The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-22
wITcHoRAFT IN CONNECTICUT.

this majority.
wITCHCRAFT IN CONNECTICUT.
An Indictment of one Of the Cases
Nearly 400 Years Old.
Norwich Comm Correspondence OF the New York
Times
Many years before witchcrait lowered
over the State OF Massachusetts in the
vicinity of Salem, where summary dis
posals of the most barharous kinds ran
riot, before nutmogs were ever manu-
featured from wood or cabbage leaves
ingeniously metamorphosed into tobacco,
Connecticut harbored agents OF Satan, who
harried alike men, women aud children.
Historians have suppressed ii, aged and
honorcd families have denied it,but never
thclcss il is So. Rcsusciatcd from the dark
and dusty garrett OF the old Wyllis mansion,
the owner of which was the Colonial Sec
rotary, are the proofs and they comprise
a package big and lat, musty and worn,
labeled "Witchcmlt Trials" The tribunal
before which the cases were tried was the
only Court of oyer and Tcrmincr ever
organized in this State, and the following
is true indictment aud report OF one OF
the cases:
Alta special court Of Oyer and Tormncr
held at fayrcfeld, Scptr., 10, 1862. Present
Robert Treat, Esq, Governor; John
Allyn, Secretary; Mr.. Andrew Lcct, Cap
tain John Burr Mr.. William pilkin, Cap
tain Moses Mansfield, comprising tho
COURT
The Grand Jurors impanclled were
Joseph Myard, Samuel Ward, Edward
Hayward Peter Ferris, Jonas Water
bury, John Bowers, samuel sherman,
Samuel Galpin, Ebenezcr Booth, John
| PIait, Christopher Comstock, William
Reed, who presented bill OF indictment
against Mercy Dsboroush in the words
following, to-wiG
(corrYE)
4 bin exhibited against Mercy Dis.
| borough, OF Compo, in layrciic,d, in
the county of Fayrelicld, in the Colony OF
/ Connecticut
Mercy nlsborough, wife VI Thomas Dis
| borough, OF Compo, In Fayreheld, thou
/ art here indicted by the name OF Mercy
/ Disborough, that not having the fear oI
/ God before thine eyes, thou hast bad a.
| miliarity with Sitan. the grand cncmic Of
God and man, and that by his insiIratlon
/ and help thou hast IN u prelernaiurll way
/ afflicted aud don harm 10 the boddycs and
| estates Ut suudry oi their Mujcstios sub
| iccts, on b. some Of them, csntrary 10 the
| peace Of our sovereign Lord and l.adic,
| King and Queen, their Cfownc and dig
Mite. and that ON the 10Th of April oI
their Muicslics' rrisns, and at sundry
other times. for which by the laws ol God
gnd this colony, thou dc-crvest Ia dive.
JuuN AilYN, Secretary.
fuyrcGcll, 10th srptr, 1872.
The indictment having been read, th
prisoner pleaded "Not i,uilty,' AMI r.
icrrrd herself 20 tryal by'Uod aud hc
countric, which cpuntro was the jur!
after written.
Mr. John Wakcman, eycd thiuy-tw,
wears, and samuel Squire, made oath tina
they saw Mercy Disburpw put into Oh,
waller aud that She swan upon the water
This done IN court September 10. lbi2.
Test, JuuN ALLvN, Secretary.
The testimony ui Ahr'm Adams nn'
Jonathan Squire also il that when Mere,
nI-burow and Elizabeth Clawson Wcr
bound hand aud foot, aud put into ia
water, they swan like a cork; aud one W
bored 10 press them into the water an
they buoycd up Ike a cork.
sworn In court. September ", 1902.
Attest, JOINS ALLYN, Secretary.
There were some 200 witnesses who CAV
testimony in these two ,,scs. EliMhetI
Clavson having been aE,o indicted an
tried at tho same time as Merry, and som
oi the testimony is ol q very vivid and i'm
asinatiyr kind a goodly LOT ol which coul,
not bear the light Of dag. The ClaWso
woman escaped aud, owing % legal error
a new trial was secured lJr Mercy and ~
was again convicted bat never executed
Not 80, however, with the Godfrey family
also residents 81 Fairfield. They wcr
tried, convicted and hanged, according
the papers, while another witch wa
burned, II Is pid. in Hartford.
d Thirty years prior To these rcmarkabl
? cases two women named GruCusmiih au
= Barnes were executed nc 'Gallows I'LL,
= both charged with WlirhrndL The Grrtr
smith woman, imbucl with the fanatic.
suporstitulion so prevalent made a cor
r icasiOn under the moose % which she at
miucd her acquaintance with Ibis highnca
9 the devil, AID glonod ~ her hlnillarii
/ | with him. This proves beyond any doul
I that the goolly little STATE OF Councclic,
a was no irccr from the mucorUus evil
d Wiichrmlt than her s.sluf State OF Mass
% chusciis. Her people, however were moi
@ fortunate IN keeping tbu secret than the
J. adjoining nuiglbun, bot there Is no long
I, any usU Ul making % dun.ul Vt what suinD
g proved.