ON a first and cursory Perusal of the Examination of the Indian Woman
belonging to Mr. Parris's Family, it was concluded not to Print it, and
only refer to it; that is, only refer to the Extract from it contained
in the HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF BOSTON. But when the Editorial
labor upon these Volumes was nearly completed, a reperusal of that
Examination was made, and the result determined the Editor to give it a
place in this Appendix. His opinion of it, and of those who procured it
of the simple Indian, has been expressed in a previous Page.
The Examination is valuable on several accounts, the Chief of which
is the Light it throws on the Commencement of the Delusion. It does
not appear that either Dr. Mather or Mr. Calef ever saw it, or their
Accounts of the Beginning of the Transactions would have been more
explicitly stated. The Original (now for the first time Printed,[187])
came into the Editor's Hands some five and twenty Year's since. It is
more extensive than any of the Examinations yet brought to light. This
is accounted for by its being the First of that cruel and senseless
Series of illegal Proceedings which ended in so much Agony, Distress,
Wretchedness and Blood.
This Examination, more, perhaps, than any of the rest, exhibits the
atrocious Method employed by the Examinant of causing the poor,
ignorant Accused to own and acknowledge Things put into their Mouths
by a manner of questioning as much to be condemned as Perjury itself;
inasmuch as it was sure to produce that Crime. In this Case the
Examined was taken from Jail and placed upon the Stand, and was soon
so confused that she could scarcely know what to say; while it is
evident that all of her Answers were at first true, because direct,
straightforward, and reasonable. The Strangeness of the Questions
and the long Persistence of the Questioners could lead to no other
result but the confounding of what little Understanding the Accused was
at best possessed of. Hence this Record of incoherent Nonsense here
submitted; and of the same tenor was nearly all the Evidence used,
which took away the Lives of numbers of innocent People.
The Examination was before Messrs. Hathorne and Corwin. The Former
took down the result, which is all in his peculiar Chirography. The
first Proceeding printed in Mr. Woodward's Collection, having relation
to the Witchcraft affair, is a Warrant for the Apprehension of Sarah
Good, and is dated Feb. 29th, 169½.[188] On the next Day, March 1st,
the Constable, George Locker, made Return, that he had brought the said
"Saragh Good," &c. Whether she were present at Tituba's Examination,
does not appear; while the Documents show that the Apprehension of
Sarah Good, and the Examination of Tituba were on the same Day.
Tittube the Indian Woman Examined, March. 1. 169½.
Q. Why doe you hurt these poor Children? What harme haue thay done
unto you? A. They doe noe harme to mee. I noe hurt them att all. Q.
Why have you done itt? A. I haue done nothing. I cant tell when the
Devill works. Q. What, doth the Devill tell you that he hurts them? A.
Noe. He tells me nothing. Q. Doe you never see something appeare in
some Shape? A. Noe, never see any thing. Q. What Familiarity have you
with the Devill, or what is itt that you converse withall? Tell the
Truth, whoe itt is that hurts them? A. The Devill, for ought I know. Q.
What Appearance, or how doth he appeare when he hurts them with what
Shape, or what is he like, that hurts them A. Like a Man, I think.
Yesterday, I being in the Leantoe Chamber, I saw a Thing like a Man,
that tould me searve him, and I tould him Noe, I would nott doe such
Thing. She charges Goody Osburne and Sarah Good, as those that hurt
them Children, and would have had hir done itt: she sayth she hath seen
foure, two of which she knew nott; she saw them last Night, as she was
washing the Roome. They tould me hurt the Children, and would haue had
me gone to Boston. Ther was 5 of them with the Man. They tould me if
I would nott goe and hurt them they would doe soe to mee. Att first I
did agree with them, but afterward I tould them I doe soe noe more. Q.
