Examination of Rebecca Nurse.
When they arrived at the village, the examination was in progress.
Mistress Rebecca Nurse, the mother of a large family; aged, venerable,
and bending now a little under the weight of years, was standing as a
culprit before the magistrates, who doubtless had often met her in the
social gatherings of the neighborhood.
She was guarded by two constables, she who needed no guarding. Around,
and as near her as they were allowed to stand, stood her husband and her
grown-up sons and daughters.
One of the strangest features of the time, as it strikes the reader of
this day, was the peaceful submission to the lawful authorities
practised by the husbands and fathers, and grown-up sons and brothers of
the women accused. Reaching as the list of alleged witches did in a
short time, to between one hundred and fifty and two hundred
persons--nearly the whole of them members of the most respectable
families--it is wonderful that a determined stand in their behalf was
not the result. One hundred resolute men, resolved to sacrifice their
lives if need be, would have put a stop to the whole matter. And if
there had been even twenty men in Salem, like Joseph Putnam, the thing
no doubt would have been done.
And in the opinion of the present writer, such a course would have been
far more worthy of praise, than the slavish submission to such outrages
as were perpetrated under the names of law, justice and religion. The
sons of these men, eighty years later, showed at Lexington and Concord
and Bunker Hill, that when Law and Peace become but grotesque masks,
under which are hidden the faces of legalized injustice and tyranny,
then the time has come for armed revolt and organized resistance.
But such was the darkness and bigotry of the day in respect to religious
belief, that the great majority of the people were mentally paralyzed by
the accepted faith, so that they were not able in many respects to
distinguish light from darkness. When an estimable man or woman was
accused of being a witch, for the term was indifferently applied to both
sexes, even their own married partners, their own children, had a more
or less strong conviction that it might possibly be so. And this made
the peculiar horror of it.
In at least fifty cases, the accused confessed that they were witches,
and sometimes accused others in turn. This was owing generally to the
influence of their relatives, who implored them to confess; for to
confess was invariably to be acquitted, or to be let off with simple
imprisonment.
But to return to poor Rebecca Nurse, haled without warning from her
prosperous, happy home at the Bishop Farm, carried to jail, loaded with
chains, and now brought up for the tragic farce of a judicial
examination. In this case also, the account given in my friend's little
book is amply confirmed by other records. Mistress Ann Putnam, Abigail
Williams (the minister's niece), Elizabeth Hubbard and Mary Walcott,
were the accusers.
"Abigail Williams, have you been hurt by this woman?" said magistrate
Hathorne.
"Yes," replied Abigail. And then Mistress Ann Putnam fell to the floor
in a fit; crying out between her violent spasms, that it was Rebecca
Nurse who was then afflicting her.
"What do you say to those charges?" The accused replied: "I can say
before the eternal Father that I am innocent of any such wicked doings,
and God will clear my innocence."
Then a man named Henry Kenney rose, and said that Mistress Nurse
frequently tormented him also; and that even since he had been there
that day, he had been seized twice with an amazed condition.
"The villain!" muttered Joseph Putnam to those around him, "if I had him
left to me for a time, I would have him in an amazed condition!"
"You are an unbeliever, and everybody knows it, Master Putnam," said one
near him. "But we who are of the godly, know that Satan goes about like
a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."
"Quiet there!" said one of the magistrates.
Edward Putnam (another of the brothers) then gave in his evidence,
saying that he had seen Mistress Ann Putnam, and the other accusers,
grievously tormented again and again, and declaring that Rebecca Nurse
was the person who did it.
"These are serious charges, Mistress Nurse," said Squire Hathorne, "are
they true?"
"I have told you that they are false. Why, I was confined to my sick bed
at the time it is said they occurred."
"But did you not send your spectre to torment them?"
"How could I? And I would not if I could."
Here Mistress Putnam was taken with another fit. Worse than the other,
which greatly affected the whole people. Coming to a little, she cried
out: "Did you not bring the black man with you? Did you not tell me to
tempt God and die? Did you not eat and drink the red blood to your own
damnation?"
These words were shrieked out so wildly, that all the people were
greatly agitated and murmured against such wickedness. But the prisoner
releasing her hand for a moment cried out, "Oh, Lord, help me!"
