The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-08-17

Boston merchant, and one of the most
prominent and honored men of his time, was
hanged for that crime. She was a sister of
Richard Belingham, then deputy governor,
and had many friends among the most emf
nent citizens, who tried in vain to save her.
The charges against her all arose from curl
Gus gossip, and the strongest piece of evil
dence, which convicted her, was that she
had guessed that two Of her prosecutors,
whom she saw talking together in the street
were conversing about her. This proving
true, it was deemed that only the devil could
nave gifted her with such supernatural in
sight. Some of her friends denounced the
proceedings, and ever thereafter looked upon
her as a prosecuted saint, observing after
wards solemn marks of Providence set upon
those who were very forward to condemn her.
but their efforts were p3wer,ess to avert her
DOOM"
'Was innocence no protection at up,
asked the widow.
mot the slightest, my dear madam.
When the primitive barbarty of the human
race crops out, innocence is the first to suf-
fer. Those whose decrepitude and helpless
ness most deserved pity were the most liable
to be prosecuted and condemned. Schwein-
furth says that just such a condition of things
exists in Africa to-day among the Bongos.
They believe their aged people take to witch
craft, and murder them so rapidly, in conse-
quence, that gray-haired folks are scarce
among them. He even tells of chief who
believed his own aged mother was hyena-
woman.
SWELL" said the widow, with heightened
color, 81 am glad 1 did not live in those
| days."
Ireplied that it gave me great pleasure to
know that she did not, for feared that if
she had the weight of two hundred and ten
years upon her venerable head, should then,
in spite of all my Partially, be unable to still
look upon her as the loveliest of her sex. She
sighed, but thought the idea rather took
her breath away.
Nothing could have been fuer," contin-
ued, "than Parson Burroughs conduct on his
trial. The original excitement had arisen in
consequence of the pranks of several young
girls who were practicing what we should
now call spiritualism. They were taught
their tricks by two Spanish-Indian slaves, in
the family of Mr.. Paris, the Salem minister.
These slaves were "John Indian" and 'sTitu-
ba'' his wife. They commenced with for.
tune-telling and tricks of palmistry, and
ended with accusing all sorts of people of tor
menting them in frightful ways. Some of
those accused were terrified iHto confessing,
and joining in the accusations. Mr.. Bur-
roughs was brought into the matter by the
accusation of Abigail Hobbs, girl who had
lived in Casco, and who had evidently spite
against the good minister. Her revelations
were eagerly seized upon by Sergeant Thorn
as Putnam, his old enemy, who had married
sister OF Mrs. Bayley, the wife of Mr. Bur-
roughs' predecessor in the Salem mini stry.
Next to Mr.. Paris, the minister, he was the
most active in the prosecutions, and his
daughter Ann, girl of twelve, was a leader
in the mischief. Elizabeth, nine year old
daughter of Mr.. Paris, and his niece, Abb
gail Williams, aged eleven, were also promi-
nent. Abigail Hobbs had inspired these
children with the scandal about Mr.. Bur-
roughs, and shortly before his arrest they be-
gan to weave his name into their stories, ac-
cusing him of having made Abigail witch,
OF having tempted them to write in book,
of having killed his first two wives and
Mrs. Lawson, and Of having beaten, pinched
and choked them continually. He first had
a private hearing, where it appeared that
there was considerable feeling against him
because he was not sound on the doctrine of
witchcraft, and because he had twice neg
lected communion service when member of
the church in Roxbury.
ooh dearw calculated the widow, "and
have missed Communion more than twice,
sinner that am"
SIT was also charged by his enemies that
only his eldest child had been baptized.
When he was carried to the public place of
meeting, many, if not all, the bewitched were
grievously tortured upon his entering. Then
witnesses testified that his two dead wives
hal appeared to them in their winding sheets,
and said That man killed them,' and all the
time the witnesses were tumbling over as if
his least motion knocked them down, and
falling into commissions while accusing him of
torturing them. Amidst this frightful scene
of excitement the good minister stood calm
and humble, and when asked what he
thought of these things answered that st
was an amazing and humblng providence of
God, but he understood nothing of it, Then
witnesses swore that Mr.. Burroughs had a
trumpet which sounded far and wide, send
ing its blasts to Audover, and Weakening the
echoes along the Merrimack, to Cape Ann,
and the uttermost settlements, so that the
witches hearing it, would mount their brooms,
and alight in moment in Mr.. Parris's or
chard, just to the north and west of the par
sonage; but its sound was only heard by the
confederates of Satan.
CATER this public hearing Mr.. Burroughs
was committed for trial, which came off on
the fifth of August. The former evidence,
and the same exciting scenes were repeated,
and he was promptly condemned. He ex-
planned with simplicity and earnestness all
the charges brought against him, but the
court and jury had already prejudged his case.
Cotton Mather relates with glee the adroit-
ness Of Chit Justice Stoughton in trapping
him.
Tt cost the Court wonderful deal of
trouble to hear the testimonies of the suffer-
ers; for when they were going to give in their
dispositions. they would for long time be ia
ken with fits, that made them quite uncapa-
BILE of saying anything. The chief judge
asked the prisoner, who he thought hindered
these witnesses from giving their testimonies;
and he answered, he supposed it was the Dev-
il. The honorable person then replied, elbow
comes the Devil so loath to have any testi-
mony borne against you?" which cast him
into very great confusion.
"The scene at the trial must have been
wonderfully dramatic. The court house was
crowded with people, who gave up their BUSH
ness and came from all quarters to witness the
terrible drama. The prisoner was closely