FOOTNOTES:
[84] This second Indictment is given in full in the Records, for which see Records of Salem Witchcraft, Vol. i, 195-6.
[85] Lieut. John Allen was of Salisbury; and his Age 45. The Accused troubled him at some previous Period, but the Time he does not state.
[86] The Witness, John Atkinson, was aged about 56 Years. His Evidence related to Matters of some five Years past. See Wonders of Invisible World, Vol. [I], Page [178].
[87] Peache's Evidence was of Troubles of about ten Years before. He said his Age was about 42; and at the Time of the Witchcraft complained of, he lived with William Osgood, of Salisbury.
[88] Downer's Age was 52, and he belonged to Salisbury. What he swore to was of Events which happened "several Years ago."
[89] Three Persons of the Name of Elliot are implicated in the Witch Court Proceedings—Andrew, Daniel, and this Edmund, who was of Amesbury. The Boston Eliots were of this Lineage.
[90] John Kimball was of Amesbury, and was "aged 45 or vpward." His swearing was to Occurrencies of twenty-three Years standing; that about that Time he removed from Newbury to Amesbury, having bought a Piece of Land of Geo. Martin. The Testimony of Kimball occupies three and an half Pages of the Records, i, 218-21. He probably married Mary Hobbs, in Newbury.
[91] This Testimony was by William Browne, of Amesbury, whose Age was 70 Years, or "ther about." What he swore to happened, he said "about on or to and thirty Years ago." The Trouble seems to have been between Mrs. Martin, and Browne's Wife, who was afflicted with hysteric Fits: insomuch that she was insane. He had applied to Doctors Fuller and Crosby, but they said her Complaint was supernatural, and that some evil Person had bewitched her. When in this State she would not own him for her Husband, and "asked him whether he did not mett with one Mr. Bent of Abey in England by whom he was divorced."—Records S. W., i, 206-8.
[92] Sarah Atkinson was probably the Wife of John Atkinson, mentioned at Note [86]. The "singular Confusion" appears to have been gratuitously thrown in by Dr. Mather. It is not in the Record. Her Age is given as 48 Years, or thereabouts.
[93] John Pressy, aged 53, and "Marah his Wif aged 46 or ther abouts." It comes out in this Evidence, but is not mentioned by Mather, that at some 20 Years previous, this John Pressy and Wife had testified against Mrs. Martin, and that she had accused them of taking a false Oath. Such was the Origin of much of the Testimony.
[94] Thomas Hardy of Great Island, at Pascatequay. Why Mather conceals his Name, except by the Initials, is not known.
[95] Jarvis Ring's Case could have been nothing but one of Nightmare. Joseph Ring, brother of Jarvis, was 27 years of Age. They belonged to Salisbury. His Evidence compares very well with that of the Girls and other Miscreants, foregone. The Testimonies of the Amesbury Accusers were taken before "Robert Pike, Assist."
Indictment of Elizabeth How.
The Indictment of Elizabeth How.
Essex ss.
Anno Regni Regis & Reginæ Williemi & Mariæ, nunc Angliæ, &c. quarto.—
THE Jurors for our Soveraign Lord and Lady, the King and Queen present, That Elizabeth How, Wife of James How of Ipswich, the Thirty first Day of May, in the Fourth Year of the Reign of our Soveraign Lord and Lady, William and Mary, by the Grace of God, of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, King and Queen, Defenders of the Faith, &c. and divers other days and times, as well before as after, certain detestable Arts, called Witchcrafts and Sorceries, wickedly and Felloniously hath used, practiced, and exercised at, and within the Township of Salem, in the County of Essex aforesaid, in, upon, and against one Mary Wolcott, of Salem-Village, in the County aforesaid, single Woman; by which said wicked Arts, the said Mary Wolcott, the said Thirty first Day of May, in the Fourth Year as abovesaid, 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 Witchcrafts, by said Elizabeth How; committed and done before and since that time, against the Peace of our Sovereign Lord and Lady, the King and Queen, and against the form of the Statue, in that case made and provided.
Witnesses—Mary Wolcott, Ann Putnam, Abigail Williams, Samuel Pearly, and his Wife Ruth, Joseph Andrews, and Wife Sarah, John Sherrin, Joseph Safford, Francis Lane, Lydia Foster, Isaac Cummins, Junior.
There was also a second Indictment for afflicting of Mercy Lewis.
Witnesses—Mercy Lewis, Mary Wolcott, Abigail Williams, Ann Putnam, Samuel Pearly and Wife, Joseph Andrews and Wife, John Sherrin, Joseph Safford, Francis Lane, Lydia Foster.
Elizabeth How's Tryal.
[133] The Tryal of Elizabeth How,[96] June 30, 1692. As is Printed In Wonders of the Invisible World, from P. 126 to P. 132, inclusively.
1. ELIZABETH How, pleading, not Guilty to the Indictment of Witchcrafts, then charged upon her; the Court, according to the usual proceeding of the Courts in England; in such Cases, began with hearing the Deposition of several Afflicted People, who were grievously tormented by sensible and evident Witchcrafts, and all complained of the Prisoner, as the cause of their trouble. It was also found that the Suffers were not able to bear her look, as likewise, that in their greatest swoons, they distinguished her touch from other Peoples, being thereby raised out of them.
And there was other Testimony of People to whom the shape of this How, gave trouble Nine or Ten Years ago.[97]
2. It has been a most usual thing for the bewitched persons at the same time that the Spectres representing the Witches, Troubled them to be visited with Apparitions of Ghosts, pretending to have been murdered by the Witches then represented. And sometimes the confessions of the Witches afterwards acknowledged those very Murders, which these Apparitions charged upon them; altho they had never heard what Information had been given by the Sufferers.
