Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-09-25
G00DY NURSE. THE WITCH.
Ere elton ola Monument in Danvers, Mass,
to Her Memory-Story of Her convic-
ton and Execution.


Salem, July 10, 1862, or July 80, new
style. Danvers was formerly q part Of
Salem, and within it's limits lies salem
Village" once the abode OF the Rev.
Cotton Mather and the Rev Nj. Par
ris, in whose house the witchcraft
delusion began it's fatal epidemic,
Collins street station is quite near
the monument. 1t stands in the
family burial lot on the farm, sur
rounded by thrifty white pines on each
side Of the little square. 1t is % shaft
of Quincy granite, eight and a halffeet
high, with a. cap Of Roc?iport granite.
On the front are the lines:
Rebeca Nourse,
Yarmouth. England,
1921
Salem, Mass.
1892
Below it. are John. G.. Whittier S
lines:
"oh, !christianmartyr, who Tor truth could
When all about owned the hideoua lie;
Tho world redeemed from superstitious
sway
Is breathing freer, for thy sake, today
On the other side of the monument
the inscription runs:
Accused of witchcratt she dccl;, red, I am
innocent, and God will clcarmy innocency.
Once acquit ted, yet falsely condemned, she
suffered death, July 10, 1902. In lovn:;
memory OF her Christian character, even
then fully uttested by forty Of her neigh
bors, this monument is erected, July.
1856"
The exact place OF her grave is rot
marked, but it is known within few
feet. Near the monument are the
graves OF John TurEell, her SON law,
who died March %, 17l:1, and OF his
son Jonathan. She was buried under
the gal!oWs on Ga]!ows Kill at the
time Of her execution, but on that
night her friends stole away the body
! and buried it in This lot. An ancient
writer makes this conment:
"Rebecca Nurse OF Salem Village, a
Lady Of great Worth, but aged and in
poor Health, was drawn into the aw
! ful Vortex in what would appear at
This Time, bat from a Knowledge Of
; the Existence OF E'eu,s which arose
from various co,ses,a q very strange
Occurrence. SIZE WAS sacrificed in a
Manner too cruel for Belief. The Ju-
~ returned Il verdict OF Nots Guilty
hut tho CONT, h} the most barefaccd
perversion OF her Answers, and being
! determined on her Destruction, sent
the Jury out again and forced a Yer
y ~ &c,
nothing more memorable or lament
! able, in all the Tri;tI: and Convictions,
j than the Case OF this Poor Woman
She was hanged with the five that sui
fered on the 10th oiJul ".
Her fate was not as cruel as that Of
Miles Corey, all aged man Of over 80
years, who refused to testify because
he knew that whatever he said would
ne used against him. He was pressed
to death, and Just before he expired,
as his tongue Was forced out. Il by
ISLANDER thrust in back again with his
'>anc The old ballad OF Gcody Corey
says:
They got them thc, a hr,vy Beam,
They layIn it Oh his BREAST.
They loaded it WITH heavy st ones,
And hard ci'on him PRIEST.
''Morc weight now say:i this wrctcIed
Man.
"More w! ht," again he tryed,
-Anl' he did not contest on MAX:
But wickct.Iie I've Dyed
The feuds which alu:;l(u(o'lto in the
extract above were probably the hard
feeling aroused ;l3aino; "Goc'}v Nurse
; by her reproval of some tiigilty young
women She was I years Of age ami
most OF her 2ccl.ScrS We're young women
OF les; than 30. The iN1Ir ~n!rnt : charge
her with 'ccrtuinc letcSt; >,nicvrc; call
ed Witcilcraft and Sorcc1i<s ::;r.s:e1l,-
and ffelonious]y used, ps:,"t;eed and
exercised' by which her victims We're
hurt, tortured afflicted consumed
Fined wasted and tor,'r2ttti a2r ;ho
Peace of our said Sovcrri4nr Lori %nd
Lady the King & V',::'n and agt ,lc
ffor,ne ui the statute in thNt cas-:
; made and provided. Shr was ar
rested and examined, and % record Of
the q Uest ions. and answers were Etl,1.
1t ends thus:
"rllis is z true ;icrnI1It nf the sill!,r
Of lir exanlinat. o'1, iut ny reason OF
great noyscS, Ey l";ilIlute'! and mary
speakers: many things t.:e preter:Gi1-
ted memorandum.
Nurse held i!*r neck On one side and
Eliz Hubbard tone Of the ss!ifoHr.:,)
, had her neck So int hai posture, where
upon another patient. Abigail VIII
liams, cried out, 'Setu Goody Nurse
! head, the maids neck will be broker
! And when some set up Nurses head,
! Aaron Wey observed, vt Betty Hub
/ bard's was immediately rightec.'
Dispositions of four young women
were taken charging Mrs. Nurses zap
perishion'' with "grievo,sly' biting,
! pinchlng, choking and tor'ncnt'rs
! them. She WAS tried and acquitted,
but was subsequently convicted and
! hanged, as stated in the extract
; above She protested against the
great injustice, and sent petition to
/ the court. which ends thus:
* < = For my Life Lyes now
! in your Hand, under Goa: And Be-
! ing conscious OF my owne mnocency.
! / hun1bly be2g that may have liberty
! to manifest it to the wourld partly by
) the Meanes above said: And yor
| Poore pettissioner shall Evermore
pray as in duty bound &c.
REBEUA NURSE;
! hir Marke X.
The original records OF the witchcraft
! trials are horrible reading. It seems
; as If men lost their senses, or their
belief in hobgoblins and witches must
! have been pheno1nenally strong.
"Goody" Nourse was acquitted, and
! the sole reason for q reversal OF the
verdict was her remark regarding the
! witness Good wife Hobbs: ss'Wh hat,
! do you bring her? She is one Of u.s.
One Of the jurors has lett q written