concerning whom the most marvellous stories were told. The principal
witness against her was Philip Reed, a physician, who on oath declared
his belief that "no natural cause" could produce such effects as were
wrought by Goody Burt upon persons whom she afflicted. Her range of
operations seems to have been confined to Marblehead, Lynn, Salem, and
the vicinity: as nothing more was ever heard of the case, another
evidence is afforded, that an Essex jury, notwithstanding this positive
opinion of a doctor, was not ready to convict on the charge of
witchcraft. This same Philip Reed tried very hard to prosecute
proceedings, eleven years afterwards, against Margaret Gifford as a
witch. But she failed to appear, and no effort is recorded as having
been made to apprehend her.
In 1673, Eunice Cole, of Hampton, was tried before a county court, at
Salisbury, on the charge of witchcraft; and she was committed to jail,
in Boston, for[i.438] further proceedings. She was subsequently
indicted by the Grand Jury for the Massachusetts jurisdiction for
"familiarity with the Devil." The Court of Assistants found that there
was "just ground of vehement suspicion of her having had familiarity
with the Devil," and got rid of the case by ordering her "to depart
from and abide out of this jurisdiction."
At a County Court, held at Salem, Nov. 24, 1674, a case was brought up,
of which the following is all we know:—
"Christopher Browne having reported that he had been treating or
discoursing with one whom he apprehended to be the Devil, which came
like a gentleman, in order to his binding himself to be a servant to
him, upon his examination, his discourse seeming inconsistent with
truth, &c., the Court, giving him good counsel and caution, for the
present dismiss him."
It would have been well if the action of this Court had been followed
as an authoritative precedent.
In the year 1679, the house of William Morse, of Newbury, was, for more
than two months, infested in a most strange and vexatious manner. The
affair was brought into court, where it played a conspicuous part, and
was near reaching a tragical conclusion. The history of the proceedings
in reference to it is very curious.
Mr. John Woodbridge, of Newbury, had been for some time an associate
county judge, and was commissioned to administer oaths and join persons
in marriage. The following is a record of what occurred[i.439] before
him, sitting as a magistrate, and as a commissioner to adjudicate in
small, local causes, and hold examinations in matters that went to
higher courts:—
"Dec. 3, 1679.—Caleb Powell, being complained of for suspicion of
working with the Devil to the molesting of William Morse and his
family, was by warrant directed to the constable brought in by him. The
accusation and testimonies were read, and the complaint respited till
the Monday following.
"Dec. 8, 1679.—Caleb Powell appeared according to order, and further
testimony produced against him by William Morse, which being read and
considered, it was determined that the said William Morse should
prosecute the case against said Powell at the County Court to be held
at Ipswich the last Tuesday in March ensuing; and, in order hereunto,
William Morse acknowledgeth himself indebted to the Treasurer of the
County of Essex the full sum of twenty pounds. The condition of this
obligation is, that the said William Morse shall prosecute his
complaint against Caleb Powell at that Court.
"Caleb Powell was delivered as a prisoner to the constable till he
could find security of twenty pounds for the answering of the said
complaint, or else he was to be carried to prison.
"Jo: Woodbridge, _Commissioner_."
Powell was accordingly brought before the Court at Ipswich, March 30,
1680, under an indictment for witchcraft. Before giving the substance
of the evidence adduced on this occasion, it will be well to mention
the manner in which he got into the case as[i.440] a principal. He was
a mate of a vessel. While at home, between voyages, he happened to hear
of the wonderful occurrences at Mr. Morse's house. His curiosity was
awakened, and he was also actuated by feelings of commiseration for the
family under the torments and terrors with which they were said to be
afflicted. Determined to see what it all meant, and to put a stop to it
if he could, he went to the house, and soon became satisfied that a
roguish grandchild was the cause of all the trouble. He prevailed upon
the old grandparents to let him take off the boy. Immediately upon his
removal, the difficulty ceased.
