The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-22

some frame of mind against the Yankees"
he is apt to refer, in terms either derisive or
denunciatory, to the New England trials and
executions for witchcraft. In vain have the
descendants of the Puritans endeavored to
palliate the errors of their ancestors, by
proving the witchcraft delusion to have been
rather the malady of the age than the crime
of the individuals who labored under it. The
Virginian was not TO be propitiated nor
silenced by any such process of contes-
sion and avoidance. HIS forefathers had
escaped the contagion and he triumphed IN
the boast, too easily credited, that the sacred
soil of Old Virginia" had never been desc
Grated by trial for witchcraft
Yet this boast is not warranted by facts; for
the records are extant which prove beyond
cavil that Virginia has, in at least one IN
stance, tried a woman for withdrawing
victim being n negress, though only incl
dentally indicated as such in the account
from which l derive my information. With
out further preface, l shall relate her story
confning myself strictly to matter of record
Grace Sherwood was the romantic name OF
the witch in this case, and Princess Anne
county was the locality. The complaint was
originally brought against Grace by Luke
Hill and his wife, on n mere suspicion, and
all the proceedings were in the County Court
in the years 1908 and 1906 The first entry
made in the matter was as follows
''princcSS Anne, Ss.
At Court held ye: Sd of Janry: 1903 present:
MIR. Bena: Burro, Coo Moseley, Mr. John Cornick,
Capt: Hancock, Capt: Chapman, JUSTICES.
Whereas Luke Hill q uXOr somd Grace Sherwood
TO this Court I'm suspeton of wtchCraft she faylng
to appear is therefore ordr vt: attachmt to ye:
Sherr do Issue to attach her body to ansr. ye sd
som next Court
Accordingly, in ''ffebry" following, tho
Court debated the matter very fully before
proceeding to examine Grace, and finally or
dered that Luke Hill should pay all costs and
charges of the complaint, and that said Grace
should be at the next Court to be searched by
a jury of women; for it appears that the
''suspetion" was chiefly grounded upon certain
alleged differences between the accused and
other women. In March, therefore, Grace ap-
peared and consented to be privily examined
by twelve women, who were empanelled as a
jury and sworn. Having completed their in
spection, they reported verdict in the fol-
lowing words, to witt
eve of We. Jury have sercath: Grace Sherwood, and
have found two things like tits with several other
spotts-Eliza Barnes, forewOman Sarah Norris,
Margt. Watkins, Hannah Dennis, Sarah Goodyard
Mary Burgess, Sarah Serge9nt, Winiford Davis, Ur-
sula Ilenly Ann Bridgts EXable Waplies-Mary
Cotle"
Upon this the matter was presented to the
Attorney General of Virginia, who solemnly
laid it before the then Governor in Council
Before this high tribunal the charge appeared
Court of Princess Anne was instructed, if it
saw fit, to have Grace Sherwood examined de
moro. The court did see fit, and she was
arrested by the sheriff and required
to give good bail for her appear
ance at next term. Meanwhile, the
sheriff, assisted by the constable of
the precinct, was ordered to search Grace s
house and all suspicious places adjacent
thereto, ''for all images and such like things. "
bootless.
A new difficulty in the case now
arose. The women of the vicinage,
either through modesty, or fear of the
supposed witch, or for other good and
sufficient reasons, utterly refused to serve on
the jury required. In vain the sheriff
summoned, and, by turns, implored and en-
treated. They were inexorable. There
seemed to be a perfect conspiracy of the fair
sex in that region not to go to Court for any
purpose. When the Court, in June had a
number of the absentees summoned for con-
tempt, they still kept away, although threat
ened with the utmost severity of the law. In
fine, it was as clear defeat on the side of the
Court as can be found anywhere in the
annals of the wars of the sexes; for in
July, 17O6, the Court was obliged to content
itself with an examination by only ''ffiye
antient weamen."
Previous to this second examination, how
ever, Grace Sherwood, on July the 9th, con-
sented to be tried in the water 'by ducking"
but the day being rainy, the Court graciously
postponed the trial on account of cher health J"
as that body alleged, though obviously for
its own comfort and convenience. At
length, on the 10th of July, that being a
beautiful day for the purpose, the court and
its officers, the ''fiive antient weamen," and
any mum Der of other spectators, accompanied
the accused, through what was then ''John
Harper's plantation" to a sparkling little in
let making up from Lynhaven bay. There
the sheriff performed the order, which was to
''6ut' her into the 'de6h." And there, though
bound, she swan, as we are told, contrary
to custom, and ye: Judgts. of all the specta-
tors" which was certainly a very foolish and
terrible thing on her part, when by quietly
sinking to the bottom of the "debth" she
would have confuted her accusers and con-
frmed her innocence.
But those five antient weamen"
| Query: were they members of the court?)
were not done with Grace yet. They had
searched her before the ''duckng," and now
they had to examine her again The result
of both investigations is recorded as fol
| lows-
''Fdve antient weamen have declared on oath yt
| she is not like yur: nor noe other woman VT they
know of having two things like Tits on her Of Black
collier being blacker yn: ye: rest Of her body"
Which last statement raises q suspicion that
poor Grace Sherwood was at least a mulatto
of the despised free Niger order, if not a
negess. The court then, weighing all the
circumstances, ordered the sheriff to 'take
ye sd: Grace (another proof of her race) into
his custody and to comit her body to We: com.
mon Joal of this County their to secure he1
by irons or otherwise to be brought to a fiji,
tTH#n tpNrnl tl.,.s,