Would they have had you hurt the Children the last Night? A. Yes, butt
I was sorry, and I sayd I would doe soe noe more, but tould I would
Feare God. Q. Butt why did nott you doe soe before? A. Why they tell
me I had done soe before, and therefore, I must goe on. These were the
4 woemen, and the Man, but she knew none but Osburne and Good, only;
the other were of Boston. Q. Att first beginning with them, what then
appeared to you; what was itt like, that gott you to doe itt? A. One
like a Man, Just as I was goeing to sleep, came to me. This was when
the Children was first hurt. He sayd he would kill the Children, and
she would never be well; and he sayd, If I would nott serue him he
would doe soe to mee. Q. Is that the same Man that appeared before to
you? that appeared the last Night and tould you this? A. Yes. Q. what
other Likenesses besides a Man hath appeared to you? A. Sometimes like
a Hogge, sometimes like a great black Dogge, foure tymes. Q. But what
did they say unto you? A. They tould me serve him, and that was a good
way; that was the black Dogge. I tould him I was afrayd. He tould me he
would be worse then to me. Q. What did you say to him then, after that?
A. I answer, I will serve you noe Longer. He tould me he would doe me
hurt then. Q. What other Creatures have you seen? A. A Bird. Q. What
Bird? A. A little yellow Bird. Q. Where doth itt keep? A. With the Man
whoe hath pretty Things more besides. Q. What other pretty Things? A.
He hath nott showed them unto me, but he said he would showe them me to
morrow, and tould me if I would serve him, I should have the Bird. Q.
What other Creatures did you see? A. I saw 2 Catts, one Red, another
Black, as bigge as a little Dogge. Q. What did these Catts doe? A. I
dont know. I have seen them two tymes. Q. What did they Say? A. They
Say, Serve them. Q. When did you see them? A. I saw them last Night. Q.
Did they do any hurt to you or threaten you? A. They did Scratch me.
Q. When? A. After prayer; and Scratched me because I would not serve
hir. And when they went away I could nott see, but thay stood before
the Fire. Q. What Service doe thay expect from you? A. They say more
hurt to the Children. Q. How did you pinch them when you hurt them? A.
The other pull mee and hall me to pinch the Childe, and I am very sorry
For itt? Q. Whatt made you hould your Arme when you were searched? What
had you there? A. I had nothing. Q. Do nott those Catts suck you? A.
Noe, never yett. I would nott lett them. But they had almost thrust me
into the Fire. Q. How doe you hurt those that you pinch? Doe you gett
those Catts, or other Things to doe itt for you? Tell us, how is itt
done? A. The Man sends the Catts to me, and bids me pinch them; and I
think I went once to Mr. Griggs's, and have pinched hir this Day in the
Morneing. The Man brought Mr. Griggs's Mayd to me, and made me pinch
hir. Q. Did you ever goe with these Woemen? A. They are very strong,
and pull me, and make me goe with them. Q. Where did you goe? A. Up to
Mr. Putnams, and make me hurt the Child. Q. Whoe did make you goe? A. A
Man that is very strong, and these two woemen, Good, and Osburne, but I
am sorry. Q. How did you goe? Whatt doe you Ride upon? A. I Ride upon
a Stick, or Poale, and Good, and Osburne behind me; we Ride takeing
hold of one another; don't know how we goe, for I saw noe Trees, nor
Path, but was presently there, when wee were up. Q. How long since you
began to pinch Mr. Parris's Children? A. I did nott pinch them att the
First, but thay made me afterward. Q. Have you seen Good, and Osburne
Ride upon a Poule? A. Yes, and have held Fast by mee: I was nott att
Mr. Griggs's but once, butt it may be send something like mee; neither
would I have gone, butt that they tell me, they will hurt me. Last
Night they Tell me I must kill some body with the Knife. Q. Who were
they that Told you Soe? A. Sarah Good, and Osburne, and they would
have had me killed Thomas Putnam's Child last Night. The Child alsoe
affirmed, that att the same Tyme, thay would have had hir Cutt of hir
own Head; for if she would nott, they Tould hir Tittubee would Cutt itt
off; and then she Complayned att the same Time of a Knife Cutting of
hir. When hir Master hath asked hir about these Things, She Sayth thay
will nott lett hir Tell, but Tell hir if she Tells, hir Head shall be
Cutt off. Q. Who Tells you soe? A. The Man, Good, and Osburnes Wife.
