is not, the prisoner took possesion of the 
 strong hold, and saved the ship from sinking by 
 throwing character overboard. 
 
 But surely, says th-e reader, they must have made 
 a lame piece of work of it, if that were the case. 
 For what purpose this array of witnesses to prove 
 the deceased bad ? that was what the government 
 wanted to prove : for good she could not be and 
 be his mistress — her minister ! a married man too ! 
 Why it argues a great degree of depravity, or in- 
 fatuation, or destitution of reason. How did all 
 these inconsistences of character in the deceased 
 help him ? It only made the probability of the 
 case more app£irent. Granted — but nevertheless 
 this testimony, strange and inconsistent and con- 
 tradictory as it was, was their fort, and upon this 
 they grounded their defence of the prisoner. The 
 counsel for the prisoner had sketched out a ro- 
 mance, not to be equalled by any thing we know 
 or read of Spanish or Italian vengeance, and dress- 
 ing it up in a most ingenious manner, presented it 
 to the attention of the Jury. Hir» argument was, 
 that this girl, the deceased, was utterly bad, capa- 
 ;ble of any sort of wickedness ; that she owed the 
 
AN AUTHE.VTIC NARRlTIVr. 09 
 
 j)risoner a grudge for his slmre in turning her out 
 of meeting, and that she Imd a\ reaked her ven- 
 geance v.jion him in this manner ; first, hy wrilinjr 
 the letters or procuring them to be written and sent 
 to her, and then by jn-ctendine he wa> her betray- 
 er ; and finall}' hanging herself after writing a bil- 
 let, " if she was missing to inquire of the Rev. E. 
 K. Avery," — that she had said, " she would be 
 revenged upon him if it cost her her life," and ac- 
 cordingly had contrived this method and carried 
 it into execution, and that all the rest was the ef- 
 fect of the lieightened imagination of the Fall Hiv- 
 cr folks ; and the excitement he politely styled the 
 '* Fall River fever :" and Avhenever in the course 
 of his brief review of the evidence, he chanc 'd to 
 come across something remarkably tough, v, hy 
 with a flourish known only to the people called 
 lawyers, he would give it a toss, and get rid of it at 
 once without any trouble, as easily as one would 
 toss a biscuit into the sea. Never was the old 
 proverb verified better than in this case, viz. "one 
 bold assertion is better tlian a host of argument," 
 and "two negatives is as good as one aflirmative;" 
 and we had like to have added the third, " a lie 
 well stuck to is as good as the truth," but we leave 
 that out. He attempted to establish it as a fact 
 that the deceased was insane too, and yet that all 
 this method v/as adopted in her madness : that she 
 was capable of a })lot of revenge deeper and of a 
 more diabolical character tlian any ever related 
 before of woman — a plot which, in conception and 
 execution, surpassed all human credibility. 
 
 He was replied to by the Attorney General, Al- 
 bert C. Greene, Esq. a\ hose health at the time was 
 not good, and whose arduous labours had during 
 the trial much exhausted him ; a gentleman of good 
 
70 FALL RIVER, 
 
 law knowledge, of amiable manners, and feeling 
 heart, but whose plain good sense was no match 
 for the subtlety of his antagonist. His speech 
 contained much sound reasoning ; nevertheless, 
 after a short charge from the chief justice, the jury- 
 retired, and on the next morning, at 9 o'clock, 
 brought in a verdict of not guilty^ having con- 
 sumed four weeks in the trial. 
 
 Various opinions respecting the verdict of the 
 jury prevailed, yet all felt it their duty to acquiesce 
 in the decision of a legal tribunal, and no one had 
 the least idea of molesting Mr. Avery after his dis- 
 charge by the court. The Fall River people, who 
 had behaved throughout mostmagnanimously,not- 
 withstanding the hue and cry of the friends of 
 Avery, that they were thirsting for his blood, and 
 a deal more of that sort, were as content to let him 
 live as any others. They however looked for- 
 ward with certain confidence to his being deposed 
 as a preacher. They could conceive of very great 
 efforts to save him from the gallows, from the mis- 
 taken notion that the penalty was the disgrace of 
 <;rime, and that his death would be thought to bring 
 an uneffaeeable stain upon the Methodist order. 
 When therefore his own people sat upon his case, 
 as it was known they did not measure their decis- 
 ion by the fiat of the law, and that he did not, nor 
 eould not, satisfactorily account for himself, or 
 clear up the affair of the letters^ &c. it was be- 
 lieved he would be expelled from their order, or 
 at least forever debarred from preaching — that if 
 it were for their own character alone, they would 
 not sufler such an outrage upon the feelings and 
 common sense of the community. But to their 
 amazement and that of others the " Ecclesiastical 
 Council," as they style themselves, the highest 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 71 
 
 tribunal among them at any rate, pronounced him 
 perfectly innocent, and freed from all suspicion, 
 and continued him in the service of his office. This 
 outrage upon the feelings of society it is believed 
 will eventually injure them more in the estimation 
 of mankind, than it would have done to have had 
 twenty preachers hung. 
 
 To leave digression and pursue the thread of the 
 narrative — E. K. Avery was almost instantaneous- 
 ly hurried out of Newport, after tlie rendering of 
 the verdict, and conveyed to his family in Bristol, 
 and continued in his office, and weekly to hold forth 
 to the people, followed by crowds Vv^hom curiosity 
 attracted to hear him, so muchlnore v/ill that im- 
 pel people than devotion. 
 
 The murdered, mangled remains of Sarah Maria 
 Cornell still repose at Fall River, at rest we hope, 
 from all further molestation. The generous and 
 feeling inhabitants of the village wished to have 
 placed a handsome marble monument over her re- 
 mains, detailing the sad tragedy of her death, but 
 this her relations objected to, from the fear that it 
 would not be permitted to rem.ain, and that the 
 same interest which had been exerted to blacken 
 her character, might be to destroy all records of 
 the transaction. Her brother and sister Rawson 
 therefore placed a small but neat stone at the head 
 and foot of the grave, simply inscribed with her 
 name and age. That lowly grave has been the 
 pilgrimage of thousands from all the diff'erent sec- 
 tions of the country. It is in vain that the friends 
 of Avery endeavour to place that unfortunate being 
 beneath even the pity of the virtuous. Her own 
 sex feel she was a woman, and as such entitled to 
 their sympathies, the other, more generally inclin- 
 ed to compassionate female frailty, pity her with 
 
72 
 
 undissembled sorrow. Few have visited tliat spot 
 without tears. There seems to be a spell breath- 
 ing around that none can withstand : the eflect is 
 absolutely irresistible. It is a humble grave, in a 
 solitary spot. It is a grave of a poor factory girl, 
 but from that grave a voice seems toissue,noiseles3 
 as that still small one,that speaks to the conscience 
 of the sinner, but whose tones nevertheless sink 
 deep into the heart. The author of these pages 
 visited that spot, as well as the one where she met 
 her fate, at a most interesting moment. It was on 
 the evening of the tirst of July. The moon was 
 then at its full, yet a kind of shadowy darkness 
 hung over the spot, blending the outlines of ihe 
 surrounding landscape so as to render them nearly 
 indistinct. For some time I stood wondering, 
 without dreaming of the cause, but upon looking 
 up, discovered the moon was in an eclipse. There 
 was a singular coincidence in it certainly, and it 
 forcibly reminded me of the dark and mysterious 
 fate of her who reposed beneath. I watched it as 
 the shadow slid from the moon's disk, and I felt 
 that confidence which I have ever felt since, that 
 the mistery of darkness which envelopes the story 
 and hides the sad fate of that unfortunate victim 
 will one day be dispersed. The following lines 
 were penned at the time and afterwards published 
 in the Fall River Monitor. They are inserted 
 here by request. 
 
 And here thou makest thy lonely bed, 
 Thou poor forlorn and injured one ; 
 
 Here rests thy aching head — 
 Marked by a nameless stone.* 
 
 ♦ Tlie atOQW with her nan>c' were not tUen up» 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 73 
 
 Poor victim of man's lawless passion, 
 Though e'er so tenderly carest — 
 
 Better to trnst the raging ocean, 
 Than lean upon his stormy breast. 
 
 And thou though frail, wert fair and mild ; 
 
 Some gentle virtues warmed thy breast. 
 Poor outcast being ! sorrow's child ! 
 
 Reproach can't break thy rest. 
 
 On thy poor wearied breast the turf 
 Lies quite as soft as on the rich : 
 
 What now to thee the scorn and mirtli, 
 Of sanctimonious hypocrites. 
 
 That mangled form now finds repose, 
 And who shall say thy soul does not, 
 
 Since he who from the grave arose 
 Brought immortality to light. 
 
 Poor fated one the day is coming 
 When sin and sorrow pass away — 
 
 I see the light already gleaming 
 Which usherss in an endless day. 
 
 Where shall the murderer be found ? 
 
 He calls upon the rocks in vain — 
 The force of guilt will then confound, 
 
 Alas the Judge ! no longer man. 
 
 He calls upon the rocks in vain^ 
 
 The adamantine rocks recoil. 
 Earth can no longer hide the slain, 
 
 And death yields up his spoil. 
 
 Where shall the murderer appear ? 
 
 My God thy judgements are most deep : 
 No verdict can the monster clear 
 
 Who dies a hypocrite must wake to weep. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 LIFE OP SAEAH MARIA CORNELL. 
 
 "With the greatest care and impartiality the au- 
 thor of the following pages has collected together 
 ^11 the facts susceptible of proof relating to the life 
 of Sarah Ma^-ia Cornell. Some of these were gain- 
 ed from her own family — others from strangers. 
 
 S. M. CORNELL was horn in May, 1802, in 
 Rupert, Vermont. Her mother, the daughter of 
 Christopher Leffingwell, Esq. of Norwich,* was a 
 well educated and good principled woman, a daugh- 
 ter to one of the first families in the State. She 
 had been carefully brought up and accustomed 
 only to the best society. Unhappily she contract- 
 ed early in life an unfortunate attachment. Mr. 
 Cornell was a person employed in one of the 
 manufactories belonging to her father. Good 
 looking and of pleasing address, he succeeded in 
 captivating the affections of a daughter of his em- 
 ployer. Mr. Leffingwell was at first very wroth, 
 and made considerable opposition to the match,but 
 
 *Thi« Christopher Lefflngvrcll was th« direct descendant of that Thoma* 
 Ltfl\ngwell of Saybrook, Connecticut, who had the houor of rescuing by his 
 bravery the celebrated Dncaa, with his remnant of Mohicans, from the power 
 of the Narr;\gan8etls, in the bloody warbetween the ludians of this last tribe and 
 the new settlers, the English, about the year 1660 ; and who received afterwards, 
 asatestimony oi gratitude from that renowned warrior, the grant of land, by 
 deed, of all that tract upon which the town of Norwich now stands. New-Eng- 
 land ie under lasting obligations to the name of Leffingwell. The circuiristan- 
 eta were these. 
 
 IJncas, who with his band_wa« fighting in defence of the whites, got hemmed 
 in, in a place of imminent danger, at some distance from Saybrook, but found 
 HKansto send a messenger to that place to ask the English thereto come to his 
 relief. Th»ir whole force had left the place, in another direction, except those 
 left to guard the fort. But Thomas Leffingwell formed the bold plan of coiivey- 
 ibgthe whole band acrosi into the fort, in the course of the night, in his canoe, 
 and i^iuaUy accompliihed it ; and when the ferocious Narragansetts came 
 upouthfir poet, in the moniiitg. b«hold tlioy were gone ! all safely gicirsd inte 
 the Kiiglish fort at Saybrook. 'Vi^e manteuTre mrued the tiUoof war. 
 
AN AUTHENTIG NARRATIVE. 75 
 
 upon being assured by hia daughter that she was 
 firmly and imraoFcably attached to Cornell and 
 eould never be happy with any other man, the old 
 gentleman gare up the conteit, and suffered the 
 union to take place without further opposition. 
 His daughter removed after marriage to Vermont, 
 where her children were born ; and here she wn 
 destined to taste the bitterness of an ill assorted 
 union. Her husband it seemed had formed the 
 design, and it very soon developed, to be support-- 
 ed from his father-in-law's funds, which were sup- 
 posed inexhaustible, and himself to be a gentleman 
 at large. In pursuit of this determination h« 
 worked upon the feelings of his wife to get her to 
 draw money from her father. Mrs. Cornell, who 
 was one of those gentle, unresisting characters 
 that knew not how to contend, iuffered herself for 
 some time, though sorely against her feelings, to 
 be influenced to this, and repeatedly drew large 
 sums of money from her indulgent father, to sup- 
 ply her husband's demands, until at length the old 
 gentleman resolutely refused to advance anymore, 
 upon which Cornell carried his wife and ehildren 
 to her father's house, and leaving them, quit the 
 country,and relieved himself forever from the task 
 of supporting a woman whom he had probably 
 married without the least sentiment of affection 
 whatever, and abandoning the children in their 
 helpless infancy, whom the laws of God, and the 
 laws of the land both required him to support. 
 What was the situation of Mr. Leffingwell's estate 
 at his decease, we do not know, orwhethor he sup- 
 posed he had bestowed enough upon this daughter; 
 but certain it is that although the rest of the family 
 were in easy circumstances, if not affluent, she and 
 her family were poor, and she and her ehildren 
 
76 FALL RIVER, 
 
 found a home with some of their relatives, and ap- 
 pear to hare looked chiefly to their own exertions 
 for support. They were separated, being all 
 brought up at different places, and not even know- 
 ing one another for several years. The unfortu- 
 nate girl who is the subject of this memoir was in 
 the same house with her mother until about eleven 
 years of age. She then went to live with a Mrs. 
 Lathrop of Norwich, her mother's sister. With 
 her she continued until fifteen years of age, and 
 then went to learn the tailor's trade, where she 
 staid two years, and then for a time resided with 
 her mother in Bozrah, a short distance from Nor- 
 wich, working at her trade. 
 
 During her residence at the house where she 
 learned her trade, her mind appeared for the first 
 time called up to attend to religion. There was at 
 the time a great reformation, as it is termed, in the 
 neighborhood — that is, there was a great stir about 
 religion, and much going to meeting, and many 
 professing, of which number doubtless many con- 
 tinued steadfast ; but in a time of such general ex- 
 citement it is known there is a great deal of self- 
 deception. The quick feelings and sanguine tem- 
 perament of S. M. Cornell were calculated to mis- 
 lead her, and it was not long before she rushed 
 with the multitude to the altar of baptism, joining 
 herself in christian communion to the congrega- 
 tion of the Rev. Mr. Austin, a Calvinistic congre- 
 gationalist. No reproach can with justice attach 
 itself to a clergyman in such cases, unless they 
 are hurried iwto such a profession without any 
 time for trial, which was not the case in this in- 
 stance. Man cannot look into futurity and tell 
 who will prove steadfast and who will not, and if 
 a rational person makes a good profession of faith, 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE 77 
 
 and avoirs a resolution to lead a christian life, the 
 minister is bound to receive them, unless he know* 
 somelhing^ in their present character and conduct 
 at variance with their professions. For two years 
 she continued steadfast, and it was said a bright 
 example in outward conduct ; yet nevertheless 
 the seed had fallen on stony ground, where the 
 earth was not of sufficient depth to foster it. A 
 season of declension succeeded it. Lightness and 
 vanity again took possession of her imagination. 
 A passion for dress at this time seemed to b« a 
 predominant feeling, and that passion she was 
 obliged to set bounds to, because she had not th« 
 means of gratifying it. 
 
 It was at this unfortunate season, the only one 
 it is believed in her existence when the same temp- 
 tation would have had the same weight, that her 
 mother brought her to Providence. Her older 
 sister lived there with a relation who had brought 
 her up ; and these two sisters, separated for many 
 years, had long desired a reunion. That wish, so 
 natural was at last indulged, and like most of our 
 earnest desires for earthlv gratification, indulged 
 to their mutual sorrow. Introduced for the first 
 time since childhood into the temptations and al- 
 lurements of a commercial town, those feelings of 
 childish vanity, and love of dress, and show, and 
 ornament, which had been growing upon her for 
 some time, seemed completely to get the mastery, 
 and being often in the shops where those articles 
 for which she had so lon^ sighed presented them- 
 selves before her — she at length possessed herself 
 of some of them, trifling indeed in amount, but 
 destined to prove her entire destruction in thig 
 world as respected character and every thiHgels©. 
 Though the whole of these articles purloined in 
 7* 
 
78 FALL RIVER 
 
 a moment of lightness, of thoughtlessness and 
 temptation, did not exceed in amount but a very 
 few dollars, it was immediately discovered, and 
 the avenger was close upon her heels. Unused to 
 crime, her manner at the time was so singular and 
 agitated as to excite suspicion in the store, and 
 she was followed to the house of one of her rela- 
 tives, where the articles were found — not exceed- 
 ing five dollars in amount, and several very small 
 trifles beside, which slie immediately told of, and 
 where she got them, and her friends sent them to 
 the gentlemen, and offered to pay all damages,&-c. 
 to both ; they exacted nothing however but the 
 amount of the goods. The grief and agitation of 
 the poor girl vented itself in repeated tits of hys- 
 terical laughing and crying at the time, and in the 
 bitterest self-accusation afterwards, when she 
 seemed fully to realize what she had done, and 
 could those gentlemen have known the effect that 
 disgrace was to have upon her future destiny, 
 doubtless they would have preferred to have lost 
 ten times the amount rather than have exposed 
 her. Be that as it may however, the fact that she 
 did purloin these articles is certain, and I have it 
 in express charge from her nearest kindred, her 
 kind brother and sister, not to attempt to conceal it, 
 but in every thingasfar as I can discoverthe truth to 
 make it manifest. They knew of this delinquency 
 in their sister by her own confession ; she did not 
 attempt to deceive them, and they knew of no 
 other instance of the kind of her offending ; they 
 knew by the same means, viz, her own confessions, 
 of her intercourse with Avery, and they know of 
 no other person with whom they believe her to 
 have been criminal. But to go back to the story.* 
 
 *Someof the people so violent in denoimcing this poor girl, at the time, were 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 79 
 
 The open, candid manner in which they had 
 behaved themselves, and the keen distress of the 
 offender herself, certainly induced them to hope 
 she would not be publicly exposed, but by some 
 means or other it was immediately communicated 
 to town and country. For this they were not pre- 
 pared, far less did they anticipate that this circum- 
 stance would be brought up in a coui\ of justice, 
 eleven years after, to prove that she killed herself, 
 to be avenged on a man who had exposed her mis- 
 conduct, when she had not even shewn resentment 
 towards them. 
 
 That this was the only sin of the kind — the only 
 instance of dishonesty that could be brought up 
 against S. M. Cornell, must be believed by every 
 one who ever saw the famous trial of S. M. Cor- 
 nell, denominated on the title page, " Trial of E. 
 K. Avery." For had there been another thing of 
 the kind known against her — a wit observed as 
 *' heaven, earth and hell were ransacked for wit- 
 nesses," it must have made its appearance. On 
 the contrary, she was afterwards often remarked 
 for the punctuality and exact regularity of her 
 dealings. The writer of these pages knew a mil- 
 liner with whom she had very considerable deal- 
 ings at Lowell, and to whom she was often indebt- 
 ed, and who remarked " that she was the most 
 punctual person in the payment of her debts she 
 had ever known, as she seemed to have a principle 
 of honesty about discharging a debt the very day 
 she had promised the money, and always bore in 
 mind the exact sum she owed." 
 
 running crazy after a new preacher then in town, who, they affirmed, was one 
 of the greatest saints living ; as he had done every thing bad— murder excepted. 
 Among other things, he had been a thief, they said. Not thinking that any 
 particular recommendation in a preacher, we had not the honor of hearing him ; 
 but we recollect remembering, at the time, the old adage, " one man may steal 
 a horse, while another man cannot look over his shoulder." 
 
80 FALL RIVER, 
 
 It appears that the connexions of S. M. Cornell 
 generally, with the exception of her mother, and 
 her kind hearted sister, meant to make her feel the 
 full extent of the offence she had committed. It 
 does not in the general way require much to set 
 rich relations against poor ones — but here was 
 ample room for feelings of superiority over poor, 
 fallen human nature. Some of her connexions 
 shut the door in her face when she called to see 
 them afterwards — and for the most part they man- 
 ifested a very proper detestation of her offence, by 
 displaying proper resentment, ^^he returned to 
 the country and resumed her employment, but the 
 story got there before her. She had relinquished 
 her former employment of tailoring and gone to 
 work in a factory. Here she was now regarded 
 with a degree of suspicion, painful in the extreme 
 to a person of her natural pride, and she quit the 
 place and went to another, but being dissatisfied 
 with the employment, again resumed her sewing, 
 and went to live with a merchant tailor in a neigh- 
 boring town ; she continued in his employment 
 some months, when the story reached the family 
 that she " had been talked about,^^ which caused 
 them to watch her with scrupulous regard. There 
 was a young gentleman then in the neighborhood 
 who used to go often into the shop, and frequently 
 sit down by her and converse, sometimes in an un- 
 der tone, and sometimes he would invite her to 
 take a walk of a pleasant evening, and she would 
 go with him. This circumstance, as he was a 
 young and unengaged man, and she very pretty, 
 would probably of itself have caused no suspicion, 
 had not the saying that she had been talked about 
 been so often repeated. She did not board with 
 the family who employed her, but in the family of 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 81 
 
 a respectable physician on the other side of the 
 way : and being convinced by the circumstance 
 just related, joined to the saying that she had been 
 " talked about," though they did not exactly know 
 for what, that her character was not good, the wife 
 of her employer took it upon her to dismiss her ; 
 and sending for her to come in, begun by accus- 
 ing her of "imposing herself upon their society 
 when her character was not good;" and having 
 said all she judged necessary on that head, she 
 formally dismissed her from their employment. 
 During all this time the poor, persecuted girl only 
 opposed tears to the reproaches heaped upon her. 
 She knew that she had, by one indiscretion, by 
 one violation of that command, " thou shalt not 
 covet any thing that is thy neighbor's," brought 
 reproach upon her good name ; and she probably 
 thought they knew of it, and said nothing because 
 she could not bear to hear it named. She only 
 asks permission to remain until next day, when 
 the stage would pass, which was granted. " To 
 this day," said the lady who had vented these re- 
 proaches, "to this day, my conscience reproaches 
 me for the harshness with which I spoke to her, 
 when memory recalls the tears she shed, and her 
 meek, forbearing manners, and I must say, that 
 she had the meekest temper, and one of the mild- 
 est and sweetest dispositions I ever met with." 
 She added, that that very night a relation of theirs 
 who was then very ill in their house, was distress- 
 ed for a watcher, they having sent half over the 
 neighborhood for one without success ; which S. 
 M. Cornell hearing of, immediately offered to 
 watch with her, and though they were ashamed to 
 accept of her services, they were constrained to ; 
 and that she was so kind and attentive to the sick, 
 
82 FALL RIV^R, 
 
 that the woman after her recovery often enquired 
 after her, saying, " she was the kindest and best 
 person to the sick, she ever saw." 
 
 From this place it appears she went to Slaters- 
 ville, Rhode-Island, and commenced working 
 again in tlie factory ; soon after which, a Mr. Tay- 
 lor, a Methodist, commenced preaching there, and 
 here again there was a great stir about religion. 
 Mr. Taylor was one of their popular preachers, 
 there was a great reformation, and S. M. Cornell, 
 who had for some time given up the idea that she 
 had ever possessed religion, was once more 
 awakened ; and having, by some means or other, 
 became persuaded that immersion was the only 
 Scripture way of baptism, felt desirous to be re- 
 baptized. After a profession of faith and going 
 through all the preliminaries, she was accordingly 
 immersed ; and the Methodist meeting, who pro- 
 fess to believe that water administered in any form, 
 in the name of the Trinity, is baptism, and who 
 baptize in both ways themselves, had no hesita- 
 tion in rebaptizing her. However, that is of mi- 
 nor consequence to Avhat followed. She continu- 
 ed in fellowship with them, it appears by her let- 
 ters, during her stay in Slatersville, which must 
 have been over two years ; for she staid there until 
 the factory burnt down, and then of course had to 
 depart in search of employment. With several 
 others she removed to the Branch factory, a few 
 miles off. Here she staid until the water becom- 
 ing very low, there was not steady employment, 
 when she removed to Millville, to the satinett fac- 
 tory. From this place, only about a mile and a 
 half from Slatersville, it will be seen by her letters, 
 she attended her beloved Methodist meeting at 
 Slatersville, and appears to have felt great joy at 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 83 
 
 finding herself so near there again. No person 
 can read her letters and suppose she feigned what 
 she wrote. Just before her leaving Smithfield, 
 i. e. Slatersville, Mr. Itawson, her brother-in-law, 
 w^ent and carried her brother, who had been absent 
 several years at New-Orleans, to visit her, and in- 
 quired of the family where she boarded, "how 
 Maria got along ?" " Very well indeed," was the 
 reply, " and much engaged in religion," they ad- 
 ded, " and set a very good example." 
 
 While at this place her zeal in the cause of 
 meetings continued. It appears she was in the 
 habit of walking down to Slatersville, on all oc- 
 casions, to meetings ; and that in the prayer meet- 
 ings as well as those for exhortation, she usually 
 took a part, and was called an active member. 
 We do not know whether she was censured at this 
 time, but this fact we do know from letters in our 
 possession, that she was in the habit of corres- 
 ponding Avith Methodist sisters at this time, and 
 subsequent* to it, who were highly spoken of for 
 piety and consistence. We have some directed 
 to this last place, and they address her as " worthy 
 sister," and solicit an interest in her prayers. 
 
