The Meeker herald., 1891-01-31
DAYS OF wlTchcRAFT. .


II has been supposed that Salem aud the
ncighbOrinY Massachusetts settlements
thereabout monopollcd pretty much all the
witchcraft of those dark years 1901 W,
etc }, IN which this shocking mania of Old
World superstition burst out on this side Of
the Atlantic. IL has even been denied that
the deiusion ever gained u foothold in Con-
necticut; aud the reports Of executions in
Connecticut have not only been denied, but
have remained TO all hut close students .
very doubtful matter at most But We sus-
pec,, says the Hartford Timcs, that this 10
Al erroneous view OF the subject, and that
Connecticut was really not SO very much
frecr from tho horrible superstition than
her sister colony OF Massachusetts bay. A
good many old women were popularity &C.
cuscd Of . criminal familiarity with
SatAr," and some Of them certainly were
tried for that sln-and, II tho truth must DO
told. there was more than ono execution for
Sitchcraft In Connecticut. Hut the Con-
necticut dclusion, though IL seems TO have
bcen earlier than the similar misfortune in
Massachusetts, never did reach such shock
ing proportions, nor go to such extremes -
that There were two executions hero In
Hartford In or about 1893 Of two women,
Grecnsmi,h aud barnes, convicted Of
wi,chrraft. The former We think, made
IN extraordinary confession after sho
had been convicted Of tho truth OF her
Familiarity with The DEVIL" NJ the Gus.
tomary charge IN hurh cases was worded.
Her conf which 10 not 1T for print
showed ut least = robust aud most fertile
and peculiar Imagination. II IL ono OF tho
strange features Of that witchcrnit mania,
here and In Massachusetts, that so many Of
tho persons who were convicted were ready
To confess the truth Of the charge M ado
against them. IL must have been an Illus.
tr.Atlon % UNCONSCIOUS p-ychologlIing. by
sgrca, wave or surrounding a,mosphe 70 Of
fauatieal sgper-ti;ious delusion which
rcigned for awhile In those places, aud
which male tho accused wreichcs really
feel that they had done the evil charged
upon them, and which their excited mag
iIa,.0us added 10 aud broaioncd out into
tho widest goso,gssTe Of nionstrous fan
tastes and ghsurditics. The scene Of tho
Hartford hnusiugs WAS on the commanding
SUNNI, near the head of Vernon street, not
far irom Trlaiiy College ION tina, remark
able ridge or dikv of trap-ro;x. naturally
PLACED Tor a geographical maxwell, on top Of
an Infinitely newer fre--s;onc formation-A
CiAa whica here sweeps down through
considerable portion Of Conneeilcui- Tho
location was Tor more than a century there
after known a, "Galiow> Hill" We do not
there; tho deluslon seems To have been
worse. and 10 have been followed by moro
executions, Ia Fairfield couu'y-whero I,
was rag ns later. simultaneously with the
mama A. Sa.ea.-ir iUvs.
In tho Times Of Angus, ., $50. arc scr.
erAI columns of an account o! Connecticut
w.ieLcra:,, written by William l.. Stone IN
the New York COMMERCIAL Advertiser. of
vh.es he was ihcn tho editor, and from
~h.ch faper the Tine. quoted u I, SCENE
to 10 only part OF sion.s lous aeeosni,
and was ooia4Hci when he was editor Of
the Conncciicn, Mirror. here In Hartford.
from umo staiH..i bgHdl, 81 old manu-.
scripts upon which he ehase-d - conc Ia
booking ovci large 10, Of sHeirn, patrrs
tina; had been broL sh, 10 li:h, frpm the old
garrett Of the wyiI niahsioh. wylli. wss
tho old Colonial Secretary, and naturally
would II In ,hr way Of having charge Of
sueh Old Iapcrs q, these. which were
In a s.rAr NJ. packet, lau-p!.d "wi'ehcrafi
TRAILS and that was what attracted
Co.on-l kiour'> aitcntl7n and ird him 10
aearcfgl study u the Iap-rs. whA, after.
~and besstne 81 ihrm No KNOW rot. but
I'll. extracts so fully nisdo by stone arc I'm.
par.an, ss throwing light Gu tho part ,akra
e. =. Sss s.;ss, 81 s' s;
Mercy D.sbcrVu.h from tho Tmes Of Ign.
cosunoi Stone judged. was Of the custom.
arr sort Ia wi;.Lcr.:; cases. testimony To
tho my s.srloss sad supernatural character
Of The prosecutions aId eun fassuEs wrought
ui.oa sgniry srry ignn,'~n trr-"ns iislnx In
tia, n-i.ht-rrtc.a. Mercy D..bsruush w.s
oac Of sunitcr Of wi;eic. 'hrr-ai-pui-twv
Of whom al Iess; wrr- iadIet-d ., tho sAn,e
i!fnc-in tho oniy eosri Of oyer aAd ,orui.
ncr ever crsanisrd IN Coaate'!eut. To w..i
Mercy bssunroasa AID Els;at-ih C!aw>oa.
Oos-iy Clsvsnss-st-dc oasscisoa, III; Merry
Ds,bcrogsh. of Comi.o Tia ,hc psv>rni town.
ship Of wes'i-ofil. was nc; 80 lucky. 10Th
~cFc Ioand. hand and foot. according 10 tho
ecod cd EnEiish custom. aud pi shod bead
Grss inio,hr water. Tic ,sst was 'ha, 10 tho
sssGs-i sanx and drowned. u va, pritaa
face cas- Of inno--ae-. II shr rna'rd. 81.
was clearly . witch aud masi b executed.
Merry Disborossh ard Cody Claw son both
nos;sd alike oorS''-nor ID ono paoas
srryaa; Of tho Lord succeed In pressing tho
former under. ai,,ri, no DID da;i!yIly and
s'us'ly try. The Ciswson woman. however.
and wu believe one cr two other witches,
were acquitted: bg, Mercy pisborourh waa
not 80 ~a.Iiy lsi % sh, had .1rciy afiiic,rd
diver. Ier.1rs by supernatural p'nchinss,
pr.sxinrs and s;iil worse plnishnrn;s Hut
there was somc hii.n IN tho prC,--,iins,;
Again cunvicicd. It Ia prcts, well ascrrtainc,i
that for seine cocgl; rrasoa she never WA
executed Tie Tine. .ays. -,iginralIy tiS1Di.
that one wbbl- family. named Godfrey. In
Fairfield County, wcrs hsHrc,i for witch.
craft aud 'ha, uno witch was burned In
Hafisorl-bsi tht, latter s,si-incni was an
errur witehcra,t. y uisiuru Of sut-rsti.
Loa. paEsassm aud distorted Chrisilan,iy
goi it, definite character from tho old doc
t!nc Of saiAn. In tho vain l.pndcrin.s n
the origin Of evil. tho Constitution Of tho
Will. aad such prob!otns. tho Superstition Of
The NiJdlc Ages ro.c like foul cshsla,lou
aud wcpioycr EnEiau and Germany. Tac
world was subjce; no, TO one Dol, tu; two
snd "'hc Dcyii' had power only sccoad 70
th-.. ~ God. and 'his power. which hal en-.
ab!ci bil1 10 .~iuc- Eve, qualified him To
lead as'ray i.rr descendants. Their, wa, ono
wizard 10 cycry hundred witches: so tho
men of'cncr escaped ics'us ton Bu, what
afrrh'fgl tirno ., was when any malicious
or half.psychuo-isc wois.n could accuse
ANY other Of her sex. aud have her tried
land very likely cvuvic,ed) Of such mon.