There was such Apparitions of Ghosts testified by some of the present Sufferers, and the Ghosts affirmed that this How had murdered them: which things were fear'd, but not proved.[98]
3. This How had made some attempts of Joining to the Church at Ipswich, several Years ago; but she was denied an Admission into that holy Society, partly thro a suspicion of Witchcraft, then urged against her. And there now came in Testimony of preternatural Mischiefs, presently befalling some that had been Instrumental to debar her from the Communion whereupon she was intruding.[99]
4. There was a particular Deposition of Joseph Safford, that his Wife had conceived an extream Aversion, to this How, on the reports of her Witchcrafts; but How one day taking her by the hand, and saying, I believe you are not Ignorant of the great scandal, that I lye under, by an Evil report raised upon me. She immediately, unreasonably, and unperswadeably, even like one Inchanted, began to take this Womans part. How being soon after propounded, as desiring an Admission to the Table of the Lord, some of the Pious Brethren were unsatisfied about her. The Elders appointed a meeting to hear matters objected against her; and no arguments in the World could hinder this Goodwife Safford from going to the Lecture. She did indeed promise with much ado that she would not go to the Church-meeting; yet she could not refrain going thither also. [134] How's affairs there were so canvassed, that she came off rather Guilty, than cleared; nevertheless Goodwife Safford could not forbear taking her by the Hand, and saying, Tho you are condemned before Men, you are justified before God. She was quickly taken in a very strange manner; Frantick, Raving, Raging, and crying out, Goody How must come into the Church; she is a precious Saint, and tho' she be condemned before Men, she is justified before God. So she continued for the space of two or three hours; and then fell into a Trance. But coming to herself, she cried out, Ha! I was mistaken! afterwards again repeated, Ha! I was mistaken! being asked by a stander by, Wherein? she replied, I thought Goody How had been a precious Saint of God, but now I see she is a Witch: she has bewitched me and my Child, and we shall never be well, till there be Testimony for her, that she may be taken into the Church.[100]
And How said afterwards, That she was very sorry to see Safford at the Church-meeting mentioned. Safford after this, declared herself to be Afflicted by the shape of How, and from that shape she endured many miseries.
5. John How, Brother to the Husband of the Prisoner testified that he refusing to accompany the Prisoner unto her Examination as was by her desired, immediately some of his Cattle, were bewitched to Death, leaping Three or four Foot high, turning about, squeaking, falling and dying at once; and going to cut off an Ear, for an use, that might as well perhaps have been omitted, the Hand wherein he held his Knife was taken very Numb; and so it remained, and full of pain for several Days; being not well at this very time. And he suspected this Prisoner, for the Author of it.[101]
6. Nehemiah Abbot testified, that unusual and mischievous accidents would befall his Cattle, whenever he had any difference with this Prisoner. Once particularly she wished his Ox choaked, and within a little while, that Ox was choaked with a Turnip in his Throat. At another time, refusing to lend his Horse, at the request of her Daughter, the Horse was in a preternatural manner abused. And several other odd things of that kind were testified.[102]
7. There came in Testimony that one Goodwife Sherwin, upon some difference with How was bewitched, and, that she died, charging this How of having an hand in her Death. And that other People had their Barrels of Drink unaccountably mischiev'd, spoiled, and spilt upon their displeasing her.[103]
The things in themselves were trivial; but there being such a course of them, it made them the more to be considered. Among others, Martha Wood gave her testimony, that a little after, her Father had been employed in gathering an account of this How's Conversation, they once and again lost great quantities of Drink, out of their Vessels, in such a [135] manner, as they could ascribe to nothing but Witchcraft. As also that How giving her some Apples, when she had eaten of them, she was taken with a very strange kind of a maze, insomuch that she knew not what she said or did.[104]
8. There was likewise a Cluster of Depositions, that one Isaac Cummings, refusing to lend his Mare, unto the Husband of this How; the Mare was within a Day or two taken in a strange condition. The beast seemed much abused; being bruised, as if she had been running over the Rocks, and marked where the Bridle went, as if burnt with a red hot Bridle. Moreover one using a Pipe of Tobacco for the cure of the Beast, a blew flame issued out of her, took hold of her hair, and not only spread and burnt on her, but it also flew upwards towards the Roof of the Barn, and had like to have set the Barn on fire. And the Mare dy'd very suddenly.[105]
9. Timothy Perly and his Wife, testified, not only that unaccountable Mischiefs befel their Cattle, upon their having of differences with this Prisoner; but also that they had a Daughter destroyed by Witchcrafts; which Daughter still charged How, as the cause of her Affliction; and it was noted that she would be struck down, whenever How were spoken of. She was often endeavoured to be thrown into the Fire, and into the Water, in her strange Fitts; tho her Father had corrected, for charging How with bewitching her, yet (as was testified by others also) she said she was sure of it, and must dye standing to it. Accordingly she charged How to the very death; and said, Tho How could Afflict and Torment her Body, yet she could not hurt her Soul, and that the truth of this matter would appear when she should be dead and gone.[106]
10. Francis Lane testified, that being hired by the Husband of this How to get him a parcel of Posts and Rails, this Lane hired John Pearly to assist him. This Prisoner then told Lane that she believed the Posts and Rails would not do, because John Pearly helped him; but that if he had got them alone without John Pearly's help, they might have done well enough. When James How came to receive his Posts and Rails of Lane, How taking them up by the Ends, they, tho good and sound yet unaccountably broke off, so that Lane was forced to get Thirty or Forty more. And this Prisoner being informed of it, she said, She told him so before: because Pearly helped about them.[107]
11. Afterwards there came in the Confessions of several other (penitent) Witches, which affirmed this How to be one of those who with them had been baptized by the Devil in the River, at Newberry-Falls: before which he made them there kneel down by the Brink of the River, and Worship him.[108]