 It had been the intention of Maria (by that name 
 she was generally called) to return to Slatersville 
 as soon as the new manufactory should be com- 
 pleted, and never to leave the people with whom 
 she was connected there until death, but unfor- 
 tunately the works did not keep pace with her im- 
 patience ; she disliked the woollen factory where 
 she worked at Millville, and one of the girls who 
 had been a favorite companion and sister in the 
 church persuaded her to go to Lowell, and de- 
 claring her determination to go there first, which 
 she did not however do immediately, as Maria 
 
84 FALL RIVER, 
 
 came to Providence to visit her -friends, or more 
 particularly to visit her dear mother; and after 
 staying some little time in Providence and Paw- 
 tucket, received a line from her friend urging her 
 again to go to Lowell, and naming a place on the 
 road, where they would meet on a certain day 
 provided she would comply. The place was in 
 Dedham, and , here they concluded to remain, but 
 there being no Methodist meeting, she became 
 discontented, and after four weeks residence there 
 proceeded to Dorchester. What caused all this 
 delay in going to Lowell is not known, unless some 
 guardian spirit interposed and delayed her pro- 
 gress to the place which was to consummate her 
 destruction. During the time of her sojourn in 
 the towns already mentioned, at several different 
 times she received attentions from some young 
 man, who she thought and others thought wished 
 to marry her. Many young men make a practice 
 it is well known of amusing themselves at the ex- 
 pense of young women who are apparently with- 
 out friends and natural protectors to call them to 
 account for such baseness and compel them to act 
 honorable. S. M. Cornell had the curse of beauty, 
 and she was not without admirers. She was natu- 
 rally of an affectionate and confiding disposition. 
 Her manners too, all partook of that character of 
 fondness for which she has been so unjustly cen- 
 sured. She loved her mother and sisters, and her 
 letters bespeak any thing but a depraved heart. 
 It is an indisputable fact that an abandoned wo- 
 man is without natural affection, and we see that 
 she was the very reverse of this. Her letters she 
 did not even know would be preserved. Little 
 could the poor, unfortunate girl have dreamed of 
 the use here made of them : they were only to 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 85 
 
 meet the eye of her sister and her aged and bow- 
 ed down mother. It seemed as though her affec- 
 tions sought constantly for some object upon which 
 to repose themselves, for something to lavish that 
 tenderness upon with which her heart was over- 
 flowing. Disappointed in her first choice (which 
 has been basely insinuated was her sister's hus- 
 band, a tissue of falsehoods from beginning to end) 
 disappointed in those schemes of earthly happi- 
 ness upon which her heart had once been set, she 
 strove to forget all but her duty, and to love God 
 alone : nevertheless, there were times when she 
 could not help, s-ituated as she was, desiring some 
 respectable connexion and decent settlement in 
 life ; and it is believed that she received the atten- 
 tions of several young men who professed to her 
 honorable attachment, with the laudable object in 
 view of obtaining such settlement. .How different 
 her fate would have been could she have been set- 
 tled in life and tied to the duties of a wife and 
 mother, v/e cannot now say, but the probability is 
 she would have made a very respectable figure in 
 society, and a much better wife than ordinary, 
 owing to the natural docility of her disposition, 
 her perfect habitual good nature, and forbearance 
 and forgiveness. But the waywardness of her 
 destiny prevented, and perhaps the providence of 
 God, which sometimes ordains partial evils to pro- 
 mote some universal good, ordered it otherwise. 
 
 The religion of this ill fated girl, it will be seen 
 by her letters, was a religion of feelings and 
 frames. Though there is no doubt it was sincere, 
 yet it was of that unstable kind that is most apt 
 to fail when most needed. She had engaged in it 
 in a time of high excitement, and its existence was 
 preserved — while it was preserved — by constant 
 8 
 
86 
 
 application of the means which created it, viz : by 
 frequent attendance on those exciting meetings 
 where highly wrought feeling and sometimes hys- 
 terical affection is often mistaken for devotion. 
 While there, there is no doubt she thought herself 
 in the enjoyment of religion ; and v/hen out, the 
 mind and spirits, by a natural reaction, would suf- 
 fer a correspondent depression, and the same 
 stimulus must be again resorted to. it will be ob- 
 served that the style of the letters, w^hich follow 
 this slight sketch, varied materially after a year's 
 residence at Lowell, and were less frequent. Pre- 
 vious to this date, during a residence of more than 
 a year in Dorchester, and the one year that suc- 
 ceeded in Lowell, religion seemed to be the chief 
 subject of her correspondence ; soon after which, 
 it is evident the subject, for some reason or other, 
 flagged : and her last letters, few and far between, 
 do not even make mention of the subject. That 
 there was a cause for this, no one can doubt. She 
 could write of it when in the confusion of a board- 
 ing house, as she says, with " sixty boarders," 
 and sometimes, nearly "all gabbling at once." 
 But something has happened to damp her zeal now, 
 or conscience whispers. " Thou that preachest 
 to others, art thou a castaway ?" 
 
 That she felt the want of a friend, that she de- 
 sired one, is something so natural and proper that 
 we cannot blame her for it. And that the w^arm 
 tide of her affections sought for rest on some ob- 
 ject was no fault of hers, but that they should have 
 centred at last on a married man, was shocking 
 indeed. That man was her minister, the person 
 who broke the sacramental bread, and presented 
 the sacramental cup, was an aggravation of her 
 crime, a henious aggravation. Although it is to 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 87 
 
 be presumed one of that sacred character might 
 have more influence over the opinions of a person 
 than any other ; yet any attempts at famiiiarity 
 ought to be doubly offensive in such, since it 
 proves at once that he is a hypocrite. 
 
 As to the opinion of attachments on the part of 
 iS. M. Cornell towards her minister, we ground it 
 on these facts. First, by her letters themselves ; 
 not merely because they slsow a decline in reli- 
 gious zeal at the time when we believe it commen- 
 ced, but from this circumstance : — that the name of 
 Avery is never mentioned by her in any of them. 
 She appears to speak with freedom of other per- 
 sons, and other ministers ; of Mr. Taylor^ Oath- 
 man, Maffit and others, but his name she studious- 
 ly avoids. She was not only three years at Low- 
 ell, the greater part of which time she sat under 
 his d;iijy a:.-.] ni^jhrly ministrations, but she heard 
 him at Great Falls and in other places in the 
 neighborhood of Boston. Yet his name never es- 
 capes her pen. There must be some reason for 
 this. As has been said, she seemed to contrive to 
 be somewhere within the range of his preaching 
 from the first of her acquaintance with him. — 
 Whether it was by her contrivance or his howev- 
 er, it is impossible for us to say, since she cannot 
 tell, and he wont tell. How the intimacy com- 
 menced, and whether it was of a criminal nature 
 previous to the Camp-Meeting at Thompson, we 
 believe no one has taken upon themselves positive- 
 ly to say ; but from what is related of the circum- 
 stances of their intimacy, every one can judge. — 
 The parson, it is said, was a very polite man to 
 females, frequently inviting some one of them to 
 ride to a meeting or an evenino- lecture with him 
 in his covered Carryall, and that he sometimes did 
 
88 FALL RIVER, 
 
 the deceased the honor of riding with her. It 
 will be recollected that at the Bristol examination 
 Averv or some of his friends staled the fact that 
 S. M. Cornell had lived a short time in his family, 
 but that Mrs. Avery was not satisfied with her, 
 and she had been dismissed. 
 
 At the time the sheriff passed through Lowell 
 in pursuit of Avery, after his flight from justice, 
 he learnt some very important particulars respect- 
 ing this and others connected with it, and after- 
 wards proposed laying it before the court upon his 
 trial, but was told they were inadmissible, since it 
 was not any particular act of impropriety in the 
 prisoner's life, previous to the commission of the 
 crime for which he stood indicted, but his general 
 character, which they wished to know, and which 
 could alone in this case be considered as evidence. 
 And as the sheriff was not prepared to prove that 
 his general character, or that of any other preach- 
 er, was that of a rake, he of course kept it back : 
 some of this found its way afterwards into the pub- 
 lic papers of the day, and upon examination, the 
 facts appear to be these. 
 
 Fii-st, that S. M. Cornell was a resident in the 
 family of E. K. Avery about a week, and that dur- 
 ing that time he used to come out of her room after 
 ten o'clock at night ; and that the family, on being 
 questioned upon the subject, gave as a reason 
 " that she was ill, and sent for him to come in and 
 pray with her." 
 
 Secondly, that his wife, though habitually a 
 mild, forbearing woman, on this occasion rose, and 
 positively declared " she would not have the girl 
 in the house any longer," when she went away. 
 
 Thirdly, that it was customary for him to be shut 
 in his study with some young woman or other ai- 
 
AN AUTHENTIC KARJlATirE. 89 
 
 most every day; sometimes several, in the course 
 of the day. Very seldom any of these were seen 
 by his wife ; but that unfortunate woman was often 
 seen with eyes red and swollen, as though she had 
 recently been in tears ; and though used to speak 
 mildly, she never mentioned the name of S. M. 
 Cornell but with evident resentment and bitterness 
 of feeling, even after she had gone from there. 
 
 Fourthly, that he was in the habit of keeping 
 very late hours ; being out without his wife ; and 
 giving no satisfactory account of himself, not even 
 to the family in the house, whose rest he often 
 disturbed, by obliging them to sit up for him, as 
 they did not feel safe to retire and leave the front 
 door unfastened : that on one occasion, after re- 
 turning from their own prayer meeting, at nine 
 o'clock, (the time such meetings usually close,) 
 and setting up* for Avery until after eleven, they 
 retired, and Irj behaved with most unbecoming 
 passion, beating and banging the door as though 
 he would stave it in, and that the ovt^ner of the 
 house hurried to let him in as quick as possible, 
 and then retreated ; when Avery entered, flung the 
 door too, and snatching the key from the lock, 
 carried it to his chamber. The master of the 
 house followed him, and made him return the 
 key. These things, together with others of an 
 aggravating nature determined the family not to 
 reside any longer under the same roof, but having 
 a chance to sell the house, they removed and left 
 him in it. That it was not wholly on account of 
 his late hours, so unbecoming in a clergyman, but 
 on account of other things which they disliked ; 
 one of which was the frequent closetings with 
 
 ♦Nothing- of ihissort is credited by the author, or mentioned, without Btiffi- 
 ciem prool, Bliouict it be ceceeaary, thoat proofs cau be conuiig forthwuh. 
 
90 FALL RIVER, 
 
 youngwomen in the study, which stood at the head 
 of the stairs and contained a bed ; and was rather 
 remote from the sitting room and lodging room of 
 his wife, having to pass through the front entry 
 and front room, and a passage way, to get to the 
 kitchen v/here Mrs. Avery usually staid and lodged. 
 
 We do not place so much confidence in other 
 things coming from a child, as they did, children 
 being so prone to exaggerate and misrepresent ; 
 yet it appears the little boy of Avery, after having 
 accompanied him on one of his rides, said on his 
 return, " Pa kissed Sarah Maria Cornell on the 
 road ;" and that the feelings of the gentleman in 
 the house were considerably tried upon observingat 
 one time a wonderful alteration in the horse usu- 
 ally rode by him. His little boy accounted for it, 
 by saying, that " the horse kicked his father, and 
 he drove two spikes into the floor and tied his 
 heels down, and kept him there tw * days without 
 anything to eat or drink.* Of course, much was 
 said respecting this man which was false : there 
 is no one so base but may, after all, be slandered. 
 For instance, the story of the mysterious and sud- 
 den death of his first wife must have been alto- 
 gether false, for we cannot find that he ever had 
 but one wife. There is enough of what justly 
 belongs to this unhappy man, without any effort 
 of imagination to add to it. 
 
 We have but one remark to make respecting 
 the intimacy at the house, which is, that if an in- 
 trigue commenced at his own house, at that time; 
 that if it was indeed true she used to send for him 
 at that hour of the night to com^e to her room and 
 
 * It appears that Avery is still famous for his trpatment of horses. Few of his 
 cloth would be seen to stop in the open street, get ont, take his coat off, anil beat 
 a horse in the manner he has receiitly dune m Bristol. "The merciful manis 
 merciful to his beast." Though the storv of the bovm'ehtbe correct, yet it 
 was said the appearance of the horse warranted the conclusion that it was so. 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 91 
 
 pray with her, she courted destruction, and might 
 almost be said to deserve the fate it is supposed 
 she met with at his hands. If, on the contrary, he 
 stole into her room, without an invitation, the case 
 might be a little different. That he Avas there, I 
 suppose to be a fact. That she cherished an un- 
 consmon regard for him, criminal as that affection 
 was in her case, was evinced, as Doct. Wilbour 
 observed, "by the absence of resentful feelings." 
 It was strange indeed, if she had suffered the in- 
 jury she complained of, at the Camp Meeting, 
 without manifesting any resentment afterwards, 
 she should, on the contrary, uniformly speak of him 
 and his family with tenderness, and above all things 
 seem not to desire to expose him. It maybe en- 
 quired if this U'^ere the case, why did she leave that 
 little bitof paper to direct, if she was missing to en- 
 quire of him? To that we answer, that our heav- 
 enly Father has im.planted a something within us, 
 that never fails to warn us of approaching danger: 
 some call it "a presentiment of evil." But in 
 her case there was something to fear exclusive of 
 any resentment: that was, if her tale was true — 
 if she had once had poison recommended her, and 
 been warned by him who told her not to take it, 
 neither to go to Bristol, nor to put herself in his 
 power, but to have him come to her fairly and 
 honourably, and settle it — if she had received this 
 warning, she could not but have some fear. It 
 was neither fair nor honourable in the first place, 
 to ask a female to go to that cold, lonely place on 
 a dark evening. She knew, probably, it was a 
 fearful thing under such circumstances, or indeed 
 under any, to go there to an assignation. The 
 dark deep waters of Mount Hope bay rolled be- 
 low, and it would have been easy to give one 
 
92 FALL RIVER, 
 
 plunge there, as to have poured down a dose of 
 tansy oil. 
 
 That she had peculiar feelings of regard for 
 this man may be inferred from the speech she 
 made to Benjamin H. Saunders also. It does 
 not appear there was any positive proof of any 
 thing criminal in her conduct while at Lowell, 
 by any testimony on the trial, if we except the 
 testimony of the physician before named. 
 
 It seems S. M. Cornell was expelled from 
 meeting while absent at a Camp Meeting on Cape 
 Cod; and Avery tells, "that he advised her to go 
 away while the process was going on against her :" 
 but if the complaint was made against her previ- 
 ously, it was the heighth of impudence, to say no 
 more of it, to suffer her to go to such a place, 
 where the facilities for vice are so great. There 
 cannot be, perhaps, exhibited, a greater proof of 
 superstition, than the offer of this girl to make an 
 acknowledgement, to the meeting of whaif she, at 
 the same time, solemnh' declares herself to be in- 
 nocent of, merely for the sake of being in church 
 membership: for it was upon those conditions 
 she offered it. As though to be out of the pale 
 of the church was to be excluded from salvation. 
 Her own words were said to be these, in a letter 
 to Avery, where she gives a circumstantial and 
 satisfactory account of her interviews with the 
 physician: — "Yet I will confess all, if I can only 
 be continued in the church." Some suppose 
 that the desire to be near a certain minister of 
 that church was the great inducement, and that 
 for his sake, or for the sake of being near him, 
 she was willing to endure any disgrace, and would 
 have signed any thing but her death warrant. — 
 There is one anecdote, which has been related to 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 93 
 
 the vrrlter of this, which proves she could not 
 }rave been the abandoned creature represented 
 previous to this. S. M. Cornell, at one of the 
 places where she lived, worked in the employ of 
 two brothers, partners in an establishment. — 
 Something had been said in their hearing about 
 her not being prudent; and the oldest formed the 
 resolution to fmd out how far her imprudence ex- 
 tended. He accordingly put himself repeatedly 
 in her way, and at last insulted her with the decla- 
 ration of his passion, which she resented jfirmly, 
 and with some bitter reproaches. (They were 
 both Hnarried men.) The older confided the aflair 
 to the younger, v/ho felt piqued to try himself. 
 He accordingly commenced a regular siege : but 
 in the moment when he thought himself sure of 
 success, met with a still more severe repulse than 
 his brother. Upon comparing notes, they agreed 
 it was only because they were married men; but 
 as they felt somewhat in her power, concluded 
 that it was not prudent to have her there. They 
 accordingly gave her a hint her services were no 
 longer wanted after which, being questioned with 
 xespect to her departure, said "she waaj-ather too 
 fond of young men:" though, as the gentleman 
 s^nid who related this and who, being in their em- 
 ploy, overheard the conversation between them, 
 when they agreed to get rid of her, "he did not 
 know what proof they had of her being fond of 
 yoinisc men^ except that she did not like old ones.^^ 
 Various anecdotes too have been related to the 
 author respecting the charity, kindness of heart 
 and gentle disposition of S. M. Cornell: but they 
 would swell this volume beyond the bounds al- 
 lotted to a work of this kind. Suffice it to say, 
 that from all accounts, it appears her hand was 
 
94 
 
 ever open to the suffering poor, according to her 
 slender means ; that she was liberal to the society 
 of which she was a member, and who did not dis- 
 dain to receive of the pittance which her labour 
 produced, towards promoting Methodism, what- 
 ever they might have thought of her character; 
 that she was kind to the sick and afflicted ; and 
 retained a most affectionate regard towards her 
 relatives, through the whole of her long absence 
 from them.* 
 
 From Lowell she went to Great Falls, N. H. 
 and here the same contradiction occurs with re- 
 spect to what was said of her. A very decent and 
 respectable young man who boarded with her 
 the whole time of her residence there, has testified 
 to the author, that he never knew of any thing 
 being said or thought there, to her disadvantage; 
 that her conduct, and he saw her daily, was as 
 becoming as that of any female he ever was ac- 
 quainted with. Two respectable females too, 
 who saw much of her during that time, testify to 
 the same. Likewise at Taunton, where she next 
 went, and where she had a place of considerable 
 trust, having to keep the books of the weaving 
 room, her character and conduct was respectable. 
 So persons, who boarded and worked in the same 
 room, with her, testified that "she was much made 
 of," as he expressed it, and visited in very re- 
 spectable company in the place. 
 
 While on a visit to her brother Rawson's in 
 
 * One -woman, who has been very bitter apa'nst S. M. Cornell, and helped, it 
 appears, to injure her at Lowell, gave as a reason to the author for thinking 
 her ba'^L, that she used to e:o up to Boston, sometimes, of a Saturday afternoon, 
 on pretence of attending meetings "to hear good preachinc," asshe called it, 
 and return Monday mornmg, " looking completely exhausted ind worn out." 
 I was amazed to hear such a reason given, knowing it must be great f-sertion, 
 after tending three or four looms throug'' the week to ride t:ventv-five miles 
 Saturdry evening, or afternoon, and then attend four or five meeiirrg^ on the 
 Sabbath and ride back again next mornitig. Tiiat, 1 have no doubt, was the fact ; 
 and if there is any female able to endure it, without feeling fatigac and exhaus- 
 tion, and shewing it too, they musl'be hardy indeed. 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 95 
 
 Woodstock, it was remarked that her conduct 
 was strickly proper by the young men working 
 with her brother, as well as by other members of 
 the fam.ily ; by customers at the shop and visitors 
 at the house ; and especially by Mr. Cornell, the 
 Congregationalist clergyman, who, living quite 
 near, was often in, and held frequent dialogues 
 with her upon the subject of Methodist principles 
 and discipline, for which she, of course, was a 
 great stickler, and they obswved, defended the 
 cause with considerable skill.* 
 
 Previous to the fatal Camp Meeting, at Thomp- 
 son, it seems her conduct there was without sus- 
 piciovi ; and could she have rested content with- 
 out another interview with Avery, it is probable 
 this lasv iinal work of destruction might have 
 been avoided. We have however the charity for 
 her to believe, her intentions at this time to lead 
 a new life wer<3 sincere, and that the interview, 
 if planned by her, was only to obtain the letter 
 of acknowledgement which it seems she had been 
 influenced to write. That letter, she found was 
 having a fatal effect upon her character, and what 
 was of more consequence in her own view, was 
 depriving her of communion with the church ; to 
 secure which privilege she seems to have written 
 it, expecting that the command of scripture to 
 forgive all who confess and ask forgiveness, would 
 be literally obeyed. By the testimony of Benja- 
 min Saunders, who lived there and was in the 
 habit of going to the Post Office for her, it ap- 
 pears she corresponded with a minister in Bristol, 
 previous to the Camp Meeting; who the minister 
 
 * A paper, containing a certificate from the Rev. Mr. Cornell is mislaid ; but I 
 recollect It testifies to th« above fact, and to his opinion of her being a christian 
 nrerious to the communication made to him by the family, after the C«mp 
 Meeting:. 
 
96 FALL RIVKR 
 
 was admits not of a doubt, especially as she re- 
 quested him to keep it a secret, and by no means 
 to let her sister know. He recollected the cir- 
 cumstance by a speech from her highly charac- 
 teristic ; on occasion of carrying one of theui to 
 the office, said he, "I would not pay postage lor 
 a minister, I should think he was able to pay it 
 himself." She answered, " I want to help the 
 minister^ all I can." 
 
 Through all the vicissitudes of life woman vAU 
 be woman still. Of the tenderness of woman's 
 heart man can seldom form an idea ; here was aa 
 instance. There can be no doubt that this girl 
 had great cause of resentment towards the person 
 she had been Avriting to, and very possibly she 
 wrote in harsh terms, requiring him to c(nne, and 
 bring that letter of acknowledgement vvith him; 
 but come to the trial, that resentme^lt could not 
 even enable her to lay upon him the burthen of 
 paying the postage of a letter. No wonder she 
 made so many objections to naming a large sum 
 as the settlement Vv^ith her, whi9h the benevolent 
 physician of Fall River recommended ; she could 
 not endure the causing him inconvenience. That 
 fatal tenderness too, doubtless betrayed her at 
 the camp ground; perhaps, and let us in charity 
 suppose it, she meant from henceforward to leave 
 the path of sin, and walk in that narrow one that 
 leads to life, and trusted to her resolutions to meet 
 and part with him without any actions that virtue 
 could condemn ; the sight of him put all her good 
 resolutions to flight, and that beguiling tender- 
 ness again plunged her into misery and irremedia- 
 ble distress. Her only road to safety would have 
 been in not seeing him at all. Gone was the 
 look of cheerfulness she was wont to wear; it 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 97 
 
 was evident something pressed heavy on her 
 heart. The sense of her crime and the dread of 
 its consequences at length impelled her to yield to 
 the solicitations of her affectionate sister, and 
 confide to her the humiliating cause of her grief 
 and anxiety; that sister who had but one heart 
 and mind with her husband, immediately sought 
 counsel of him. "What to do, or how to conduct 
 themselves in such a strange case they scarce 
 knew, and the brother finally resolved to ask 
 ceunsel of his pastor, and subsequently of another 
 friend, an attorney in the neighbourhood. They 
 advised her immediate removal into the State of 
 Rhode-Island where Avery resided; and the 
 brother feeling a delicacy about her remaining in 
 the shop where his young men were, willingly 
 acceded to the plan. She herself proposed to go 
 to Fall River and work there in a factory while 
 able to work, and until he should make some pro- 
 vision for her. Here she lived for about two 
 months without reproach or suspicion, being per- 
 fectly correct, as every one supposed who saw 
 her, in her conduct. In the respectable house 
 where she boarded, and where there was a small 
 family consisting of females, she was much be- 
 loved, having won their regard by the gentleness 
 of her manners and the apparent amiability of 
 her temper. To the daughter of this family in 
 particular, she was in the habit of speaking with 
 some confidence, when she showed those cele- 
 brated letters of different colors mentioned in the 
 trial. This young lady remarked the pink and 
 yellow ones appeared to be written by different 
 hands, and that one looked like a lady's hand — 
 and that S. M. Cornell answered, '*but they are 
 both written by one hand, by a gentleman in 
 9 
 
98 FALL RIVER, 
 
 Bristol." This answer the witness was about to 
 repeat in court, when she was stopped by the 
 prisoner's counsel. She, (S. M. C.) told them 
 several times that she was only waiting for some 
 money she was expecting to receive, when she 
 should leave Fall River. The flutter of spirits, 
 which made her on the last day of her life more 
 cheerful than usual may be easily accounted for. 
 She came out of the mill early and changed her 
 clothes, and then probably wrote that little strip 
 of paper, "If I am missing enquire of Rev. E. K. 
 Avery." Her habitual politeness never deserted 
 her; even then v/hile drinking tea, which was 
 got early for her at her request, she said, " It is 
 not very polite for me to be drinking tea here 
 alone I know, before the rest, but I am in such a 
 hurry," and turning to the oldest sister, she said 
 as she went out, "I think I shall be back as soon 
 now, as Lucy returns from the factory." Alas! 
 she returned no more. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Of the birth, parentage and early life of E. K. 
 Avery, we know nothing, except that we are in- 
 formed he was the son of a revolutionary soldier ; 
 if that be the case every one must rejoice he was 
 spared the fate that threatened him in May, 1833. 
 It would indeed be a kind of blot upon the his- 
 tory of the brave defenders of our soil, that one 
 of their children should come to such an igno- 
 minious punishment, since it is the disgrace that 
 constitutes the evil with men, though with God it 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 99 
 
 is the sin. We are sorry to say we have so little 
 account of the early years of a man who has made 
 so much noise in the world ; but from the time 
 we can get any thing of his Piistory, there seems 
 to be something in almost every place that goes 
 to prove him a bad tempered, daring and unprin- 
 cipled man. As to his person and address we 
 know nothing of them, but we conclude they must 
 be extremely imposing, at least to the people he 
 is among, since he seems to have been approbated 
 and upheld by them on all occasions, except one ; 
 it seems he has been baffled once, and that was 
 by a woman. Report says he studied the science 
 of medicine, previous to his becoming a preacher, 
 but whether he ever commenced practice previ- 
 ous to the 20th of December is not known; we 
 have not heard of any of his performance since 
 that date. 
 
