But before this the said _Bishops_ Eldest Son, having Married into that
Family of the _Putmans_, who were chief Prosecutors in this business;
he holding a Cow to be branded lest it should be seiz'd, and having a
Push or Boyl upon his Thigh, with his straining it broke; this is that
that was pretended to be burnt with the said Brand; and is one of the
bones thrown to the Dogmatical to pick, in _Wonders of the Invisible
World_, P. 143. the other, of a Corner of a Sheet, pretended to be
taken from a Spectre, it is known that it was provided the day before,
by that Afflicted person, and the third bone of a Spindle is almost as
easily provided, as the piece of the Knife; so that _Apollo_ needs not
herein be consulted, _&c._
Mr. _Philip English_,[47] and his Wife having made their Escape out of
Prison, Mr. _Corwin_ the Sheriff seiz'd his Estate, to the value of
about Fifteen Hundred Pound, which was wholly lost to him, except about
Three Hundred Pound value, (which was afterward restored.)
[109] After Goodwife _Hoar_ was Condemned, her Estate was seiz'd, and
was also bought again for Eight Pound.
_George Jacobs_, Son to old _Jacobs_ being accused, he fled, then the
Officers came to his House, his Wife was a Woman Crazy in her Senses
and had been so several Years. She it seems had been also accused,
there were in the House with her only four small Children, and one of
them suck'd her Eldest Daughter, being in Prison; the Officer perswaded
her out of the House, to go along with him, telling her she should
speedily return, the Children ran a great way after her crying.
When she came where the Afflicted were, being asked, they said they
did not know her, at length one said, don't you know _Jacobs_ the old
Witch, and then they cry'd out of her, and fell down in their Fits; she
was sent to Prison, and lay there Ten Months, the Neighbours of pity
took care of the Children to preserve them from perishing.
About this time a New Scene was begun, one _Joseph Ballard_[48] of
_Andover_, whose Wife was ill (and after died of a Fever) sent to
_Salem_ for some of those Accusers, to tell him who afflicted his
Wife; others did the like: Horse and Man were sent from several places
to fetch those Accusers who had the Spectral sight, that they might
thereby tell who afflicted those that were any ways ill.
When these came into any place where such were, usually they fell into
a Fit; after which being asked who it was that afflicted the person,
they would, for the most part, name one whom they said sat on the
head, and another that sat on the lower parts of the afflicted. Soon
after _Ballard's_ sending (as above) more than Fifty of the People of
_Andover_ were complained of, for afflicting their Neighbours. Here it
was that many accused themselves, of Riding upon Poles through the Air;
many Parents believing their Children to be Witches, and many Husbands
their Wives, _&c._ When these Accusers came to the House of any upon
such account, it was ordinary for other young People to be taken in
Fits, and to have the same Spectral sight.[49]
Mr. _Dudley Bradstreet_,[50] a Justice of Peace in _Andover_, having
granted out Warrants against, and Committed Thirty or Forty to Prisons,
for the supposed Witchcrafts, at length saw cause to forbear granting
out any more Warrants. Soon after which he and his Wife were cried
out of, himself was (by them) said to have killed Nine persons by
Witchcraft, and found it his safest course to make his Escape.
A Dog being afflicted at _Salem_-Village, those that had the Spectral
sight being sent for, they accused Mr. _John Bradstreet_ (Brother to
the Justice) that he afflicted the said Dog, and now rid upon him: He
made his Escape into _Pescattequa_-Government, and the Dog was put to
death, and was all of the Afflicted that suffered death.
[110] At _Andover_, the Afflicted complained of a Dog, as afflicting of
them, and would fall into their Fits at the Dogs looking upon them; the
Dog was put to death.
A worthy Gentleman of _Boston_,[51] being about this time accused
by those at _Andover_, he sent by some particular Friends a Writ to
Arrest those Accusers in a Thousand Pound Action for Defamation, with
instructions to them, to inform themselves of the certainty of the
proof, in doing which their business was perceived, and from thence
forward the Accusations at _Andover_ generally ceased.
In _October_ some of these Accusers were sent for to _Gloucester_, and
occasioned four Women to be sent to Prison, but _Salem_ Prison being so
full it could receive no more; two were sent to _Ipswich_ Prison.[52]
In _November_ they were sent for again by Lieutenant _Stephens_, who
was told that a Sister of his was bewitched; in their way passing
over _Ipswich_-bridge, they met with an old Woman, and instantly fell
into their Fits: But by this time the validity of such Accusations
being much questioned, they found not that Encouragement they had done
elsewhere, and soon withdrew.
These Accusers swore that they saw three persons sitting upon
Lieutenant _Stephens's_ Sister till she died; yet Bond was accepted for
those Three.
And now Nineteen persons having been hang'd, and one prest to death,
and Eight more condemned, in all Twenty and eight, of which above a
third part were Members of some of the Churches in _N. England_, and
more than half of them of a good Conversation in general, and not one
clear'd. About Fifty having confest themselves to be Witches, of which
not one Executed; above an Hundred and Fifty in Prison, and above Two
Hundred more accused. The Special Commission of _Oyer_ and _Terminer_
comes to a period, which has no other foundation than the Governours
Commission, and had proceeded in the manner of swearing Witnesses,
_viz._ By holding up the hand, (and by receiving Evidences in writing)
according to the Ancient Usuge of this Countrey; as also having their
Indictments in _English_. In the Tryals, when any were Indicted for
Afflicting, Pining, and wasting the Bodies of particular persons by
Witchcraft; it was usual to hear Evidence of matter foreign, and of
perhaps Twenty or Thirty years standing, about over-setting Carts,
the death of Cattle, unkindness to Relations, or unexpected Accidents
befalling after some quarrel.[53] Whether this was admitted by the
Law of _England_, or by what other Law, wants to be determined;
the Executions seemed mixt, in pressing to death for not pleading,
which most agrees with the Laws of _England_, and Sentencing Women
to be hanged for Witchcraft, according to the former practice of
this Country, and not by burning, as is said to have been the Law of
_England_. And though the confessing Witches were many; yet not one of
them that confessed their own guilt, and abode by their Confession were
put to Death.
