Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-01-10

A friend in Glastonbury sends us the fol
lowing account which had been cut out o
newspaper away back in 1923 and pastet
in an old scrap-boOk. Juliana Cox. W,
rejoice to believe. was the only witch thai
was ever hanged in Connecticut-and it is
a matter of regret that even one such case
of superstition and shame can be brought
mp against the good old State. The place
of the execution. on "GaliOws Hill.'' i'm
this city. is now known as the command
ing trap-rock ridge by the .'stone pits. =
Here is the account:
In the beautiful town of Glastonbury. in
Connecticut, the following remarkable ev-
ent occurred in 1888. In March of that
year one. Julius Perry. went ont with lis
dogs to hunt. In the depths Of the forest
he discovered (as he alIeged) an old gray
fox, and his dogs gave chase. After chas-
ing this upwards 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 painting for
breath. Her left shoulder was bleeding.
and had on il thc 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 offence Of being witch. On
her arlaignment. she pleaded not guilty.
and il was determined that Il committee of
the selectmcn should examine her person |
for witch marks. in order TO introduce con-
firmatory proofs against her. She was
therefore. rrn".ded to prison. The fol- .
lowing persons were appointed on the
committee: Eben Brewer, Alexas Jones
and Samuel Cutworth. These men pro-
ceeded 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 prickcd many pla-
ces on her body without success. she con-
fesscd to two marks-one Il little below the i
right hip. and one on the left arm. The
committee now became satisfied that these {
were true marks. as the flesh was thereon 5
"AS''i'iNi III al lIty
upon made report 10 the court appointed i
to hear the trial. /
This evidence, confirming that Of Mr. i
Perry. was thought to be conclusive. and @
on the 3r,l Of April the trial took place 1t f
was thought unnecessary to resort to fur f
Their tests and Miss Cox was found guilty II
Of witchcraft on the evidence already b
quoted, and sentenced to be hanged. 1t s
was said that strange noises and demons Il
the jail at Hartford up to the time I
that her execution took place, which was O
on the 18th Of April, at o'clock in the y
morning. There was large concourse Of b
men :nd women attending her execution. W
and, although she declared she was unjust n
|y accused. and that she confessed to the g,
Witcli-lnarhs to stop the pain Of being k
Dricked so cruelty by the committee men. al
yet every person present believed her to be II
| true witch. and in league with the devil. "
She further declared that Julius Perry &C in
used her wrongfully. She said she was m
n the forest gathering herbs, and that Ju- Il
it's Perry came along and would have his it
vii OF her; that, she constantly refusing. al
Re set his dog upon her. and the animal bit m
lcr shoulder. and that he, fearing to be de- BIZ
ected in his bad act. had laid the charge h:
II witchclaft upon her. This she said I'M b,
Ter the gallows. Whereupon shout was D,
made among the people to burn the witch. W
S hanging was too easy a death for so m
oul strumpet of the devil. While the ar
'eople went TO fetch wood to burn her. the br
Eeritf hung her up. 40 that she died on er
he gallows before The wood could be OBJ ia
lined. of
This account of Juliana Cox's witch m
raft and death is abridged from the state in
lent of Dinah Jones before committee fir,
f delegates to revise the laws of Connec- an
Times. m