 The first we knew of E. K. Avery he is preach- 
 ing in Duxbury, Mass. and from thence he re- 
 moved to Scituate, Mass. in 1827, and took 
 charge of the Methodist society in that place. — 
 Among the people who now sat under his minis- 
 try was a maiden lady of about five and forty, 
 who sustained a very high reputation for piety as 
 well as for what they style her gifts. She was 
 one of those active, useful women, whose exer- 
 tions were always called in, and always freely be- 
 stowed, wherever distress of mind or body requir- 
 ed relief of any kind. The young resorted to her 
 for counsel, and the established christian for en- 
 couragement. She was as report said, not only 
 a woman active in meetings and by the side of 
 the sick and the dying, but what is extremely dif- 
 ficult, she supported on all occasions, a character 
 for consistency that went far to make her labors 
 
100 
 
 successful. Of course the new minister soon dis- 
 covered the real character of this lady ; he not 
 only heard her praises from every quarter, and 
 witnessed her zeal, but he was also enabled to ap- 
 preciate her excellence by personal acquaintance. 
 She was evidently a woman of great spirit natu- 
 rally, but so humble and subdued by the influence 
 of real piety, that the very belief that this was the 
 case could not fail in a sensible and candid per- 
 son to increase respect for her. Slie was not a 
 woman of dependant circumstances by any means, 
 so there was no way to torture her or try her dis- 
 position that way ; she was past the bloom of 
 youth if not the meridian of life, and thought not 
 of conquests — of rivalship and admiration ; so 
 there was no way to pique her in those — but 
 humbled she must be, something must be done to 
 try her temper until she proved herself mortal 
 and no better than other folks. The new minis- 
 ter took a terrible dislike to her from the very 
 first. He thought " the people put [too much 
 confidence in her," and averred " that he would 
 see she was not made a goddess of." Whether 
 her deportment was such as to shame some — a 
 standing reproach to some others, who ought at 
 least to be as consistent, or whether he thought 
 others would rise higher if he fell, or whether 
 she was one of those provoking women who have 
 the faculty of reading characters at a glance, or 
 from whatever cause we cannot say, but certain it 
 is, the Rev. E. K. Avery labored from the first of 
 his going to Scituate to distroy this woman's good 
 name, and thereby lessen her influence; at first 
 the dislike was only vented in a few sneering re- 
 marks to her disadvantage?, which she immediately 
 heard of; those remarks being wholly unprovoked 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. lOl 
 
 could not fail to create a dej^ree of resentment in 
 the object of them. During this frame it so chan- 
 ced that the minister met her one evening at a pray- 
 er meeting, where he happened to call just after 
 visiting the house of a parishioner who had lately 
 lost his wife, In the course of the conversation 
 he observed that " the husband (who was some- 
 what intemperate) will soon drown his sorrow." 
 The lady upon returning to her lodgings, which 
 was with a niece of this bereaved husband, re- 
 peated the remark ; it was again repeated and cre- 
 ated some little unpleasant feeling towards Avery 
 for what they judged rather unfeeling and ill tim- 
 ed. His (Averv's) resentment against the woman 
 was now at its height ; he had something to seize 
 upon, and although she blamed he-i-self exceeding- 
 ly for her own imprudence in mentioning his ran- 
 dom speechj and with much humility asked his 
 forgiveness, &c. yet it nothing mollified his ire. 
 His hatred had now broke out into acts of hostil- 
 ity, and he commenced writing letters to various 
 persons in Duxbury and elsewhere, to try to get 
 her expelled from the church, but all to no pur- 
 pose. The woman, nothing daunted stood her 
 ground manfully, and defied him to the proof of 
 what he had asserted, viz : " that she had been 
 guilty of lying and unchristian conduct, and exer- 
 cising ungodly and unholy tempers." &.c. The 
 matter was before the parent church at Duxbury, 
 a long time, many letters passed between Avery 
 and Mr. Mudge, as well as with others on the sub- 
 ject, but nothing could be proved against the wo- 
 man, and it finally resulted in her coming off with 
 honor, and with a certificate of her good standing. 
 How they managed to retain Avery in his stand- 
 ing after his failing to substantiate his charges we 
 5* 
 
102 FALL RIVER, 
 
 cannot tell, but that was their business. The cer- 
 tificate made no mention of the recent trial and 
 its result, but merely stated what thev could not 
 avoid stating, that she was in good standing in the 
 meeting. — It was as follows : 
 
 DuxBURY, April 12th, 1831. 
 
 This may certify, that Fanny Winsor, the bear- 
 er, is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church 
 in Duxbury, and is recommended as such by me, 
 the subscriber. 
 
 ENOCH MUDGE, 
 Minister in charge of said Churcli. 
 
 The church now located in Scituate has since 
 had a recommendation of Miss Winsor, from that 
 in Duxbury, signed by Daniel Fillmore, in behalf 
 of the church in Duxbury. Report said that the 
 friends of the lady were not satisfied with the pro- 
 ceedings of the meeting altogether, inasmuch as 
 he had no censure passed on him for bringing those 
 false charges, and that they wished her to go to 
 law for redress, as they thought what he had said 
 was calculated to injure not only her religious but 
 moral character — and from a letter to Avery which 
 she wrote in 1830, it appears she then threatened 
 some such remedy, that is as we understand her 
 language — The letter was as follows : 
 
 To the Rev. E. K. Avery, 
 
 Scituate, March 24, 1830. 
 
 Sir — I address you from the purest motives of 
 my heart, and under circumstances peculiarly ag- 
 gravating. Your conduct towards me urges me 
 to use my pen, which otherwise would have re- 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATirE. 103 
 
 mained silent — this I do in my own defence. — 
 The charges against me, in writing from you to 
 brother Mudge, he informs me are three. The 
 first relates to a circumstance that happened three 
 years ago this month,* respecting Benjamin 
 James. t Now look at it candidly and see if you 
 have experienced the right spirit. As respects 
 the case, did I not confess at the time you brought 
 up the accusation against me in the presence of 
 my sister Susan — that I repeated your words in- 
 considerately, and was sorry, and said " any com- 
 pensation you requested I was willing to make, 
 even at your feet," and you would not | be re- 
 conciled — does not this bespeak that you would 
 not forgive. Reflect — what does the gospel you 
 profess to preach say : "If we offend seventy 
 times, and repent and ask forgiveness we should 
 be forgiven." Are not these the words of our 
 Saviour, whose image we ought to bear. 
 
 The second charge I think brother Mudge tells 
 me, was " indulging unholy and ungodly temper." 
 This I am confident was a false charge, as I know 
 of no tine whatever that I had any conversation 
 with you, after that in my shop, in die presence 
 of Susan, and I leave it to her if there was any 
 thing of that manifested at that time — no, I was 
 too much wounded in soul to indulge unholy tem- 
 per. Your conversation towards me was like 
 barbed arrows. What past God was a witness to, 
 and his justice will be satisfied for he judgeth im- 
 partially. I can say in his presence and his spirit 
 accompanying me, I do feel clear of this charge. — 
 I know not what you have been informed by un- 
 
 * This persecution of iMiss Winsor actually continued upwards of four years. 
 
 t The person who Ayery mentioned " would drown his sorrow." 
 
 t Nothing- can exhibit in stronger colors the ridieuloua veneration in which 
 they hold their ministers— at his feet truly! ! 
 
104 
 
 holy people, that are plotters of mischief — they 
 must see to it. 
 
 The rest I think was a charge of " talking to 
 your disadvantage." This charge is as empty of 
 tiuth as the other: The most I have said is this. 
 "NVhen tale-bearers have brought to me, v^hat they 
 say, you have said, I have replied, " how can I 
 hear such a man preach ? that bears such a spirit? 
 No I cannot! No nor v. ill not — under existing 
 circumstances. And I say so now, unless I view 
 the subject differently. ^\r, the many times you 
 have been to this place, you have not so much as 
 changed a word with me on the subject since the 
 time first mentioned, but if I atn rightly informed, 
 said behind my back what you had ought to have 
 said to my face. I am sure there has not been 
 any time since the first awful moment but what I 
 should have been glad to have settled the affair 
 and buried it in oblivion. 
 
 But sad to relate, you seem to lay the axe at the 
 root of my moral and religious character by this 
 last move. This prompts me to take proper 
 steps to vindicate my own cause, and clear up my 
 character. 4 
 
 I am ready to settle it upon any consistent terms 
 short of the law, that you are willing to. But if I 
 hear no more of you, I shall put it into the hands 
 of one authorized to do justice to you and me. 
 
 Take away our good name from among men, 
 and you strike a deathblow to all we hold dear in 
 this life. Take away our good name from among 
 our brothers and sisters in the Church, and then 
 this world will be a barren wilderness. But one 
 thing — no weapon formed against the child of God, 
 can take away our name from the book of life. 
 I think defamation of character is an evil not to 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARKATIVE. 105 
 
 be overlooked or i)assed by unregarded — therefore 
 I feel justified in putting myself in the way to have 
 justice.* 
 
 FANNY WINDSOR. 
 
 Abraham Merrill, one of those who swore in 
 court at Newport that he knew notliing against 
 the character or temper of Avery, was knowing to 
 all this transaction ; we must suppose there wt^re 
 others who had like knowledge ; and with how 
 much truth or propriety could any one say they 
 knew nothing against his moral cliaracter or his 
 temper, that knew oi*such a diabolical persecution 
 of an unoffending female, a defenceless woman, 
 who probably was guilty of no real offence against 
 him, or any one ; and if she had been, who is to 
 set examples of forbearance and forgiveness of 
 injuries, if preachers of the gospel are not ? If 
 ministers were to commence a general dealing 
 with all in their communions who exercise un- 
 holy tempers, it is presumed they would have 
 their hands full, though in this case there w^ould 
 have been one innocent. There was testimony 
 sufficient that she endured the bitter things so of- 
 ten repeated to her without manifesting any thing 
 but sorrow. That she could not consent to hear 
 him preach may be attributed to 'principle rather 
 than temper. 
 
 The character of Avery for revengeful, angry 
 feelings, may be gathered from the circumstances 
 of the prosecution, by a brother clergyman. This 
 was in the town of Saugus, Mass. and the circum- 
 stances are related thus. The Congregational 
 Society in that place were at that time destitute of 
 
 * " Justice," indeed— if this injured woman and the Rev, Thomas F. Norris 
 have not been amply avenged by a righteous God, they never ca/j be. " Surely 
 tbereisaGod that judgeUi the earth." 
 
106 FALL RIVER, 
 
 a settled minister, and Avery, who was then sta- 
 tioned near over the Methodist one, offered to 
 preach for them occasionally. The offer was 
 politely accepted, and some little time after, a Mr. 
 Nurris, who was esteemed as a very amiable and 
 pious man, and who was then preaching there to 
 the Reformed Methodists, as they are called, (a 
 sect of christians who have separated themselves 
 from the others,) offered likewise. He too was 
 accepted, and preached there much to the accep- 
 tance of thecongregatiyn,who were delighted with 
 the unassuming piety and evangelical sentiments 
 of Mr, Norris, and asked him to continue his la- 
 bors among them, whenever opportunity offered. 
 The next JSunday that Avery preached there he 
 took for his text the passage in Job — " I also will 
 declare mine opinion," and commenced an attack 
 from the pulpit upon the character of his brother, 
 whom he called a thief, and some otiier very bad 
 things ; and getting in a passion as he proceeded, 
 went on to charge him with individual sins, which 
 he undertook to particularize. A part of this dis- 
 course, as related^ the writer has forgotten, but one 
 was that he had been employed once in a glass- 
 house, and stole ware to furnish his own sideboard. 
 His hearers who relate the story, remark, that 
 *' all this time his face was violent red, and he ap- 
 peared to be in a grea t passion." The whole story 
 was immediately related to Mr. Norris, Avho pro- 
 ceeded to put his character in the care of the law, 
 and prosecuted Avery for defamation of character. 
 It was tried, and Avery was found guilty, and sen- 
 tenced to pay a fine, bat he appealed, and it came 
 to the second trial, when Avery appealed it, arrest- 
 ing judgement, and taking it out of court, by pay- 
 ing a sum of money, the amount of which we did 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 107 
 
 not learn, but our informant says several hundred 
 dollars. The Ecclesiastic Council, as they style 
 themselves, then took him under their protection, 
 and issued a manifesto declaring him entirely 
 blameless, and clearing him of all censure. 
 
 After the examination at Bristol, some of the his- 
 tory of this transaction got to Fall River, and a 
 copy of the examination was forwarded by some 
 one to Rev. Mr. Norris, asking for the copy of the 
 trial at East-Cambridge. The amazement and in- 
 dignation of Mr. Norris and his friends, at finding 
 the Merrills had sworn his character was unsullied, 
 &LC. &c. together with the belief that the public 
 ought to have the facts, induced them to publish 
 the following manifesto, which was forwarded to 
 Fall River, without the copy of the trial. That 
 document he states was sent to the Governor of 
 this state. No Governor of this state has received 
 it, and by what means it miscarried is not known, 
 but it is something that our public functionaries 
 ought'to look into. Could it have been taken out 
 of the mail between here and East Cambridge ? 
 If this book should fall into the hands of Mr. Nor- 
 ris, we hope he will himself see to it. The m^an- 
 ifesto is as follows : 
 
 TO THE PUBLIC. 
 
 East Cambridge, Feb. J 833. 
 
 Fellow-Citizens, — I have frequently been solici- 
 ted for a copy of the trial and verdict in the action 
 before the Supreme Court, at its session in Cam- 
 bridge, last winter, against E. K. Avery, but have 
 hitherto denied. — Those solicitations becoming 
 more numerous and pressing, on seeing the strange 
 testimony of the Messrs. Merrills, at Avery's ex- 
 
108 FALL RIVER, 
 
 amination before justices How and Hale, I have 
 permitted some of the friends of justice to publish 
 a few statements on the case, with some animad- 
 rersion on the evidence given by the Merrills, at 
 Avery's examination as published by L. Drury. 
 
 I feel no resentment towards E. K. Avery, and I 
 write more in sorrow than in anger — sheer neces- 
 sity compelled me to shield myself from his asper- 
 sions behind the strong arm of the law. And what 
 appears like an attempt to cover crime and screen 
 the guilty, by men in holy office, seems to render 
 it proper the community should have facts. 
 
 The verdict of the jury with their names, signed 
 by the clerk of the judiciary, has been forwarded 
 to the Governor of Rhode-Island. Avery has paid 
 me one hundred and ninety dollars on the verdict, 
 and paid his own costs, which probably amounted 
 to as much more, as he summoned many witnesses. 
 His friends offered in consideration of the abate- 
 ment made him, to obtain his confession and re- 
 traction, to one of whom I returned the following 
 written answer : — In respect to a confession from 
 Mr. Avery, it would be highly dishonorable in me 
 to extort one from him. The virdict of the jury 
 fully shields me from all possible harm from the 
 slander of his tongue, completely nullifying its ut- 
 most poison ; — rather ought he to humble himself 
 before that church of which he is a member and 
 minister, upon whose escustcheon he has brought 
 a stain, which the good conduct of a long life can 
 never wipe off. I respectfully asked justice of 
 Mr. Avery, and when tauntingly refused, I noti- 
 fied his superior, the Rev. Bishop Hedding, but 
 obtained no redress, until I appealed, to a jury of 
 my countrymen. Should these faets be denied by 
 
' AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 109 
 
 responsible authority, the public shall have the 
 trial and correspondence. 
 
 The following piece was prepared by a highly 
 respectable member of the Middlesex bar, for and 
 at the instance of several gentlemen of the coun- 
 ties of Suffolk, Middlesex, Worcester, &c. and is 
 published by them ; — some expressions of com- 
 mendation of the writer are thereby accounted for, 
 Fellow-Citizens, your very obedient and 
 humble sevant, THOMAS F. NORRIS. 
 
 A pamphlet purporting to contain a report of the 
 evidence given on the recent examination of the 
 Rev. E. K. Avery, for the murder of Miss Cornell, 
 is before the public, and much of it is clearly not 
 legal evidence, and has no more to do with the 
 question under examination than the history of 
 Meg-Merilles. This is our opinion, — others may 
 view it differently. But not caring to quarrel 
 about mere matters of opinion, or rules of evi- 
 dence, upon which even lawyers differ, let us no- 
 tice a few facts. 
 
 On page 30 of this pamphlet the Rev. J. A, 
 Merrill is made to swear that he had known Avery 
 for about 11 years, and that as far as his moral, 
 christian, and ministerial character was concerned, 
 it is unspotted and unblemished. True it is on a 
 cross examination, the Rev. gentleman is forced 
 to confess (which he s€ems to have done reluc- 
 tantly enough) that Avery, while at Saugus^ got 
 into a difficulty w^hich resulted in a prosecutioB 
 against him, a verdict against him, an arrest o»f 
 judgement, — business settled, and an ecclesiasti- 
 cal council after the civil trial, acquitted Avery, 
 and gave him a certificate. On page 45y Rev^ A. 
 D. Merrill is matie to testify that he had heardi the 
 19 
 
110 FALL KITER, 
 
 evidence of the Rev. J. A. Merrill, and concurred 
 with him as to the unspotted and christian charac- 
 ter of Avery, and that the prosecution against him 
 at Saugus resulted in nothing to impeach his- 
 conduct. 
 
 Now to us it is to the last degree surprising that 
 these Rev. gentlemen should have testified in this 
 wise about Avery's character and conduct. The 
 prosecution against Avery was a civil action, in 
 which he was charged with publishing a most 
 false, malicious and wicked slander against a 
 peaceable, unoffending citizen and minister of re- 
 ligion. This charge was made in a variety of 
 forms, Avery denied the truth of it, but notwith- 
 standing this denial, a jury of his countrymen, af- 
 ter a long and labored defence, in which he was 
 aided by the most eminent council, and a host of 
 clerical and lay brethren; and the supposed sanc- 
 tity of his own profession, declared on oath that he 
 was guilty. This verdict was rendered upon the 
 evidence of Avery's own religious and personal 
 friends ; and we have higher and better authority 
 than the assertion of the Rev. Messrs. Merrills 
 for saying it was a " most righteous verdict." It 
 is true, that after this verdict was pronounced by 
 the jury, the council for Mr. A. made a motion in 
 arrest of judgement, on a point of special plead- 
 ing, but even this ground was abandoned, and the 
 matter settled before the time arrived for a hear- 
 ing on the motion, — the object of it therefore was 
 clearly to gain time. 
 
 The slander charged upon Mr. Avery was pro- 
 ved to be loanton, malicious^ false, and wholly 
 unprovoked. No circumstances appeared at the 
 trial to justify, excuse, or even palliate this das- 
 tardly and wicked attack upon the character of 
 
AN autheintk: narrative. Ill 
 
 one wlio was an utter stranger to Mr. Avery, and 
 whose only offence was that of seceding from the 
 great body of Episcopal Pylethodists and organiz- 
 ing an Independent Methodist church and society 
 in Mr. Avery's neighborhood, The object of Mr. 
 Avery seems clearly to have been to prostrate and 
 ruin his opponent, and thereby to destroy the 
 christian society he had laboured to unite and 
 build up. The Rev. Messrs. Merrills were pres- 
 ent at this trial, heard the evidence, and knew the 
 result; and yet have taken upon themselves to 
 swear that this prosecution " resulted in nothing 
 to impeach conduct.''' Has it then come, to this, 
 tliat it is no stain upon a christian minister's moral 
 character to be convicted of uttering falsehood and 
 groundless calumny, and of propogating malicious 
 islander against his brother \ Is it not robbery to 
 take from an innocent man the dearest and best of 
 his earthly possessions ? Is he, whose business 
 it is to enforce the precepts of the peaceable reli- 
 gion of the Holy Jesus, and to preach charity and 
 all long-suffering, to gratify his own malignant 
 passions, in traducing a brother and neighbour? 
 Let these Reverend gentlemen look into that holy 
 religion which they profess to teach, and see what 
 St. Paul says of the slanderer, and what St. Peter 
 says of the "man that brid^eth not his tongue." 
 Can that man's moral, christian and nnnisterial 
 character be truly said to be unspotted and un- 
 blemished, when the records of our highest Judi- 
 cial Tribunal show that he has been accused and 
 convicted, of an oifence against the peace and laws 
 of the lan-d ; against the rights of individuals, (an 
 offence originating in malice,) and designed to 
 blight the fair fame of an unoffending man ? Let 
 these Rev. gentlemen settle this question for them- 
 
3 12 FALL RIVRR, 
 
 selves. Their consciences are in their own keeping. 
 The slanderer, in the estimation of all good men, 
 is no better than a robber or an assassin, and it 
 will require something more than the ipsedixit of 
 two " holy men in holy office" to overrule public 
 opinion, the verdict of a jury or the laws of the 
 Jand. And before the bar of public opinion, we 
 leave the Rev. gentlemen, and Mr. Av^ry also, to 
 receive such judgement as their respective cases 
 may deserve. 
 
 Thus far the manifesto. We will now go back 
 to the hastory of Sarah Maria Cornell. 
 
 CHAPTER VII, 
 
 There is a wonderful mystery in the fact, if it be 
 so, that this unfortunate girl should be constantly 
 betraying herself to the Methodists, by confessions 
 of guilt and self-accusations of sins of a most out- 
 rageous kind, while at the same time she was en- 
 deavoring to keep in the society, and be in fellow- 
 ship with the members, and respected by them, 
 striving as though her very salvation depended 
 upon it. The trial has been published, and the 
 evidence is before the public. Those who wished 
 to make her appear a monster of wickedness, have 
 continually said all that is possible to say against 
 any individual, and said it as a certain preacher 
 once said (when he was planing to abuse his 
 neighbour from the pulpit) — from a place " where 
 she cannot answer them hack again.^^ It is how- 
 ever no more than fair that her letters should speak 
 ;for her, and the author has been at the trouble to 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE, i13 
 
 collect all of hercorres}>ondence that can be found, 
 consisting of sixteen letttirs written to her mother 
 and sister, all, except one, between the year 1S19 
 and 1832. It will be seen by these that there is a 
 period of more than a year when only one letter 
 was written. This was the period immediately 
 succeeding- her troubles at Lowell, and may be ac- 
 counted for by the agitation of mind which such a 
 punishment or persecution, (call it wliich we 
 please,) must have occasioned. It appears how- 
 ever that she was not entirely unmindful of her 
 friends during this period, as by her last letter, da- 
 ted March iOth, IH'32, she speaks of a pamphlet 
 sent to Mr. Rawson. And by a letter from him to 
 her it appears the family received one on the 1 1 th 
 of Jan. 1831. Other letters, written at different 
 times may have been lost or mislaid, but not by 
 design. Her sister's family informed me that they 
 were all of a like character, and, resem.bling her 
 conversation, full of Methodism, and relating 
 mostly to her religious feelings. The papers were 
 all given up^vvithout reserve. Both hers and theirs 
 were found among the few things at their house. 
 The letters of her brother-in-law, Mr. Rawson, to 
 her, are in themselves a complete refutation of any 
 scandal propagated against him. They prove him 
 to be what every one acquainted with him esteems 
 him to be, a humble, plain dealing, and practical 
 christian. They gave her excellent advice about 
 her disposition to rove from place to place, and 
 cautioned her of the danger, and expressed great 
 satisfaction at her continued assurance of loving 
 God and religion, and endeavoured faithfully to 
 point out to her the necessity of giving herself up 
 wholly in a life of good works, and not to rest in 
 a mere profession. There is also among her papers 
 10" 
 
114 FALL RIVER, 
 
 letters from some of her Methodist sisters,expres8- 
 ing fellowship and christian affection. 
 
 One of these letters, written in 1827, from, as it 
 appears, a pious and quite intelligent young lady, 
 styling her worthy sister, &,c. struck me very for- 
 cibly as being the year after what they term her 
 " disgraceful expulsion from the meeting at Smith- 
 field." It appears they had lived together, and 
 been for some time in habits of intimacy, and ex- 
 presses great desire to have Sarah Maria follow 
 her to the place where she then was. One from 
 another sister, dated 1829, also addresses her as a 
 *' worthy sister," and feelingly asks an interest in 
 her prayers, and dwells upon the seasons of reli- 
 gious enjoyment they have had together. One was 
 directed to her at Dorchester and another Lowell. 
 Her letters here follow, copied verbatim. The 
 originals are now in the hands of the author of this 
 book, and can be seen by any one who has the cu- 
 riosity to see them in her own hand writing. The 
 first is dated at Norwich. (One letter, No. 1, is 
 omitted simply because it is a child's letter, written 
 at 12 year's old,) 
 Letter, No. 2. Norwich, May 6tli, 1819. 
 
