Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-02-15
w,rcucRaFriN CONNECTICUT
An Indictment of one OF tho Cases
Nearly 400 Years ola.

wiTCHCRAFTsN COynECrICUT
An Indictment of one OF tho Cases
Nearly 400 Years OH.
A Norwich Conn letter saws: Many
years before witchcraft lowered over the
State of Massachusetts, in the vicinity OF
Salem. where summary disposals OF the
most barbarous kinds ran riot, before
nutmegs we're ever manufactured from
wood or cabbage leaves ingeniously
mesamorphosed into tobacco, Con-
necticut harbored sgents Of Satan,
who harried alike men, women,
and children. Historians have sup
pressed it. aged aud honered families
have denied il. but nevertheless 1t IS so.
Resuscitated from the dark and dusty
garrett of the old Wyllis mansion, the
owner of which was the Colonial Secre-
tary. are the proofs. and they comprise
package, big and fat, musty and worn,
labelled Witchcraft Trials" Tho tri-
bunai before which the cases were tried
was the only Court Of Oyer and Termi-
ner ever organized in this State, and the
following is true indictment and re-
port of one OF the cases:
At special court of Oyer and Termi-
ner, held at FsyreGeld September ~,
l692-Present Robert Treat, Esq.
(Governour). John Allyn secretary, Mr..
Andrew Leet, Captain John Burr. Mr..
William Pitkin, and Captain Moses
Mansfield comprising the court.
The grand jurors impanelled were Jo-
seph Bayard, Samuel Ward, Edward
HAYWARD, Potter Ferris, Jonas Water
bury. John Bowers. Samuel Sherman,
Samuel Galpin. Ebenezer Booth, John
Plat, Christopher COmstock, and Will
liam Reed, who presented q bill OF IN
dictment against Mercy Dlsborough In
the words followlng--to wit
[coPPYE.l
A bill exhibited against Mercy Disbo-
rough, Of Compo, IN Fayretield, in the
county OF Fayrefeld, in the colony of
Connecticut.
Mercy Disborough, wife OF Thomas
Disborouoh. OF Compo, in Fayrefield,
thou art here indicted Ivy the name Of
Mercy Disborough, that not having the
fear of God before thine eyes, tlou hast
had familiarity with Satan, the grand
enemie of God aud man, and that by
his instigation and help thou hast in
preternatural way afflicted and don BARN
10 the bodlyes and estates of sundry OF
their Malesties' subjects, or to some OF
them, contrary to the peace OF our SOW
ereign Lord and Ladie, the King aud
Queen, their crowne and dignltie, and
that on the 25th Of April OF their Males
ties reigns, and at sundry other times,
for which by the laws Of God and this
colony, thou deseryest to dye.
JOHN ALLYN, secretary.
FaYredciG, 10th Septr., 1892.
The indictment having been read the
prisoner pleaded "Not guilty." and re-
ferred herself to tryal by God and her
countrie, which countrie was the jury at-
ter written.
MIR. John Wakemau, aged thiriy.two
years. and Samuel Squire made oath that
they saw Mercy Disborow put into the
water and that she swan upon the water
This done i'll court September ID, 1882
Test JOIN ALLYN, Secretary
The testimony of Abram Adams and
Jonathan Squire also is that when Mercy
Disborow aud Elizabeth Clawson were
bound hand and foot and put into the
water they SWAN like corck, aud one
Iabored to press them into the water and
they buoyed up like corck.
Sworn in court September 10, 1892.
Attest JOHN ALLYN, Secretary.
There were some 200 witnesses who
gave testimony in these two cases eli
zabeth Clnwsor having been also In
dicted and tired at the same time as
Mercy), aud some OF the testimony is OF
very vivid and imaginative kind, a
goodly LOT of which could not bear The
! light of day. The Clawson woman
escaped. and, owing to legal errors, a
new trial was secured for Mercy, and
she was again convicted, but never exc
cuted. Not so. however, with the God
frey family, also residents OF Fairfield.
They were tried, convicted, and hanged,
according to the papers, while another
witch was burned. it is said, IN Hartford.
Thirty years prior to these remarkable
cases two women named Greensmith and
Barnes were executed at "Gallows Hill, j"
both charged with witchcraft. The
Greensmith woman, imbued with the
fanAtical superstition so prevalent, made
a confession under the moose in which
she admitted her acquaintance with his
highness the devil, and gloried III her
familiarity with him. This proves be-
yond any doubt that the goodly little
| State of Connecticut was no freer from
the rancorous evil of witchcrait than her
sister State of Massachusetts. Her peo-
pie, however, were more fortunate IN
| keeping the secret than their adjoining
neighbors. bat there is no longer any
use of making denial OF what stands
] proved.