Litchfield enquirer., 1850-05-02

owe Of the marvellous i just now q
Dpcvalent and popular feeling ia the com
nunity, we make the following extract
rom Cotton Mather's .Magnalia,' con-
aiming an authentic specimen Of the
witchcraft of two hundred years ago
Mr.. PHILIP SMITH, aged about fifty,
Years. son VI eminenlly VeTluous Parents,
q Deacon of the church ia Hadley, a Mem
Der of the General CoarL q justice in the
Connlrey Court, q select Man for the Affairs
uf the Town, a Lieutenant of the Troop
and which crown all, Man for devotion,
Gravity, aud all that was honest
exceeding Exemplary. Such a Man was
in The " inter of the Year 1854, murdered
with an hideous Wiichcraft, that fill'd all
New England with AslOnishment. lie
was. by his Office concern'd about reliev-
ing the Indigences of a wreiched Woman
in the Town who being dissalisf'y al
some of his Just Cares about her, expressed
her self unto him in such manner, that
he dcciar'd himself thenceforward appre>
hensive of receiving Mischief al her hands.
About the Beginning Of January he
began 10 be Valetudinarious,;la bouring un-
der Pains that seem'd ISchiatick. The
StanIeIS by could now see in him one
apace for the other World, and
flt'd with Grace and Joy 10 high Degree.
He shew'd such Weanedness from aud
WEAKNESS of the World, that he knew moi
the said) whether he might pray for his
Continuance here; And such assurance he
Il L khot Sd
Raptures he would cry out. Lord stay thy
hand, 1t is enough, il is more than thy
frail Servant can bear. Blu. in the midst
of these thirgs he still ntter'd an hard Sus-
picion that the i'll Woman who had threat
ened him had made Impressions with In.
chautmenls upon him. While he re-
main'd yet OF sound Mind, he very se>
dately. bul very solemnly charg'd his BROTH
er. TO look well after him. Tho, he said,
he now understood himself, YET he knew
not how he might be. But be-Sure lsaid
hey 10 have care of me, for you shall see
strange things, There shall be Wonder
in Hadley! Iskall not be dead when Ills
thought 1 am! He pressd this Charge
over and over; and afterwards became
Delirions; upon which he had speech in>
cessant and voluable, and Gas was jnd'g) in
various Languages. He cry'L out, not
only of Pains, but also of Pins, tormenting
him in several parts of his Body I; and the
Attendants found one Of them'.
sin his Discusses he EXCLAIMED much
upon the Woman aforesaid, and Others, as
being seen ny him in the Room, and there
was divers times both il that Room, and
over The whole House, u strong Smell Of
like Musk, which once parlic-
ulariy SO scented an Apple roasting at the
Fire, that IL forc'd them 10 throw it away.
Some of the Young Men In the Town being
out of their Wits a. The strange Calamiiies
thus apon one of their most BELOVED Neigh
bors went three or four times TO give distur>
bance unto the Woman thus complain'd Of /;
Aud all the while were disturbing of her,
he was at ease, and slept as weary Man !:
Yea, these were the only times that they
perceiv'd him 70 take any Sleep in all his
illness. Gallv-rols OF Medicines provided
for the sick Man, were unaccountably
emply'd: audible Scraichinss were made
about the Bed, when his Hands and Feet
lay wholly still, and were held by others
They beheM Fire sometimes on the Bed !;
and when the BeholdeIs began TO discourse
of il, 1t VANISHED away. Divers People
actually, felt something often stir In the
Bed, lat a considerable distances from the
Man: II sesm'd as big as a Cat. but they
could never grasp it,, Several trying to
!ean on The Feds head, tho the sick Man
lay wholly still, the Bed would shake SO
as 10 knock their Heads ancomforiably.-
A very strong Man could not lift the sick
Man to make him lie more easily, tho he
apply'L his utmost Strength unto it; and
yet he could go presently and lift a Bed.
sted and Bed, and a man lyihg on il,
without any Strain 10 himself al all. Mr..
Smith dies: The Jury that view'd his
Corpse. found Swelling on one Breast, his
Privilies wounded or burn'd his Back full
Of Bruises, ind several Holes that seem'd
made with Avis. After he Opinion of all
had pronounce'a him dead, his Countenance
Continued as lively asifhe had been Alive
his Eyes closed as 10 Slumber, and his
Nelher Jaw not falling down. E a
"Thus he reinain'd from Saturday Morn
ing about Sun rise. till Sabbath day ia the
Afternoon, when those who took him out of
Bed, found still warm, tho the Season WIS
as Gold as had almost been known in any
Age !: sAnda New English Winter does not
want for Cold. On the night following his
was yet fresh as, before; but
en- Moniay incoming. they found the Face
exlreamly iimify'da and discolour'd. Il was
black and blue, and fresh Blood seem'd
running down his Cheek upon the Hairs.
Divers Noises were also heard in the Room
where the Corpse lay as THE Gathering of
Chairs and Stools. whereof no account could
De given. ISIS "A Aa a
'@This was the End Of so good.a Man."
"Anc could with unques,ionable Evi.
ience relate The TragicIl Deaths Of several
Good Men in this Land, attended with such
Circumstances, which have
oudly cail'e upon us all 10 work out our
with Fear and iremblinG.s
Ey-The trial Of M'Cafrey. for the
:. X. &c Mt. n,I M. Cn,;tL ~ Fast