 My dear sister — ^Having an opportunity to send 
 directly to you I thought I could not let it pass 
 without improving it. My sister, the time is com- 
 ing when w^e shall prize time better than we do 
 now, when we shall improve every moment of the 
 short space allotted us. I have this afternoon re- 
 ceived the parting hand of our dear cousin Harriet, 
 aunt Lathrop's eldest daughter, she lately married 
 Mr. Winslow a missionary — and is to embark for 
 Ceylon, never expecting to see her beloved parents 
 in this world ; but she is an example of christian 
 piety, she has left her native home to go to instruct 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 115 
 
 the ignorant Heathen who sit in darkness worship- 
 ing wood and stone.* and know not the God that 
 made them, Let us inquire my dear sister who 
 made us to differ ? We have the Bible and are 
 taught to read it. Let it be our daily prayer that 
 God would send more missionaries to the heathen, 
 to spread the gospel to those who know it not. 
 
 I am learning the Tailors trade, I have been here 
 seven months, and expect to stay 17 more. I hope 
 when my time is out I shall come and see you, I ex- 
 pected to have come last fall — but was disappoint- 
 ed. Mother is well and sends her love to you, 
 likewise Granma — Uncles, aunts, and cousins. 
 But where is our beloved brother, I have not seen 
 or heard from him these twelve months, May God 
 Almighty help guide and direct him and us, and 
 bring us safe to heaven. Give my best love to all 
 my friends, and you must write me as soon as you 
 receive this — either by public or private convey- 
 ance. We have been so long separated that we 
 should not know each other by sight, but surely 
 we might have the pleasure of corresponding. 
 You must excuse this scrawling and I hope the 
 next will be better. Adieu my dear sister 
 
 I remain your ever affectionate and loving sister, 
 SALLY MARIA CORNELL. 
 
 No. 3. NoRwicH,August 26th, 1820. 
 
 My dear sister — I received your letter about 
 three weeks since but have not had time to answer 
 it till now, being very much hurried in the shop. 
 Mother has had two letters from our brother since 
 I wrote you last. He was then in Natches, but 
 has gone to Fort Gibson, and says he has very 
 
 * The late Mrs. Winslow, wife of the Missionary of that name, who died late- 
 I7 at OeyloD, was first cousin to S. M. Cornell. 
 
1 16 FALL RIVER, 
 
 good business, and shall beat home next summer 
 if possible. 
 
 Your sister M. with all your friends rejoice at 
 the change the Lord has wrought in your heart. 
 
 that he would condescend to visit your poor sis- 
 ters heart also. There has been quite a revival 
 here, about twenty I believe is going to join the 
 Church next Sabbath. Our cousin Leffingwell aunt 
 Lathrop's youngest son is very serious, a year 
 since they could hardly persuade him to go to 
 meeting on the Sabbath, but now he is one of the 
 Sabbath school teachers a young lady who has had 
 a consumption for about a year, dropt away sud- 
 denly yesterday. When we see one and another 
 of our friends dropping into eternity it ought to 
 remind us, that this is not our home or abiding 
 place. It naturally leads us to enquire was they 
 prepared to meet death and the judgement ? The 
 young lady I mentioned that died yesterday w^'is 
 resigned and took leave of all her friends, and said 
 she hoped to meet them all in a better world, she 
 said she could bid defiance to death, and meet Jesus 
 with a smile. O that my feelings were like hers, 
 but alas my heart is hard, and I am as prone to sin 
 as the sparks that fly upwards. Oh my sister pray 
 for me, that God in his infinite mercy pour the 
 sweet refreshings of his grace on my soul. 
 
 I have almost finished my trade, my time will be 
 out in October, and mother is making preparations 
 for our coming to Providence this fall. Oh shall 
 
 1 behold the face of my beloved sister which I have 
 never seen — or have no recollection of. 
 
 Although we are strangers we ought not to be 
 deprived of the privilege of writing to each other. 
 Only think we are only forty-five miles apart and 
 we dont hear from each other more than once or 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 117 
 
 twice a year — and our cousin Harriet is three or 
 four thousand miles from her parents and they 
 have heard from her four or five times, she is well 
 and has never regretted devoting her life to a mis- 
 sionary cause, she says if she is a means of helping 
 bringing the heathen out of idolatry she shall be 
 doubly rewarded. 
 
 Mother Grandma Aunts and cousins send their 
 love to you, and would be very happy to receive a 
 visit from you. Give my love to all my friends in 
 Providence. Oh that you and they may be useful 
 in this world, and happy in the world to come is 
 the prayer of your affectionate sister. 
 
 SALLY MARIA CORNELL. 
 
 No. 4. SozRAviLLE, May 3d, 182L 
 
 My dear sister — I with pleasure resume my pen 
 to inform you of my pleasant and happy situation. 
 I have been at Deacon Abels all winter and have 
 just been able to pay my board, I am now situated 
 in a pleasant village near the factory, and between 
 the town of Bozrah and Goshen, four miles from 
 mother, and three from the meeting-house, we 
 have meetings in the factory every Sabbath, and 
 when it is unpleasent I attend. I am the only Tai- 
 loress for two miles each way, you may of course 
 conclude I shall be somewhat hurried with work. 
 I wish you were here. I desire to be thankful to 
 God for placing me in so pleasant a situation. 
 
 The solemn bell has just summoned another fel- 
 low-mortal into eternity but what is to be his fate 
 in another world God only knows. It is just four 
 weeks since death entered Deacon Abel's family 
 and deprived them of a servant — a tall stout robust 
 negro whom they had brought up from the age of 
 two years, twenty years he lived with them, and 
 
118 
 
 never associated with any but respectable people, 
 as their was but one other negro in the place. 
 Deacon Abel's family took his death very hard, he 
 was in the vigor of health, often boasting of his 
 strength — but when he came to be laid on a bed of 
 sickness and the cold hand of death was upon him 
 all his strength could not save him, he had just 
 finished his years work, and engaged for another 
 year, and wanted one week for relaxation, and two 
 weeks from the day that his year was up he was 
 carried to his grave ; the family did not consider 
 him dangerous-^until just before he died, but he was 
 imprest with the idea he should not recover and 
 regretted that his life had not been better, and 
 thought if it should please a just God to spare him 
 he should live a diflerent one, it is not for us to 
 say whether he is happy or miserable in another 
 world, but his death has very solemnly impressed 
 my mind. Sometimes I think why am I spared 
 perhaps it is to commit more sin, perhaps for some 
 usefulness; sometimes 1 think I am no worse than 
 others what have I to fear but God says be ye also 
 ready for ye know not what hour your Lord will 
 come. How will ye escape if ye neglect so great 
 salvation. Yesterday I heard a discourse from 
 these words "Why halt ye between two opinions, 
 choose you this day whom you will serve, if the 
 Lord be God serve him, if Baal then serve him." 
 1 have thought seriously about this text. 
 
 You will perceive by the date of this letter that 
 it is my birth day. Nineteen years has rolled 
 round my head and what have I done for God I If 
 I were summoned before his judgement bar could 
 I answer with a clear conscience to having i)er- 
 formed my duty ? I fear I could not. 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 119 
 
 I have resolved this year, to leave the world and 
 all its glittering toys, and devote the re«t of my 
 life to the service of God. I have searched this 
 world for happiness, but alas I have searched in 
 vain ; it is all a mere show — a broken cistern that 
 can hold no water. 
 
 In your last letter I recollect you harboured the 
 idea that I was offended with you. Far be it from 
 me to be offended with my sister — you look my 
 letter very differently from \^'hat I intended it. 1 
 received a letter a few days ago from James ; he 
 has changed his situation and will not come to 
 Connecticut this year, therefore I shall give up the 
 idea of visiting you this summer — a year from this 
 time if God permits, I shall anticipate the pleasure 
 of visiting you, but it is very uncertain. I had 
 forofotten to mention I am boarding with one of the 
 best of families, a pious woman and steady man. 
 Please direct your letters to Bozrahville, to the 
 care of David L. Dodge ; there is a post office here 
 and it will be more convenient for me to get the 
 letters ; write immediately on the receipt of this. 
 I am so far from mother that it will not be conve- 
 nient for her to write any more. Give my love 
 to uncles, aunts, cousins, and all who inquire after 
 your affectionate sister MARIA. 
 
 P. S. Don't exhibit this scribbling to any one. 
 
 S. M. C. 
 
 No. 5. KiLLiNGLY, May 20th, 1822. 
 
 Dear Sister — I received a letter from you soon 
 after I came to this place, in which you murmured 
 at my coming to the factory to work ; but I do not 
 consider myself bound to go into all sorts of com- 
 pany because I live near them. I never kept any 
 
120 FALL RIVER, 
 
 but good company yet, and if I get into bad is i» 
 owing to ignorance. 
 
 I have been away from home now about one 
 year, and have found as many friends as among 
 my own family connexions. I have learned in 
 whatsoever situation I am in to be content, though 
 I have not been so contented here, being far from 
 any friend or connexion. 
 
 You wrote me you thought I had better return 
 to Norwich as soon as possible, and that you 
 should not come to Killingly as long as I staid at 
 this factory. You must remember that your pride 
 must have a fall. I am not too proud to get a 
 living in any situation in which it pleases God to 
 place me. Remember that you have expressed a 
 humble hope in God, and bear the christian name ; 
 learn then to imitate the example of Him whose 
 name you bear, and never let it be said of you that 
 you were too proud to follow your Saviour's sieps, 
 who was meek and lowly and went about doing 
 good, suffering the scoffs and indignation of wicked 
 men, and finally spilled his precious blood that 
 you might be saved. 
 
 I do not expect to find the society here that I 
 did in Bozrahville. I have got some acquainted 
 with Mr. A — 's family and like them very welL 
 I miss Mr. Dodge and his family, and some other 
 friends I left there ; shall never enjoy myself so 
 well in any other place as I did there. Now my 
 dear sister, there is no revival of religion here, 
 and 1 have no class in the Sunday school here, and 
 it cannot be expected I can enjoy myself so well. 
 
 If you do not come to Killingly until I go to 
 Norwich you may not come this year, and las- 
 sure you I will never come to Providence first. 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 121 
 
 I had a letter from our dear brother a few weeks 
 since ; he is in New-Orleans, and he writes that he 
 don't know when he shall return to Connecticut. 
 I should be pleased could we all meet once more, 
 but I don't expect we ever shall. My dear sister, 
 may God be your guide — and may his holy spirit 
 refresh and comfort you, and that we may both 
 meet in heaven is the prayer of your affectionate 
 sister, SALLY MARLl CORNELL. 
 
 No. 6. Slatersville, (Smithfied,) 1824. 
 
 My dear brother and sister — Almost two years 
 has elapsed since I have written a letter or hardly 
 a line to any one, and I scarce know what to say 
 to my dear parent — but through the goodness of 
 Divine Providence I am alive and in a comfortable 
 state of health. I enjoy all the necessaries of life 
 and many of its enjoyments. I can truly say my 
 dear mother, that the year past has been the hap- 
 piest of my life. I have lived in this village almost 
 nineteen months, and have boarded in a very re- 
 spectable family. My employment has been weav- 
 ing on water looms ; my wages have not been very 
 great, yet they have been enough to procure a 
 comfortable living, with economy and prudence. 
 I feel as though I had done with the trifling vani- 
 ties of this world — I find there is no enjoyment in 
 them and they have almost been my ruin. 
 
 While I am writing perhaps you have long since 
 forgotten you have a daughter Maria — but stop 
 dear mother, I am still your daughter and Lucre- 
 tia's only sister. God in mercy has shown me the 
 depravity of my own wicked heart — and has I 
 humbly trust, called me back from whence I had 
 wandered. Although I had professed religion, 
 and have turned back to the beggarly elements of 
 11 
 
122 
 
 the world, and brought reproach upon the cause 
 of God — and have Caused Jesus to open his wounds 
 afresh, and have put him to an open shame — and 
 have followed him like Peter afar off — and even 
 denied that I ever knew him. When I look back 
 upon my past life it looks dreary, and I feel like a 
 mourner alone on the wide world without one 
 friend to cheer me through this gloomy vale — but 
 when I look forward it bears another aspect. I 
 have been made to rejoice in the hope of the glory 
 of God. I fee] that 1 have an evidence within my 
 own soul that God has forgiven me, and I have an 
 unshaken trust in God that I would not part with 
 for ten thousand worlds. I find there is nothing 
 in this vain world capable of sastisfying the desires 
 of the immortal mind. But the religion of Jesus 
 is a fountain from whence joys of the most exalted 
 kind will for ever flow. I have enjoyed some 
 precious seasons since I have been in this place. 
 Though destitute of any natural friends, yet God 
 has raised up many christian friends of different 
 orders — all united heart and hand, bound to one 
 home. 
 
 We have a house for worship and have preach- 
 ing every Sabbath. 
 
 Sister Lucretia, by the best information I can 
 obtain, since I saw you last you have become a 
 wife and a mother. I want to see the dear little 
 babe ; I hope the cares of a married life has not 
 separated your heart from God. I believe there is 
 something in religion that is durable ; it is worth 
 seeking and worth enjoying, I feel as though I 
 could enjoy myself in this life while blest with the 
 presence of Jesus, I have found that a form of god- 
 liness will never make me happy but I canpraise 
 God for the enjoyment of every day's Religion — 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 123 
 
 it is that which will do to live by — and will pre- 
 pare us for a dying hour. 
 
 May God bless you and your companion, and if 
 I never meet you in this world, may we be pre- 
 pared to spend a never ending eternity together in 
 the bright mansions of ghny. I want to see Mo- 
 ther and if any of you desire to see me — write and 
 let me know and 1 will try to come and spend a 
 few days with you before long — but whether I 
 ever see you again or not, I want you should for- 
 give me* and bury what is past in oblivion and I 
 hope my future good conduct may reward you. 
 I heard that brother James past through Provi- 
 dence, if he is with you give my love to him. 1 
 should like to see him but never expect to. 
 Farewell in haste, yours, 
 
 MARIA S. CORNELL.! 
 
 The kind of self-accusation contained in the se- 
 cond paragraph of this letter is very common 
 among enthusiastic people when making their con- 
 fessions of sin. 1 have heard men of integrity — 
 and young innocent girls, get up in meeting and 
 roundly accuse themselves of crimes — the least of 
 which, if any other had accused them of, would 
 have been a mortal offence. Some very sensible 
 and intelligent persons have done this in reference 
 to the spirituality of the law of God which makes, 
 they say, " an angry word murder, and a wanton 
 look adultery." (Vide Matthew v. 28.) We ought 
 however to deprecate the custom, as it is most 
 generally made a very bad use of. 
 
 * Alluding to the affair at Mr. Richmond's and IWr. Hodges'. 
 
 t When baptized by the Methodists, she took the name of Waria, but having 
 been accused of changing her name, afterwards resumed the old manner of 
 Bigning it. 
 
124 FALL RIVER, 
 
 No. 7. Slatersville, Sept. 6th, 1825. 
 
 Friday evening half past seven o'clock. 
 
 My dear sister just before the bell rung, I heard 
 of an opportunity to send to Killingly to-morrow 
 by Frederic Dean, who is going to carry his sister 
 home. I was truly pleased with my visit at your 
 house, to see you thus happy situated, with your 
 family around you. I hope dear sister you will 
 never have cause to grieve again on my account if 
 I know my own heart, I desire to live so that none 
 may reproach me, or say " what doest thou more 
 than others ?" I have enjoyed some precious sea- 
 sons, since I returned from camp meeting. Some- 
 times when I think of leaving Slatersville, it 
 strikes a dread upon me. Can I ever leave this 
 delightful spot, where I have enjoyed so many de- 
 lightful seasons and privileges, it seems to be a 
 place highly favoured by God. Elder Tally 
 preaches here half the time, he is a powerful 
 preacher, reformation follows him, wherever he 
 goes he draws about as many hearers as ever John 
 N. MafRtt did, some came eighteen miles last Sab- 
 bath to hear him. I wish you would send me word 
 whether James has gone or not. Give my love to 
 mother, tell her there is no small darning needles 
 in the store. William and Eliza Nanscaven is 
 coming up Christmas, I shall send mother's gloves 
 by them. Remember me to Mr. Rawson, I can 
 never be thankful enough to him for all his kind- 
 ness to me. It is growing late and I must bid you 
 farewell in haste, your affectionate sister. 
 
 SALLY MARIA CORNELL. 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 125 
 
 No. 8. Slatersville, Dec. 18th, 1825. 
 
 To Mrs. Lucretia Cornell. 
 
 My dear Mother — Once more I take my pen in 
 hand to answer a letter which I received from you 
 not long since, in which you informed me my 
 brother was gone. William ancl Eliza Nanscaven 
 is going to Killingly next Saturday. I have been 
 making calculations all the fall of coming up with 
 them, but 1 am disappointed I have lost so much 
 time, I have been out sick a week — and last Satur- 
 day I went to Douglas to quarterly meeting — and 
 Mr. Osterhold is not very, willing I should stay 
 out of the factory so soon again. 
 
 Dear Mother we have good times in Slatersville 
 Meeting almost every evening. There are still 
 many inquiiing the way to Zion, I have seen this 
 summer aod fall past nearly 30 persons own Jesus 
 by following him down into the water in the or- 
 dinance of baptism, I have seen the aged, the mid- 
 dle aged, and the blooming youth, the drunkard 
 the profane and the profligate all bow to the scep- 
 ti^e of King Jesus and say though 1 have been a 
 great sinner I have found a great Saviour. 
 
 I have reason to praise God that ever I was re- 
 deemed by the blood of Christ, and that I was 
 made an heir as I humbly trust of the grace of God. 
 Join with me my dear parents in supplication at 
 the throne of grace that I may be kept in the way, 
 that I may never return to the beggarly elements 
 of this vain world — but that I may adorn the pro- 
 fession I have made by a well ordered life and 
 conversation. I expect the Lord willing to spend 
 my days in Slatersville* I dont want great riches 
 
 * She left the factorv in Slatersville in consequence of its burning down, and 
 went to the Branch Factory. Not being contented there, she removed after 
 some little time to ftlenden 3lJlls. 
 
 11^ 
 
126 
 
 nor honours — but a humble, plain, decent, and 
 comfortable living will suit me best. 
 
 You mentioned you had some yarn you would 
 let me have, I should have been very glad of it, if 
 I could have got it — but they bought some at the 
 store, and I have got as much as I need at present. 
 I wish you would send me word by William if you 
 have heard from James, and where he is, that I may 
 know where to write to. I received a letter since 
 I saw you from our good friend David Austin. 
 Rejjuember me to brother and sister Rawson. I 
 think my friends never seemed so near to me as 
 they do at present. I want to see little Edward 
 very much. I expect if it is good sleighing in 
 February, to come and spend one night with you 
 if nothing prevents. I have no more to write but 
 reniain your affectionate child. 
 
 SALLY M. CORNELL. 
 
 P. S. Excuse the blots, I am in a great hurry. 
 
 No. 9. Menfon Mills, 1 mile from ij 
 
 Slatersville, August 6th, 1826.4 
 
 My dear Mother — I left the Branch Factory, 
 and came to this place about three weeks since, 
 and am v/eaving blue Sattinet. The water was 
 so low and filling so scarce, the weavers could not 
 do much during the warm weather. The factory 
 that is rebuilding at Slatersville is going up 
 slowly. I anticipate much in returning to that 
 delightful village and seeing it assume once more 
 that lustre that shone so brilliantly. 
 
 I received a letter from you some weeks since, 
 in which you thought you should not probably be 
 at home until September. I think some of going 
 to Camp Meeting at Woodstock where I went last 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 127 
 
 year, and if I thought you and -Lucretia would be 
 at home I should come that way and spend one 
 night with you. Camp Meeting is appointed the 
 29th of this month and holds four days, some of 
 my Methodist friends from the village mhH proba- 
 bly go with me. I am boarding at a very still 
 boarding house of about twenty boarders. I en- 
 joy myself very well most of the time. I meet 
 my brethren and friends at the village about once 
 a week. 
 
 I think much of my dear brother and sister 
 Rawson in the afflicting dispensation with which 
 God has been pleased to visit them. May they 
 bear it with christian fortitude, and that it may be 
 sancitified to their eternal good is the prayer of 
 their sister. Give my best love to them and I 
 should be much gratified to receive a letter from 
 them. 
 
 My own dear brother — where is he ? I have sat 
 down several times with the intention of writing to 
 him, but my heart has failed me, I know not what 
 to say. If you are still at uncle M's remember 
 me to them and tell them I am still enjoying that 
 happiness which is the privilege of God's dear 
 children to enjoy— feeling a desire to spend the 
 remainder of my days in the service of Him who 
 has done so much for me. Tell cousin Polly and 
 my other friends in Providence, that 1 hope they 
 will forget and forgive what is past, and I should 
 feel very happy to receive a letter from them. I 
 wish you would let me know when you expect to 
 return to Killingly. In haste your affectionate 
 daughter, MARIA CORNELL. 
 
 "William and Eliza Nanscaven are going to Camp 
 Meeting. 
 
128 FALL RIVER, 
 
 [During the period between this letter and the 
 preceding one, S. M. C. made a visit to her friends 
 in Providence, meeting by appointment with her 
 mother in that place. Whether the factory in 
 Slatersville to which she proposed to return, had 
 gone into operation at this period, we do not know, 
 but when she left Millville or Mendon mills it had 
 not, and a young lady of that village had agreed to 
 go with her to work at Dedham. The difference 
 between weaving cotton and woollen cloth is very 
 great, and few pf rsons accustomed to work on ihe 
 f<3rmer like the latter. No other reason is known 
 for the removal. T'he following letter was writ- 
 ten to her mother and friends about six months 
 after parting with her, at Providence.] 
 
 No. 10. DoncHESTER, Mass. Sept. 25th, 1827. 
 
 My dearMother Brother and Sister — After wait- 
 ing nearly six months for a letter in vain, I take 
 up my pen to address those of my dear friends who 
 are near and dear to me by the ties of nature. Af- 
 ter leaving you at Providence f came in the stage 
 to Dedham where I found the young lady as I ex- 
 pected from Slatersville. I went to weaving the 
 next day at Dedham, where I staid about four 
 weeks. I immediately wrote, as I supposed before 
 you left Providence, but as I have received no an- 
 swer I have reason to suppose you have never 
 received it. There was no meeting at Dedham 
 that I wished to attend, and I had to board where 
 there was sixty boarders, and after four weeks I 
 removed to this place, which is about four or five 
 miles from the city of Boston. It is a pleasant 
 thick settled village. There is one Unitarian, two 
 Congregational or Calvinistic, and one Methodist 
 meeting in this place. I have spent some time in 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 129 
 
 Boston of late. I frequently attend meeting there, 
 at the Bromtielcl Lane Chapel. The Rev. Mr. 
 Maffittand Merrill are stationed preachers there. 
 Mr. Sias preaches here occasionally and I have 
 every thing to make me contented and happy but 
 natural connexions, I have been expecting all sum- 
 mer to visit you this month on my tour to Ashford 
 Camp Meeting — and had engaged a passage in the 
 stage, but I found it would be so expensive — and 
 I could stay so short a time — that I concluded to 
 give it up — and go to Lunenburg with my Boston 
 brethren. We started for that place August 28th, 
 forty in number, in six private carriages. It is a 
 distance of fifty miles. We had good weather all 
 the time. Between 20 and 30 ministers were pre- 
 sent, and about five thousand people. Nearly forty 
 persons professed to have past from death unto life. 
 Friday which was the last day of the meeting be- 
 tween five and six hundred professors partook of 
 the symbols of owr Saviour's dying love. It was 
 a circle formed within the tents. The scene was 
 truly affecting — it will no doubt be remembered 
 by hundreds through time and eternity. 
 
 I reside about half a mile from Mr. Oathman's 
 father's that used to preach in Providence, he is 
 frequently here and preaches. The good people 
 of Dorchester have ever treated me with the great- 
 est respect. But it is uncertain whether I spend 
 the winter here or in Boston. I have had several 
 opportunities to work at my trade there, in shops 
 where the tailors hire fifteen or twenty girls to 
 make coats and nothing else. I should like to 
 come and work a month with Mr. Rawson if I 
 could — but I cannot this winter, it would cost all 
 of eight dollars to go to Killingly, and back again, 
 and my health has been very poor this summer, 
 
130 
 
 and I have not been able to work all the time, but 
 through the goodness of God I am comfortable — 
 though much has been said, and I have suffered 
 very much from false reports in time past. 
 
 1 enjoy myself as well as I could expect among 
 strangers, as 1 have never seen but three faces 
 since 1 left Pawtucket* that I ever recollect of see- 
 ing before, viz. Mr. Maffilt, Mr. Oathman and Ly- 
 dia Knight, from Smithfield. After all that is past 
 1 have been sustained and upheld by the mighty 
 power of God, and still retain a respectable stand- 
 ing in the Methodist F.piscopal Church — and en- 
 joy a comfortable degree of the presence of God. 
 Dear Mother if you have any regard for me do 
 write if it is only two lines, and direct to Maria 
 Cornell, Milton Mass. as the Post Office in Dor- 
 chester is several miles from me, and I should not 
 get it in some time. Milton office is only across a 
 bridge — I shall come and see you another summer 
 if I live and do well. 
 
 Yours affectionately, MARIA CORNELL. 
 
 No. 11. Dorchester Village, March 2d. 1828. 
 To Mrs. Cornell, Sunday noon. 
 
 My dear Mother — Once more I take up my pen 
 to write a few lines to my parents, as nearly six 
 months have again elapsed since I have heard from 
 you. I dont hardly feel reconciled to think so 
 many connections and friends as I have in Connec- 
 ticut and Rhode Island, that I cannot hear from 
 any of them oftener than once in six or seven 
 months. Sometimes I think they have lately for- 
 gotten me, but I have no reason to complain, I 
 have cause to be thankful that it is as well with 
 
 * She had stopped in Pawtucket on her way down, to see some connections 
 wsiding there. 
 
