The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-02-11
witchoraf, in New England.

When the lamcniable superstition of
witeherait had ovcrrHn the whole of New
England, and. for the time beiDe, Destroyed
nearly al the relations ii s.sciciy, there were
siill 90 b. fonnd amonrs the ruins haih
usen and wasnen who stood mp nchly for
the truth, and wha den8anccd openly the
terrible decisinss If the pcFioi and tbs men
who preyagatesl them wiih ~ red hand
Il was during the ahseBec Of Sir William
phipp@ II England that same af the lead.
ing persons ia Massachusetts, were deRounc-
Cd and east into psisan, aad ~ ho, aud hery
the persecution that even Lady PhipFs b.
earic suspected, and II va only bsseauss of
her being the wife 81 the ab>cn; goveFRnF
tha, Do pubic pr.oceslings were taken
against her Is WAS however sapFAsed
thar on the return u Str VI liiian, she soah
be denounced and his exeellcncy cosrasi
into signing her death warrant This
dgealfnl conviction Was. q esaaTsc, essicT-
tanned hy . few fanaiics uslly, fuF these who
kaew SIR William feli that, gpsai friend
a. he VA Of Gotten Mather, any move in
this diYeesjon woHld b. the death kueil Of
the superstition OF The toesiR Of civil war
The number of persons hanged and burn,
esi ca the mere veThal testimony of some of
the so-called wlEehfnders, Wa alarming.
and now another Holocaust was waiting IN
jail the return of the governor, who was
expected 20 sign a number Of death war
rants on the moment ~ has arrival
There was clamoF for more blaosk aud
% Essoe Sas i, thas the DAY after Sir WI
liam landed. be wls bs=si by viichasisss
and other fana;lcs, whs, enc aud all urgcd
him to make short work 81 those now con-
acmnei 70 tbs rope og the stake. otherwise
some dreadful calau,iiy wuuld befall the
oountry. He listened toiheir superstitioyls
sayings and especially 10 those of nost
forhidding.lookiag wretch petty pfhUcY
of the hw--who-e eyes were absolutely
ahame with cruelty, and who had u special
Interest in s<sing the death.EarTants signed
and executed f.E amongst these lying in
Jail was truly Christian young lady.
distant relative If his who had refused 60
hecume his Wife, pereeiving thar II was her
fortune that prompted his suit. and being,
besides satisfied af his evil disposition and
s0rdid nature On discovering that his ease
vas hopeless be managed to get her de-
nounced, and now though a. pure as snow,
and as free from guilt of any description a.
mortal could vel BE-. she lay IN loathsome
Jail under sentence of death, and hourly ex-
pecting 10 be executed.
somehow, Sir William speedily beeame
aware of the particulars OF this case; bat
promised To have everything ia relation To
il and to others forwarded that night To
the authorities who had the prisoners in
charge. 80 tha; they should, as he termed
it, '.be led forth the following morning
In the meantime be had caught some whis-
pers Of the intended charges against her
ladyship, his wife. and began to ruminate
ON them.
When the prisoners had become aware
of the return of the Governor, they felt
the hour Of their doom had arrived, for Sir
William had been deeply tainted with the
prevailing superstition. and was prompt in
his descent upon it wherever he supposed it
to exist Contrary to the general idea, ihe
beautiful young creature who had been the
victim Of the fouleSt conspiracy, declared
her opinion that the God whom she served
aud whom they all acknowledged to be just
and merciful, would save them from the
dreadful death which seemed to stare them
in the face. Upon this she exhorted them
to singing and PRAYER, after which a strange
peace seemed Ia fall upon her and upon all
her companions.
Sir William Phipps was rs prompt as
usual in dealing with the question in hand
and Just as night was falling, placed pack
age in the hands of the wretch already
mentioned, with instructions that he should
deliver it before morning to the sheriff of
the place where those under sentence were
confined As the infamous creature-in
surprise and wonder-received it, his eyes
glowed with tiendish satisfaction and de-
light, as now the property of the doomed
lady was all but in his grasp. 1t was late
when he set cut with the dispatch, although
he had many miles to ride, but he could
perform the journey easily long before
morning, and that was all that was necessary.
About midnight the heavens became sud
denly overcast, and he had just entered
rocky defile walled in by frowning cliffs,
when the thunder began to roll above him
and the lightning to sweep through the
gloomy gorge in manner the most terrific
For moment his heart quailed within him.
as in the fierce, blue glare of the tempest
he seemed to catch glimpse of the meek
eyes and the pale features of the victim of
his avarice and his false testimony Put
ting spurs to his horse, however, he soon
cleared the narrow pass, and, turning to the
right, pursued his way among the rocks