Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1850-05-16
From tie Alexandria Gazette.
WitChcraft In New Jersev.


iished in the year 1907. The trial took place il
Burlington county. in the 1890, little more thar
a century ago, and as an incident of the "gooe
old times" of which we often hear, has some inter
est for the modern reader We fnd it in tn,
Mount Holly Mirror.
| Were there no other reason for promoting an in
crease of knowledge, it would be desirable for the
sake of humanity only, to give such information
as exhibits the singular ignorance of former ages
and the Improvements of succeeding generations
The following account taken from the Pennsylva
MA Gazette, Of October $780, Is inserted to evince
not only the absurdty, but the cruelty, of super
sttious error which about that period infected moi
merely the common people,. bu the expounders oi
law and dispensers of justice. We may now fat
ter ourselves that the terror of witchcraft is no
more; and that poor woman may be both old
and ugly without being in danger of hanging for
being too light in the water, or drowning for being
too heavy:
BURLIGNToN, Oct. l2. 1890,
Saturday last, at Mount Holly, about eight
miles from this place, near three hundred people
were gathered to see an experiment or two tried
on some persons accused of witchcraft 1t seems
the accused had been charged with making their
neighbors' sheep dance in an uncommon manner
and causing hogs to speak and sing psalms, etc.
to the great terror and amazement of the King 8
good and peaceable subjects in this province the
accusers being very positive that if the accused
were weighed in scales against Bible, that the
Bible would prove too heavy for them, or if they
were bound and put in the creek, they would swim
the said accused, desirous to make their inno-
conce appear, voluntarily offered to undergo the
said trials If two of the most violent Of their ac
cusers would be tried with them.
Accordingly The time and place were agreed
on and advertised about the country; the accus-
ers were one man and one woman ; and the ac-
cused the same. The parties being met, and the
people got together, grand consultation was held
before they proceeded to trial, in which it was
greed to use the scales first and committee of
men were appointed to search the men, and also
the women, to see if they had anything of weigh.
about them. particularly pins
"After the scrutiny was over, huge great BIZ
BILE, belonging 10 the Justice of the Peace, was
provided, and lane was made from the Justices
to the scales, which were fixed on gallows erect
ed expressly for ha, purpose right opposite to the
house, that the Justices wife and the rest of the
ladies NIGH, see the trial, without coming amongst
the mob and after the manner of Moorfelds,
large ring was also made. Then came out of the
house grave. tall man, carrying the Holy Writ
before the supposed wizard, etc. {as solemnly as
the sword bearer of London before the Lord May
or.) The wizard was first put into the scale.
and over him was read chapter out Of the book
Of Moses, and then the Bible was put in the other
scale, which being kept down before, was imme.
iiately let 60 but, to the great surprise of the
spectators flesh and bones came down plump,
and out weighed that great book by abundance.
"Afier the same manner, others were served,
and their Jumps of mortality severally were too
heavy for the big book-plump they came down.
This being over, the accusers and the mob,
not satisfied with this experiment, would have the
rial by water; accordingly most solemn process
sion was made to the mill pond, where both accused
md accusers, being partially stripped of their
clothing, were bound hand and foot, and each
placed in the water, lengthways from the side of
barge, having for security rope about the mid
lie of each, which was held by a person in the
,arge. The accused man being thin and spare,
with some difficulty began TO sink at last, but the
,ther three swan very lightly upon the water. A
ailor in the barge jumped out upon the back fthe
nan accused, thinking to drive him to the bottom;
ut the person bound, without any help, came
I'D some time before the other. The woman ac
user being told that she did not sink, would be
tucked second time when she swan as light
s before, upon which she declared that the ac-
used had bewi,ched her to make her SO light, and
hat she would be ducked hundred times, but she
rould duck the devil out of her. The accused
nan being surprised at his own swimming, was
o, so confident of his innocence before. but said
If am WITCH it is more than | know" The
,ore thinking part of the spectators were opin-
On that any person so bound and placed in the
7a;er, unless they were mere skin and bone,
would swim till their breath was gone, and their
lngs were filled with water. But it being the
enera opinion Of the populace that the little cloth
,g which the accused had on helped to support
lem, it is said they are to be tried again the next
rarm weather, entirely diyested ofit."
Proper Time for Slaushtering Ami
mails.
II has lately been discovered by French chem
,h., tho flash of animals which are killed in {