AN AUTHEISTIC NARRATIVE. 131 
 
 me as it is. I am tolerably well and in good spirits, 
 thoDgh 1 have never been well enough to work 
 one whole month since I have been here. My 
 work has been very hard the winter past, and I 
 have got almost beat oiif, I have been weaving on 
 four looms at the rate of 120 or 30 yds. per day, 
 at 1 half cent per yard, my board and other ex- 
 pences are considerable here, I feel a good deal 
 attached to the people in this place, being sur- 
 rounded by some very dear friends, I have a very 
 pleasant boarding house, and every thing around 
 me to make me contented and happy. It is about 
 one year since 1 have seen any of j^ou, though to 
 me I^rust it has not been altogether an unprofit- 
 able one ; my enjoyment has been great — and my 
 privileges very many. I long to see my brother 
 and sister, and the dear little babe, and I have 
 been seriously thinking of visiting Connecticut the 
 summer coming, if Mr. Rawson expects to stay in 
 Killingly another year and it should be agreeable 
 to you all, I think I shall come and spend a week 
 M^th you some time in the course of the summer. 
 You will please to let me know before the first of 
 April, as I want to know how to make my ar^ 
 rangements. 
 
 There has been several shocking cases of sui- 
 cide within a few months here, one of which a 
 man about 30, cut his throat yesterday a few rods 
 from me, he is to be buried this afternoon, he 
 was intoxicated. I have not yet felt as though I 
 could see him, it brings so fresh to mind the mur- 
 der at Smithfield, I felt as though I had rather not 
 see him. 
 
 About the first of February a young man shot 
 himself before my face and eyes, I was looking 
 out of my window. He tied himself to a tree and 
 
132 FALL RIVEE, 
 
 placed the gun to his breast, and before any one 
 could get to him he made way with himself. A 
 girl belonging to this establishment threw herself 
 into the river, after remaining two days in the' wa- 
 ter slie was found, the most awful sight I ever be- 
 held. How short and uncertain life is, it van- 
 ishes like the early cloud and the morning dew. — • 
 It is time to go t3 meeting and I must close.- 
 Give my last love to Grindall and Lucretia, and 
 tell dear little Edward aunt Maria wants to see 
 him very much. 
 
 Adieu, I am your affectionate though unworthy 
 child. MARIA CORNEX.L. 
 
 No. 12. Dorchester Village, 28th 1828. 
 
 I received yours dated March 18th and was glad 
 to hear you was all well, my health is pretty good 
 at present, you mention you expect to visit Nor- 
 wich this summer, I wish it was so that I could 
 come and go with you, but I do not think it will 
 be possible, as 1 have lately given five dollars for 
 the purpose of erecting a new Methodist meeting 
 house in this town, which is to be built by sub- 
 scription, and you had better make your calcula- 
 tions to go to Norwich as early as you can as you 
 will probably stay some time. I expect to be in 
 Killingly somewhere about the 20th of August 
 and I should be sadly disappointed if you was 
 gone. 
 
 You will please present my best resj)ects to un- 
 cle and aunt Lathrop, tell them that I long to see 
 them, and if it is my aunt's wish to see me I 
 should be pleased to have her write by you. I de- 
 sire likewise to be remembered to the Rev. David 
 Austin, tell him I wrote to him some months 
 since, but as he has not answered my letter I con- 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 133 
 
 elude he has forgotten or wishes to forget me. — - 
 I likewise desire to be remembered to Deacon 
 Able and his wife, Mr. Huntington and his wife, 
 and particularly to Lucy Able, and all others who 
 enquire after your daughter Maria. I wish you 
 to write me immediately on your return to Nor- 
 wich, and if you cannot be at home the time I 
 have set, you must let me know. 
 
 Adieu, with my best love to all — your affection- 
 ate daughter, MARIA CORNELL. 
 
 No. 13. Lowell, Jan. 11 th, 1829. 
 
 To Mrs. Cornell 
 
 JMy dear Mother — It seems a long time since I 
 have heard from you, and I almost begin to think 
 you have forgotten me or you would have written 
 before this. I have written two letters, and sent 
 two papers since I have resided in this place, and 
 not received a line from any of you. I hope you 
 will consider 1 am a stranger in a strange land, 
 exposed to sickness and death. Last Saturday 
 night, about twelve o'clock, I was called a second 
 time to witness a five story factory with all its 
 machinery enveloped in flames. It was a bitter 
 cold night, and with great difficulty they made 
 out to save tlie others which stood on each side — 
 there were five of the same bigness in the yard. 
 The middle one caught at the furnace, and in less 
 than three hours it was burned to the ground. I 
 expected to have seen the whole thirteen, with 
 the whole Corporation swept by the flames. But 
 through tlie goodness of that God who rules the 
 elements — although the air was keen and cold — 
 it was still as in midsummer. Th** damage is 
 great, but the distress is nothing to what it was in 
 JSlatersville — as each factory supported itself. — 
 12 
 
o4 
 
 No one was personally injured. It was my lot to 
 remove on the other side of the river, about half 
 a mile distant. 
 
 I feel measurably happy and contented, but do 
 long to return to Connecticut to see my friends — 
 but when 1 shall is unknown at present — think I 
 shall never set any time to come, but hope I shall 
 next summer if health and strength permits. 
 
 I want you should write as soon as you receive 
 this — if you never do again — and inform me how 
 they all do at Norwich. My best respects to my 
 brother and sister — I hope they are doing well — 
 and the children ; with the sincerest ajffection I am 
 your unworthy daughter. 
 
 MARIA. CORNELL. 
 No. 14. Sabbath morning, Lowell, May 3d, 1829, 
 Mrs. Lucretia Rawson. 
 
 Dear sister and friends — I take up my pen once 
 more to inform you, that through the mercy and 
 goodness of God, I am spared to see one more 
 anniversary of my birth. Twenty-seven years of 
 my short life has rolled on to eternity, and I am 
 still on the shores of time, a probationer of hope, 
 and enjoy the day and means of grace. More 
 than two years have past by since I have seen any 
 of you, or indeed scarce seen one individual that 
 I ever saw before, but still I am contented and 
 happy. I am surrounded by many dear friends 
 who are near and dear by the ties of friendship 
 and grace, and I feel much attached to the place 
 and people here, and the religious privileges I 
 enjoy are much greater than they have ever been 
 before. But still I often look back and think of 
 my natural connections in Connecticut and Rhode- 
 Island, and loner to be with you. I have been 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 135 
 
 thinking of coming to see you for two summers 
 — I feel a greater desire to see you now than I 
 ever have done. I begin to think if I do not 
 come to Killingly this summer I never shall. I 
 received a letter from mother about four months 
 since in which she mentioned she thought I was 
 a moving planet, but I would tell my dear mother 
 that I do not think I have moved much for two 
 years past. I staid in Dorchester more than a 
 year, and it will be a year the 17th of this month 
 since I came to Lowell — and more than all this 
 tell mother she must remember that I am con- 
 nected with a people that do not believe in tarry- 
 ing in any one place longer than a year or two 
 years at most at any one time — and I am with 
 them in sentiment believing with the Apostle that 
 we should be as strangers and pilgrims having 
 here no continuing city or abiding place, but 
 seek one to come. 
 
 With regard to my views and feelings respect- 
 ing religion, they are the same as they have been 
 for two years past. I was a great sinner but I 
 found a great Saviour. Tis true I had made a 
 formal profession of religion, but when I was 
 brought to see and feel the necessity of being 
 deeply devoted to God, my views and feelings 
 were vastly altered. I am satisfied for one that 
 a form of godliness will never prepare a soul for 
 the enjoyment of heaven. For "great is the 
 mystery of godliness. God manifest in the flesh 
 — ^justified in the spirit — believed on in the world, 
 and received up into glory." Perhaps my friends 
 may think strange that I chose a people different 
 in their views and opinions from that which any 
 of my friends have embraced. But let me tell 
 you my dear sister that the Methodists are my 
 
136 FALL RIVER, 
 
 people — with them by the grace of God I was 
 spiritually born — with them I have tried to live, 
 and if ever permitted to enjoy the happiness of 
 the blest in heaven shall probably praise God to 
 all eternity. I see my beloved sister a fulness in 
 the Saviour, and I believe it is the privilege of 
 the child of God to enjoy all the depths of hum- 
 ble love. 
 
 It seems inconsistent to me for the professed fol- 
 lowers of the meek and lowly Jesus, who have said 
 by their profession that they have bid farewell to 
 the worldto follow its customs and fashions. It has 
 appeared to me some time that it was good for the 
 proud heart to be adorned with the modest livery 
 of God's dear children, and to have a daily evi- 
 dence that our witness is in heaven and our re- 
 cord on high. The bell rings for meeting and I 
 must draw my letter to a close. If nothing more 
 than what I know of prevents I shall be in Kil- 
 lingly some time between the ^middle of August 
 and first of Sept. I do not know why you or 
 Mr. Rawson have not written to me. I want one 
 of you to answer this previous to the first of June 
 and let me know what your wishes are, and I 
 shall act accordingly. I am affectionately your 
 sister, MARIA CORNELL. 
 
 P. S. I am obliged to write where there are 30 
 or 40 boarders a gabbling — so excuse mistakes. 
 
 No. 15. Lowell, Jan 17th, 1830. 
 
 To Mrs. Cornell, 
 
 My dear Mother — After waiting for more than 
 eight long months for an answer to a letter that I 
 wrote you last spring, I once more take up my 
 pen to address you. You wrote me then you 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 137 
 
 were going to visit your friends at Norwich, and 
 that you would write me immediately on your re- 
 turn, but as 1 have never received a line from that 
 time, 1 have concluded that you were there or 
 were sick or dead, for it appears to me if you 
 were in the land of the living and possest a pa- 
 rent's feelings you would have written before 
 this. When 1 last wrote to you that if the Lord 
 spared my life and health I should visit Connecti- 
 cut in August last past. A long time I waited 
 for your return from Norwich, thinking you 
 would v>^rite and let m.e know, but at length con- 
 cluded it was neither your wish nor that of my 
 brother and sister that I should visit Rillingly — 
 but enough of this — I will cease to trouble your 
 minds with such painful feelings. Not a day has 
 rolled over my head since I left you but what I 
 have thought of home, and the dear friends I have 
 left many miles from this. I can tell you that 
 although deprived of every earthly connexion or 
 even of a correspondence with them, and one 
 hundred miles lies between me and the friends of 
 my youth, still I am contented, still I am happy, 
 the present witness of an indwelling God fills my 
 soul, and I am v/alking hand in hand with a large 
 circle of dear friends to Mount Zion the city of 
 the living God. 
 
 My situation is as pleisant as I could expect. 
 i have daily blessings heaped upon me. I am 
 fed from day to d-ay like the ravens, and I can 
 say to you to day I am happy in the enjoyment of 
 the love of God and I anticipate one day though 
 separated from the society of my friends here be- 
 low, meeting them in the kingdom of God. Glory 
 to God for religion that makes the soul happy, a 
 religion that brings peace and tranquility will 
 12* 
 
138 FALL RIVER, 
 
 prepare the soul in the language of the Psalmist 
 to say — " Though I walk through the valley of 
 the shadow of death I will fear no evil — for thou 
 art with me, thy rod and thy staff comfort 
 me." I left Lowell last May on account of my 
 health and staid until Oct. in Boston and worked 
 at my trade, except what time I was gone down 
 on the water to Cape Cod. I went to Camp 
 Meeting in August, as usual was gone ten days, 
 cast anchor three days — went ashore three miles 
 from where we set sail, having in company up- 
 wards of two hundred, fourteen of which were 
 Methodist Ministers. Had about twelve sermons 
 preached on board, and one on the shore — dug 
 clams — had plenty of good codfish, crackers and 
 coffee — and on the eleventh day reached Boston 
 wharf in better health and better spirits than 
 when I left — having had about six good hours 
 sleep in ten nights. Just at this moment one of 
 brother Rawson's Camp Meeting stories has popt 
 into my head and methinks I hear him say, " Well 
 Maria this is one of your Camp Meeting scrapes." 
 Let me tell you my dear brother I love them now 
 as well as I did five years ago. Yea far better — 
 for I have known real good produced by them. 
 
 Time reproves me and I must draw to a close 
 by saying dear mother do write me immediately, 
 dear brother and sister do write and let me know 
 whether you are in the land of the living, whether 
 you live in Killingly — whether you prosper in 
 spiritual and in temporal things. As to myself I 
 have enough of the good things of this life. I 
 brought nothing into this world, and I expect to 
 carry nothing out, a stranger and a pilgrim here. 
 
 My best wishes and most fervent prayers will 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 139 
 
 ever attend my dear parent. Once more I say- 
 dear mother write to me, direct to Lowell, Mass. 
 Your daughter, 
 
 MARIA CORNELL. 
 
 No. 18. Lowell, July 4th, 1830. 
 
 To Mrs. Cornell, 
 
 My dear mother — T lake this opportunity to 
 acknowledge the reception of two letters one of 
 which I received last week. You say you should 
 like to have me come to Killingly this summer. 
 Last summer I made my calculations to visit you, 
 and should have done so if you had written — but 
 I have not thought very seriously of visiting you 
 this summer, until I received your last letter. I 
 then thought I should come immediately, but 
 finding my engagements such that I could not be 
 absent from here more than a week or ten days 
 at most — I have concluded that the. time I should 
 stay would be so short — the expense would be 
 more than it would gratify either of us. I am now 
 preparing to go down on the water to camp meet- 
 ing where I went last year. My health is tolera- 
 bly good for the season, I never enjoyed my 
 health better than after I went on the salt water, 
 although I was very sea-sick. It is my intention 
 now to spend two or three weeks with you in the 
 spring, if life, health and strength are spared me. 
 
 I have been in Lowell so long that I should feel 
 lonesome any where else. My love to my sister, 
 tell her I long to see her and the children. I shall 
 write to Mr. Rawson as soon as I return from the 
 Cape, though I never received a line from him or 
 Lucretia since they were married, but I expect 
 my sister's time is pretty much taken up with her 
 children. 
 
140 FALL RIVER, 
 
 You will please inform me in your next if you 
 have heard any thing from my brother James. — 
 The bell is ringing- for meeting and I must close. 
 I will send this piece of paper, it was thought it 
 resembled me when it was taken — but I v/ear my 
 hair in my neck short now, and it does not look 
 so natural. 
 
 I am your affectionate, though absent child, 
 MARIA CORNELL. 
 
 No. 17. Taitnton, March 10th, 1832. 
 
 To Mrs. Cornell, 
 
 My dear mother — -I sent a little pamphlet to 
 Mr. Rawson a few days since but 1 dont know as 
 he will understand what 1 meant, I pitched my 
 tent in Taunton last fall, about the time of the 
 riot in Providence, I should have written before, 
 but I knew I could not make 3-ou a visit in the 
 winter, for this reason I kept still. I am now in 
 very good business, and I do not want to loose 
 my place, which I must do if I come to Killingly 
 at present. You will probably wish to know 
 what business I am in, I am hooking up, and 
 folding cloth, and keeping the weaving room 
 books, I have the whole charge of the cloth and 
 my employer is unwilling I should be absent 
 even for one day, though I sometimes have two 
 or three hours leisure in the course of the day, I 
 think however I shall get leave to come and see 
 you at Providence, if you could come there and 
 
 meet me at uncle M s, I will set a time, and I 
 
 "wish you to write me immediately — whether it 
 will be convenient for you to come, I want to see 
 Mr. Rawson and Lucretia, I hope I shall some- 
 time in the course of the present year. I will 
 meet you in Providence, the 18th of May, or 15th 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 141 
 
 of June, just which will be most convenient for 
 you, I cannot leave the first or last of a month. 
 Your daughter in haste, 
 
 S. M. CORNELL. 
 
 CHAPTER VII L 
 
 The circumstances detailed in the life of Avery, 
 need little comment ; every one must see in the 
 persecution of Miss Winsor, and the slander of 
 Rev. Mr. Norris, that Avery was a man of wick- 
 ed, and revengeful, and persecuting temper; and 
 his frequent closettings in the fomous study with fe- 
 males, and tlie sad and grieved appearance of his 
 wife, speak volumes. When apprehended for the 
 slander against Mr. Norris, he was taken from the 
 desk during a prayer meeting, by Mr. Kimball, a 
 sheriff at Lowell, and was so much frightened as 
 to faint, and several persons then made the re- 
 mark, that he probably feared it was for some very 
 different offence he was apprehended. But when 
 put under arrest at Bristol for the alleged murder 
 of Miss Cornell, it was said he exhibited great 
 firmness, and during his trial discovered no signs 
 of fear and but little agitation. 
 
 To pass any comments upon that trial after the 
 able Strictures published by " Aristides," would 
 look like vanity indeed, yet a few facts which have 
 come to the knowledge of the author it may not be 
 amiss to mention, particularly as many who read 
 this may not have seen the ingenious and masterly 
 criticisms of the trial referred to. Preliminary to 
 
142 FALL RIVER, 
 
 the facts we are about to state, we will just make a 
 short extract from that work. 
 
 *' Never was a criminal trial instituted and car- 
 lied through in this country in which so much 
 baseness was manifest, so much chicanery practis- 
 ed, the public, the government, the court and the 
 jury, so deeply insulted, nor an accused man ac- 
 quitted with such a chain of circumstances against 
 him. The whole machinery of the Methodist 
 church has been brought into operation and its 
 artillery made to bear on the battlements of the 
 hall of justice. Perjury, base and foul has been 
 committed on the stand, under the sanction of a re- 
 ligious garb to piotect a wretch from pujiishment." 
 
 How much of perjury was practised on the stand 
 we are unable to say, but certain it is there was 
 great exertion made to prevent witnesses testifying 
 against the prisoner, by his friends the Methodists ; 
 most unwarrantable means were used to prevent the 
 truth coming out. The circumstance related by 
 Aristides respecting a sheriffof Newport having to 
 run a race with a Methodist minister, of nine miles, 
 to see who would get there first, the sheriff to sum- 
 mon her or the preacher to prevent her, is strictly 
 true, and that after all the vigilance of the sheriff, 
 the parson won the day and arrived there iirst, 
 and when the sheriff came, the woman (a Mrs. 
 Brownell if we recollect right) pretended to be too 
 sick to go ; what her testimony would have been if 
 let alone wiido not know, but if we are to judge of 
 its importance by the violent efforts made to stop 
 her going, we must presume it to have had great 
 bearing upon the case. A similar instance occurred 
 in Thompson, (Conn.) A Mrs. Patty Bacon, a wit- 
 ness for the prisoner, stated some circumstances 
 which she said occurred at the Thompson Camp- 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 143 
 
 Meeting, of a very different complexion from the 
 story told by her in Court. Mrs. Bacon's daugh- 
 ters, thinking it of some importance to tlie case 
 communicaled it immediately to the friends of the 
 deceased, but before they or the counsel for the 
 government could have a chance to converse with 
 her, she had had a conversation with some of the 
 Methodist clergy, and when she was afterwards 
 interrogated upon the subject, denied every word 
 of it, and that she had ever said so, the testimony 
 of her two daughters and son-in-law to the contra- 
 ry notwithstanding, and was afterwards found on 
 the stand testifying that " she had suspicions of 
 the situation of S. M. Cornell at the Camp Meet- 
 ing," to the amazement of her own family, who 
 had never heard any suspicions mentioned from 
 her before. The statement she made to her two 
 daughters and son-in-law, was this ; "That a very 
 tall man with a dark frock coat, and broad brimmed 
 hat whom she took to be a Methodist minister, 
 (she did not then know Avery) came to the Muddy 
 Brook lent three times, Thursday, enquiring for 
 Sarah Maria Cornell, and that she afterwards saw 
 the same man conversing with her without the 
 tent." All this she stoutly denied after the above 
 mentioned conference. This woman was a mem- 
 ber . f the Methodist church. Again a Mr. Wind- 
 sor, a respectable innkeeper in Dudley, was stand 
 ing on the west side of ihe camp ground on the 
 memorable Thursday afternoon near the time of 
 the blowing of the horn, with a Mr. Jason or Jud- 
 son Phipps, and a gentleman and lady passed them, 
 when Windsor enquired who they were, and was 
 answered by Phipps that it was a Mr. Avery and 
 Miss Cornell, and added " I am watching them.'* 
 Phipps afterwards in Windsor's bar room recalled 
 
144 FALL RIVER, 
 
 the circumstance to mind, and in presence of sev- 
 eral persons said, "that man was Avery and the 
 woman Miss Cornell, I know them both." It got 
 out of course that he had said so, and when the 
 gentlemen in search of evidence for the govern- 
 ment called on him, the following dialogue took 
 place. 
 
 Question. — " Did you tell Mr. Windsor those 
 persons walking together were Mr. Avery and 
 Miss Cornell ? 
 
 Answer. — " I might and I might not." 
 Question. — " Did you or did you not say in an- 
 swer to the question of Wiidsor, * who are those V 
 say it is a Mr. Avery and Sarah Maria Cornell, 
 and I am watching ihem ?" 
 
 Answer. — " I might and I might not." 
 The same answer was invariably returned, and 
 it was all they could get out of him, until the gen- 
 tlemen were obliged to give it up in despair. JNo- 
 thinof could be drawn from him. 
 
 Mr. Asa Upham, a sober industrious man, said 
 to be a man of property and respectabiliiy, said 
 he saw and knew Avery and S. M. Cornnll, and 
 saw them walking arm and arm together, in the 
 woods near the Camp ground. This person went 
 to testify at the trial, and found the Methoilists 
 had procured three persons to swear him down, 
 and having no means there to testify to the char- 
 acter of these witnesses, he would not stay. 
 Being an inhabitant of another State they could 
 not detain him. What sort of persons the Metho- 
 dists had employed to testify against the veracity 
 of this man may be gathered from the lact, that 
 two of them were so intoxicated before they got 
 half way from Providence to Thompson, as ta be 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 145 
 
 scarce able to continue their journey. We can 
 state this fact without quoting " Aristides." 
 
 The attempts to brow beat witnesses in Court, 
 to confuse and perplex them, so as if possible to 
 cause th*^m to falter or contradict themselves on 
 the stand, was another most ungentlemanly un- 
 manly and unchristian proceeding, and was proba- 
 bly carried to a greater extent by the prisoner's 
 counsel than has ever been attempted in any crim- 
 inal case in this country, at least it is believed so 
 by nineteen twentieths of the persons who aiiend- 
 ed the trial ; and when the witnessf's chanced to 
 be persons of ^o much firmness that this was deem- 
 ed impossible, either some one was brought up to 
 impeach their character for truth, generally, or to 
 swear that they had stated different to them at 
 some other time. 
 
 Among the witnesses tampered with, there was 
 none perhaps who underwent a more fiery trial 
 than Mrs. JSarah Jones. As her name is men- 
 tioned several times in the trial, she will be readi- 
 ly recollected, but as the whole story cannot be 
 perfectly understood from that that is told, and 
 the whole is not related, we will give the narra- 
 tive as she has given it to us, accompanied with 
 her certificate to the truth of it. 
 
 The Kev. Mr. Drake, while enquiring in that 
 neighbourhood if any body had seen Avery, heard 
 her say she saw a man in the morning; he want- 
 ed to know why it was not as easy for her to say 
 it was in the afternoon as morning. By this 
 means Avery and his counsel became possessed of 
 the fact that Mrs. Jones had seen a stranger pass 
 their house in the neighborhood of the coal mines* 
 
 ♦ Perhaps there is not a set of peop'e In New.Eneland more primitiTe in their 
 maunera tn&n tome on thia part of the Islaud. t£« followioir lines were com* 
 
 13 
 
146 FALL RIVER, 
 
 or rathpr on the route to it, in a very early state of 
 the business, directly after he was put under ar- 
 
 posed it is said by an old lady over eiehty ye«rs of age, in the neighborhood of 
 the coal mines. We do not know when we hnve taken up any thing that sounded 
 so i/iuch likeolden time ; if it amuses the readers of this book as much as it did 
 the author, it will well repay them the trouble of reading it. 
 
 " Young virgins all a warning take 
 
 Remember Avery's knot [spelt not.3 
 Enough to make your heart to ache, 
 
 Don't let it be forgot. 
 You mothers that have infants 
 
 To sympathize and mourn, 
 Such murder never was done here ^ 
 
 Or ever yet was known. 
 He killed the mother arxi the child^ 
 
 What a wicked man was he ; 
 The devil hf-lped him all the while, 
 
 How wicked he must be. 
 He dragged her around upon the ground 
 
 Till she no noise could make 
 Contrived a lot— tied Avery's knot 
 
 And hung her to a stake. 
 The devil he was standing by 
 
 A laughing in his sleeve, 
 It is so plain he can't deny, 
 
 He must not be reprieved. 
 He preached the gospel night and day ; 
 
 What a wicked man was he ; 
 The devil helped him to preach and pray ;. 
 
 How wicked he musi be. 
 How could he stand to preach and pray 
 
 With murder in his heart ; 
 The devil helped him day by day, 
 
 And he will make him smart. 
 Methodism he did profess 
 
 For that was his belief. 
 How can he ever take his rest. 
 
