[109] Complaint was made against Martha Carrier on the 28th of May,
by Joseph Houlton and John Wallcott, both of Salem. John Ballard,
Constable, arrested her. John _Bayley_, Assistant Constable of Andover,
summoned the Witnesses. See _Records S. W._ ii, 54, 55, &c.
[110] Martha Carrier underwent the usual Examination, which occupies
two Pages, and the Original is in the Hand of Mr. Samuel Parris. The
above is but a very unsatisfactory Abridgement of it.
[111] It appears from Lawson's Account that such Accusations were much
heeded. He says--"Several have confessed against their own Mothers,
that they were Instruments to bring them into the _Devil's Covenant_,
to the undoing of their Body and Soul. And some Girls of Eight or Nine
Years of Age did declare that after they were so betrayed by their
Mothers, to the Power of _Satan_, they saw the _Devil_ go in their _own
shapes_ to afflict others."--Page 118-19.
[112] Benjamin Abbot was of Andover, and his Age was about 31.
[113] Sarah Abbot gave her Age as about 32 Years.
[114] Allen Toothaker was a young Man, aged about 22 Years. He may have
received his Wound when the Indians attacked Andover, as mentioned in
an earlier Note.
[115] John _Rogers_ was of Billerica. He gave his Age as about 50.
His Testimony takes up a quarto Page in the Records. Three Years
later, viz., August 5th, 1695, he, with several others, was killed at
Billerica by the Indians.
[116] Samuel Preston gave his Age as about 41 Years. He swore he "lost
a Cow in a strange Manner." That _strange Manner_, it is evident from
his Story, referred to the Way in which she was cast, and not being
able to free herself, died. The _preternatural_ and _unusual_ being
thrown in by the Doctor.
[117] It is only necessary to state that Phebe Chandler was but about
12 Years old, as a Reason that no Notice should be taken of her
Evidence; and notwithstanding near two solid Pages of her Testimony are
in the Records. However, Bridget Chandler, her Mother, aged 40 Years,
corroborated the Daughter's Story.
[118] This has reference to Ann Foster, of Salem Village. See _Records
S. W._, ii, 136-7.
[119] Mary Lacy was Wife of Lawrence Lacy, of Andover, and Daughter of
Ann Foster. See _Ibid._, ii, 139-40. This "other Lacy" was also named
"Mary." _Ibid._, 142.
[120] Susanna Sheldon was a ready Witness in a large Number of Cases,
as has already been noticed.
[121] No Testimony appears to have been omitted that could be tortured
by any Construction against "this rampant Hag," by the Author, while
all that went to clear her was rejected. Fortunately the Case is
changed, and the whole is spread before disinterested Inquirers,
or enough upon which to form a correct Judgment. Mr. Francis Dane,
the second Minister of Andover, dared to give his Thoughts upon the
Witchcraft Cases. These he communicated to the Court, and the Scribe
recorded them among the Evidence. He said he had lived above forty
Years in Andover, and in his "healthfull Yeares had been frequent among
ye Inhabitants in their Habitations," and never heard of anything of
the Nature of Witchcraft until the Arrests the last Summer (1692). If
there were any Suspicions that Martha Carrier was a Witch, before she
was apprehended, he said he had never heard of it; and "as for any
other Persons, I had no Suspicion of them, and had Charity been put
on, the Diuel would not have had such an Advantage against us, and I
beleeve many innocent Persons have been accused." This Testimony of
an aged and worthy Gentleman (then 77), well acquainted with all the
Circumstances, and with the Accused, should accompany that against "the
rampant Hag."
[122] This Passage caused Dr. Mather to utter some very wrathful
Expressions against the Author. He says, or rather, his Defenders
for him: "What was done in the dark Time of our Troubles from the
_Invisible World_, all honest Men believe, they did in Conscience of
the _Oath_ of God upon them, and they followed unto the best of their
Understanding, as we are informed, the Precedents of _England_ and
_Scotland_, and _other Nations_ on such a dark and doleful Occasion.
When they found the Matter carried beyond the Reach of Mortals, they
stopt."--_Some Few Remarks_, 6; _Magnalia_, B. ii, 64.
[_Law Enacted, &c._]
[140] His telling that the Court began to think that _Burroughs_ stept
aside to put on Invisibility, is a rendring them so mean Philosophers,
and such weak Christians, as to be fit to be imposed upon by any silly
pretender.
His calling the Evidence against _How_ trivial, and others against
_Burroughs_, he accounts no part of his Conviction; and that of lifting
a Gun with one Finger, its being not made use of as Evidence, renders
the whole but the more perplext. (Not to mention the many mistakes
therein contain'd.)
Yet all this (and more that might have been hinted at) does not hinder,
but that his Account of the manner of Trials of those for Witchcraft
is as faithfully related as any Tryals of that kind, that was ever
yet made publick; and it may also be reasonably thought that there
was as careful a Scrutiny, and as unqestion'd Evidences improved, as
had been formerly used in the Tryals of others, for such crimes in
other places.[123] Tho indeed a second part might be very useful to
set forth which was the Evidence Convictive in these Tryals, for it
is not supposed, that Romantick or Ridiculous stories should have any
influence, such as biting a Spectres Finger so that the Blood flowed
out, or such as _Shattock's_ Story of 12 Years standing, which yet was
presently 18 Years or more, and yet a Man of that excellent Memory,
as to be able to recall a small difference his Wife had with another
Woman when Eighten Years were past.
As it is not to be supposed that such as these could Influence any
Judge or Jury, so not unkindness to relations, or God's having given to
one Man more strength than to some others, the over-setting of Carts,
or the death of Cattle, nor yet Excrescencies (call'd Tets) nor little
bits of Rags tied together (call'd Poppets.) Much less any persons
illness, or having their Cloaths rent when a Spectre has been well
hanged, much less the burning the Mares Fart, mentioned in the Tryal of
_How_.
None of these being in the least capable of proving the Indictment; The
supposed Criminals were Indicted for Afflicting, _&c._ such and such
particular persons by Witchcraft, to which none of these Evidences have
one word to say, and the Afflicted and Confessors being declared not
enough, the matter needs yet further explaining.
But to proceed, the General Court having sat and enacted Laws,
particularly one against Witchcraft, assigning the Penalty of Death to
any that shall feed, reward or employ, _&c._ Evil Spirits, though it
has not yet been explained what is intended thereby, or what it is to
feed, reward or imploy Devils, _&c._ yet some of the Legislators have
given this instead of an Explanation, that they had therein but Copied
the Law of another Country.[124]
[_against Witchcraft_]
_January_ 3. By vertue of an Act of the General Court, the first
Superior Court was held at _Salem_, for the County of _Essex_, the
Judges appointed were Mr. _William Stoughton_ (the Lieutenant Governor)
_Thomas_ [141] _Danforth_, _John Richards_, _Wait Winthorp_, and
_Samuel Sewall_, Esquires. Where Ignoramus was found upon the several
Bills of Indictment against Thirty, and _Billa-Vera_ against Twenty
six more; of all these Three only were found Guilty by the Jewry upon
Trial, two of which were (as appears by their Behaviour) the most
senseless and Ignorant Creatures that could be found; besides which it
does not appear what came in against those more than against the rest
that were acquitted.[125]
The Third was the Wife of _Wardwell_, who was one of the Twenty
Executed, and it seems they had both confessed themselves Guilty;
but he retracting his said Confession, was tried and Executed; it is
supposed that this Woman fearing her Husbands fate, was not so stiff
in her denials of her former Confession, such as it was. These Three
received Sentence of Death.[126]