The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-06-12

Salem vV'itchCrafY-EV'hat Was
Once Done i1l the United States.

1t is q long time since this monstrous de-
fusion pervaded parts of New England, but,
as most readers have but an indefinite idea
of the cruelties practiced in the name of
reason and religion, it may be worth while
to reproduce some of the facts, condensed
from the work of Charles w. Upham.
Giles Corey, an octogenarian, seeing that
no one escaped, knowing that trial was
but form of convicting him of felony by
which his estate would be forfeited, DELHI
erately made conveyances of all his proper
ty, refused to plead to the Indictment, and
was condemned to be pressed to DEATH
1t is the only instance in which the horri-
BILE death by the common law judgment, for
standing mute on arraignment, has been in
flicted in America. 1t had a good deal of
effect on the community. Then there was
Robert Calef the unlettered, but intelligent
and rational Boston trader "a malignant,
calumnious and reproachful mana coal
from hell" as Cotton Mather calls him.
1t is true that this book was not published
until 1900; but man who could write as
Calef did had tongue, we may be sure,
and unquestionabl yused it to good effect
while these events were transporting.
There was Joseph Putnam, also, who gave
satisfactory proof of downright pluc k
throughout the whole of these strange pro-
ceedings. In opposition to both his broth
ers and both his uncles, he denounced the
whole thing and all the rest of his power
fulfamily, through and through. For six
months he kept one of his horses under sad
die night and day, without moments in
PERMISSION of the precaution; and he and
his family were constantly armed. Such
Il - L.
without great influence. The conduct and
appearance of the prisoners, too, had their
effect.
1t must be remembered that only those
who refused to confess, or who had confess
ed and retracted the confession, suffered
death. No one who confessed and stuck to
it was executed. So that those who suffer-
ed did so in defence of truth and integrity.
They were martyrs in the best sense. The
gallows was set up, as Mr.. Bancroft well
puts it, not for protested witches, but for
those who rebuked the delusion and per-
sisted in asserting their personal innocence.
And nearly all of these miserable victims
exhibited remarkable characteristics. Some
of the scenes and events of the time are,
indeed, the most touching to be found in
history. Surely" exclaimed Rebecca
Nurse, who was one of those executed, an
excellent mother of large family, 81 years
old-"surely, what sin hath God found in
me unrepented of that he should lay such
an affliction upon me in my old age ~
''Dear child" was the exclamation of Eliza
beth Proctor, to one ofthe witnesses against
her, sit is not SO. There is another judg
ment, dear child" II have nobody to look
too but God" was the despairing exclama-
ton of another woman, when half crazed
by the cruel examination to which she was
subjected. At one period of the excite
ment to be accused by the afflicted chill
dren was regarded as certain death. When
the officers camo for Mrs. English, who was
woman of culture and high position,
"she attended the devotions of her family"
siys Bently, "kissed her children with great
composure, proposed her plan for their ed
ucation, took leave of them, and then told
the officer she was ready to die" George
Burroughs, the minister, a highly educated
and excellent man, died like Christian