In the meantime it happened, that his wife, having been delivered of twins, and lain in but eleven days, was surprised by ten thief-catchers, who, having surrounded the house by night, entered it with this threat: That if she would not indicate her husband’s hiding place, she should not leave the house for six weeks, or else she would have to go to church herself. But when she would not comply with this, two of the ten remained, and guarded her day and night.
This filled the woman with such terror that, seeing their design, she, on a certain very cold night, broke away with her two infants, and went a long unbeaten way, over hill and dale, and thus escaped the enemies’ hands, forsaking all that she had, which the authorities rented to strangers, realizing thereby a thousand guilders annually. See Jer. Mang. Tract, fol. 13, A.
ELIZABETH HILZIN, A. D. 1639.
In the meantime they treated some far more severely and cruelly than the preceding ones; for they ceased not with mere imprisonment, but the people were suffered to die by sheer want, poverty and misery.
Among those that suffered death, there is numbered Elizabeth Hilzin, a godfearing woman and sister of the church, who having been apprehended, bound, and imprisoned in Othenbach, was there treated so harshly, that she, from that time on, had but few well moments.
Nevertheless no mercy or compassion was shown her, until she, in consequence of all the hardships suffered, wasted in body, and, having surrendered her spirit, which she had received from God, back to him, died. However, the second death shall not hurt her, according to the promise of the Lord: “He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” Rev. 2:11. See above.
Note.—The authorities extorted a fine of five hundred guilders from the surviving husband of Elizabeth Hilzin.
Further observations.—About this time, 1639, there was also apprehended a young man from Horgerberg, named Hans Aster. He was also taken to Zurich into Othenbach, fed on bread and water for a time, stripped in his bonds, etc., but subsequently helped out, through the assistance of some of his fellow believers.
When this occurred, he was so miserably crippled through the severe imprisonment, that he had to be carried a long distance in the night.
In the meantime, also his wife with her infant child was apprehended, and confined in Othenbach for a time, but subsequently, through divine providence, escaped the enemies’ hands.