Goody Good Came to hir last Night, when her Master was att Prayer, and
would nott lett hir hear, and she Could nott hear a good whyle. Good
hath one of those Birds, the yellow Bird, and would have given mee itt,
but I would not have itt: and in Prayer Tyme she stoped my Eares and
would nott lett me hear. Q. What should you have done with itt. A. Give
itt to the Children, which yellow Bird hath bin severall Tymes seen by
the Children. I saw Sarah Good have itt on hir Hand, when she Came to
hir, when Mr. Parris was att prayer: I saw the Bird suck Good betweene
the fore Finger and Long Finger, upon the Right Hand. Q. Did you never
practise Witchcraft in your owne Country? A. Noe. Never before now. Q.
Did you see them doe itt now? A. Yes. To Day; but twas in the Morning.
Q. Butt did you see them doe itt now, while you are Examininge? A. Noe,
I did nott See them, but I Saw them hurt att other Tymes. I saw Good
have a Catt beside the yellow Bird, which was with hir. Q. What hath
Osburne gott to goe with hir? A. Some thing I don't know what itt is.
I can't name itt. I don't know how itt looks. She hath two of them.
One of them hath Wings, and two Leggs, and a Head like a Woeman. The
Children Saw the Same butt Yesterday, which afterward Turned into a
Woeman. Q. What is the Other Thing that Goody Osburne hath? A. A Thing
all over hairy; all the Face hayry, and a long Nose, and I don't know
how to tell how the Face looks; with Two Leggs, itt goeth uprighte,
and is about Two or three Foot high, and goeth upright like a Man;
and last Night itt Stood before the Fire, in Mr. Parris's Hall. Q.
Whoe was that appeared like a Wolfe to Hubbard, as she was goeing from
Proctures? A. Itt was Sarah Good, and I saw hir send the Wolfe to hir.
Q. What Cloathes doth the Man appeare unto you in? A. Black Cloaths,
sometimes, sometimes Searge Coat of other Couler; a Tall Man with white
hayr, I think. Q. What Aparrell doe the Woemen ware? A. I don't know
what Couller. Q. What kind of Cloathes hath She? A. A black silk Hood,
with a white Silk Hood under itt, with Sopknotts, which Woeman I know
not, but have seen hir in Boston, when I lived there. Q. What Cloathes
the little Woman? A. a Searge Coat with a white Cap, as I think. The
Children having Fitts at this very Time, She was asked, whoe hurt
them? She Answers Goody Good; and the Children affirmed the same; butt
Hubbard being taken in an Extreame Fitt; after, she was asked, whoe
hurt hir? and she sayd she Could nott tell, butt Sayd they blinded hir,
and would not lett hir see, and after that, was once or twice taken
dumb hir self.
Second Examination. March. 2. 169½.
Q. What Covenant did you make with that Man that came to you? What did
he tell you. A. He tell me he God, and I must beleive him, and serve
him six Yeares, and he would give me many fine Things. Q. How longe
a goue was this? A. About six Weeks, and a little more; Fryday Night
before Abigall was Ill. Q. What did he say you must doe more? Did he
say you must write any Thing? Did he offer you any Paper? A. Yes, the
next Time he come to me, and showed me some fine Things; some Thing
like Creatures; a little Bird, some Thing like green and white. Q. Did
you promise him this when he spake to you? Then what did you answer
him. A. I then Sayd this, I tould him I Could nott beleive him God;
I tould him I ask my Maister, and would have gone up, but he stopt
mee, and would nott lett me. Q. Whatt did you promiss him? A. The
first Tyme I beleive him God, and then he was Glad. Q. What did he say
to you then? What did he say you must doe? A. Then he tell me they
must meet together. Q. When did he say you must meet together? A. He
tell me Weddnesday next, att my masters House, and then they all meet
together, and thatt Night I saw them all stand in the Corner, all four
of them, and the Man stand behind mee, and take hold of mee, to make
mee stand still in the Hall. Q. Whare was your Master then? A. In the
other Roome. Q. What Time of Night? A. A little before prayer Time.
