‘On Hathaway’s side, these things were sworn that I have mentioned already.
‘To convict him of Imposture, it was deposed, That on purpose for an Experiment, Dr. Martin, Minister of the Parish, had contrived that he scratch’d another Woman, when he thought he had scratch’d this Sarah Morduck; and upon that, he opened his Eyes; but, being told he had scratch’d the wrong Woman, he pretended to be blind and dumb again. And the manner of his doing it was such, as showed him a crafty fellow, taking care of himself; for he felt her Arm four times over, before he would scratch her.
‘To prove that his vomiting Pins was by a Trick, it was deposed, That immediately after he had vomited great Numbers in appearance upon the Ground, and was going to vomit more, Care being taken that he should vomit into a Basin, and his Hands being kept down below it, there was not a Pin in the Basin, but a great many crooked ones in his Pockets, in readiness to have play’d his Tricks with.
‘Some of the Noises that were said to be made in the Bed, were shewed to be made by his own Feet scratching the Bed Post.
‘Besides what he got by Gifts and Collections, it was proved that he had tried to make a Gain, by printing a Narrative of his own Case.
‘With respect to his Fasting, it was said by one of his own Witnesses, that there came from him five Times more than he took. After two Days fasting, and refusing to take any thing from Mr. Kensy, for fear he should really starve himself, rather than own his knavery, Mr. Kensy contrived to let him have Meat in a private Way, by this Device. He pretended to fall out with his Maid in Hathaway’s hearing, and said she gave him Meat; and therefor he gave her Warning to be gone. She carried on the Design, and told him she was as ready to be gone as he was to have her go; and, after this feigned Quarrell, she spake kindly to Richard, and bad him take nothing from her Master; for, while she stay’d she would take Care of him. After this, he took Meat from her; but a Child being in the Room, he pointed that it might not see him. He eat and drank any Thing she gave him, Ale, Brandy, Fish, Pudding, Mutton, &c. Once he was drunk, and spew’d, and covered his Vomit with Ashes; But if either Mr. Kensy, or anyone else offered him any, he refused to take it; and, when he had eaten heartily, he would shew them his Belly clung up to his Back, as though there had been nothing in it. The Maid saw this openly, Mr. Kensy saw it through a private Hole; and, once, he had four Neighbours with him, that saw it as well as he. He eat in this manner for eleven Days together, and yet pretended to continue his Fast. If they asked him how many Weeks he had fasted before he came to Mr. Kensy’s House? he counted Ten upon his Fingers. If they asked him how many Weeks he had fasted since his coming thither? he counted Two, tho’ they had seen him eat eleven Days of the two Weeks.
‘When they had Proof enough, Mr. Kensy told him he was discover’d, and said his Friends were in Custody, and had confess’d the whole Matter. Upon that he cried passionately and said he would tell the Lord Chief Justice the whole Truth, and asked, If his Mother was safe? But, my Lord not being at his Chamber, he, in about an Hour after, recanted, and said again that he was bewitched.
‘These Things were deposed at large by many and substantial Witnesses; insomuch that the Jury, without going from the Bar, returned him Guilty.
‘Some Months after, my Lord Chief Justice Holt past Sentence upon him, That he should suffer Imprisonment a Year, and stand in the Pillory three Times.’
The last case of witchcraft in England, where a so-called witch was tried and condemned by judge and jury (although she was not executed), was that of Jane Wenham in 1712. I am aware that another and later case is cited in 1716 of one Mrs. Hicks and her daughter, said to have been executed at Huntingdon, for ‘selling their souls to the devil, making their neighbours vomit pins, and raising a storm by which a certain ship was almost lost’; but as no one yet has been able to find any record of this case, I beg leave to doubt its existence.