Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-05-17
CHAPTER ".

The very name OF q witch was tatal IN those
good old times. No one could long bear it
with impunity; and this poor Rose well
knew. To see herself hated and feared, poi
soned her life with dread that the general
\ feeling might extend itself TO her husband,
her father and her child. Sometimes she
wished she was dead, as the only way of es-
cape from the indignities and cruelties which
she had heard Of as inflicted upon other wo-
men, in all probability as innocent Of witch
craft as herself
Six months after the visit of the pricker,
Mistress Lucy Bedinheld died, and, the old
report that she had been bewitched was re-
vived with the addition that it was Rose
Nicholl, and Rose Nicholl only, who had laid
upon her the spells that had destroyed her.
Every calamity that happened in the village
was now laid to the charge of the smiths
wife. If an old person died from age, Rose
had bewitched him or her; if baby perish
ed from weakness, Rose had bewitched it; If
crop failed, Rose had bewit,hed the seed;
if the corn, when heavy in the ear, was laid
by violent storm, Rose had raised the storm
if horse cast shoe, Rose had bewitched
the nails or the hammer, or the anvil. Rose
might look as pure and innocent as she
would, but popular persecution used her as
one.
Mistress Gilbert scarcely found her schemes
march 50 quickly as she desired; but an un-
expected aid came to her from another quar-
! ter. A poor old woman at Wistlebank was
tried for witchcraA, and, under her tortures,
she gave list Of names Of persons whom she
said she had herself seen at the Sabbath, or
| general meeting of witches and warlocks.-
She did not at first mention Rose Nicholl;
but, the name being suggested to her, she al
so avowed she had seen her, and no later ago
than the previous Friday night. All the ac-
cused were Immediately arrested and carried
before Sir Roger Bedinfeld, and two other
magistrates as sapient as himself In vain
did Richard Nicholl swear that at the time
his wife was stated to be present at the hor-
rible mysteries of the witches Sabbath, she
was sleeping comfortably by his side; he was
told that the devil deluded him by putting a
semblance of her in her place, that he might
not discover her nocturnal absences. The
poor smith WAS nearly maddened; but, what
/ answer could a-man make to magistrates who
were so deeply in the iend's confidence as to
know every stratagem be employed Rich
ard was persuaded of his wifes innocence,
but he could not prevail on others to believe
in it; and, though Parson Phillips protested
against the confessions of an old woman
crazed by pain being received as evidence
against Rose and her so-called accomplices,
no attention was paid TO his remonstrance,
and they were all confined until the day when
they were to be tried.
These must have been strange times that
folks now call ''good old times" when man,
who loved his wife more fondly than any
thing else in the world, could calculate fer
Yently "Thank God r when he was told that
she was dead. Two days after poor Rose
was thrown into prison, Parson Phillips
brought these tidings to the smith, and said
that he had leave to bring her body home,
and give her Christian burial. Terrified at
the accusation brought against her, deprived
other child and her husband, the young crea-
ture was seized with fever, and died in her
prison-by Gods mercy, both the Parson and
Richard thought, for she thereby escaped the
door Of her companions in misfortune, against
whose names stands in the criminal records
of the time, the fatal words-'conYict and
brynt"
The smith brought his poor white Rose
home on the third anniversary Of their mar
riage; and, the next day was inferred, with
all the rites of the church, amidst the too late
repentance of her prosecutors. Master Simon
and Richard stood by the grave in angry sor-
row, and directly opposite them, with her
wicked eyes fixed on the smiths face, was
Miss Gilbert. As he was moving away, at
last their glances met the waiting-woman
laughed triumphantly, and pointed down
wards at the coffin with a significant air.
- L..
and then said in a deep, concentrated tone,
which the hearers recalled afterwards as tone
Of prophecy. Gay, Mistress Gilbert, there
lies the body of my poor Rose that you hated,
and her spirit is safe in Heaven. You may
laugh now, but you shall not laugh long
The day is near when your body shall raise
lowe that shall be seen from Whistleband to
Carnridge, and your spirit shall skir to be
heard from Hecklestone for three miles round
Mistress Gilbert only laughed the louder as
she marched away.
But Richarh Nicholrs words came true.
The Heckleston was tall block of granite,
set up in Hambledon park, on en- elevation
about hundred yards from the house. So
long as it remained there were two marks
npon the top which tradition said were made
BY the burning hands Of Mistress Gilber t. she
was set on fire aceidentlly, and, flying from
the house, in her agony she ran up to Heck
lestone, screaming, and clung to it blazing
all over, until the light was seen "from Whis-
tlebank and Carnidge, and her cries were
heard for three miles round" People ran to
her help, but the story goes that the fire re-
sisted every effort to put it out Mistress
Gilbert was burnt to ashes and, wherever
the wind scattered them, says tradition, the
ground was forever after barren.
The REsPoNsIBuITX OF EXPRESS CoNPA-
NIRs.-A case of some importance was tried
at the Division Court in this place on Thurs
day last. It appears that the Messrs. Bar
Der, paper manufacturers at Georgetown, for
warded to Mr.. James Cloy, of this place, by