Q. What did this Man say to you when he took hold of you? A. He say
goe into the other Room and see the Children, and doe hurt to them,
and Pinch them; and then I went in, and would nott hurt them a good
while; I would nott hurt Betty, I loved Betty, but they hall me and
make me pinch Betty, and the next Abigall, and then quickly went away
altogether a[fter] I had pinch them. Q. Did you goe into that Room
in your own Person, and all the rest? A. Yes, and my Master did nott
see us, for they would nott lett my Master see. Q. Did you goe with
the Company? A. Noe, I stayd and the Man stayd with mee. Q. What did
he then to you? A. He tell me my Master goe to Prayer, and he read in
Book, and he ask me what I remember, but don't you remember any thing?
Q. Did he ask you noe more but the frst Time to serve him, or the
second time? A. Yes, he ask me againe, and if I serve him six yeares
and he Come the Next Time, and show mee a Book. Q. And when would he
come then? A. The next Fyday, and showed me a Book in the Day Time,
betimes in the Morning. Q. And what Booke did he bring, a great or
little Booke? A. He did nott show itt me, nor would nott, but had itt
in his Pockett. Q. Did he nott make you write your Name? A. Noe, nott
yett, for my Mistris Called me into the other Roome. Q. Whatt did he
say you must do in that Book? A. He sayd, Write, and sett my name to
itt. Q. Did you Write? A. Yes, once I made a Marke in the Book, and
made itt with red like Bloud. Q. Did he gett itt out of your Body? A.
He said he must gett itt out. The Next Time he Come againe he give me a
Pin, tyed in a Stick, to doe itt with, butt he noe lett me Bloud with
itt as yett, butt Intended another Time, when he came again. Q. Did
you see any other Marks in his Book? A. Yes, a great many, some Marks
Red, some Yellow, he opened his Book, and a great many Marks in itt. Q.
Did he tell you the Names of them? A. Yes, of two, noe more; Good, and
Osburne, and he say they make them Marks in that Book, and he shewed
them mee. Q. How many Marks doe you think there was? A. Nine. Q. Did
thay write there Names? A. They made Marks, Goody Good sayd she made
hir Mark, but Goody Osburne would nott tell; she was Cross to mee. Q.
When did Good tell you she sett hir Hand to the Book? The same Day I
came hither to Prison? Q. Did you see the Man thatt Morning? A. Yes, a
litle in the Morning, and he tell me the Magistrates Come up to examine
me. Q. What did he say you must say? A. He tell me, tell nothing, if I
did he would cutt my Head off. Q. Tell us true how many Woemen doe use
to come when you Rid abroad? A. Foure of them, these two, Osburne, and
Good, and those two Strangers. Q. You say that there was Nine. Did he
tell you whoe they were? A. Noe, he noe lett me see, but he tell me I
should see them the next Tyme. Q. What Sights did you see? A. I see a
Man, a Dogge, a Hogge, and two Catts, a Black and Red; and the strange
Monster was Osburnes, that I mentioed before; this was the Hayry Imp:
the Man would give itt to mee, but I would nott have itt. Q. Did he
show you in the Book which was Osburns and which was Goods Mark? A.
Yes, I see there Marks. Q. Butt did he tell the Names of the other?
A. Noe sir. Q. And what did he say to you when you made your Mark? A.
He sayed Serve mee, and always serve mee. The Man with the two Woemen
Came from Boston. Q. How many times did you goe to Boston? A. I was
goeing and then Came back againe. I was never att Boston. Q. Whoe Came
back with you againe? A. The Man came back with mee, and the Woemen
goe away; I was nott willing to goe. Q. How farr did you goe, to what
Towne? A. I never went to any Towne. I see noe Trees, noe Towne. Q. Did
he tell you where the Nine Lived? A. Yes, some in Boston, and some here
in this Towne, but he would nott tell mee whoe thay were.