"Hold her hands," some cried then, for the afflicted persons seemed to
be grievously tormented by her. But her hands being again firmly held by
the guards, they seemed comforted.
Then the worthy magistrate Hathorne said, "Do you not see that when your
hands are loosed these people are afflicted?"
"The Lord knows," she answered, "that I have not hurt them."
"You would do well if you are guilty to confess it; and give glory to
God."
"I have nothing to confess. I am as innocent as an unborn child."
"Is it not strange that when you are examined, these persons should be
afflicted thus?"
"Yes, it is very strange."
[Illustration: "The Lord knows that I haven't hurt them"]
"Do you believe these afflicted persons are bewitched?"
"I surely do think they must be."
Weary of the proceedings and the excitement, the aged lady allowed her
head to droop on one side. Instantly the heads of the accusers were bent
the same way.
Abigail Williams cried out, "Set up Mistress Nurse's neck, our necks
will all be broken." The jailers held up the prisoner's neck; and the
necks of all the accused were instantly made straight again. This was
considered a marvelous proof; and produced a wonderful effect upon the
magistrates and the people. Mistress Ann Putnam went into such great
bodily agony at this time, charging it all upon the prisoner, that the
magistrates gave her husband permission to carry her out of the house.
Only then, when no longer in the sight of the prisoner, could she regain
her peace.
"Mistress Nurse was then recommitted to the jail in Salem, in order to
further examination."
"What deviltry is coming next?" said Joseph Putnam to his friend.
Many of those around glared on the speaker, but he was well known to all
of them as a daring--and when angered even a desperate young man--and
they allowed him to say with impunity, freely what no one else could
even have whispered. His son in after years, looked not into the wolf's
eyes in the dark den with a sterner gaze, than he looked into the
superstitious and vengeful wolves' eyes around him.
"To think that a godly old woman like Mistress Nurse, should be
tormented by this Devil's brood of witches, led on by that she-devil
sister of mine, Ann Putnam."
Many around heard him, but none cared to meet the young man's fierce
eyes, as they blazed upon those that were nearest.
"Do control yourself, my friend," whispered Master Raymond. "Preserve
yourself for a time when your indignation may do some good."
Then the constable brought in a little girl of about five years of age,
Dorcas Good, a daughter of Sarah Good, who had been arrested on the
complaint of Edward and Jonathan Putnam.
The evidence against this little girl of five was overwhelming. Mistress
Ann Putnam, Mercy Lewis, and Mary Walcott were the accusers--charging
the innocent and pretty little creature with biting, pinching and
choking them--the little girl smiling while they were giving their
testimony. She was not old enough to understand what it was all about,
and that even her life was in danger from these demoniacs. They
absolutely pretended to show the marks of her little teeth in their
arms. Then, after going through the usual convulsions, they shrieked out
that she was running pins into them; and the pins were found on
examination sticking into their bodies.
The little girl was, as I have said, at first inclined to laugh at all
the curious proceedings, and the spasms and contortions of the
witnesses, but at last, seeing everyone so solemn and looking so
wickedly at her, she began to cry; until Joseph Putnam went up to her
and gave her some sweet cake to eat, which he had provided for his own
luncheon and then, looking into his kind face, she began to smile again.
The Magistrates frowned upon Master Putnam, as he did this, but he paid
no attention to their frowns. And when the little girl was ordered back
to jail as a prisoner to await her trial, he bent down and kissed her
before she was led away by the constable.
This was the end of the proceedings for that day and the crowd began to
disperse.
"This is a pretty day's work you have made of it, sister-in-law," said
Joseph Putnam, striding up to his brother's wife. "You say that you are
tormented by many devils, and I believe it. Now I want to give you, and
all the Devil's brood around you, fair warning that if you dare to touch
with your foul lies any one belonging to my house including the stranger
within my gates, you shall answer it with your lives, in spite of all
your judges and prisons."
So saying, he glared at his two brothers, who made no reply, and walked
out of the meeting-house in which this ungodly business had been
transacted.
"Oh, it is only Joe," said Thomas Putnam; "he always was the spoiled
child of the family."
His wife said nothing, but soon a hard, bitter smile took the place of
the angry flush that the young man's words had produced. Dulcibel Burton
was not one of his household, nor within his gates.