MRS. HOWE’S CASE
Sunday, May 29, 1692, Ephraim Wildes, constable of Topsfield, with a capias signed by John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin, Assistants, went to the home of James Howe, Jr., in Ipswich Farms, and took into custody the wife and mother as a witch.
She was charged with sundry acts of witchcraft upon the bodies of Mary Walcott and Abigail Williams, and others of Salem Village. She was examined the next Wednesday at the house of Nathaniel Ingersoll of that place. She pleaded not guilty, denied all knowledge of the matter and testified that she had never heard of the girls, Mary and Abigail, till their names were read in the warrant. But in court they fell down, they cried out, they were pinched and pricked, and they accused Mrs. Howe. She was remanded to prison to await the action of the Jury of Inquest. Her case was called Wednesday and Thursday, June 29 and 30, 1692.
The Sunday Warrant
And its Sunday Service
To the Constable of Topsfield:
You are in theyr Magestyes Names hereby Requested to Apprehend & bring before us Elizabeth How ye wife of James How of Topsfield Husbandman on tuesday next being the thirty-first day of May about ten of ye Clock in ye forenoon. at ye house of Leut Nathaniel Ingersolls of Salem Village Whoe Stand Charged with Sundry Acts of Witchcraft done or committed on ye bodyes of Mary Wolcott Abigail Williams & others of Salem Village, to theyr great hurt, in order to her examination Relating to ye abovesd premises & hereof you are nott to fayle.
Dat’ Salem May 28th, 1692.
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| John Hathorne } | |
| Jonathan Corwin } | Assists. |
In obedience to this warrant I have apprehended Elizabeth How the wife of Jems how on the 29th of May 1692 and have brought har unto the house of leftnant nathaniell englosons according too ye warrant as atested by me Ephraim Willdes constabell for the town of Topsfield.
Dated may 31st 1692.
The Preliminary Examination
She Never Heard of Her Accusers Before
Mercy Lewis & Mary Walcott fell in a fit quickly after the examinant came in. Mary Walcott said that this woman the examinant had pincht her & Choakt this month. Ann Putnam said she had hurt her three times
Question. What say you to this charge? Here are them that charge you with witchcraft Answer. If it was the last moment I was to live God knows I am innocent of anything of this nature
Q. Did not you take notice that now when you lookt upon Mercy Lewis she was struck down? A. I cannot help it. Q. You are charged here what doe you say? A. I am innocent of anything of this nature Q. Is this the first time that ever you were accused A. Yes Sr Q. Do not you know that one at Ipswich hath accused you? A. This is the first time that ever I heard of it. Q. You say that you never heard of these folks before.
Mercy Lewis at length spake & charged this woman with hurting & pinching her. And then Abigail Williams cryed she hath hurt me a great many times, a great while and she hath brought me the book. Ann Putnam had a pin stuck in her hand.
Q. What do you say to this? A. I cannot help it. Q. What consent have you given?
Abig Williams cryed out that she was pincht & great prints were seen in her arm. Mary Warren cryed out she was prickt
Q. Have you not seen some apparition? A. No never in all my life.
She looked upon Mary Warren & said Warren violently fell down. Look upon this maid, viz.: Mary Walcott her back being towards the examinant. Mary Warren & Ann Putnam said they saw this woman upon her. Susan Sheldon saith this was the woman that carryd her yesterday to the Pond. Sus. Sheldon carried to the examinant in a fit & was well upon grasping her arm.
Q. You said you never heard before of these people. A. Not before the warrant was served me last Sabbath day.
John Indian cryed out Oh she bites & fell into a grevious fit & so carried to her in his fit & was well upon her grasping him.
Q. What do you say to these things—they cannot come to you. A. Sr I am unable to give account of it. Q. Cannot you tell what keeps them off from your body? A. I cannot tell I know not what it is.
This a true account of the examination of Eliz: How taken from my characters written at the time thereof.
Witness my hand
[Signed] Sam Parris.
The Indictment. The Case
Heard June 29th and 30th and July 1st
The jurors of our Sovereign Lord and Lady the King and Queen represent That Elizabeth How wife of James of Ips. the 31st day of May the fourth year of our Sovereigne Lord and Lady Wm. and Mary by the Grace of God of England Scotland ffrance and Ireland King and Queen defenders of the ffaith &c. and Divers other days and times as well before as after Certaine Detestable Acts called Witchcraft and sorceries wickedly and ffelloniously hath used Practiced and Exercised at and within the Township of Salem in the county of Essex aforesaid in upon and against one Mary Walcott of Salem Village singlewoman by which said wicked arts the said Mary Walcott the 31th day of May in the 4th year aforesaid and Divers other Days and times as well before as after was and is Tortured, Afflicted Pined Consumed wasted and Tormented and also for sundry other Acts of witchcraft by said Elizabeth How Committed and Done before and since that time agt the Peace of our Soverigne Lord and Lady the King and Queen and against the form of the statute in that case made and Provided.
The Witnesses
Timothy and Deborah Perley
the first of iune 1692 the deposition of timothi Perley and deborah Perley his wife timoth Perley aged about 39 and his wife about 33 there being som diference between goode how that is now seized namely Elizabeth How wife of James How Junr and timothi Perli abovesaid about som bords the night following our cous lay out and finding of them the next morning we went to milk them and one of them did not give but two or thre spoone fuls of milk and one of the other cous did not give above halfe a Pinte and the other gave aboute a quart and these cous used to give three or four quarts at a meale two of these cous continued to give litle or nothing four or five meals and yet thes went to a good inglish pasture and within four dais the cous gave ther full Proportion that thir used to give.
furder deborah Perley testifieth and as conserning hanah Perley Samuel Perleys daughter that was so sore afflicted her mother and she coming to our house hanah Perley being suddinli scared & so thers that woman she goes into the oven and out againe and then fell into a dredful fit and when I have asked her when she said that woman what woman she ment she tould me ieams hows wife sometimes hanah Perley went along with me to ieams hows an sone fell into a fitt goode how was ueri louing to her and when the garl and I came away i asked whi she talked so of goode how being she was so louing to her she tould me that if i were aflicted as she was that I would talk as bad of her as she did at anothr tim i saw goode how and hanah Perley together and thai were ueri louing together and after goode How was gone i asked whi she was so louing to good how when thai were together she tould me that she was afraide to doe otherwise for then goode how would kil her.
Deborah Perley
Testified to June 30th before the Jury of Inquest