The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-05-31

Here was the tragedy! Ihe Darreis
in the corner might excite specula,
tions as to their contents; but the re-
suits of mans life of thoughtful ef.
fort, passing to decay unseen and
unappreciated, suggested many
sad and profound reflection; and, with
tender pity, I laid my hand upon
this neglected child of the poor
Frenchmen's toll, along whose wood
en- frame and wire nerves the liv.
ing spirit of his thoughts had passed.
Quitting the chamber, I accompa-
MED my friends to the Court
House; where we were soon bust
ly occupied with the object of our Wis
it. Most eagerly did we turn ov-
er the sheets of yellow, time. stained
paper, patiently decipherings re.
cords written in cramped and an.
cicnt hand. Here we read dispositions
as to the most extraordinary bewitch-
ments of cattle, the casting Of divers
persons into grievous fits by the ap.
pearancc Gas the supposed demon
was termed) of those accused, the
torturing then with pins, and many
other diabolical appliances of the
black art. We we're shown a
large bottle full Of the very pins,
now rusty and discolourcd, which
had been taken from the bodies of
those afflicted. OF the occurrence of
all which I saw chronicled here, l
had heard, read, and believed; but
in things which partakc so much of
the supernatural and improbable, un.
til confronted by their positive cvi-
dences, we are scarcely able to feel
their actuality. But here, in my
sight, were the very pages record
ing words that had sworn away
lives which, in these days of our bet
ter knowledge, we must pronounce to
be guiltless Of their alleged offences.
and many were the thoughts and
questions they irrcstibly forced upon
me. Who, in, those mixed assem-
blagcs of judges, witnesses, and
the accused, were the deceived par
ties? Were all alike resting un.
der the same dark shadow Of super
stition? We find men holding re.
sponsible positions, amongst whom
we expect to meet with some of the
best intelligenccs of their timc-sol-
emily conducting examinations, is
suing committals, and women, as
we'll as young persons down to if:
teen or sixteen years Of age, making
dispositions of a character SO ab.
surd, that we should call them laugh
able did we not remember hui
man lives were stakcd on them. We
cannot think that so many pco.
pie, from malice or conscious il.in.
tent, could invent such statement;
neither can we understand how they
could possibly have believed what
they say; or, if they did, by what pro.
cess of the imagination they were
wrought to such a pitch Of fantast.
ic illusion. 1t is all a troubled mys,
terry.
We asccrtaincd that these pa
ges consisted Of fragments Of many
examinations, besides of the death
warrants of the unhappy so,callcd
wizards and witches; but we did
not find anything very distinctive to
fix our attention for some time, as
the evidence and accusations were
for the most part the same III all. At
last we took up paper headed "Thc
examination of Sussannah Martin.
May 2, 1892" The replies of tins
poor woman, stand up for her life a.
gainst a terrible array Of ignorance
and superstition, surprised US by
the evidence they gave of the
clearcst prudence and sclfposses
sion in a moment of such inmi.
ncnt trial. My friend remarked to
me, 'This paper corroboratcs the op-
inlon | expressed a few minutes ago:
that the men and women who suf.
fercd during this period, were those
whose higher mental gifts and great
er breadth of character, placed be-
yond the understanding Of the com
mon natures around them" The doc
ument ran thus
The examination of Susannah Mar.
tin, May 2, 1902
AS soon as she came into the meet
ing.house many persons fell into fits.
Judge. Hath this woman hurt
you?
Abigail Williams said, 1T is
Goody Martin; she hath hurt me Of
ten."
Others by fits we're hindcrcd from
speaking.
Eliza Hubbard said she had not
hurt her.
John Indian said he never saw