Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-08-22
A SALEM UITCHCR4FT MEMORY.
Sad Sconcs at the Trial and Execution of Mrs
Hcbecca Nourse In 1902.

Sad Scones at the Trial and Execution of Mrs.
IScbecca Nourse I'm 1892.
The Boston Globe publishes the following
regarding the trial and execution of Rebecca
Nourse, who was sacrificed to that strange
religion Moloch, Salem witchcraft, in 1862.
The magistrate (IIawthorne) mentioned was
an ancestor of Nathaniel Hawthorne, and is,
no doubt the original of Colonel Pyncheon,
i'm the House of Seven Gables.
The life and death of Rebecca Nourso form
sad chapter in the history of Salem. Ira.
dition says that she was beautiful woman,
past middle age, and respected by all who
knew her, from the time she first entered
the town until, in accordance with the popu-
lar superstition of witchcraft, she fell vic
tim 20 her neighbors' displeasure, and calmly
went to her death on Gallows Hill. With
the prOmptness which characterized her peo-
pies acts on religious subjects, four indict-
ments were sworn out against her, and the
wife of Francis Nourse, one of the most re-
spectacle citizens of the deluded town, was
brought into court
In her old age experiencing n full share of
the delicate iniirmities which the instincts OF
humanity require to be treated with tender
consideration, she was ruthlessly snatched
from the midst of a loving family and made
TO feel the horrors of a criminals life and
death--to please the imaginative and re-
iigiOusly crazed people.
of her early life little can be said. She was
born in Yarmouth, England, i'm lG2l, but
came to this country and settled In married
state, having two sons. For many years she
was one of the leading sisters in tho First
church, and was actively engaged In all
religious work. How the fatal hand Ofsuspi-
cion settled on her has never been ascertaned,
but it is known that her examination came
off in the First Parish church. Tho age,
character aud appearance of the prisoner
made the occasion one of unusual interest.
magistrate, began tine proceedings by address
ing one of her accusers:
"Has this woman ever hurt you?'
eyes" was the reply.
"What do you say 10 that?" Ito the pris-
oner.)
In q clear but low voice the woman replied !:
~ can say before my Eternal Father 1 am
innocent, and God will clear my innocency.
Then followed the investigation. With the
customary unrelenting character of the
accusars deaf ear was turned to tho elo-
qusnt appeals of the wife and mother, who
seemed 10 speak by divine inspiration for life
aud liberty. SO clear was her defense that
no possible case could be made ont against
her, but, despite it all, she was kept within
the arm of law, and without regard to justice
sent to Jail. Mrs Nourse, as has been said,
was very deyout woman, and probably the
hardest blow OF all was the action OF the First
church, of which she was q member. The
records still preserved read as follows:
'sAtter sacrament tho elders propounded to
the church, and it was by unanimous vote
consented to that our Sister Nourse, being a
convicted witch, and condemned to die, be
communicated, which was accordingly
done in the afternoon, she being present"
Then came the day Of the execution, July
10, 1872 At an early hour the little village
was bristling with activity. "The DEVILS
angel on earth " was To be punished with the
death she deserved, aud so the Puritan
maidens attired themselves In holiday dress
to honor the event The procession to the
gallows was long one scores of people from
the neighboring towns and villages taking
part The victim, manacled and guarded by
The sherifl and his deputy, headed the line,
while close behind followed troops of men
and women who laughed, deeming ii rare
sport to see the agonized faces of the terror
stricken family rs they watched the mother
and wiie grow pale, and trembleas she began
the ascent of the rocky cliff whose top was
crowned with the instrument of death. 1t il
impossible in words To depict the scene OF tht
execution In the horrible colors in which
tradition has painted IL. With firm steI
and eyes upturned to Heaven the gray y-haireI
woman took her place ON the drop. SILENT.
the hangman tied the rope before the eager
waiting assembly; then a momentary husl
passed over the crowd-tho eXecutioner'
duty DONE a moment later all that was LEI
TO tell the story was the body of the age'
woman swinging gently in the summe
wind.
Seldom has woman met with harder iate
The body was thrown with the previous We
Tins In hole i'm the crevice of the rocks an
hastily covered with earth. The masses c
spectators turned homeward, leaving the bt
reaved family at the homestead uncared ia
and ignored by their once firm friends.