James Fenimore Cooper's Frontier: The Pioneers as History

Chapter 33:

 [The Trial] It is Court day, and crowds are wending their way to Templeton to 

attend it as jurors or litigants. Richard Jones leads a procession from the Bold Dragoon to the 

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courtroom, located over the log jail, and the proceedings begin. Natty Bumppo is brought before 

the Judge on two indictments. Dirck Van der School, as District Attorney, charges Natty with 

assault and battery on Hiram Doolittle; Squire Lippet defends him on the grounds that Doolittle, 

though a Magistrate, was not a Constable, and thus had no right to execute the search warrant. 

The jury finds Natty not guilty. On the second indictment, for threatening a constable with 

firearms, the jury finds Natty guilty even though Billy Kirby insists he was never put in fear. The 

Judge sentences Natty to a fine of one hundred dollars, to be placed in the public stocks for one 

hour, and to be jailed for a month. Natty asks not to be jailed, since he cannot stand being shut in, 

and offers to earn the fine money by hunting. Ben Pump offers to pay the fine, but Judge Temple 

ends the proceedings and orders Natty placed in the stocks.