The Case of Bathsheba Spooner.

The article presents supplemental comments on references made by the librarian's annual report of the American Antiquarian Society printed within the issue in regards to the 1778 legal trial of Bathsheba Spooner for the murder of her husband. The author revisits the insanity plea used by the defense in the trial and questions its legitimacy despite the guilty verdict eventually offered. Discussion of Spooner's mental state before the events of the murder is provided, suggesting that the her case may have been valid.