Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1855-12-08

lar spirit Is accordingly pronounced to be
black. white, or gray.
Why are almost all witches women, and, in
sooth, old women? The popular idea of
witch comedies at this day with the picture
of her sketched by Master Ilorsett quarter
of thousand years ago: An old weather
beaten crrnr, having her chin and knees
meeting for age. walking like bear leaning
on IA staff, untoothed having her lips trenl.
blng with palsy going mumbling in the
streets; one that bath forgotten her pater-
noster and yet IA shrewd tongue to call u
drih drab, and who hath learned an old
wlle's rhyme ending. pax, max. tax, for
spell" Ills sagacious Majesty King james
the First explained this by theory For"
lie said, las the sex is Trailer than man, so it
is easier to be entrapped in the gross snares
Of the dwell, as was over well proved to be
true 10y the seIpent's deceiving of Eve in the
beginning :" and Of course when the weaker
sex is ut its period of greatest weakness,
when it has fallen into bodily decay and do
tuge. then is the time for evil powers to make
sure OF catching 1t i'll traps. SO of u decrepit
old wrmuu, il she was poor and lived Il lonely
life, without the aid and comfort oc loving
husband or u sturdy son, the presumption
was lair that she must have been caught in
the trap, aud. being witch. ought in the
name OF all things holy to be burnt alive
Moreover, there would be disposition on the
part OF men To be very tolerant of women
who were well-lavored or young and ut least
an equal disposition Oh their part to be toer-
ant of women who were old and ugly. Let
| the tenderness of Col Iiobson testify.
In the year sixteen forty-nine the people of
| Newcastle-upon-Tyn We're much troubled
with witches and two Of the town-sergeants
| were despatched to Scotland in order to ell
ter into agreement with Il Scottish witch-fnd-
| er. On the arrival ut Newcastle Of this pub
| lie functonary the magistrates Of the town
sent belluen through the streets inviting any
person 10 bring up suspected witches for ex-
| animation. Thirty women were accordingly
produced at the tuwn-hall and most of them
after trial by the thrusting Of pins into the
flesh, were pronounced guilty. The WITCH
finder informed Col. Hobson that he knew
| whether or not women were witches by their
looks. hut when the said person was searching
IL personable and well favored woman the
Colonel replied and said. Surely this woman
is none and need not be tried" But the Scot
said. "yea she was, for the town said she was,
and therefore he would try her." Presently
afterwards he ran a pin into her and set her
aside as child of Satan. Col. Hobson pro-
we'd on the spot that the man was deceived
grossly, whereupon the witch-fnder cleared
the woman and said she was not q child OF
Satan. Nineteen women were ordered to be
burnt at Newcastle upon the conviction OF
this man, who then went into Northumber.
land. where he tried witches at three pounds
n head. 1t is poor consolation to be told
that this rniian himself died on the gallows
when it has to be added that he confessed
himself 10 have caused the death of two hun
. dred and twenty women in England and Scot
lard. and taking them all round, to have
earned about ii pound upon each job.
or the trial of witches by water every one
has heard. A scene like the following usel
in fact to be one of the incidents of ordinary
life in English villages, and was not atogeth
or rare when this letter was written. hun
dred and eighteen years since, to the LondoI
Magazine
"OAKLEY, three miles from Bedford.
SIR; The people here are so prejudiced i,
; the belief of witches that you would thinl
yourself in Laplaud was you to hear their ri
: dicuouS stories. There is not village il
the neighburhool but has two or three
About Il week ago ] was present at the cere
mnny Of ducking witch, particular accoun
Of which may not perhaps be disagreeable t
4 you.
IAN old woman Of about sixty years Of ag
had long lain under an imputaton of witch
craft, who. being anxious for her own SAX
and her children to clear herself. consente
= to be ducked and the parish officer promises
her ncquiance if she should sink. The plac
, appointed was by the river Ons, by q MILL
There We're, l believe. five hundred specta
=, tors About / o'clock in the forenoon tn
woman came and was tied up in u wet sheet
all but her face and hands her toes were tie
close together, as were also her thumbs, an
1 her hnnds tied to the small of her legs. The
fastened IL rope abont her middle, and the
pulled of her cap TO search for pins, (ior thei
notion is il they have but Que pin in ther
they won't sink.
when all the prelminaries were settle
u she was thrown in. But unhappily for th
poor creature. she foated, though her hea
was all the while under water Upon th
:, there was II confused cry: A witch! n witch
u Drown her Hang her Hang her She wa
. in the water about n minute and half, an
r was then taken ont half drowned. Whe
she had recovered breath she was tried twic
* more with the same success for she hoate
each time. which was plain demonstrate
,l OF guilt to the ignorant multitude for no
withstanding the poor creature was laid dow
IA upon the grass speeehless aud almost dea'
they were so far from showing any pity {
compassion that they strove who should b
the most forward IN loading her With reprOucl
es. Such is the dire effect of popular prejl
dices For my part stood against til" TO-
rent and when | had cut the strings whic
tied her, had carried her back to the mill an
endeavored to convince the people of the III
certainty Of the experiment, and offered
lay five 10 one that any woman of her age. S
tied up in loose sheet, would float; but a
N to no purpose, for ] was very near bein
b. mobbed. Some time after the woman cam
I'd out, and one Of the company happened
y, mention another experiment to try witch
which was to weigh her against the churc
i'd bibles for witch il seems could not on
I'd weigh it. ] immediately seconded the m
u tion las thinking it might be Of service TO Il
er poor woman. and made use OF an argumel
n which (thongh weak as King James, I,
II. their not sinking) had some weight with Il
al people for told them that il she was
I'd witch she certainly dealt with the devil. al
II as the Bible was undoubtedly the word
lis God it must weigh more than all the works
IL the devil. This seemed reasonable to severi
er and those that did not think so could not
r. swer IL. At last the question was carrie
ct and she was weighed against the bible, viii,
is weighed about twelve pounds. She ou
he weighed il. This convinced some and sta
y. gered Others; but the parson who believ,
he through thick and thin. went away fully ass
er red that she was witch. and endeavored