Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-10-31
gAABEwITCHING WITCH.
An UnpubIIshed Chapter of Early
New England History.


they can find concerning the early his
tory Of their section of the country
very many important documents elude
their search. II was the good fortune
OF the writer to recently discover in New
Haven an ancient musty manuscript
giving detailed account Of the trial and
execution for witcheraft Of a yohng
woman named Patience Delight. This
document is the more curious because
commonly only weather-beaten old hags
were summoned for that ofense. am
of the impression that this case is the
sole one on record describing the con
viction Of a handsome girl-as the priso-
ner evidently was.
The manuscript commences thus: "A
trew account of the trial. Of Patience
Delight spinster, daughter of Called-to-
Grace Delight and Affection, his wife,
May "a, 1892. This being the day sett
apart for the trial. Of that atroeious
leaguer with Sathan, ] tuck brother Con-
demned Fish and Reverend Remember
Lot's.Wife Parkinson to sit with me in
Judgment, we being thereto specially
commissioned. Opened court in the
meetn house with prayer. The pris ner
was brought in by the Sheriff thickly
vailed, so that Sathan might not prevail
upon the court tllro' her deyeEsh eyes,
and her arms straitly chained" " The
usual formalities being gone through
with, there was read the affidavit Of a
man named Havery, who seems TO have
been the principal witness against her.
1t was as follows
| was up into my broad hollow wood
lot, cloast by Goody Delights. mother
Of pris' ner, chopping wood. just to-
ward the night, ] felled hickory, and
safe thereon resting and meditating.
Then comes a certain rustlin' in the
bushes hard by, and turning my head,
lol ! see throrogh the tanglements, two
sharp piercing eyes that overcarne me
with a strange dread. thought first it
should be wild cat, or painter the
sharpness thereof was so severe. But
reach nifor my axe and rising mp, | see
pris ner plucking berries. She looked
at me again and then looks away, and
thereupon was seized with an unac-
! aountable desire TO keep looking at her,
and could in no wise keep my eyes from
gazing at her. Which the tempter see
ing and waxing bold she saith good
evenen to me with much sweetness Of
voice that ran like tingling oil of Egypt
thorow my marrow. She keeps pick n
and looking, and shuten into my body
the most distrustfGl Gnntagion, insomuch
that | was near beside myself. Present
lie on pretense of pick'n berries, she
cometh to me where | safe, still
4 shuten at me with her eyes. and
when she comes eloast by me, re-
straining grace was utterly ban
ished out of me, and | was
wholly possessed with the deyil.i Her
ken not to my weakness, but to the
power of sin. D" Then saied |, Patience,
how old art t,thouH' And she answered
and said a"Sixteen years and nine
months, worthy sir. Then Sathan takes
my hand and makes me TO lay hold on
her, and draw her to sette by my side.
She struggles and makes outcrie, and
safes she, The man is bewitched. ="
Yes" safes /, "and thou art the witch
j that hath bewitched me, and thou shalt
cure thine own poisson" Then did !
press her upon my hreast-honeS, where
upon she uplifts violent Glamour, and ]
know not what else goes on, until my
\ brother, Condemned Fish, passing by,
comes up and clappes me onthe shon-
derre, saying, "Hullol brother Havery,
what the matter2" And at the touch
of that holy man, Sathun departed out
of me straitway.
Sworn in open court this "a May, 1892.
| lSigned) I .FfBs.Lg t.t..l
\ '1N PERsEvERE-ro.T .THE-ESD HAvEEYy
Precious Smith, Head Deputie.
This estimable individual was followed
by the young men Rarnahas Ware,
Boaz Daniels, and Walk-meekly Smith. "
They testified that the prisoner had fas-
cinated them at sundry times and in
divers manners Saied sBarnabas
saieth, last Sabbath. two weeks agolh he
couldn't keep his eyes off pris' ner all
meetin time. Saied Boaz saieth, for
several months he hath been constrained,
despite Of all that he could do, when he
went into meetin' to look for pris ner,
and that alwaies a look from her went
thorow him and filled him with very
dreadful formulation. That the fascina-
ton was painful, but natheless full Of
delight. Witness saieth it was like the
prickin of pins all over him, but when
lhe searched there was none to'be found.
Walk-meekly Smith saieth that he went
to home with prism from singin' two
weekes agoe. That he did 30 because
he was thereto fascinated, and she
moued him her behauior so to do, having
safe by his side in schoole and singin
out of his booke, and that he had neuer
fdope the like before, being ayouth aged
| only nineteen yeares and subject to his
| 4 nkot Nhnun hfnH N
pris ner's walk and mansr that night
which might show forth the presence of
the Deuil yonly the cunning puthnge on
of MODESTO. and lookin' strange sorts OF
earnest looks thorow her eyeiashes bent
down, and as it were resting on her
cheeks which were seemingly all in a
glow Of deuilish fire. But next day, and
euer since. witnesse has been sore dis
tressed with losse Of appetite and mel
ancholie, and constant desire TO be in
eompanie with pris'n 'ner, but is afraid to
touch her. And he swears she hath be-
witched him. ~ vs. n sti-aI % -
f Next came A woman witness. Ruth
Daniels being sworn, testihes that she
knows that prisoner hath bewitched
Walk-meekly Smith, for that he now
shuns witness, whereas he used to be
familiar and good friends, being witness
third cousin. That last Sabbath week,
in the meetin', pris ner tried to faseinhte
, witness. Witness looked at pris ner to
rebuke her for not mi4ding 10 tho dis
course. Pris'ner turned up her nose and
: gave her such fierce look that witness
! was fascinated TO take up the hymn-book
and was near about to throw 1t at pris'
ners head. ral - l
| After her came brother Condemned
, Fish who said that he remembered the
witness uplifting the book, and how he
stayed her rash hand. He concluded by
) abruptly asking, Is not this enough
Shall we not suddenly seize the tempteI
and cast out Satan from among us
Thereupon," continues the manu-
J script, mp starts prisoner, throws the
e vail of her head with incredible dill.
E gence and fury, and cries out TO the jury
+ in loud voice: Worthy sirs, take heed
e how ye give trust TO false counselle, and
: be not swift to stain your skirts with
I eniltless blood. protese 10 the lorde
n