New-England navigators, at that time and long afterwards, sailed almost
wholly by the stars; and Powell probably had often related his own
skill, which, as mate of a vessel, he would have been likely to
acquire, in calculating his position, rate of sailing, and distances,
on the boundless and trackless ocean, by his knowledge and observations
of the heavenly bodies. He had said, perhaps, that, by gazing among the
stars, he could, at any hour of the night, however long or far he had
been tossed and driven on the ocean, tell exactly where his vessel was.
Hence the charge of being an astrologist. Probably, like other sailors,
Powell may have indulged in "long yarns" to the country people, of the
wonders he had seen, "some in one country, and some in another." It is
not unlikely, that, in foreign ports, he had witnessed exhibitions of
necromancy and mesmerism, which, in various forms and under different
names,[i.441] have always been practised. Possibly he may have boasted
to be a medium himself, a scholar and adept in the mystic art, able to
read and divine "the workings of spirits." At any rate, when it became
known, that, at a glance, he attributed to the boy the cause of the
mischief, and that it ceased on his taking him away from the house, the
opinion became settled that he was a wizard. He was arrested forthwith,
and brought to trial, as has been stated, for witchcraft. His
astronomy, astrology, and spiritualism brought him in peril of his
life.
"The Testimony of William Morse: which saith, together with his wife,
aged both about sixty-five years: that, Thursday night, being the
twenty-seventh day of November, we heard a great noise without, round
the house, of knocking the boards of the house, and, as we conceived,
throwing of stones against the house. Whereupon myself and wife looked
out and saw nobody, and the boy all this time with us; but we had
stones and sticks thrown at us, that we were forced to retire into the
house again. Afterwards we went to bed, and the boy with us; and then
the like noise was upon the roof of the house.
"2. The same night about midnight, the door being locked when we went
to bed, we heard a great hog in the house grunt and make a noise, as we
thought willing to get out; and, that we might not be disturbed in our
sleep, I rose to let him out, and I found a hog in the house and the
door unlocked: the door was firmly locked when we went to bed.
"3. The next morning, a stick of links hanging in the chimney, they
were thrown out of their place, and we[i.442] hanged them up again, and
they were thrown down again, and some into the fire.
"4. The night following, I had a great awl lying in the window, the
which awl we saw fall down out of the chimney into the ashes by the
fire.
"5. After this, I bid the boy put the same awl into the cupboard, which
we saw done, and the door shut to: this same awl came presently down
the chimney again in our sight, and I took it up myself. Again, the
same night, we saw a little Indian basket, that was in the loft before,
come down the chimney again. And I took the same basket, and put a
piece of brick into it, and the basket with the brick was gone, and
came down again the third time with the brick in it, and went up again
the fourth time, and came down again without the brick; and the brick
came down again a little after.
"6. The next day, being Saturday, stones, sticks, and pieces of bricks
came down, so that we could not quietly dress our breakfast; and sticks
of fire also came down at the same time.
"7. That day in the afternoon, my thread four times taken away, and
came down the chimney; again, my awl and gimlet, wanting, came down the
chimney; again, my leather, taken away, came down the chimney; again,
my nails, being in the cover of a firkin, taken away, came down the
chimney. Again, the same night, the door being locked, a little before
day, hearing a hog in the house, I rose, and saw the hog to be mine: I
let him out.
"8. The next day being sabbath-day, many stones and sticks and pieces
of bricks came down the chimney: on the Monday, Mr. Richardson and my
brother being there, the frame of my cowhouse they saw very firm. I
sent my boy[i.443] out to scare the fowls from my hog's meat: he went
to the cowhouse, and it fell down, my boy crying with the hurt of the
fall. In the afternoon, the pots hanging over the fire did dash so
vehemently one against the other, we set down one that they might not
dash to pieces. I saw the andiron leap into the pot, and dance and leap
out, and again leap in and dance and leap out again, and leap on a
table and there abide, and my wife saw the andiron on the table: also I
saw the pot turn itself over, and throw down all the water. Again, we
saw a tray with wool leap up and down, and throw the wool out, and so
many times, and saw nobody meddle with it. Again, a tub his hoop fly
off of itself and the tub turn over, and nobody near it. Again, the
woollen wheel turned upside down, and stood up on its end, and a spade
set on it; Steph. Greenleafe saw it, and myself and my wife. Again, my
rope-tools fell down upon the ground before my boy could take them,
being sent for them; and the same thing of nails tumbled down from the
loft into the ground, and nobody near. Again, my wife and boy making
the bed, the chest did open and shut: the bed-clothes could not be made
to lie on the bed, but fly off again.
"Again, Caleb Powell came in, and, being affected to see our trouble,
did promise me and my wife, that, if we would be willing to let him
keep the boy, we should see ourselves that we should be never disturbed
while he was gone with him: he had the boy, and had been quiet ever
since.
"Tho. Rogers and George Hardy, being at William Morse his house, affirm
that the earth in the chimney-corner moved, and scattered on them; that
Tho. Rogers was hit with somewhat, Hardy with an iron ladle as is
supposed. Somewhat hit William Morse a great blow, but it was so swift
that they could not certainly tell what it was; but,[i.444] looking
down after they heard the noise, they saw a shoe. The boy was in the
corner at the first, afterwards in the house.
"Mr. Richardson on Saturday testifieth that a board flew against his
chair, and he heard a noise in another room, which he supposed in all
reason to be diabolical.
"John Dole saw a pine stick of candlewood to fall down, a stone, a
firebrand; and these things he saw not what way they came, till they
fell down by him.
"The same affirmed by John Tucker: the boy was in one corner, whom they
saw and observed all the while, and saw no motion in him.
"Elizabeth Titcomb affirmeth that Powell said that he could find the
witch by his learning, if he had another scholar with him: this she
saith were his expressions, to the best of her memory.
"Jo. Tucker affirmeth that Powell said to him, he saw the boy throw the
shoe while he was at prayer.
"Jo. Emerson affirmeth that Powell said he was brought up under
Norwood; and it was judged by the people there, that Norwood studied
the black art.
"A further Testimony of William Morse and his Wife.—We saw a keeler of
bread turn over against me, and struck me, not any being near it, and
so overturned. I saw a chair standing in the house, and not anybody
near: it did often bow towards me, and so rise up again. My wife also
being in the chamber, the chamber-door did violently fly together, not
anybody being near it. My wife, going to make a bed, it did move to and
fro, not anybody being near it. I also saw an iron wedge and spade was
flying out of the chamber on my wife, and did not strike her. My wife
going into the cellar, a drum, standing in the house, did roll[i.445]
over the door of the cellar; and, being taken up again, the door did
violently fly down again. My barn-doors four times unpinned, I know not
how. I, going to shut my barn-door, looking for the pin,—the boy being
with me, as I did judge,—the pin, coming down out of the air, did fall
down near to me. Again, Caleb Powell came in, as beforesaid, and,
seeing our spirits very low by the sense of our great affliction, began
to bemoan our condition, and said that he was troubled for our
afflictions, and said that he had eyed this boy, and drawed near to us
with great compassion: 'Poor old man, poor old woman! this boy is the
occasion of your grief; for he hath done these things, and hath caused
his good old grandmother to be counted a witch.' 'Then,' said I, 'how
can all these things be done by him?' Said he, 'Although he may not
have done all, yet most of them; for this boy is a young rogue, a vile
rogue: I have watched him, and see him do things as to come up and
down.' Caleb Powell also said he had understanding in astrology and
astronomy, and knew the working of spirits, some in one country, and
some in another; and, looking on the boy, said, 'You young rogue, to
begin so soon. Goodman Morse, if you be willing to let me have this
boy, I will undertake you shall be free from any trouble of this kind
while he is with me.' I was very unwilling at the first, and my wife;
but, by often urging me, till he told me whither, and what employment
and company, he should go, I did consent to it, and this was before Jo.
