The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-11-25
a Reyvltcgass,g gvE.c.a.
arr EnDubEIshed Chapter from Early
New SSU=ag1 History

eau find concerning the early history OF their
section Ui tie country, very many important
documents eyaae their search. IL was the
good fortune cf the writer to recently discov-
or in New Haven an ancient, musly mauu-
script giving detailed account Of the trial
and execution for witchcraft Of a young wo
man named PatieLce Delight. This docu>
inent is the more curious because commonly
only weatner~Jeater old hags were sum
nioned for that offence. | am Of the inn
preston that this case is the sole one re-
cord describing the conviction Of handsome
girl-as the prisoner evidently was.
The manuscript commences: "a trew
account Of the trial. of Patience Delight,
spiuster, daughter Of Called to Grace De-
light and Affection. his wife. May =, 1852
This being the day sc.t apart for the trial.
Of chat atrociOus leaGuer with Sathan, tuck
brother Condemned Fish aud Reverend Re
member LOTS Wife Parkinson to sit with
me in Judgment, we being thereto specially
commissioned. We opened court in the
meet'n house with prayer. The prs'uer
was brought in by the shorif thickly vailed
81 that Sathau might not prevail on the court
th7o' her dcy:ish eyes, and her arms s!raitly
chained"
The usual formaiitjcs 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:
Il was mp to my broad hollow wood lot,
cloast by Goody Delights, mother Of pris'ner,
feled a hickory. and safe thereon resting and
meditating. Then comes certain rustI;n'
in the bushes hard by, aud turning my head.
lol l see, thorow the tanglements, two sharp
piercing eyes that ovcrcame me with a strange
dread. l thought first it should be a wild
catte or panther, the sharpness thereof
was 50 severe. But reach n for my axc and
rising up. l see pris'ner pluck'n berries.
She looked at me again and then looks away,
and thorcupon l was seized with unaccuunt-
able desire to keep looking at her, and could
In no wise keep my eyes from looking at
her. Which the tcmpter seeing, and wax
ing bold, she saicth good eveuin t. me with
much sweetness Of voice that ran like ting
ling oil out of Egypt thorow my arrow.
She keeps pick a and look'n, and shuten into
my body the most distrustjng con.agion. in
sInuch that l was near beside myself. Pre-
semitic, on pretJuc3 Of pluckin' berries. she
COmsth to WHARF | safe, still shUtcn at me
with her eyes, and when she comes cloast by
me, restraining grace was utterly bauishal
out of me, and l was wholly possessed with
the devil Harken not to my weakness, but
to the power of sin. Then saiIe |, Pa
tience, how old art thou p And she au~
months. worthy sir Then Salhan takes
my hand and makes me to lay hold on hor
and draw her to settle by my side. She
struggles and makes outcrie, and sles she,
The maQ is bewitched.' Yes sales l. and
thou art the witch that hath bowitChcd me
and thou shalt cure thine own poison Then
did ! press her upon my broast-bones, where
upon she uplifts violent Glamour, and |
know not what else goes OF, until my bro. her
Condemned Fish, passing by, comes up and
CIappes me on the shoulderTe, saying. 'iIuio!
brother Havery, what's the matterP And
at the touch Of that holy man Sathau de-
parted out Of me strait way.
'SwCrn iu open court this "a May, 1892
ISigned,
''IERsEvERE TO THE END HAvERY.
'Precious Smith, Head Deputie."
This cstimabe individual was followed by
"the young men Barnabas Ware, Boaz Dan
iels and Walk Meekly Smith" They testi-
fed that the prisoner had fascinated them
at sundry times and in divers manners
"Saied Barnabas saith, last Sabbath two
weeks ago he couldn't keep his eyes of
pris'ner all meetiu' time. Sale Bo2z sa, n
for several months he had been constrained,
despite Of al! that he could do, when he went
into meetn' to look for prisn'r, and alwaies
that a look from her went thorow him AID
the fascination was painefui. but natheiess
full OF delight Witness saieth it was like
the prickin' Of pins all over him, but when
he searched there was none to be found
Walk Meekly Smith saieth that he went t.
home with prs'uer from si3giu' schoole two
weeks agoe. That he did SO because he was
thereto fascinated and sne moved him bv her
behavior so to do, having stade by his side
in schOole and singiu' out Of his booke, and
4F,-N L.. i. 1 i -
youth aged only nineteen years and sub
jsct to his father. That there was nothin'
IN pris'neT's walk and manner that night
which might show forth the presence of the /
Devil only the cunninge puttiuge on Of
uodsstie, and lookn'5strauge sorts Of earnest
looks thOrow her eyeashes bent down. and
IS 1t were resting on her cheeks, which were
seemingly all in glow Of devilish fire. But
next day, aud even since, witnesse hath been
sore distressed with losse Of appetite and
melanchOlie, and constant desire TO be in
companie with pris'ner, but is afraid to
touch her. And he swears that she hath
bewitched him"
Next came woman witness. Ruth Dan
iels being sworn testifes that she knows that
prisoner hath bewitched Walk Meekiy Smith.
for THAT ne now shunues witness, whereas
he used to be familiar and good friends, be-
Ing witness third cousin. That last Sab
beth week, IN the meetin', pris'uer tried 10
iascinate witness. Witness looked at pris'ner
to robuke her for not rninding to this dis
course. Pris'ner turned up Ler nose and
gave her such fierce look that witness was
fascinated to take up the hymne books. and
was near about to throw it at pris'ner's
head"
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 ask
ing, is not this enough? Shall we not
suddenly seize the tempter and cast out Sa-
than from among US %
'Thereupon," continue the manuscripts,
up starts pris'ner and throws the vail of
L. H. III ,. . IL: