The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-11-29
JULIANA. COXjiTHEJ WITCH.
How and why the Good People of Con
nectiCut Hanged Her Century ago. s.,
Wy. -..hl IRON the Hartford rinesI1 .......


A friend. in Glastonbury sends us the q
following account which had been cut u.
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 and it is 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 lhill'' in this r.
city, is known as the commanding trap
rock ridge by the &c stone-pits." Here :.
is the account II ~; t'E4; }4.H!u II. .|aua
&c 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.
1 heard strange noise over the other side !,
of the hole, and going to the4spot, 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 4
had seized hold. Upon this testimony
| Miss Cox, maiden lady of forty-four,
was brought to trial for the capital Of.
Tense of being a witch. = On her arraign-
ment she pleaded not guilty, and it was
| determined that d committee f.the Sc
| lectmen should examine her person for
witch marks, in order to introduce con
| frmatory 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
/ co1ored in siigh6 degree They there
upon made their report to the court ap-,
pointed to hear the trial. --~
.t.tThis evidence, confirming that of Mr.
Perry, was thought to be conclusive,
and On the Sd of April the trial took
place. It was thought unnecessary to
resort to further tests and Miss Cox was
found guilty of witcheraft 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 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 SO cruelty by
4 the committee men, yet every person
4 present believed her to be a true witch
and in league with the devil. She fur
Their declared that Julius Perry accused
her .wrongfullY.; She said she was in
i the forest gathering herbs, and that
Julius Perry came along and would have
his will of her E; that, she constantly re-
fusing, he set his dog upon her, and the
anlLnal OH ner suou1ueIs anu IuaI ne,
| fearing to be detected in this bad act,
had laid the charge of witehcraft against
her. This she said under the gallows.
-Whereupon a shout was made among the
people to 90 burn the witch, as hanging
was too easy death for SO foul astrumpet
!. of the devil. While the people went to
/ fetch the weed to burn~her, the Sheriff
hung her up, SO that shielded on the
gallows before the wood could be
brought.
This account of Juliana Coxs witch
craft and death is abridged from the
statement of Dinah Jones before COM
mlttee of delegates to revise the laws of
, Connecticut"