 He must not be reprieved. 
 Hang him, hang him on a tree 
 
 Tie around him Avery's knot 
 Forever let him hanged be 
 
 And never be forgets" 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 147 
 
 rest, and previous to the examination at Bristol, 
 and they sent for her to come to his house. When 
 arrived there, she was very cordially greeted by 
 Mr. Avery, who introduced her to the presiding 
 Elder as " one of his witnesses, who saw him on 
 the Island,''^ and she was asked to relate the cir- 
 cumstances in presence of his attorney and the 
 others. This she did. She had been looking out 
 all the morning for the return of a brother who 
 had been living at the eastward, and was expected 
 back on that day. Between 1 1 and 12 o'clock she 
 saw a man come through the white gate, and come 
 within ten or fifteen rods of her. She described 
 his course by answers to questions,gave an account 
 of his route, and of the country, which the counsel 
 traced by chalk marks on the floor as fast as she 
 described it. Thus did the simplicity of this wo- 
 man furnish a pretty correct map of the country. 
 But unfortunately, the man she persisted she saw 
 in the forenoon ; and when she came out, Avery, 
 who went with her to the door, said in passing the 
 entry, laying his hand on Mrs. Jone's shoulder, 
 and looking imploringly in her face, " My life is 
 worth mjore to me than a thousand worlds, and 
 my life depends upon my witnesses — can't you 
 recollect Mrs. Jones that it was in the afternoon ?" 
 but, "say nothing," he added, to which Mrs. 
 Jones answered she would not, and as she says 
 kept her word until circumstances made it imperi- 
 ously necessary she should disclose this interview, 
 and the conversation that took place. 
 
 On the day that Mrs. Jones' testimony was re- 
 quired, at the examination of the prisoner in Bris- 
 tol, she was brought over and was stopped at the 
 house of a Mr Tilley in Bristol ; where a Rever- 
 end gentleman met her, she says, at the door, ex- 
 
148 TALL RIVEB, 
 
 claiming, " now Mrs. Jones, you must remember 
 it was in the afternoon when you saw the man, 
 for Oliver Brownell has just sworn he saw the 
 same man, and it was in the afternoon.''^ For a 
 moment she said she felt almost bewildered, but 
 the firm conviction that she had stateci nothing 
 but the truth, and that if there were ever so many- 
 men of that description seen in the afternoon, 
 the one she saw was in the morninff. Directly, 
 some one came up to lier and shook hands, saying 
 *' we have been to tea, and Mrs Jones here has 
 not : you will be so ^rood as to get her some, will 
 you not — as soon as possible ? " and the good sis- 
 ters hurried lo get her tea, overwhelming her with 
 civilities. The t(a was already on the table, and 
 the lady about to partake of their hospitality, when 
 she was called for to the court. Two of the 
 daughters of mine host volunteered to accompany 
 her, thinking she would feel intimidated to go 
 without any female, and on the way, short as it 
 was, endeavoured to influence her to say it was in 
 the afternoon. One says, " well, you saw broth- 
 er Avery, it seems, on the island ? " " No, I don't 
 suppose it could have been him," said Mrs. Jone?, 
 *' the man I saw was in the morning." •'Oh it 
 must have been him," said one, " it could not have 
 been any body else ; and you must try to remem- 
 ber it was in the afternoon." By this time the 
 trio had arrived at the scene of action, where the 
 matter was put upon oath ; and Mrs. Jones descri- 
 bed the stranger, who really, from her description 
 must have borne some feint resemblance in per- 
 son to the prisoner. But alas ! the stubborn wit- 
 ness would not say it was in the afternoon : after 
 all the examining, cross examining, and twisting 
 of evidence, nothing could be got out of her but 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 149 
 
 the same old story, *'it was in the forenoon." — 
 Was there ever such obstinacy heard of? that so 
 many civilities shouhl have bven tlirown away ! — 
 But so it was : and the woman was conducted 
 back to the house of Mr, Tilley, where she had 
 engaged to return to tea, hurt and abashed by the 
 altered looks of her now silent guides. Nothing 
 was said, except as one looked mournfully upon 
 her, and as she thought, reproachfully, and said 
 *' we were in hopes you would have remembered 
 it was in the afternoon.^^ Poor Mrs. Jones went 
 in with a heavy heart, feeling that she had disap- 
 pointed the hopes of the prisoner's friends, but, 
 (unable by any sophistry she could imagine, to 
 make out that between eleven and twelve o'clock 
 was in the afternoon) with an approving con- 
 sceince. She said the young ladies passed into 
 the other room and were followed by one and an- 
 other. There was a whispering conversation go- 
 ing on there, and each, upon returning, wolild eye 
 her with scornful and angry looks. It seemed, 
 she said, as though the tea never would be ready, 
 but at length she was called. " Never," said the 
 poor woman, "did I eat a meal before that I 
 thought was begrudged to me." But at length, 
 she said, she took courage, and feeling tired and 
 faint, resolved to " drink as much tea, and eat as 
 much as she wanted to:" directly after which 
 she took leave of her now ungracious hosts and 
 went to a tavern, and staid all night, and rose on 
 the following morning and returned home : — a dis- 
 tance of four miles including the ferry, which she 
 had to give eight cents to cross. From this time 
 Until after Avery's flight, and his being taken 
 again, nothing could exceed the scornful and su- 
 percilious manners of the Methodists to this wo- 
 
150 FALL RIVE«, 
 
 man, by her description, whenever she met any of 
 them. Her own expression was, *' they turned 
 up their noses at her, and would not speak." But 
 when Avery, after his flight, was pursued and ta- 
 ken again, to her amazement, all at once their 
 manners changed. Whether they had pouted it 
 out till their resentment had worked itself ofl", or 
 whatever was the cause, they now began to relax 
 the muscles of their faces, and not only to give her 
 the time of day, but even to shake hands very cor- 
 dially and enquire after her health. Behold a po- 
 lite letter arrived from Bristol, dated 28th March, 
 enclosing three dollars ; tlie letter states that it en- 
 closes the fee for travel and attendance in the case 
 of the State against E. K. Avery, but does not 
 mention the sum— the sum enclosed was three dol- 
 lars, she states, and it appears she opened it in the 
 presence of another person. When the trial came 
 on at Newport, she was again summoned by the 
 prisoner to testify. She was in the State and was 
 obliged to go. The person, a Methodist, who 
 went to carry her, and she said to him, " what 
 did you come for me for, my evidence can do Mr. 
 Avery no good, for the man I saw Avas in the morn- 
 ing." " Why we were in hopes Mrs. Jones, you 
 would remember it was in the afternoon,^^ was the 
 answer. Arrived at Newport she was conveyed to 
 the house where the Lowell witnesses were 
 quartered, where she was again hampered to say it 
 was in the afternoon when she saw the man on the 
 island. She said the witnesses were shut up to- 
 gether in the front room of the house, and practis- 
 ing most of the evening to try to make the clove 
 hitch, the Whitney girl and all, and that they ask- 
 ed her to show them. '* I cannot for I never saw 
 one made in my life," she answered. " I did not 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 151 
 
 state this circumstance to the court," said she in 
 her narration, " because I did not then think it of 
 any importance, but when I found one of those 
 very girls came forward in court and swore she 
 had been used to seeing- it in making harnesses, 
 and showing her it might have been used by the 
 deceased to hang herself, I then regretted extreme- 
 ly I had not told that this very girl had been drill- 
 ing to practise that manoeuvre all the evening, and 
 that they did not, when I was with them, appear to 
 understand how to make it, and asked me to show 
 them." 
 
 Unable to twist the evidence of this woman to 
 suit their purpose, the friends of the prisoner en- 
 deavoured to make it appear, on the stand, that 
 she had contradicted herself once or twice in con- 
 versation : but they did not make it out very clear- 
 ly; although it was a subject of amazement to many 
 that she had not done it repeatedly, placed, as she 
 had been, in circumstances of such embarrassment 
 and temptation. Since writing the narrative the 
 author has been warned by some of Avery's friends 
 not to place any reliance upon any thing this wo- 
 man should tell, as there would not be a word of 
 truth in any of it. But when we wished to see the 
 letter from Bristol, in confirmation of that part of 
 her story, and she produced it; and after ascertain- 
 ing from the people of the house, that she was not 
 only on that evening, at the house, with the Lowell 
 witnesses and the girls named, but that they were 
 " shut up by themselves in the front roorn,'^ the 
 very words she used ; and that those girls were re- 
 peatedly seen practising upon that knot while 
 there ; we could not but believe it : particularly, 
 as w8 have never in all our travels been able to 
 
152 FALL RIVER, 
 
 find any one who used the clove hitch in harnesses, 
 and have seen at least hundreds making. 
 
 Mr. John N. Smith, who testified to the cord 
 being different from that used in factories, was 
 urged to go as a witness for the prisoner, which 
 he refused because he knew his evidence must be 
 against him, of course. One person, a Methodist, 
 and if we recollect right a deacon in the meeting, 
 urged him to go to Newport to testify for the pris- 
 oner. Said he, " you will be at no expense — and 
 here is a five dollar bill, if you will go." We ask- 
 ed leave of IMr. Smith to state this fact, saying 
 such things ought to be exposed. He objected, 
 saying he was ashamed to have it known that any 
 man should dare to offer him a bribe. 
 
 It must be evident to every candid observer, that 
 the testimony for the prisoner in many instances 
 was overdone. For instance, had two or three 
 respectable persons of good standing in society 
 stated that the character of S. M. Cornell was not 
 good, and that she was plotting, revengeful, (fee. 
 it would have gone farther toward convincing the 
 minds of the public than all this array of question- 
 able evidence ; a great deal of it was entirely ir- 
 relevant to the case ; a vast deal appeared to have 
 no object but to blacken the character of one as we 
 observed before, who was " where she could not 
 ansiuer them back again,'''' and injured in a very 
 material manner the credit of a society who could 
 tolerate such a character (allowing that she was 
 so,) so much as to retain her among them, to be 
 on any terms at all with her. To receive agairi 
 a woman upon probation, who had once been ex- 
 pelled upon such a charge as Doctor Graves made 
 against her. Gracious heaven ! the idea is mon- 
 strous — the thing incredible, if they had not 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 153 
 
 stated it themselves about themselves. Who that 
 reads and believes such a statement can be willing 
 their young and innocent daughters should be fol- 
 lowers of a meeting proverbial for their familiar 
 and social habits, where they would be liable to 
 associate with such characters. 
 
 We do not know but a part of the charges 
 against her may be true, because we have no means 
 of positively knowing ; some of them we know 
 cannot be ; for instance, we know she could not 
 have been sinning and playing the hypocrite in 
 four different places at once, as is found to have 
 been stated in one part of the trial. She could 
 not. have been at Dover, Great Falls, Lowell and 
 Waltham, at one and the same time, without pos- 
 sessing one of the attributes of omnipotence — that 
 of ubiquity. 
 
 We scarcely think she could have been the wri- 
 ter of these letters, which we know she was, if as 
 vile as represented. Oh exclaims the scoffer who 
 reads them, and believes the account given of her 
 at the trial, what a caricature they are upon talk- 
 ing, canting, whining christians. But to those 
 who hope better things, what a different aspect 
 will they wear. To those who believe that " out 
 of the abundanceof theheartthe mouth speaketh," 
 they will not appear like hypocrisy. Ignorant 
 and enthusiastic we allow her to have been. Ig- 
 norant as she was though, we observe her letters 
 as much better spelt than those of Avery which 
 we have seen. 
 
 We are sorry to say that what we have stated 
 respecting the treatment of the witnesses, together 
 with much more, generally known, which our 
 limits will not permit us to state, goes far towards 
 contradicting the assertion made in the report of 
 
154 FALL RIVER, 
 
 the Conference, who sat upon Avery's last exami- 
 nation, viz. that while the trial was pending they 
 remained perfeetly quiet, not even undertaking to 
 clear their brother from any of the ridiculous and 
 exaggerated reports daily circulated against him, 
 or to contradicting their reports. It is apparent 
 it was no time to stand up in his defence in that 
 way — but as to remaining quiet, it will be seen by 
 every body that they were as busy as moles, all 
 the time. It is amazing that Avery should not 
 have had the politeness to publish a card after- 
 wards thanking his reverend brethren generally, 
 for it would have been hard to have particularized 
 names, where so many deserved the meed of 
 thanks, for their great exertions and important 
 services ! ! ! Here the proceedings of these rev- 
 erend gentlemen resembled those of a religious 
 association ? Has it not rather looked like a com- 
 bination of men for secular and political purpose, 
 a league offensive and defensive ? Has it appeared 
 their object is to elicit truth, or suppress it ? How 
 is a charge against one of them treated ? Is there 
 a candid examination of facts gone into, or is not 
 every movement directed to break down the char- 
 acter of the accuser in the first place, or to invali- 
 date his testimony some way or other ? Is this the 
 way to come to truth ? 
 
 We come now to the last remark except one we 
 have to make on this painful subject, viz. the sub- 
 ject of those letters found in the possession of S. 
 M. Cornell, designated as the yellow letter, the 
 pink letter, and the white one. (The original let- 
 ters now in the custody of the court, have been 
 kindly and politely submitted to our inspection.) 
 The view of the author in seeking to see them was 
 simply to ascertain for a certainty, whether the 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 165 
 
 deceased had any hand in them, as insisted upon 
 by the friends of E. K. Avery. To some of them, 
 honest, though prejudiced people, we had pledged 
 ourselves if possible to obtain a sight of them. 
 Having been employed for many days in transcrib- 
 ing her letters into this work, we felt perfectly 
 confident, that if she had any hand in them we 
 should at once detect it, however disguised. 
 Among the papers found in her possession we dis- 
 covered nothing in her hand, however, except her 
 letter to Mr. Bidwell, and the slip of paper con- 
 taining those words — " If I am missing," <fcc. 
 The three other letters were written by one person, 
 although the pink one was written very fine, and 
 disguised to make it resemble a woman's. But oh 
 when they were compared with the acknowledged 
 letters of Avery to Mr. Bidwell, Mr. Drake,* and 
 Mr. Storrs, the conviction which they brought to 
 my mind was absolutely overwhelming. We 
 thought we had fully believed in Avery's guilt be- 
 fore, but we feel we never had, until then, a gush 
 of feeling which we could not prevent, choaking 
 utterance for some moments. We do not wonder 
 that his friend Mr. Bidwell could not help saying 
 that one of them evidently was his hand writing. 
 That one of them was the plainest, but they all 
 discovered one common hand, all the peculiarities, 
 the turn of the letter, the dash stops, the breaking 
 of some and the leaning of others, the spelling — 
 of folding and sealing, even to the most minute 
 particulars, was exact in accordance, one thing 
 
 ♦ The Methodist minister preaching in Portbmouth. There is something: 
 worthy of notice .ibout this letter. It is daied the 22d, and consequently was 
 written on Saturday after the murder, and before Avery knew that tie was sus- 
 pected of It, and most urgently requests Mr. Drake to come to him immediately, 
 and without delay ; to comn horse back or in carriage, or any way—and all fx- 
 pcnsrs should be paid, but to come without fail. This Mr. Drake was remarka- 
 bly busy dunog the whole trial. Nothing could exceed his zeal ia serving the 
 cause. 
 
156 
 
 too as judge , observed, was very convincing. 
 
 *'If any one had forged these letters intending to 
 have them attributed to him, would they not have 
 put his name, or, at least the initials of it ?" but 
 instead of that they were signed ' B. H.' for Betsy 
 Hill, probably, though it seemed the writer lost 
 his recollection in one place, where he says, 
 " direct your letters to Betsy Hill, and not to me.'* 
 The fact is it was confidently anticipated by the 
 author of these letters, they would never come to 
 light, she had been directed so positively to burn 
 them. One said, however, " you may keep the 
 letter till I come and bring them and I will bring 
 mine." It was thought no doubt she had them 
 with her in the pocketbook or wallet which she 
 always carried in her pocket, and in which she 
 had generally carried these letters. It was stated 
 to the author that when found the pocketbook was 
 not about her, and that from that day to this it has 
 never been discovered. It is amazing this circum- 
 stance has never been commented on before, for 
 if true undoubtedly the author of those letters, 
 whoever he was, took it from her, expecting it 
 contained the letters, which it seems she had 
 taken out and put in her bandbox. In her pocket 
 was found a silver pencil case, and some other 
 trifles — we have forgotten what — but no pocket- 
 book. It would appear singular, if we did not re- 
 collect that the finding of the vial of tansy oil was 
 not testified to in Court, or much said about it 
 until within a few months past, although the wo- 
 men who laid her out and found it among her 
 things, talked about it at the time. Mrs. Nancy 
 Durfee testified to the author that she was the first 
 person who saw it in the trunk, where it lay with 
 a teaspoon beside it, and that from the quantity 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 157 
 
 she could not believe it to be oil of tansy — but 
 such it afterwards proved. We believe there is 
 one person who knows who sold this vial. We have 
 ascertained she did not procure itherself at Fall 
 River, nor carry it there with her. There is a pe- 
 culiarity about the vial, which we believe would 
 cause any person who sold it to recognise it again. 
 
 It is almost equally strange so little should have 
 been said respecting the wounded hand of the 
 prisoner. At the time of the murde^ a woman in 
 the vicinity of the place, dreamed that the murder- 
 ed girl appeared to her and told her that the per- 
 son who killed her, might be recognized by the 
 marks of her teeth upon his hand, for that during 
 the struggle he put his hand over her mouth to 
 stifle her shrieks, and she bit it. This woman de- 
 termined to see the prisoner, and know whether 
 there were any such marks on his hand or not. 
 Whether it was owing to her entreaties or not we 
 cannot say, but at the Bristol examination the 
 prisoner was ordered to unglove. He had kept 
 one glove on, previous to this. He pulled ofl' his 
 glove and his hand was found to be wounded. 
 The counsel for the government wanted a physi- 
 cian called to examine it, which the justices who 
 sat on the examination declined to do, when Avery 
 oflfered to account for the wound by relating the 
 manner in which it was done. He was silenced 
 by the government counsel, who did not wish to 
 hear his story. And thus the affair of the wound- 
 ed hand was dropped. 
 
 In conclusion, we would observe, that however 
 Strang the presumption of the guilt of E. K. Avery 
 may be on the public mind, we fervently hope he 
 may remain unmolested, and we would wish unno- 
 ticed. If he is guilty, the avenger of blood is be- 
 14 
 
158 FALL AIVER, 
 
 hind him. That is sufficient. If innocent, he 
 ought not to preach. Slill, silent contempt and 
 utter neglect would do more towards putting down 
 such persons than clamour. Mobbings never 
 ought to be known in a civilized community ; be- 
 sides that they are calculated to make even merit- 
 ed chastisement appear in the eyes of the world 
 like persecution. They have another horrible 
 tendency, which is to give men in power who are 
 fond of the exercise of authority a pretext for the 
 most shocking severities. Those who set out to 
 inflict chastisement in this way generally get the 
 worst of it before it is over. Besides, who knows 
 that in this case that is not the very point aimed 
 at ? Who knows that the outrageous insult of 
 thrusting this man into the pulpit in every place 
 where he is most obnoxious is not intended to 
 produce this very result ? Should a meeting-house 
 be pulled down, or preachers torn from the pulpit, 
 who knows what fearful war cry might be raised. 
 There is nothing whets the sword like false zeal. 
 The battles of the Cavaliers and Round Heads 
 might be fought over again in our country, expe- 
 rience has once demonstrated there is no quarter 
 lo be expected from men who would march to bat- 
 tle singing psalms, and wield the battle axe with 
 the covenant in their bosoms. From all such 
 contests may the God of peace deliver us. 
 
 To return to Fall River, that place from which 
 sin and sorrow and contention have kept us away 
 so long in story. Though its naturaU beauties, as 
 we observed before, are obscured by improve- 
 ments, it is, and ever will be, beautiful in situation. 
 The waters of Mount Hope bay still roll on in 
 their natural course. 
 
 The waves still wash the peaceful shores around 
 Where the poor wanderer a grave has found. 
 
AN AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. 159 
 
 Internal improvement is going on, and wealth 
 flowing in. But there is a change there — an'l oh, 
 how great a one ! There are two classes of peo- 
 ple who once lived in friendly intercourse, be- 
 tween whom, now, nothing but frozen civilities 
 are exchanged. The great body of the inhabitants 
 must feel, as every one of our republican states 
 would have felt, if opposition had been enabled 
 to palm upon us the curse of a people, within our 
 own borders, having a separate and independent 
 government within themselves. Can nothing be 
 done to heal the breach ? Children of the same 
 heavenly Father, redeemed by the same power, 
 can no compromise be effected ? Alas ! we fear 
 not. Fanaticism, aided by self-will and obstinacy, 
 has drawn the sword and thrown away the scab- 
 bard. The minority have nailed the flag to the 
 mast, and are determined to surrender only with 
 life. Ah ! foolish and perverse generation ; some- 
 thing may yet happen, to convince you of your 
 error : but your conviction may come a day too 
 late. How mournful it is to see people, who once 
 exchanged a friendly greeting whenever they met, 
 even in the streets, with a cordial " good morning," 
 or a friendly shake of the hand, now pass each 
 other without any salutation, and perhaps even 
 with looks of coldness and contempt, of estrange- 
 ment and aversion. 
 
 Yet the hospitable and benevolent inhabitants of 
 Fall River, as a body, are not in fault in this case ; 
 they have only sought to do their duty towards a 
 helpless stranger who perished by lawless vio- 
 lence within their precincts. And for this, their 
 reward shall be the eternal hatred of one particu- 
 lar class of people, and the esteem of ^^very honest, 
 candid and impartial person. 
 
160 FALL RIVER, 
 
 If Fall River was once an objeet of interest to 
 the traveller, it is doubly so now, from the associ- 
 ations connected with it. For months after the 
 tragical affair detailed in the preceding pages, it 
 formed the entire topic of conversation in every 
 steam boat that plied the river ; though time has 
 effected a change in this respect, yet ever as the 
 boat nears the bay is the stranger heard to enquire 
 the situation of Gilford's house, of the road to the 
 ferry, of Rowland's bridge, and of Durfee's farm. 
 It is in vain for the peace professing part of the 
 community to say " it is time this subject was 
 dropped — this excitement ceased." To get out 
 of the way of it we must go as a certain writer 
 says, where a hay stack was never heard of." 
 
14* 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 So much has been said of late of Camp-Meet- 
 ings, and such intense curiosity excited on the 
 subject, that the author of these sheets feels called 
 upon to give a history of one of which she was 
 an eye and ear witness, i. e. for the time 
 she passed there. The meeting was held in R. 
 I. and was I should say some ten or twelve years 
 ago. It is said that the regulations of those pla- 
 ces have been much more strict of late years, and 
 that the disorders in the immediate vicinity of a 
 Camp have lessened since. That their moral 
 tendency is better than it was before is however 
 doubtful. Witness the affair of the unfortunate 
 girl who perished at the stackyard. That her 
 latest misfortune was occasioned by her attend- 
 ,ance there, cannot be doubted. The testimony 
 of her sister and one other respectable female 
 fully proves that; even by the testimony of her 
 enemies it appears she had made resolutions of 
 amendment, which the temptations and facilities 
 of a Camp-Meeting overcame. In fact it is as- 
 serted by many that no certain proof exists that 
 her first criminal offence was not perpetrated there : 
 that might have been the beginning — the end no 
 .one disputes was death. Nothing can be more 
 imposing than the first view of a camp, and a su- 
 perficial observer, a person who eittered and just 
 walked through, or was so fortunate as to be seated 
 in some safe place while listening to a sermon or 
 a prayer, might see no harm in one. But we 
 think no person could pass much time in one, if 
 
164 APPENDIX. 
 
 a person of any observation and not blinded by- 
 fanaticism, without deprecating the practice. I 
 am fully aware I shall make no friends by an ex- 
 posure of all I saw and heard there, but I hope no 
 enemies. I hope, fervently hope, that no order 
 of men have become so depraved, as to hate or 
 persecute any one who dares to avow a difference 
 of opinion, or for speaking the truth, however 
 repugnant to their own views or feelings. Should 
 it be asked, where has this history been all this 
 time? I answer, safe locked up in my desk. — 
 Why has it never been published before ? because 
 it has never been called for: the occasion which 
 has called it forth has never been so pressing. — 
 Men's eyes are now partially open to the great 
 evils of fanaticism generally, and of Camp-Meet- 
 ings in particular; and every thing known on 
 that subject ought to come out. The following 
 diary or memorandum, or whatever it may be 
 called, was taken at the time, except a very little 
 added from memory. Were it necessary, I could 
 give the names of many of the characters men- 
 tioned : but it is not with a view of injuring in- 
 dividuals, or dragging before the public names of 
 persons known only for their modesty and do- 
 mestic virtues, that this is brought before the 
 world; but with the hope that it may have a 
 tendency to assist in putting down a great evil, 
 a sore affliction in the land, a pestilence walking 
 in darkness, an enormity that calls loudly for the 
 strong arm of the law, in the opinion of many 
 good judges. A thing much more to be dreaded 
 than even theatrical entertainments, inasmuch as 
 it goes under the nam« of religion; whereas the 
 former is called by all sorts of evil names that 
 can serve to warn people. When people go to 
 
APPENDIX. 165 
 
 the theatre they know where they are going. — 
 They go with their eyes open. They know it is 
 at best but a profane entertainment, and they go 
 against the warnings of the pious of all denomi- 
 nations. But when they go to a Camp ground, 
 they do not know of the dangers that lurk there 
 and menace them at every step : they do not know 
 who or what mingles with the motley assembly 
 that surrounds them. They are told that by go- 
 ing there they may find religion, (a most absurd 
 phrase by the way) as though religion could only 
 be imbibed in certain places and situations. They 
 are taught that the spirit of God, whose still small 
 whispers may be heard at all times when the 
 soul is disposed to retire within itself and listen 
 to its heavenly breathings, that the spirit of God 
 is in a very peculiar manner dispensed at those 
 scenes of noise and confusion, even without mea- 
 sure, if we may credit their often uttered expres- 
 sions of SM'm full," "I'm running over," &-c. — 
 Many really honest people are induced by the 
 hope of being converted there, without any trou- 
 ble of their own, to attend frequently, to the great 
 detriment of their families who too often are 
 suffering for their care at home. 
 
