St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-09

some of the identical pins which it was al
legged were taken from the bodies Of victims
upon whom the witches had exercised or ex-
orcised their dcyilish arts. The pins look
like any ordinary pins, and Salem being less
thrifty than Boston, does not charge any
thing for the exhibition.
They had unique, 'heads win tails you
lose, !" plan of determining who was witch
by throwing the accused person
into the water, and if the
victim could swim, or in any way managed to
float, he or she was declared witch and
taken out and executed. If the victim sank
and was drowned, he or she was relieved OF
the charge of being a witch, but was relieved
Of lifo at the same time. 1t was sure thing
on the accused in any event, and mother il
lustration of the fable of what was 'sfun fol
the boys was death to the frogs"
1t was fortunate for good many people
when the crazy delgsion was ended, for there
were still $50 persons accused of witch-craft
confined in Jail at Salem when the murder
GUS proceedings were terminated, and the
prison doors thrown open.
The witchcraft era, like all evil things, was
an inheritance from over the sea. Early in
the fifteenth century it was inaugurated in
Germany and France soon fell into line.
England was about forty years behind France
but by the aid OF Scotland she brought up the
rear nobly, and in England and Scotland
combined it is estimated that over 1000 peo-
pie were executed as witches, while Germany
and France added as many more to the vic
tins of that terrible time. There were pro-
fessional witch hunters,'' just as there are
police detectives in these days, and as re-
wards were paid for the detection of witches,
woe be to the person upon whom
the ''hunter," hungry for his reward
and remorseless in his cruelty, fastened his
clutches. England was far behind this
country in enlightenment and it was moi
until more than forty years after the Salem
and New England delusion was exploded
that England repealed her witch laws. Il
was still forty years after English progress:
before Germany reached sufficient degree
of enlightenment to abolish her wicked law;
upon this matter Even as late as 1858 {
woman was drowned by mob in England
as witch.
The twenty Salem victims look small and
insignificant, by parison, with the barbarit.
of the witchcraft era of the old world, but
they were enough to make never to be for
gotten period. AS l drove away from IN.
inspection of the ''old witch house" at Salem
| that bright Sunday morning, l endeavoret
in vol to ipna oir
superstitious era could ever have existed, bu
1 felt thankful that my time on earth was il
the eighteenth rather than the fifteenth O
sixteenth centuries.
1.-THE OLDEST CHURCH"
| A drive of few blocks brought me il
front of some imposing brick buildings, uset
for public purposes. Entering tbs yard o
one of the buildings and proceeding to tn
rear, found in the yard ''the Oldest church,
a building erected 255 years ago. 1t i
painted a dull red, and If not told of the fac
1 should not suspect its great age. 1t is
building about 20x15, about ten feet to tn
caves and thirteen feet to the ridge pole from
the ground. This little room has small gal
lery, contains the old benches, pulpit, ant
chairs occupied by the deacons eithe
side of the pulpit, and wooden tablet
on the wall having the names of tn
members of the church painted thereon. Tn
entire surroundings were as quiet tina
| Sunday morning as are the former member
of ''the oldest church, There was no on
in the street in that portion of the city saw
the party that accompanied me, and stooC
at the door of the little religious temple il
absolute solitude. The old building attract
no attention from the residents and / rathe
guess my party were the only visitors to tn
city on that Sunday, or perhaps on any othe
Sunday this summer. The old town allow
''no nonsense on Sunday or any other day
but saw atintervals during my drive, an oc
casional child upon the walk, which indicate
that all the inhabitants are not Centenarians
OTHER RAMBLEs.
The ''House of Seven Gables" mad
famous by Hawthorne, was another histori
spot which I visited. 1t is occupied by
tailor and the family were taking lat
breakfast when made my inspection The
are evidently used to it, for when l was s
impolite as to stare at the building ant
point my finger at the gables to make out tn
'.sevcn,' it did not seem to disturb tn
equanimity of the rcpast. An hour spent il
driving up and down the little alleyways
called streets, of the old portion of Salem, mad
me feel as though l might become Twin
exem pliiication of tie age so popularl
ascribed to my Grandfather's Clock"
grew venerable by association, and | won
dered whether this would not be good plac
to plant mummy seed and raise a crop 0
mummies so old that the Egyptian stoc
would bow its head in shame and retire fror
the business fully eciipsed.
OVER THE ROAD TO MARBLEHEAD.
Cape Cod is all afoat,
Marblehead is sandy,
Charleston is piggy town,
But Boston is the dandy.
This is the ditty that used to be MARBLE
about Boston harbor in early times, and hay
ing seen the two latter and agreed wit
the Tennysonian tribute, l concluded to pre-
ceed seriatim to ''do'' the other two. An
50, turning my back on witchcraft over I'll
road to Marblehead I went, which di
fcred somewhat from Steridan's famou
Winchester ride, in that it was fonly thrc
miles away" There were other points {
difference which don't need to enumeratt
Boston and Salem can present little bewi
dcrment in the way of crooked streets. br
the dittv ought to make Marblehead '.tl
dandy" 1t is probably called SANDY" b
cause outside of the beach there is not pal
ticIe of sand in the whole town. The wa
the town was laid out was evidently uniqu
Nature planted lot OF huge bouiders in TIL
region, during the volcanic or some 9TH
era. They tower up five. six, ten, almo
any number of feet you want, and when Il
people struck the spot they fairly yelled Wi