And there was other Testimony of People to whom the shape of this How, gave trouble nine or ten years ago.
II. 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 Informations had been given by the Sufferers.
There were 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 prov'd.
III. This How had made some Attempts of joyning to the Church at Ipswich, several years ago; but she was denyed an admission into that Holy Society, partly through 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.
IV. There was a particular Deposition of Joseph Safford,[174] 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 Enchanted, began to take this Woman's part. How being soon after propounded, as desiring an Admission to the Table of the Lord, some of the pious Brethren were unsatisfy'd 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. How's Affairs there were so canvased, 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 justify'd 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 Justify'd before God. So she continued [78] for the space of two or three Hours; and then fell into a Trance. But coming to her self, she cry'd out, Ha! I was mistaken; and afterwards again repeated, Ha! I was mistaken! Being asked by a stander by, Wherein? she replyed, 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 a Testimony for her, that she may be taken into the Church. 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.
V. 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, speaking, 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.
VI. Nehemiah Abbot[175] testify'd, that unusual and mischievous Accidents would befal 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.
VII. There came in Testimony, that one Goodwife Sherwin, upon some Difference with How, was Bewitched; and that she dyed, charging this How with having an Hand in her Death. And that other People had their Barrels of Drink unaccountably mischieved, spoil'd and spilt, upon their displeasing of her.
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 How's Conversation, they once and again lost great Quantities of Drink out of their Vessels, in such a 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 Amaze, insomuch that she knew not what she said or did.
VIII. There was likewise a Cluster of Depositions, That one Isaac Cummings[176] 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 [79] 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 dyed very suddenly.