The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-11-30
JULIANA cox, THE WITCH.
How and why the Good People of Con
necticut Hanged Her q Century Ago.
From the Hartford Times.l


necticut Hanged Her a Century Ago.
From the Hartford Timesl
A friend in Glastonbury sends us the
following account which had been cut
out of the Times away back in 1923, and
had been pasted in an old scrap-book.
Juliana Cox, we rejoice to believe, was
the only witch that was ever hung in
Connecticut-andit is a matter of regret
that even one such case of superstition
and shame can be brought up against
the good old State. The place of the
execution, on "Gallows hill" in this
city, is known as the commanding trap
rock ridge by the "stone-pits. Here
is the account
"In the beautiful town of Glaston-
bury, in Connecticut, the following re-
markable event occurred in 1853. In
March of that year one julius Perry
went out with his dogs to hunt. In the
depths of the forest he discovered Gas
he alleged) an old gray fox, and his dogs
gave chase. After chasing the fox up
wards of two miles, the animal was
holed. When Mr.. Perry came up he
heard strange noise over the other side
of the hole, and going to the spot, he
there found Juliana Cox lying and pant
ing for breath. Her left shoulder was
bleeding and had on it the marks of the
dogs teeth. This was just the spot on
the gray fox's shoulder where the dogs
had seized hold. Upon this testimony
Miss Cox, a maiden lady of forty-four,
was brought to trial for the capital Of
Tense of being witch. On her arraign-
ment she pleaded not guilty. and it was
determined that committee of the Sc
lectmen should examine her person for
witch-marks, in order to introduce con-
firmatory proofs against her. She was
therefore remanded to prison. The fol.
lowing persons were appointed on the
committee Eben Brewer, Alexas
Jones, and Samuel Cutworth. These
men proceeded at once to the prison,
and stripping Miss Cox they began their
examination. For time exceeding an
hour they could find no marks, and Miss
Cox submitted to their examination with
tears and sobs. Finally, when they had
pricked many places on her body with
out success, she confessed to two marks
one little below the right hip and
one on the left arm. The committee
now became satisfied that these were
true marks, as the flesh was thereon dis
colored in slight degree. They there
upon made their report to the court APP
pointed to hear the trial.
''This evidence, confirming that of Mr.
Perry, was thought to be conclusive,
and on the 3D. of April the trial took
place. 1t was thought unnecessary to
resort to further tests and Miss Cox was
found guilty of witchcraft on the evil
dence already quoted, and sentenced to
be hanged. Strange noises and demons
haunted the Jail at Hartford up to the
time that her execution took place, which
was on the 7th of April, at 5 o'clock in
the morning. There was a large con-
course of men and women attending her
execution, and, although she declared
that she was unjustly accused, and that
she confessed to the witch marks to stop
the pain of being pricked 50 cruelty by
the committee yet every person
present believed her to be true witch
and in league with the devil. She fur
Their declared that julius Perry accused
her wrongfully. She said she was in
the forest gathering herbs, and that
Julius Perry came along and would have
his will of her that, she constantly re-
fusing, he set his dog upon her, and the
animal bit her shoulder, and that he,
fearing to be detected in this bad act,
had laid the charge of witchcraft against
her. This she said under the gallows.
Whereupon shout was made among the
people to "burn the WITCH" as hanging
was too easy death for so foul strumpet
of the devil. While the people went to
fetch the wood to burn her, the Sheriff
hung her up, SO that she died on the
gallows before the wood could be
brought.
This account of Juliana Cox's witch
craft and death is abridged from the
statement of Dinah Jones before COM
mittee of delegates to revise the laws Of
Connecticut"