American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1822-06-11
Geo getozn D. c. Man 4, 1922.


A very novel and highly laughable trial came o.
in our Circuit Court, on Thursday ast--Nanc,
Swami, lady of color whose mighty powers OF wtcl
craft have made ode black myers, and de oOr zuhit
srash tremble was indicted for practising in aud up
on one PETER BELT, in the peace of God and tn,
said United States, then and there being feoniously
wilfully and OF her malice aorethought did max,
an assault, and that the same Nancy Swami with
certain hot poker which she in her right hand thrr
and there held, wilfully, and of her malice aiore
thought, did push and thurst down the throat OF HIM
the said Peter Belt and OF her further malice aore
thought, did then and there drench the said Peter
Belt with a certain pungent liquid and OF her fur
Their malice aforethought did prick and stick the
said Peter Belt in his body thighs, and legs with
certain flesh fork, which she in her hands then ane
there held: by means of said pushing and thrusing
with the ho poker aforesaid and OF the said drench
ing with The pungen, liquid aforesaid; and OF the
said prcking and sticking with the flesh fork afore
said the said Peter Belt on the said tenth day of Jan
nary in the year of our Lord one thousand egh,
hundred and twenty two at the oun,y aforesaid died
against the peace and government oil the United
States.
Miss Nancy, if not weird sister, certainly resem
bled those scharmers so closely as to make the like
ness very striking. nd how scep al the raruel
G. urt and Jury might have been, with respect to hel
being absolutely bone tide witch we maintain it u
be nexl 10 Impossible for them to look Miss Nancy
in the FACE and die unbelieVers M Susan Johnson
very discreet ebony lady of about thirty FIVE, dsrgh
ter.in law OF Peter Belt deposed that she present
at this celebrated ceremony Of fire burn and cdatr0,
dub6e and that poor Innocent Peter saShicioned HI
had been hurted by Mary Belt his wife, who accor-
ding to Mrs. Johpeon's notions not 'discreaoned
syoman, and consequently had received sundry chas-
iisements from said Peter Belt. Peter it would ap.
fla l0t InJ. D..l.
sarugged his hosset' and was therefore unwilling that
she should minister farther unto him; but Mr..
Belt had one oil two thoughts either that she could
not do TOO much for her kind husband, who had so
lovingly beat her for her transgresons that be-
ing alive he stood in her way towards more suita-
table match.--by which of these two she was nGu-
enced, it i'll becomes us to say: but were it not tor
that everlasting spirit of charity which pervades us
we should point blank declare that she was actu-
ated by the latter Be this as il may however, these
two black and secret midnight hags,' Nanny Belt
and Nanny Swami made their appearance before
P. tr and Nancy arranged matters for IN trcking
hn-uut Peter resisting the medicine to the last
recourse was had to poker OF about FIVE feet in
length "a spoon being an nsuffcien lever Tor Peters
no4lh) ard the char med medicine poured VI e. arms
into his ihroat. They found it necessary also to tie
Peters hands and eet, Che still pro,esting,) while
Miss Nancy amused herself with the delightful
re raation Of drilling eyelet holes in Peters leg
th,phs and feet, either with view to let the shttl
escape, or in her incantaons she might have
fancied herself pricklng some nice breakfast bus
cult So it was, Nancy was so successful, as 10
drive off Peter and spell near about the same tmr.
All the instruments Of torture used were exhlbitedln
court and Mrs Johnson. the witness admitted
they were the most 'unmassfuReat zvcftns she eper
seed
Whether Nancy had inspired the minds of the
lawyers with pity with fear, lest she should
practice on them. we cannot pretend to say certes
however, she had no lack OF advocates; and while
the first two argued the law, the latter quoled the
gospel, lwho can resist the law and the gospel y
Yet the jury treated the matter with the most IN
becoming levty, and had not the speech Of the
gospel attorney been 'pricking, thrusting, and full
Of pungent liquid God only knows what would
have become Of Witch Nancy. Verdict guilty o.
nanslaughter.- METROPOLITAN.