Badger came; and we have been freed from any trouble of this kind ever
since that promise, made on Monday night last, to this time, being
Friday in the afternoon. Then we heard a great noise in the other room,
oftentimes, but, looking after it, could not see any thing; but,
afterwards looking into the room, we saw a board hanged to the press.
Then[i.446] we, being by the fire, sitting in a chair, my chair often
would not stand still, but ready to throw me backward oftentimes.
Afterward, my cap almost taken off my head three times. Again, a great
blow on my poll, and my cat did leap from me into the chimney corner.
Presently after, this cat was thrown at my wife. We saw the cat to be
ours: we put her out of the house, and shut the door. Presently, the
cat was throwed into the house. We went to go to bed. Suddenly,—my wife
being with me in bed, the lamp-light by our side,—my cat again throwed
at us five times, jumping away presently into the floor; and, one of
those times, a red waistcoat throwed on the bed, and the cat wrapped up
in it. Again, the lamp, standing by us on the chest, we said it should
stand and burn out; but presently was beaten down, and all the oil
shed, and we left in the dark. Again, a great voice, a great while,
very dreadful. Again, in the morning, a great stone, being six-pound
weight, did remove from place to place,—we saw it,—two spoons throwed
off the table, and presently the table throwed down. And, being minded
to write, my inkhorn was hid from me, which I found, covered with a
rag, and my pen quite gone. I made a new pen; and, while I was writing,
one ear of corn hit me in the face, and fire, sticks, and stones
throwed at me, and my pen brought to me. While I was writing with my
new pen, my inkhorn taken away: and, not knowing how to write any more,
we looked under the table, and there found him; and so I was able to
write again. Again, my wife her hat taken from her head, sitting by the
fire by me, the table almost thrown down. Again, my spectacles thrown
from the table, and thrown almost into the fire by me, and my wife and
the boy. Again, my book of all my accounts thrown into the fire, and
had been burnt presently, if I had not taken it up. Again,[i.447]
boards taken off a tub, and set upright by themselves; and my paper, do
what I could, hardly keep it while I was writing this relation, and
things thrown at me while a-writing. Presently, before I could dry my
writing, a mormouth hat rubbed along it; but I held so fast that it did
blot but some of it. My wife and I, being much afraid that I should not
preserve it for public use, did think best to lay it in the Bible, and
it lay safe that night. Again, the next, I would lay it there again;
but, in the morning, it was not there to be found, the bag hanged down
empty; but, after, was found in a box alone. Again, while I was writing
this morning, I was forced to forbear writing any more, I was so
disturbed with so many things constantly thrown at me.
"This relation brought in Dec. 8.
"I, Anthony Morse, occasionally being at my brother Morse's house, my
brother showed me a piece of a brick which had several times come down
the chimney. I sitting in the corner, I took the piece of brick in my
hand. Within a little space of time, the piece of brick was gone from
me, I knew not by what means. Quickly after, the piece of brick came
down the chimney. Also, in the chimney-corner I saw a hammer on the
ground: there being no person near the hammer, it was suddenly gone, by
what means I know not. But, within a little space after, the hammer
came down the chimney. And, within a little space of time after that,
came a piece of wood down the chimney, about a foot long; and, within a
little after that, came down a firebrand, the fire being out. This was
about ten days ago.
"John Badger affirmeth, that, being at William Morse his house, and
heard Caleb Powell say that he thought by astrology, and I think he
said by astronomy too, with it, he could find out whether or no there
were diabolical means[i.448] used about the said Morse his trouble, and
that the said Caleb said he thought to try to find it out.
"The Deposition of Mary Tucker, aged about twenty.—She remembered that
Caleb Powell came into her house, and said to this purpose: That he,
coming to William Morse his house, and the old man, being at prayer, he
thought not fit to go in, but looked in at the window; and he said he
had broken the enchantment; for he saw the boy play tricks while he was
at prayer, and mentioned some, and, among the rest, that he saw him to
fling the shoe at the said Morse's head.
"Taken on oath, March 29, 1680, before me,
"Jo: Woodbridge, _Commissioner_.
"Mary Richardson confirmed the truth of the above written testimony, on
oath, at the same time."