 The feelings of the really pure a»nd pious and, 
 intellectual among these assemblies must often 
 be outraged — though they endure it thinking they 
 are doing God service, and it must be right be- 
 can^e their councils permit or decree it. 
 
 Mistaken beings, there is a way that seemeth 
 right to a man, but the end thereof is death. I 
 am fully aware of all the arguments made use of 
 to defend Camp-Meetings — but they are futile ; 
 and fully aware as will be seen by this of their 
 imposing effect at first sight. 
 
166 APPENDIX. 
 
 Who can contend that this free intermingling 
 of society is not dangerous, this tumbling and 
 falling about not indecent. That the familiar 
 habit of life practised there is not full of tempta- 
 tion; to prove this would be to prove that the 
 persons who frequent them are not made of flesh 
 and blood, a thing that abundantly proves itself. 
 
 Who can prevent the neighborhood of a Camp 
 Meeting from swarming with drunkards and gam- 
 blers, and horse jockies and pickpockets, and 
 offenders of every other description, who go 
 about seeking whom they may devour. It is said 
 now, that "bad people are driven off the ground," 
 but if so where do they go? it is certain that hack 
 loads and wagon loads of very bad people are al- 
 ways seen following a Camp-Meeting as regular 
 as to a field of battle. If it is purposely to call 
 sinners to repentance that these out door meetings 
 are held, why not have a place assigned them, 
 where they may hear and be profitted by the 
 preaching of the word — and kept in sight that 
 people may know w^hat they are about, rather 
 than be driven into the bushes to pollute the place 
 with all sorts of enormities. I am not however 
 contending for their admission at all, if their 
 presence could be avoided, for in my opinion the 
 best place to preach to these people is at home, 
 and admire the plan of domestic missionaries to 
 seek out the abodes of vice. But if the vilest sin- 
 ners are not to be benefitted by these meetings 
 why not hold them in places of worship where 
 no facilities for crime exist? 
 
 But leaving the out-door evils of Camp-Meet- 
 ings entirely out of the question, it still remains 
 to be asked, are their in-door evils not to be 
 dreaded? is their effect upon the religious society 
 
APPENDIX. 167 
 
 who frequent them less pernicious? are not the 
 habits of idleness and dissipation (spiritual dissi- 
 pation though it be) promoted by it? among fa- 
 natics especially — among those whose business is 
 at home — among those whose feet ought to abide 
 in their own house? If we were like the wander- 
 ing Arabs or Tarters whose home is in the fields, 
 in every green spot whereon they may chance to 
 light, it would be a different affair, but in a country 
 like ours where domestic industry and sobriety 
 are of such importance, wandering, idle habits 
 among females are absolutely ruinous. Add to 
 this the exposure of health. There can be no 
 doubt that the lives of many delicate females have 
 been sacrificed to the absurd custom of sleeping 
 on the ground, with no covering but a tent to 
 those who have been accustomed to the walls of 
 a house. The want of rest, of sleep, which all 
 who attend these meetings must suffer more or 
 less, must be great. And last but not least, the 
 low and dishonoring thoughts of religion which 
 the constant hearing of such familiarity with 
 Deity must unavoidably create. Why it is im- 
 possible people can know what they are saying, 
 when they use such expressions as are frequently 
 used at these places. They frequently speak of 
 the Almighty, and speak to him too, as though 
 he were an equal, and even an inferior; for peo- 
 ple very seldom address an equal in the impera- 
 tive. 
 
 We have one thing to hope, however, if peo- 
 ple will not submit to be reasoned with; that as 
 the light of science breaks upon their minds, 
 bigotry, superstition and fanaticism will vanish. 
 Unless, indeed, it be a combination for civil pur- 
 poses, as in the case of the Romish Church, where, 
 
168 APPENDIX. 
 
 as her clergy became more enlightened, they only 
 became more accomplished to do evil; and in 
 proportion to their knowledge, so did their tyran- 
 ny, and extortion, and oppression of their simple 
 hearers, increase. 
 
 It is possible that some very hard thoughts and 
 still harder speeches may be the reward of the 
 writer from those who differ in opinion, but why? 
 How many have we heard of the Methodist de- 
 nomination inveighing against Masonry — not be- 
 cause Masonry ever done them any injury, but 
 merely because it had become so obnoxious to sa 
 large a proportion of the people — and contending 
 that Masons ought to give up their charters, if it 
 was only in compliance with public prejudice 
 and to restore general harmony. This was cer- 
 tainly sound and correct reasoning: but it applies 
 equally well to Camp Meetings, and to the case 
 of E. K. Avery. 
 
 Extracted from a Journal of a Camp-Meetings 
 held in Smithfield^ R. I. 
 
 The long expected time at length arrived, the 
 meeting was to be held in an extensive wood about 
 nine miles from the town of — several very re- 
 spectable young ladies had agreed to stay at a 
 house within two miles of the meeting, where 
 they could ride backwards and forwards as often 
 as they chose through its continuance. The 
 weather was excessively warm and the season 
 unusually dry, and from tlie dust and heat, most 
 uncomfortable riding. For my own part I felt 
 determined to endure all hardships rather than be 
 disappointed in this opportunity of seeing and 
 hearing. So many stories had been told me of 
 
J^PPENDIX, 169 
 
 Camp-Mcetin^s, and such various and contradic- 
 tory ones, that I felt determined to see and hear 
 for myself. The meetings had not commenced 
 upon our arrival, but the Camp was said to be in 
 order, and so great was our impatience to see it, 
 that we accepted of a ride with a company of 
 friends who were going from the house where we 
 staid, and proceeded to the camp ground. 
 
 There was an avenue opened through the wood 
 from the road to the camp, perhaps of about a 
 quarter of a mile in length, but as it had just been 
 cleared, was exceedingly dangerous riding. — 
 However, we arrived safe at the entrance, and 
 dismounting, passed the barrier, and found our- 
 selves within the circle of the camp. I was never 
 more amazed than by the scene before me. It 
 was a beautiful spot in a pine wood. The trees 
 were felled here and there with a sufficiency left 
 for shade, and had the appearance of a fine grove 
 within an impenetrable wood. The spot prepared 
 was entirely round in shape,and its circumference 
 I do not know, but it was quite extensive. The 
 setting sun lent its last bright beams to the scene, 
 while the snowy tents stretched far and wide, dis- 
 covered many happy faces peeping from beneath 
 their white curtains. Here and there an old man 
 or woman was setting in the door enjoying the 
 refreshing odour from the pines, or wrapt in con- 
 templation of the scene before them, upon which 
 they appeared to gaze with much pleasure. 
 
 I was lost in admiration: a holy calm took 
 possession of my soul: I thought of the camp of 
 Israel — of Abraham sitting in his tent door in the 
 cool of the day — of the patriarchs of old, who, as 
 the inspired historian informs us, were "plain 
 men dwelling in tents." My imagination ran 
 15 
 
170 APPENDIX. 
 
 through the whole scene of sacred history, from 
 Adam down to Moses — the plains of Mamre — 
 the desert of Sinai was before me — I heard in im- 
 agination "the trump of God, and witnessed the 
 proclamation of the law." In short it was some- 
 time before I could descend to earth and seriously 
 consider the object that brought me there. 
 
 The plain dress of the people was very pleas- 
 ant to me, and about the place there was an air of 
 quiet inviting to heavenly contemplation. And 
 is this, 1 asked, a Camp-Meeting? 1 do not be- 
 lieve a word about the confusion. Ill natured 
 world that it is, what can be more proper than to 
 retire into the desert to pray? "What more likely 
 to keep in mind that we are strangers and pil- 
 grims here, than to become the inhabitants of a 
 tent for a certain season? They came doubtless to 
 recollect that " here we have no continuing city — 
 to remember that we have no certain habitation 
 but that house eternal in the heavens, whose 
 builder and maker is God." And here too, doubt- 
 less, they came to mourn for the sins that made 
 us pilgrims and exiles in a world that but for our 
 disobedience would still have been man's Paradise. 
 In this state of exile, of humiliation, they eat their 
 bread with tears, and mingle their drink with 
 weeping." "What can be more useful? what more 
 proper? what more salutary? Surely my God 
 must look with complacency upon a scene like 
 this. 
 
 With a heart too full for conversation, I walked 
 around the ground. My companions too were 
 not very loquacious. I imagine the scene struck 
 them something as it did me, except one who was 
 not so ignorant as myself. To her I made the 
 remark, "it is very quiet here." She answered, 
 *'the meetings have not began." 
 
APPENDIX. 171 
 
 Upon re-entering the avenue our wagon had to 
 turn out often for companies of rude young men, 
 who, though the pass was so extremely dangerous, 
 drove Jehu-like, unmindful of stumps or stones, 
 and appeared in a high frolic. I inquired the 
 meaning of this. The landlord's son who was 
 driving us, answered, "They were professional 
 gamblers and horse jockies, who followed a 
 Camp-Meeting as regularly as crows and vultures 
 followed an army." I was amazed, but I soon 
 forgot the circumstance and relapsed into my 
 former pleasing reverie. 
 
 Tuesday, we rode into the camp ground imme- 
 diately after breakfast. Upon arriving in sight of 
 the tents, I remarked to one of my companions, 
 we had never see-n an army encamped, and I ho- 
 ped we never might, but this must resemble it in 
 appearance except in warlike preparations. But 
 here, exclaimed I with enthusiasm, they wage a 
 holy war. These are engaged in a warfare that 
 must never end, and their vigilance must exceed 
 that of those whose sentence is death for slumber- 
 ing at their post. Their foes are from within as 
 well as from without; but they fight under a pow- 
 erful leader, and be their foes ever so numerous, 
 the banner of the cross will finally prevail. 
 
 Under the impression of such feelings, I entered 
 the circle ready to join the people in their holy 
 work. The ground is what is called an inclined 
 plane, that is of rather gradual descent, and to- 
 ward the lower part was erected a small platform, 
 intended for the pulpit, called familiarly "the 
 preacher's stand." A man was standing there 
 when we entered and loudly calling upon the 
 people to repent: there was little sense or con- 
 Kection in what he said, but he seemed to be very 
 
172 APPENDIX. 
 
 earnest and sincere, and had I think, the loudest 
 voice I ever remember to have heard, but his ex- 
 ertions seemed thrown away, for except a stroll- 
 ing- party occasionally halted near him, he had 
 no auditors. We agreed to take a walk round 
 and see what had become of the good people. — 
 They were mostly in their tents, cooking and 
 eaiing, and in another apartment (for they were 
 usually divided into two or three) reclining on 
 the straw — men and women promiscuously chat- 
 ting and laughing, and sometimes casting a furtive 
 glance towards the preacher, whose extreme 
 earnestness apparently excited little interest. — 
 After a time he was succeeded by another, equally 
 vehement; and one old man began to cry aloud 
 for mercy, which seemed to encourage them 
 very much. Being fatigued, we retired to one of 
 the tents where we had some acquaintance, to 
 rest. They informed us that none of their best 
 speakers had appeared yet, and that the evening 
 was the time for powerful meetings. Towards 
 noon, we observed people gathering round one of 
 tlie tents, and following the multitude we entered. 
 Curiosity had been excited by the falling of a 
 young woman on the ground near the stand. — 
 She had been conveyed into this tent, and was 
 now lying on the straw, while the people who 
 brought her returned to the stand, and seemed to 
 take no further thought of her. We approached 
 the young woman and felt her pulse, and believ- 
 ing she was in a hysteric fit, and that it would be 
 highly injurious to let her remain so any time, 
 begged permission to employ restoratives ; but 
 to all applications for tlnem, and remonstrances, 
 they turned a deaf ear. The people within smi- 
 led scornfully at my ignorance — told me she was 
 
APPENDIX. 173 
 
 liappy and it would be a sin to revive her if they 
 could. She was very pale and her pulse very 
 low; but upon my persisting in rubbing her and 
 calling for restoratives, backed as I was by a 
 skillful physician who now entered the tent, and 
 was remonstrating in not very gentle terms upon 
 trifling thus with human life, they ordered us out 
 of the tent, and fastened down the curtain, which 
 excluded every breath of air, in an intense hot 
 day, with orders for no one to disturb her until 
 the Lord chose to dissolve her trance. 
 
 From this spectacle we retreated towards the 
 African tent, which was filled with colored peo- 
 ple, but there was so much talking there at once, 
 and they were so thick, we were obliged to pass 
 on. A very old man now took his place on the 
 stand, whose hoary head and stooping gait pro- 
 claimed that time with him would soon cease to 
 be. I observed to the young lady who had my 
 arm, that "this old man who stands upon the 
 borders of eternity, will certainly feel what he 
 says," and we descended again to the stand. 
 
 He commenced his discourse by saying — " he 
 was a very old fashioned Methodist, and he should 
 not be put out if they should groan, or say amen 
 or hallelujah — that he had seen nothing that 
 looked like zeal among them yet — no efforts to 
 take the kingdom by force," &c. &c. — and he 
 exorted them with a degree of violence, which 
 soon exhausted him and compelled him to yield 
 the pulpit, i. e. the stand, to another. It had 
 seemed the preacher's object in this discourse to 
 bring his audience to a certain temperature, and I 
 was lost in reflection, thinking if the man could 
 mean that the Lord was not worshipped with ac 
 ceptance where he was w^orshipped in silence. — 
 15» 
 
174 APPENDIX. 
 
 But I bad little time for reflection on the subject, 
 for a very devout looking person now advanced 
 and requested his brethren to join hiin in prayer 
 for the multitude. Being hemmed in in such a 
 manner it was impossible for many of us to kneel, 
 and many doubtless were afraid to. It is true if we 
 had been engaged just as we ought to have been, 
 v/e should not have seen what we did see. But 
 this was impossible without absolute danger to 
 ourselves. We had just been warned not only 
 against pickpockets, but told women were often 
 grossly insulted there, even in the thickest of the 
 camp. Our eye were therefore about us, and 
 several young ladies afterwards told us that when- 
 ever they closed their ej^es, and tried to engage 
 in prayer, they were aroused by some of the men 
 pressing so near, they could almost feel the pul- 
 sation of their hearts, and sometimes press their 
 arms, &c. 
 
 But our greatest astonishment was to see the 
 Methodists themselves wandering about in all di- 
 rections, and some that were kneeling near us did 
 not in the least appear to be engaged in what they 
 were professedly about. One young woman, who 
 knelt by our side, was busily employed in trying 
 to lit a piece of bark to a log, with a countenance 
 that expressed anything but devotion. One of our 
 companions, who was vv'atching her, burst into a 
 violent fit of laughter, which she seemed unable 
 to restrain, although we gave her very severe looks 
 and shook our heads at her. She was not a pro- 
 fessor of religion, though a most amiable person 
 and a sincere well wisher to the cause ; and she 
 appeared to be very much mortified upon being 
 told of it afterwards, though she assured us, with 
 tears in her eyes, that if her existence had depend- 
 
APP£i^DlX. 175 
 
 ed upon her suppressing it, she could not have 
 done so. 
 
 The excessive heat and fatigue drove us back to^ 
 our lodging- at noon ; but towards night we rode 
 again to the Camp. We observed, as we came 
 near the wood, the recent erection of stalls to sell 
 liquors and refreshments ; and around many were 
 congregated people notorious for dissolute morals 
 and disgraceful conduct. The wood appeared to 
 be swarming with people of all descriptions, and 
 it looked as though it might be extremely hazard- 
 ous for any one to venture there alone and on foot. 
 
 The first object that met our eyes upon coming 
 within the barrier was a young woman of extreme 
 beauty, who was staggering through the Camp, 
 with her clothes torn and her locks shrivelled, 
 AvriQging her hands and mourning that the people 
 were not more engaged. She was a girl of about 
 middling height, rather fat, with large, languish- 
 ing black eyes, and a profusion of raven hair 
 which floated on her shoulders and reached below 
 her waist, with the fairest complexion that could 
 be imagined. She appeared to excite great atten- 
 tion wherever she moved through the crowd. We 
 observed, as she passed along, that the young men 
 exchanged winks and jogged each others elboM's. 
 We subsequently saw the same young woman ly- 
 ing in a tent, apparently insensible, i. e. in a per- 
 fect state of happiness, as they assured us. There 
 was a great deal of joggling, pinching and look- 
 ing under bonnets, w^hich was extremely annoy- 
 ing. We met a young lady from our town, who 
 showed us her arm pinched black and blue by she 
 could not tell who, while she was listening to the 
 preaching of a woman at the stand. She was 
 quite enraged about it, and protested she would 
 
176 APPENDIX. 
 
 get home as soon as she could get her party to go, 
 and that no persuasion should induce her to come 
 again. Her arm really appeared in a swollen, bad 
 state. She was a womam of very correct deport- 
 ment, and the conviction that no impropriety on 
 her part could have been the provocation to insult, 
 rendered the circumstance rather alarming ; and 
 we resolved to keep very near our friends and re- 
 turn home at an early hour : though various per- 
 sons of the meeting tried to prevail on us to stay, 
 saying " the work of the spirit was much more 
 powerful after dark." There appeared to be a 
 great deal of uncivil amusement going on, not 
 only in a sly way, in the Camp, but throughout 
 the ground. The narrow, dark avenue was ex- 
 ceedingly hard to pass ; dissolute and drunken 
 people were frequently in the rear of the carriages, 
 swearing and talking in the most profane and in- 
 decent manner. Upon retiring for the night, I 
 had a most serious time of self-examination 
 whether it was right to go again ; but the desire to 
 know the extent of the evil or good prevailed, and 
 I resolved to see it out, as the phrase is. Wednes- 
 day, however, I did not go at all, being confined 
 with a violent head-ache. There was no rest in 
 the inn ; constant quarrelling in the road, the men 
 -very profane, talking every thing. The Landlord 
 of the house where we were, a very quiet man, 
 .appeared exceedingly annoyed. 
 
 In the course of the day, we heard often from 
 the Camp. It waxed warmed there. Many were 
 struck dovi^n, they said, with conviction of their 
 sins, throwing themselves in the dirt and calling 
 ■loudly for mercy ; and many more " lost their 
 ■strength :^^ the state of exhaustion described in the 
 preceeding pages. The people without, we were 
 
APPENDIX. 177 
 
 informed, became more noisy and obstreperous. 
 '' Oceans of rum," as it w es often expressed, were 
 drank in the neighborhood. AW that night we 
 slept but little. Some of the profane lodgers, on 
 the other side of the building, weie continuall}^ 
 singing hallelujahs and shouting '* An^en ! Glory!'' 
 &c. It was in vain the landlord exerted himself; 
 before he could get to one room, a louder call from 
 the other end of the building would drawhisn there, 
 until he gave the matter up in despair, and suffer- 
 ed his obstreperous lodgers to sing themsehes to 
 sleep. 
 
 Thursday afternoon, rode again to the Camp, 
 saw the most drunken people in the road I ever saw 
 on any other occasion. Many of them, I was told, 
 had families at home destitute, even in this land of 
 plenty, of the common necessaries of life. I could 
 not help groaning in spirit all the way, which was 
 literally perfumed by the odour of the spirits which 
 they had drank. Of course they, the mob, were 
 ^Ireadfully impudent ; not to us to be sure — the 
 gentleman who always carried us was uncle to two 
 of the ladies of our party and well known in that 
 part of the country ; with him, therefore, we al- 
 ways felt perfectly safe. But he told us he had to 
 dismount, the day before, from his wagon, to res- 
 cue some females from insull, two or three times ; 
 and that the Methodists had sent for two or three 
 sheriffs to come and keep order. 
 
 When we entered the Camp, there was what 
 they called a powerful preacher, on the stand. — 
 He was exhorting the people to repentance with 
 great vehemence and gesticulation. The bad 
 English he used provoked many a smile from his 
 hearers, while another class of Iua hearers seem- 
 ed to listen with profound attention, and express- 
 
178 APPENDIX. 
 
 ed their approbkticn by many an exclamation of 
 delight, accompanied with groans and amens. — 
 One man fell doivn near ns in strong convulsions ; 
 the crowd pressed around him, but the brethren 
 pushing them back, drew him into a tent, saying 
 he was " fuil of the spirit," &.c. We now got 
 crowded between a woman of most infamous 
 character, and some young men, who were hold- 
 ing a w-'iispering dialogue over our shoulders : — 
 astonishing impudence ! We removed to another 
 part jf the ground as soon as possible ; and hav- 
 ing regained our esc()rt,proceeded to a bench near 
 the upper end of the Camp. Here, seared be- 
 neath some trees, we couki look down upon the 
 crowd, thougli out of its immediate vicinity. — 
 Here too, we could hear m()st of what the preach- 
 er said who was then speaking. One of our ac- 
 quaintance now advanced from one of the tents, 
 and informed us there had been " quite a riot 
 there" the preceding evening, but that there was 
 *' no danger now, as there were several officers 
 on the g^round, hired to keep the peace." But 
 there was no solemnity now — all was hubbub and 
 confusion. A sister came up and asked if we in- 
 tended to stay in the evening, saying they had 
 *' sucij powerful meetings in the evening, it was 
 heaven below." I could not but express to her 
 and several others, that I was about tired of it, 
 and should go away with very strong prejudices 
 against Camp Meetings. They assured me it was 
 only because I had not seen enough of them, and 
 that if I should remain with them one evening, 
 they doubted not my prejudices would vanish ; 
 and that I should witness such a display of the 
 power of God, as I never saw before," said I was 
 cold, " but she would insure me I should get 
 
APPENniA. 
 
 179 
 
 warmed, if I would onlv attend their evening- 
 prayer meetings." I to'*! Her it was not possible 
 for me to stay that ev<?ning, as \re expected the 
 wagon, to carry us b^ck, before ?^in-set, and I had 
 engaged to return with my p»^'y ; but that both 
 they and J intended to pass */ie last night in the 
 Camp, which w^uld be the next, as we understood 
 they kept up 'tie meetings through the whole of 
 the'last nigK, and we were determiner!, having 
 heard so m^ich of t^eir evening meetings, to be 
 present o«ie night/ and if there v»'as any good to 
 be obta.'ned, to K in the way of it. She appear- 
 ed to be much pleased, and we separated. Our 
 conveyance wow arrived for us and we departed ; 
 a^ain past the dark avenue, upon which the 
 shades of twilight were now fast gathering. The 
 brutal iptoxication and profanity visible on the road 
 home tvas truly shocking ; and as we went past 
 die stalls, the thought struck me, that thes:e buy- 
 ers and sellers were after all perhaps the smallest 
 sinners on the ground ; that they, who were the 
 means of bringing this tumultuous assemblage 
 together, unless there was some redeeming merit 
 about it, that I had not yet discovered, had much 
 to answer for. Dismissing such thoughts how- 
 ever, I resolved not to make a final decision 
 against them, until I had witnessed those meetings 
 upon whose influence they counted so much. 
 
 This evening I overheard some ladies, (of 
 whom there was and had been, a respectable num- 
 ber, and a very respectable company at the inn,) 
 teazing their husbands to carry them to the Camp. 
 Their husbands positively refused, saying it was 
 not a proper place for females in the evening, 
 and that they could not engage to protect them 
 from insult while passing through the wood and 
 
1 so AePEJNDIX. 
 
 its environs ; that the>- themselves should go, hm 
 begged tlie females to remain contented where 
 they were. Children of Y.ve ! I heard them af- 
 terwards resolving at all harards to know where 
 the danger lay, and threateniig if their husbands 
 went without them to hire a conveyance and go by 
 themselves. Whethei they carr'^d their point or 
 not I did not ascertain. I saw ti^m all depart 
 from the inn in company together. 
 
 A number of young men now repiired to the 
 inn, from the Camp, to get supper, in^^nding to 
 go back again. They a])peared in a higli frolic, 
 but one of them was taken alaraiingly u\. Di- 
 rectly after he was seized with a bleeding at the 
 nose, so violent as to induce the belief that it pro- 
 ceeded from the rupture of a blood vessel. — 
 Though at some distance from the apartment's of 
 the family, the ladies all volunteered to his assht- 
 ance. It was a shocking scene, and with thfe 
 greatest difficulty the effusion of blood was stop- 
 ped by the variety of applications used. He ap- 
 peared quite grateful for our kindness, and par- 
 ticularly to the landlord, who immediately after 
 had him carried to a cool room and put into bed ; 
 but the effect of the scenes he had just witnessed^ 
 had such an effect upon his brain that nothing 
 could keep him silent. As soon as he Avas com- 
 fortably in bed he commenced singing hallelujah, 
 and kept it up for the greater part of the night. 
 
