Margaret Jackson, did the same day judicially confess, “That she was present at the making of the first effigy, which was made in Janet Mathie’s house in October last; and that the devil, in the shape of a Black Man, Janet Mathie, Bessie Weir, Marjory Craig, and Annabil Stewart were present at the making of the said effigy, which was made to represent Sir George Maxwell of Pollock, for taking away his life: That forty years since, or thereby, she was in Pollock Shaw’s croft, with some few sticks on her back: That the Black Man came to her; and that she did give up herself to him from the top of her head to the sole of her foot, having first renounced her baptism, and the new name she had from the devil was Locas: That about the 3d or 4th of January last, or thereby, in the night time, when she had wakened, she found a man in the bed, whom she supposed had been her husband, who had died twenty years before, or thereby; and that the man did immediately disappear; and that this man was the devil; and that this was the first time she knew him: That upon Thursday the 4th of January last, she was present in the house of John Stewart at night, when and where the effigy of clay was made; and that she saw the Black Man’s clothes were black, and that he had white hand-cuffs; and that Bessie Weir in Pollock-town, and Annibal Stewart in Shaws, and Marjory Craig, were present the foresaid time and place, at the making of the foresaid effigy of clay: That she gave her consent to the making of the same: That the devil’s name was Ejoal.” This confession had the same solemnities which the two former had.
Upon the 15th of February 1677, the justices being convened again in court at Paisley, John Stewart, and Annibal Stewart, with Margaret Jackson, did adhere to their former judicial confession; but Janet Mathie, Bessie Weir, and Marjory Craig did obstinately deny. One remarkable passage there was concerning Janet Mathie. The justice upon the 27th of January commanded the jailor to fix her feet in the stocks, that she might not do violence to her own life. The man declared, “That the next morning he had found her bolster, which the night before was laid at least six yards distant from the stocks, now placed beneath her; the stocks being so heavy, that two of the strongest men in the country could hardly have carried them six yards: He wondering, did ask her, How she had win to the bolster?” she answered, “That she had crept alongst the floor of the room, drawing the stocks to the same place.” And before the court, she said, “She had gotten one foot free out of the hole, and with the other had drawn the stocks;” a thing altogether impossible, the stocks being so weighty, nor was she able to take her foot out of the hole.
The justices having examined all witnesses in matters of fact, touching the effigies, Sir George’s sickness, and the recovery of his health, upon the finding of the same, considering also the bad fame of those who were obstinate, and having confronted them with the confessing witches, who in their faces avowed their accession, in manner exprest in the confessions above written. Considering, lastly, all other circumstances of their case, committed them to the trial of a judicious inquest; who being found guilty, were condemned to the fire to be burnt, and their effigies with them. Only Annabil, in regard of her nonage, and the evidences she seemed to give of her penitency, was reprieved by order of council, but to remain in prison. In the mean time, both she and her brother John did seriously exhort their mother to confession; and with tears, did Annabil put her in mind of the many meetings she had with the devil in her own house; and that a summer’s day would not be sufficient to relate what she had seen pass between the devil and her; but nothing could prevail with her obdured and hardened heart.
It is to be noted, the dumb girl, whose name was Janet Douglas, doth now speak, not very distinctly, yet so as she may be understood; and is a person that most wonderfully discovers things past, and doth also understand the Latin tongue, which she never learned.
II.—Being a Wonderful discovery of Murder by an Apparition.
About the year of our Lord 1632, near unto Chester in the street, there lived one Walker, a yeoman of good estate, and a widower, who had a young woman called Anna Walker to his kinswoman, that kept his house, who was by the neighbours suspected to be with child; and was, towards the dark of the evening, one night sent away with Mark Sharp, who was a collier, or one that digged coals under ground, and who had been born in Blackburn-hundred in Lancashire, and so she was not heard of for a long time, and no noise or little was made about her. In the winter time, one James Graham, being a miller, and living two miles from the place where Walker lived, was one night alone very late in the mill grinding corn; and about twelve or one o’clock at night he came down the stairs, from having been putting corn in the hopper, the mill-doors being shut, there stood a woman upon the midst of the floor, with her hair about her head, hanging down and all bloody, with five large wounds on her head. He being much affrighted and amazed, began to bless himself; and at last asked her who she was, and what she wanted? To whom she answered, “I am the spirit of such a woman, who lived with Walker; and being got with child by him, he promised to send me to a private place, where I should be well look’d to, until I was brought to bed, and well recovered, and then I should come home again, and keep his house. And accordingly,” said the apparition, “I was one night late, sent away with one Mark Sharp, who upon a muir (naming a plain which the miller knew) slew me with a pick, such as men dig coals withal, and gave me these five wounds, and after threw my body into a coal pit hard by, and hid the pick under a bank; and his shoes and stockings being bloody, he endeavoured to wash them, but seeing the blood would not wash out, he hid them there.” And the apparition further told the miller, “That he must be the man to reveal it, or else that she must still appear and haunt him.” The miller returned home, very sad and heavy, and spoke not one word of what he had seen, but shunned as much as he could to stay in the mill after night without company, thinking thereby to escape the seeing again that frightful apparition. But notwithstanding, one night when it began to be dark, the apparition met him again, and seemed very fierce and cruel; and threatened him, that if he did not reveal the murder, she would continually pursue and haunt him: Yet for all this, he concealed it, until some few nights before Christmas; when being, soon after sunset, walking in his garden, she appeared again, and then so threatened him, and affrighted him, that he faithfully promised to reveal in the next morning.
In the morning he went to a magistrate, and made the whole matter known, with all the circumstances: And diligent search being made, the body was found in a coal pit, with five wounds in the head, and the pick, and shoes and stockings yet bloody, in every circumstance as the apparition had related to the miller. Whereupon Walker and Sharp were both apprehended, but would confess nothing. At the assize following, viz. at Durham, they were arraigned, found guilty, condemned, and executed; but would never confess the fact. There are many persons yet alive that can remember this strange murder; and the discovery of it; for it was, and sometimes yet is, as much discoursed of in the North of England as any thing that almost hath ever been heard of, and the relation was printed, though now not to be gotten.