[111] Here followeth what account some of those miserable Creatures
give of their Confession under their own hands.
_We whose Names are under written, Inhabitants of_ Andover, _when as
that horrible and tremendous Judgment beginning at_ Salem-_Village,
in the Year_ 1692, _(by some) call'd Witchcraft, first breaking forth
at Mr._ Parris's _House, several Young persons being seemingly
afflicted, did accuse several persons for afflicting them, and many
there believing it so to be; we being informed that if a person were
sick, that the afflicted persons could tell, what or who was the
cause of that sickness._ Joseph Ballard _of_ Andover _(his Wife being
sick at the same time) he either from himself, or by the advice of
others, fetch'd two of the persons call'd the afflicted persons,
from_ Salem-_Village to_ Andover: _Which was the beginning of that
dreadful Calamity that befel us in_ Andover. _And the Authority in_
Andover, _believing the said Accusations to be true, sent for the
said persons to come together to the Meeting-house in_ Andover _(the
afflicted persons being there.) After Mr._ Bernard[54] _had been
at Prayer, we were blindfolded, and our hands were laid upon the
afflicted persons, they being in their Fits, and falling into their
Fits at our coming into their presence (as they said) and some led
us and laid our hands upon them, and then they said they were well,
and that we were guilty of afflicting of them; whereupon we were all
seized as Prisoners, by a Warrant from the Justice of the Peace, and
forthwith carried to_ Salem. _And by reason of that suddain surprizal,
we knowing ourselves altogether Innocent of that Crime, we were all
exceedingly astonished and amazed, and consternated and affrighted even
out of our Reason; and our nearest and dearest Relations, seeing us in
that dreadful condition, and knowing our great danger, apprehending
that there was no other way to save our lives, as the case was then
circumstantiated but by our confessing ourselves to be such and such
persons, as the afflicted represented us to be, they out of tender
love and pitty perswaded us to confess what we did confess. And indeed
that Confession, that it is said we made, was no other than what was
suggested to us by some Gentlemen; they telling us, that we were
Witches, and they knew it, and we knew it, and they knew that we knew
it, which made us think that it was so; and our understanding, our
reason, and our faculties almost gone; we were not capable of judging
our condition; as also the hard measures they used with us, rendred
us uncapable of making our Defence; but said any thing and every
thing which they desired, and most of what we said, was but in effect
a consenting to what they said. Sometime after when we were better
composed, they telling of us what we had confessed, we did profess
that we were Innocent, and Ignorant of such things. And we hearing
that_ Samuel Wardwell _had renounced his Confession, and quickly after
Condemned and Executed, some of us were told that we were going after_
Wardwell.
Mary Osgood, Mary Tiler, Deliv. Dane, Abigail Barker, Sarah Wilson,
Hannah Tiler.[55]
[112] It may here be further added concerning those that did Confess,
that besides that powerful Argument, of Life (and freedom from
hardships, and Irons not only promised, but also performed to all that
owned their guilt.) There are numerous Instances, too many to be here
inserted, of the tedious Examinations before private persons, many
hours together; they all that time urging them to Confess (and taking
turns to perswade them) till the accused were wearied out by being
forced to stand so long, or for want of Sleep, _&c._ and so brought to
give an Assent to what they said; they then asking them, Were you at
such a Witch-meeting, or have you signed the Devils Book, _&c._ upon
their replying, yes, the whole was drawn into form as their Confession.
But that which did mightily further such Confessions, was their nearest
and dearest Relations urging them to it. These seeing no other way of
escape for them, thought it the best advice that could be given; hence
it was that the Husbands of some, by counsel often urging, and utmost
earnestness, and Children upon their Knees intreating, have at length
prevailed with them, to say they were guilty.
AS to the manner of Tryals, and the Evidence taken for Convictions at
_Salem_, it is already set forth in Print, by the Reverend Mr. _Cotton
Mather_ in his _Wonders of the Invisible World_, at the Command of his
Excellency Sir _William Phips_;[56] with not only the Recommendation,
but thanks of the Lieutenant Governour; and with the Approbation of the
Reverend Mr. _J. M._ in his Postscript to his _Cases of Conscience_;
which last Book was set forth by the consent of the Ministers in and
near _Boston_.[57]
Two of the Judges have also given their Sentiments in these words,
_p._ 147.
_The Reverend and worthy Author, having at the direction of his
Excellency the Governour, so far obliged the Publick, as to give some
account of the sufferings, brought upon the Countrey by Witchcrafts,
and of the Tryals which have passed upon several executed for the same._
_Upon perusal thereof, We find the matters of Fact and Evidence truly
reported, and a prospect given of the Methods of Conviction, used in
the proceedings of the Court at_ Salem.
William Stoughton,
Samuel Sewall.
Boston, October 11, 1692.
And considering that this may fall into the hands of such as never saw
those Wonders, it may be needful to transcribe the whole account he has
given thereof, without any variation (but with one of the Indictments
annext to the Tryal of each) which is thus prefaced, P. 81, 82, 83.