 Friday was the last day of the meeting, and I 
 who had now firmly resolved to see it out, and be 
 a judge myself how far it was a work of the Spirit, 
 went prepared to spend the day and night in the 
 Camp. We carried refreshments, and all of our 
 party agreed to keep together ; and to ensure our 
 safety^ we contrived to go in the suit of an officer 
 
APPENDIX. 181 
 
 of justice, who with his family had stopped at the 
 inn on their way. By the way, we had only oc- 
 casional glimpses of him after we got there, for 
 being employr.i by the meeting people to keep 
 order, he was obliged to be on the alert. It was 
 a scene of dreadful confusion to get therein the first 
 place, the road was so full of people, the dust 
 (for the earth had been fairly ploughed up by the 
 multitude of feet) blowing and blinding one. It 
 was a fact that w^e not half the time could see our 
 horses heads, as we rode on. In the Camp there 
 was great confusion. The crowd had very sensi- 
 bly augmented. There was a woman exhorting 
 at the stand, and one of our townsmen, who re- 
 cognized me, and knew I was a great stickler for 
 •woman's preaching, immediately came up and 
 invited me to go down and hear her. Accordingly 
 we all went down to the stand. A young female 
 whose appearance bespoke her to be under twenty, 
 was exhorting. The first words we distinguished 
 were these, that she " did not want a copper of 
 their money — No I dont want your money," she 
 repeated, " not a copper of your money, only the 
 salvation of your souls," and she exhorted the 
 " young Ladies^'' and the dear young Gentlemen'* 
 to repent, with all the energy she was capable of. 
 Now I who abominate the epithet of Ladies and 
 Gentlemen in christian exhortations, was turning 
 ofi", when some one whispered, Mrs. T is go- 
 ing to preach. This lady whom I had once before 
 heard upon a most interesting occasion, was a 
 great favourite with me, andl had inquired several 
 times if she was there. I therefore took my sta- 
 tion on a log, and with my companions heard her 
 discourse. The w^oman speaking was of very 
 mild and pleasing manners — a woman of plain 
 16 
 
182 APPENDIX. 
 
 good sense, and exceedingly graceful and winning 
 in her manner, when speaking in a house where 
 her voice could be heard without exertion ; but al- 
 though her discourse which was short, was now, 
 as it always was, good, yet the evidently great ex- 
 ertion she now used, destroyed much of its eflect 
 with most of the hearers ; the blood looked as 
 though it would burst through her face, the veins 
 of her forehead and temples as well as those of her 
 neck, '' swelled up like whip chords," and her 
 mouth, usually of sweet and placid expression, 
 from her efforts to speak loud, was absolutely dis- 
 figured. 
 
 " Is this the Mrs. T— ," whispered one to me, 
 
 I have heard you praise so much ? Why, I never 
 witnessed such contortions of countenance before. 
 Such remarks proved the woman in my mind to 
 be out of her place, for I had no doubt her dis- 
 course was better than any that had been heard 
 there, but the great effort of retaining such a mas- 
 culine attitude entirely destroyed the effect. She 
 was succeeded by a very bold and uncouth looking 
 ydung femal-e, whose language was as coarse as 
 her look and manner. She called upon the peo- 
 ple loudly to repent " to-day and save their souls." 
 Some very singular expression she made use of 
 appeared to have an.irresistible effect upon a part 
 of her auditors, who laughed aloud ; upon which 
 she said she " did'nt eare who laughed, she cared 
 for nobody not a snap of her finger," (snapping her 
 fingers in great style.) Another loud laugh. My 
 faith in woman's preaching began to waver, and 
 I was glad to walk off. We observed an African 
 npon a stump at some distance, near the upper part 
 of the camp, collecting a great crowd around him, 
 who were listening with open ears and gaping 
 
APPENDIX. 183 
 
 mouths. Some were wiping their eyes, many- 
 shouting, and others grinning. Thither then we 
 bent our course, willing to hear the truth from 
 whatever quarter it might proceed. The first 
 words that met my ear were — "Deble fader of lies; 
 he be liar from beginning. Some say poor niger 
 hab no shoule. Vel dat I dont know, but dis I 
 know, I got something in my body make me feel 
 tumfortable, "(clapping his hands A'^ehemently upon 
 his huge chest). A peal of laughter, long and loud 
 from the profane rabble, was the response. While 
 nothing daunted, he continued to go on in the 
 same strain, not in the least interrupted or annoy- 
 ed by the continued shouts of the mob, who, clap- 
 ping their hands, kept crying, " go on brother, 
 that's your sort, glory, hallelujah," &c. with all 
 such sort of encouragement. I need not say we 
 did not stay there long ; and as no interesting 
 preacher now occupied the stand, we resolved to 
 stroll round and look up some of our friends from 
 the neighboring towns, many of whom we doubted 
 not were there. In passing one of the tents we 
 could not forbear stopping to look at a young wo- 
 man reclining on the straw in a very languishing 
 attitude, and apparently quite helpless : two or 
 three young men had seated themselves near her 
 and were enquiring how she felt ? Upon closely 
 observing her I discovered she was the same 
 young woman whose disordered appearance and 
 extraordinary beauty had struck me so forcibly, 
 and invited so much observation a few days before. 
 It was she, but oh how changed ! even in the brief 
 space of time that had intervened since we saw 
 her before. Her bloom was entirely gone, and 
 her haggard look and tangled hair gave her the 
 appearance of somethingthathad recently escaped 
 16* 
 
184 APPExNDIX. 
 
 from a mad house. I shuddered with liorror, and 
 thought oh ! if you were a sister or daughter of 
 mine how should I feel. Humanity towards'the 
 poor victim induced me to draw near and ask her 
 if she had no mother to take care of her ? She 
 turned a look of scorn and anger upon me, and 
 then exchanged a look with each of the young 
 men, and they all three laughed, and I walked off 
 convinced I had been mistaken. I afterwards 
 mentioned the case of this young woman to some 
 of the persons on the ground, who undertook to 
 explain to me her situation by telling me she had 
 just come to. Their language I have forgotten, 
 but I understood it to mean that she had gone 
 through a process which they considered as per- 
 fecting the work of sanctification, and I afterwards 
 was told by some people at the house, that she was 
 probably the same young woman who had lain 
 two full days in a state of stupor, an unusual long 
 time, and that it was possible her intellects might 
 be affected. Be that as it might, the image of the 
 fair sinner, or saint (for she was no halfway char- 
 acter) haunted me for some time. We afterwards 
 looked into another tent where we saw a girl from 
 our own immediate neighborhood, in much the 
 same situation, having just recovered from a state 
 of torpor, and rejoicing with great appearance of 
 happiness. My heart sickened at the sight of her, 
 for I believed her a most accomplished hypocrite, 
 and the end justified my suspicions. In the course 
 of a few months she destroyed the peace effectual- 
 ly of a worthy family, who had taken her from a 
 state of great poverty several years before, and 
 cherished her with all the tenderness of parents. 
 She had previous to this been a Baptist by profess- 
 ion, but after this attached herself to the people 
 
APPENDIX. J 85 
 
 through M'hose ministry she professed to have been 
 recovered from her backsliding, and continued 
 with their society until put out of all society. 
 
 Being exceedingly fatigued we were now oblig- 
 ed to give up our plan of remaining in the Camp ; 
 the wagon in which we came having arVived with 
 some other persons, we concluded to go home and 
 recruit before the services of the evening. The 
 ride home was no more annoying than when we 
 came ; a certain sharp-looking set of fellows seem- 
 ed to be prowling about the woods, and dodging 
 at every corner — whose very look was sufficient 
 almost to curdle one's blood, but it was now so 
 generally understood that the camp was protected 
 by the officers of justice that none dared to show 
 their colors. 
 
 Before it was quite dark we returned, and by the 
 time we arrived, the Camp was lighted. I could 
 easily imagine that embellishment added much to 
 the scene. The disposal of the lights which ex- 
 hibited so many different groups, and displayed 
 the paraphernalia of the tents with such a different 
 aspect from what it appeared in the glare of day, 
 was altogether imposing, or rather witching. For 
 a time we walked, until our protectors returned to 
 the inn to take back the conveyance. We avowed 
 our determination to pass the night in the Camp ; 
 the gentlemen remonstrated, urged the fatigue, 
 the exposure to health, the danger, unless we kept 
 close under the wing of some person or persons 
 able to protect us — but all to no purpose, we de- 
 termined to remain. They promised to return 
 and stay until ten or eleven o'clock, and then they 
 said we must^take care of ourselves ; and leading 
 us to one of the seats at the upper end of the ground, 
 departed. There were four of us, nevertheless 
 
86 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 we experienced some little sinking of heart Avhen 
 we saw our protectors depart. From the place 
 where we sat we could see the whole ground ; 
 'there w^asa preacher on the stump speaking loudly 
 and vehemently ; a black man also on the stand, 
 and nobody attending to either ; the noise could 
 not have been exceeded by the confusion of Babel. 
 I could not compose my mind to realize it was a 
 place of worship, although the songs of praise and 
 the voice of exhortation mingled with the groans 
 of despair, and blending in strange confusion with 
 the various dialogues going on, rose each moment 
 on the ear. Prayer meetings had commenced in 
 the different tents, yet there was a continual travel- 
 ling from place to place — nobody except the im- 
 mediate actors in the scene seemed stationary for 
 a moment at a time ; croAvds of people passing 
 and repassing all the time. One woman flew past, 
 throwing her arms abroad, and shouting " there 
 are grapes here and they are good, heavenly 
 times ! heavenly times !" A few moments after our 
 ears were assailed with the most piercing shrieks 
 of a female voice, which proceeded from behind 
 one of the neighboring tents. Two of us sprang 
 up and almost involuntarily ran to the place — the 
 other two rather hung back as they afterwards told 
 us from fear, thinking it might be some one mur- 
 dered, or some terrible assult, a few moments 
 brought us to the spot, and beheld tw^o young wo- 
 men stretched upon the ground, no human creature 
 touching them, screaming with all their strength. 
 Some females from the neighboring tents rushed 
 out to them, and sinking down by their side, be- 
 gan to talk to them all at once. " Sink right into 
 Jesus said one, and you will be happy in a minute." 
 I enquired of an old lady standing by what the 
 
APPENDIX. 187 
 
 matter was ? she said they were slain, and there 
 was a great many slain there every night. Seve- 
 ral persons now raised them to carry them into the 
 tent, and we in a whisper agreed to follow close 
 in the rear, which by keeping hold of each other's 
 cloths and following close upon the heels of those 
 who had borne in the slain, we succeeded in get- 
 ting into the centre of the tent, where, within a 
 circle formed by the meeting they were laid upon 
 the straw. They, the meeting people, were sing- 
 ing a hymn, which rose to deafening uproar upon 
 our approach. After the hymn, the women com- 
 menced praying over them, using many strange 
 expressions and the most violent gesticulation, 
 the power of which was acknowledged by many 
 a groan, shout, and interjectiori, intermingled with 
 the agonizing shrieks of the slain, which still con- 
 tinued. 
 
 The loud Amen, the cries for mercy, the groans 
 of distress, (either real or imaginary,) resounded 
 from every quarter, while the triumphant excla- 
 mations of those who shouted " I'm full — Fm run- 
 ning over — I'm eating heavenly manna — glory ! 
 hallelujah !" &c. &c. were as distinctly heard : 
 and this, this scene of discordant noise and un- 
 seemly riot (as it appeared to me) was what they 
 called " the power of God." Forgive, thou in- 
 sulted Being, the use I am here obliged to make 
 of thy great and dreadful name ! Occasionally 
 some of the young men who were within the cir- 
 cle would draw near the young women, whose 
 shrieks gradually changed to groans, and ask in a 
 low voice, "do you feel any better ?" I could 
 not hear that they made any answer. One young 
 man, while the prayer was going on, began to 
 shake violently, and then falling fiat upon the 
 
188 APPENDIX. 
 
 straw, exclaimed " God, I'm willing — I will own 
 my Saviour — I will, I will :" at the same time, 
 his feet kicking at such a rate, that the dust from 
 the straw nearly suffocated us ail. His feet chan- 
 cing to lodge in his fall, just between me and an- 
 other young lady, we endured no small share ol 
 inconvenience. The young lady actually receiv- 
 ed several smart blows ; when a man leaning over 
 our heads (we were seated on a bench) put his 
 cane over, and fenced his feet from her, by plant- 
 ing it firmly in the ground. 
 
 A few people from our town. sat near, and, as I 
 thought seemed to survey the^cene with mournful 
 interest, at least they exhibited none of the anima- 
 tion I have described. " Lord," said one of the 
 women in prayer, " what ails the Providence peo- 
 ple ?" One young woman uttered a sentence in 
 prayer that seemed to fill the audience with inex- 
 pressible delight. It was in allusion to a sentence 
 in the sister's prayer that spoke before, wherein 
 she asked for the crumbs that fell from her mas- 
 jter's table. " Give us," said the last one, " not 
 only crumbs, but loaves, good God ? " and slap- 
 ping her hands with great violence. The eflect 
 was electric, the Amen was echoed jn all the dif- 
 ferent notes of the Gamut, while the expressions 
 of " Come Lord Jesus, come quickly," were heard 
 from different parts of the tent. My soul was 
 momently shocked by those familiar addresses to 
 the Deity, " God, come down here — Jesus come 
 this minute — we want you to night — we want you 
 now," &LC. &c. &c. The din and confusion in- 
 creased every moment. Stamping, slapping hands 
 and knocking fists together, formed altogether, a 
 scene of confusion that beggars description, and 
 really terrified us. We looked at each other in 
 
APPENDIX. 189 
 
 despair, and tlien at the door, wliich was com- 
 pletely wedged up with faces, one above another, 
 no w^ay to get out, and no one to help us ; when 
 fortunately, the uncle of two of the young ladies 
 (who had returned to the Camp on foot, after put- 
 ting up his horses, and who was now standing at 
 the door of the tent,) descried us, and in a mo- 
 ment comprehending our distress, opened a pas- 
 sage to the circle, by saying '• a lady faint ! a lady 
 faint !" -which was echoed by several, either to aid 
 in getting her out, or to increase the confusion, 
 and thus we escaped from the crowd. There was 
 now a general begging among us to return home ; 
 but the ancle protested there was no way at pre- 
 sent, and we must stay all night where Ave were. 
 However, as we begged so hard, he despatched a 
 man round the barriers to see if any carriage or 
 wagon could be procured. While search was mak- 
 ing, he advised us to walk around the ground ; 
 as hundreds, probably thousands were then doing, 
 thinking we should be safer to be moving with 
 the crowd, than to sit down any where outside the 
 tents. As we passed one of the tents, where the 
 confusion could only be equalled by the one we 
 had left, we distinguished in prayer that remarka- 
 ble sentence, " the Lord is in his holy temple, let 
 all the earth keep silence before him." What a 
 place for its repetition ! ! One young man began 
 to pray, who got so animated that he kept asking 
 to die ; exclaiming, " Lord, I want to die. I'm 
 ready to die, and fit to die, and Lord I want to 
 die to night." Loud shouting and clapping of 
 hands followed. 
 
 We now passed a tent entirely closed, fastened 
 down, and dreadful groans within : they appear- 
 ed to proceed from one voice and that of a woman 
 
190 APPENDIX. 
 
 and evidently betokened great bodily distress. — 
 One of the gentlemen just behind us said he was 
 determined to see what was the distress, and be- 
 gan unfastening the curtains : we had been for- 
 bidden to raise it, by a brother who stood outside, 
 but after the young man had got it part way up, 
 a minister from Avithin called out " come in and 
 see the power of God." Thus invited we entered, 
 and behold, a young woman laying flat upon the 
 straw, in great apparent agony, calling in frantic 
 terms for the coming of the " Holy Ghost." I 
 saw no other inmate of the room, except the min- 
 ister just mentioned, but upon our coming out, 
 several Methodists passed in, and we heard them 
 a moment after singing around this distressed 
 creature, " Die in the arms of Jesus, Die in the 
 arms of Jesus <fec." That woman had every ap- 
 pearance of being in strong hysterics. 
 
 We had just met with a party of frieuds from 
 
 the village of C who learning our distress, 
 
 kindly offered a seat for me to return with theni 
 to the inn, where they were to pass. It was now 
 eleven o'clock, and my companions consented I 
 should leave them upon the promise that I would 
 not rest until I had found some wagon or carriage 
 of some kind to come after them : while passing 
 to the barrier where the wagons were stationed, 
 we passed a tent where a young female, apparent- 
 ly quite gone, was supported in the arms of a 
 worthless fellow, who had lately gone from our 
 neighborhood, no one knew whither : they were 
 just without the tent door, and he was trying to 
 bear her m. A fear for the safety of the girl in- 
 duced me to ask some one near to rescue her, 
 jvhich they attempted, when out burst two or 
 
APPENDIX. 191 
 
 three men to the relief of their brother, as they 
 called him, and forbade any interference.* 
 
 We felt rejoiced that this was the last night of 
 the meeting-, for the camp began to smell very of- 
 fensive. Many were remarking that the danger 
 to health would be very great should the meetings 
 continue twenty-four hours longer. The people 
 who conveyed me out, got along very well, 
 through a road used for a cart path, and which 
 appeared much more safe and quiet than the great 
 entrance. We saw a good deal of dodginor about, 
 though upon comparing notes with others I dis- 
 covered I was not solitary in hearing and seeing 
 strange things. One lady who had been invited 
 to drink tea in one of the tents, observed she had 
 been much shocked by a man coming in and invi- 
 ting her to stay the evening. He went in shaking 
 violentl)/ and saying " we shall have the Holy 
 Ghost here to night !" and said a little niece of 
 hers who stood by, " do stay aunt Polly, for I want 
 to see him." These kind of anecdotes were long 
 rehearsed, but I met with no solitary being who 
 appeared to have got any good by going. Hea- 
 ven grant there might have been some. With a 
 great deal of difficulty I persuaded a man to go 
 down with a carriage for the other ladies. At 
 
 * I learned afterwards that this youn? man went at the opening of the camp, 
 with a small bundle, into one of the tents, and there continued through the whole 
 meetings. This singular character was once a regular member of a church (not 
 Methodist) in P. and was thought too simple to be set aside, thouerh known to be 
 a most inveierate liar. On one occasion, while travelling through the country, 
 he passed himself ofT as the grandson of a venerable clergyman of the Episcopal 
 Church, well known in that vicinity, and was entertained at the tables of some 
 of the most respectable ptople in the town— invited to read prayers in the church, 
 as he professed to be a candidate for the ministry. This he did, and escaped 
 undiscovered. He then proceeded to one of our western settlements, where, 
 chancing to hear some inquiry made respecting- a good old lady in his town, 
 lately deceased, he told them she had left an immense'fortune, which she amassed 
 by keeping a hotel. Tiliis family, who chanced to be heirs at law, entertained 
 him with cordial welcome, and actually came a journey of many hundred miles 
 to Claim the property, and found the whole a falsehood. The author of that story, 
 and of many other similar decepti.ins!,is among the Shaking Quakers in New- 
 Lebanon, where he has at last, as he says, *' made his principles bend.to his 
 temporal interests. 
 
192 APPENDIX. 
 
 last, after finding two men to go and assist him, 
 he went. He said there had been one carriage 
 just before which had all the harness cut off of it 
 at the entrance of the wood. I could not rest 
 until the whole company were safely housed. — 
 They returned about one o'clock in the morning. 
 The inhabitants of the neighborhood long had 
 cause to remember that meeting. The effects of 
 it were distinctly visible. Fences torn to pieces, 
 and fields of grain wantonly trod down and distroy- 
 ed, with other excesses, absurd and unnecessary, 
 bear witness to the little reformation in morals the 
 meeting had occasioned; but over and above all, 
 the haggard and jaded looks of those people, when 
 they commenced their homeward march on the 
 following day. A rain, the first the earth had been 
 blest with for some time, fell on that day, and 
 many of them must have been caught without a 
 shelter — some with little infants in their arms. — 
 One I saw at the camp which the mother told me 
 was three weeks old ! 
 
 It must be obvious to every person, of common 
 sense, that if camp meetings exhibit such scenes 
 to moral persons, to those u'ho penetrate the re- 
 cesses in their neighborhood the view must be 
 still more revolting. Stories have been told and 
 still are, that almost stagger credulity itself, and 
 they carry with them this proof of their authen- 
 ticity, that the most depraved and abandoned of 
 the human species, are always fond of resorting 
 to them. If the writer of this true sketch can be 
 a means of opening the eyes of any well disposed 
 persons, who have hitherto been disposed to up- 
 hold them, it will be a source of lasting satisfac- 
 tion, and a full reward for all the resentment which 
 ignorance and fanaticism may award. 
 
OBSERVATIONS 
 
OBSERVATIONS 
 
 ON THE 
 
 Upon looking over the preceding pages the au- 
 thor has not been able to discover any mistakes, 
 though there are many things which may be lia- 
 ble to misinterpretation, and some things omitted 
 which the limits of the book would not permit her 
 to discuss. Of the firsi of these, the reflection 
 upon spreading the report in Providence, which 
 proved so disastrous in the after life of Miss Cor- 
 nell, is not meant to be attributed to the mer- 
 chants spoken of — the scandal we know was 
 transmitted to the public through other organs. — 
 And with respect to the letter from Bristol to one 
 of the witnesses, containing three dollars, and 
 which is said to be the sum actually due her, da- 
 ting from the time she v/as summoned, it is due 
 that witness to state, that in her narration to the 
 author of this, she did not say it was not due her, 
 because she was totally ignorant on that head, but 
 she expressed some surprise that they should 
 have " left it until after Avery was taken again," 
 particularly as no recompense had been tendered 
 her for her attendance at Newport where she had 
 bee,n " summoned by the prisoner and detained 
 much longer." 
 
 There is one subject upon which we wished 
 largely to have descanted in this work, but upon 
 which a few words must suffice : that is, the great 
 
196 OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 injury and injustice which the publication of the 
 life and character of Sarah M. Cornell, has done 
 to that class of young women whose lot in life has 
 compelled them to labour in a manufactory. — 
 Many have taken the liberty to say that if all 
 those disgusting particulars were true, it proved 
 to demonstration that " vice was not regarded 
 among that portion of society as it was in any 
 other community : that there was little regard to 
 morals among them, or that persons could not 
 have been tolerated and associated with as we 
 know she was — and finally that it ought to be a 
 warning to parents not to let a daughter go to 
 those places, which was going to certain ruin." — 
 Now nothing can be more unjust than this. There 
 is no person who deprecates the practice of send- 
 ing little children into a cotton manufactory more 
 than the author ; she avers with truth that she 
 has often been affected to tears at the sight of the 
 little innocents, compelled to leave their beds be- 
 fore the rising of the sun and labour until long 
 after its going down in those establishments, and 
 that perhaps to support some idle, drunken father, 
 or miserable unfeeling mother ; but when she has 
 again seen healthy, sprightly and well educated 
 girls, labouring to assist some widowed mother, 
 or to give education to some half dozen little 
 brothers and sisters, her feelings have received a 
 different impulse. There is no way that grown 
 up girls in the present state of society can get bet- 
 ter wages — nor where their payment is so sure. 
 And the privilege of working in manufactories to 
 such is a great one. That these girls are careless 
 of their conduct or their company is scarce ever 
 the case — and the author has known numbers de- 
 spised and shunned, and hunted from the manu- 
 
OBSERVATIOiNS. 197 
 
 facturing villages, upon a charge of a much less 
 serious nature than any of those brought against 
 S. M. Cornell, that is, where they had no meeting 
 to shelter them — where backslidings and recov- 
 eries, expulsion and reinstation, were a common 
 thing. In such a case perhaps it might not be 
 known out of the meeting. Why, if it were pub- 
 licly known, as it ought to be, a girl guilty of half 
 the offences she is charged with, in the state of 
 Massachusetts or Connecticut, would at once find 
 herself in the House of Correction. 
 
 The publication of this matter however has had 
 one good tendency which is obvious. It has gen- 
 erated a suspicion of those noisy, ranting profes- 
 sors, who go about interrogating every one they 
 meet, to know " if they love the Lord ? if they 
 enjoy religion ? if they are not ashamed of Jesus?" 
 &c. &.C. which none but grossly ignorant or hy- 
 pocritical people ever think of asking. We hope 
 and trust it has not lessened the respect felt for 
 those modest, practical and retiring christians, 
 who mind their own concerns, and pursue the 
 even tenor of their way, without seeking to ob- 
 trude themselves or their religion, except where 
 propriety sanctions, and principle and duty au- 
 thorize them to do it ; and these occasions are not 
 rare. There are daily and hourly opportunities 
 for the real christian to shew forth the beauties 
 of holiness, without disgusting people with imper- 
 tinent interrogations, discovering an impudence 
 and boldness inconsistent with their sex and pro- 
 fessions. 
 
 Since writing this book we observe there has 
 been a great hue and cry among a certain class — 
 thfit religion was in danger from dwelling upon 
 this subject — that it was better to have it smother- 
 
198 OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 ed, or in their language, " dropt,''^ and that every 
 christian who lent his aid to keep it in memory, 
 was strengthening the hands of infidelity. To 
 such we would say, we view the subject in a very 
 different light, and we consider it as a very suspi- 
 tious circumstance in professors or ministers of 
 the gospel when they wish to smother " spiritual 
 wickedness in high places." We firmly believe 
 that religion is not so inseparably connected with ^ 
 E. K. Avery, so identified with him, that it must rise 
 or f'dW with him, or indeed with any other preach- 
 er. We have always believed that the existence 
 of counterfeits, was itself a proof there was real 
 coin somewhere, and have been accustomed to 
 consider the Christian Church as a net cast into 
 the sea which gathered fish of every kind both 
 bad and good. Our Bibles tell us " there will be 
 deceivers in the last days." We consider the 
 scripture as fulfilling, and that these enormities 
 being foretold and now accomplishing, proves 
 them true ; but we are not warned to spare such 
 offenders because of their professions, but on the 
 contrary, " that judgment must first begin at the 
 house of God." And we believe whoever is able 
 to assist in this and in pointing out the difference 
 between true and false religion, is doing society 
 and religion itself a great service ; and though 
 men may mistake our motives, we can appeal to 
 the Searcher of all hearts for the purity of them, 
 and we look with hope and confidence for his 
 approbation at the resurrection of the just. 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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