There seem to have been several hearings before Commissioner
Woodbridge. The boy had returned to his grandparents before the last
deposition of William Morse, and his audacious operations were
persisted in to the last. The final decision of the Court was as
follows:—
"Upon the hearing the complaint brought to this Court against Caleb
Powell for suspicion of working by the Devil to the molesting of the
family of William Morse of Newbury, though this court cannot find any
evident ground of proceeding further against the said Caleb Powell, yet
we determine that he hath given such ground of suspicion of his so
dealing that we cannot so acquit him, but that he justly deserves to
bear his own share and the costs of the prosecution of the complaint.
"Referred to Mr. Woodbridge to examine and determine the charges."
[i.449]
The entry of this sentence, in the records of the County Court, is as
follows; the clerk strangely mistaking the name of the party:—
"The Court held at Ipswich, the 30th of March, 1680.
"In the case of Abell Powell, though the Court do not see sufficient to
charge further, yet find so much suspicion as that he pay the charges.
The ordering of the charges left to Mr. Jo: Woodbridge."
The matter of Powell's connection with the affair being thus disposed
of, and no one seeming to entertain his idea of the guilt of the boy,
the next step was to fasten suspicion upon the good old grandmother;
and a general outcry was raised against her. Her arrest and
condemnation were clamored for. But the result of Powell's trial, and
all preceding cases, showed that an Essex jury could not yet be relied
on for a conviction in witchcraft cases; and it was resolved to
institute proceedings in a more favorable quarter. The Grand Jury
returned a bill of indictment against her to the Court of Assistants,
sitting in Boston. This was the highest tribunal in the country,
subject only to the General Court, and embracing the whole colony in
its jurisdiction. The following is the substance of the record of the
case:—
At a Court of Assistants, on adjournment, held at Boston, on the 20th
of May, 1680.
The Grand Jury having presented Elizabeth Morse, wife of William Morse,
she was tried and convicted of the crime of witchcraft. The Governor,
on the 27th[i.450] of May, "after the lecture," in the First Church of
Boston, pronounced the sentence of death upon her. On the 1st of June,
the Governor and Assistants voted to reprieve her "until the next
session of the Court in Boston." At the said next session, the
reprieval was still further continued. This seems to have produced much
dissatisfaction, as is shown by the following extract from the records
of the House of Deputies:—
"The Deputies, on perusal of the Acts of the Honored Court of
Assistants, relating to the woman condemned for witchcraft, do not
understand the reason why the sentence, given against her by said
Court, is not executed: and the second reprieval seems to us beyond
what the law will allow, and do therefore judge meet to declare
ourselves against it, with reference to the concurrence of the honored
magistrates hereto.
William Torrey, _Clerk_."
The action of the magistrates, on this reference, is recorded as
follows:—
"3d of November, 1680.—Not consented to by magistrates.
Edward Rawson, Secretary."
The evidence against Mrs. Morse was frivolous to the last degree,
without any of the force and effect given to support the prosecutions
in Salem, twelve years afterwards, by the astounding confessions of the
accused, and the splendid acting of the "afflicted children;" yet she
was tried and condemned in Boston, and sentenced there on
"Lecture-day." The representatives of the people, in the House of
Deputies, cried out against her reprieve. She was saved[i.451] by the
courage and wisdom of Governor Bradstreet, subsequently a resident of
Salem, where his ashes rest. He was living here, at the age of ninety
years, during the witchcraft prosecutions in 1692; but, old as he was,
he made known his entire disapprobation of them. It is safe to say,
that, if he had not been superseded by the arrival of Sir William
Phipps as governor under the new charter, they would never have taken
place. Notwithstanding all this,—in spite of the remonstrances, at the
time, of Brattle, and afterwards of Hutchinson,—Boston and other towns
(earlier, if not equally, committed to such proceedings) have, by a
sort of general conspiracy, joined the rest of the world in trying to
throw and fasten the whole responsibility and disgrace of witchcraft
prosecutions upon Salem.