New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-28

ing fudge was William Stoughton. Ihls court
met In the old courthouse at Salem. 1t got prompt
" to work, beginning with the trial of Bridget
Bishop on June .. She was selected as the hrst
to be tried, because some dozen years before shc
had been accused of witchcraft. In a former out
break of the mania, and was thus regarded as
attending a second time. There was little of the
DELAY Of iustice-if Justice it may be called in
those days. Bridget Bishop was called to the par
IN June Q One of the witnesses against her les
tilted that the shape" Of the prisoner appeared 70
her frequently and bit, prcked and otherwise
tormented her Another testified that ~ was
the shape of this prisoner BISHOP with ano'her
which one day took her from her wheel, ana car
rjed her 10 the river eide. threatening therc 10
drown her if she did not sign the DooR. IL Is
added: "One Deliverance Hobbies. who had con-
fessed her being witch was now tormented Dy !he
spectres for her confession. And She now .'n'i-
fed that this Bishop tempted her to sign the Door
again and to deny what she had cohteseeu' ""'
affirmed that it was the shape OF thls prlsoner
which whipped her with iron rods 10 conipei hor
tbereunto And she affirmed that TINS hlshop
voc Of , general meeting Of the witches, in heid
AZ Salem village and there partook oil dlapolcal
sacrament in bread and wine there administered
Several persons stated that they had peeh u,s-
+urhed in their beds by nocturnal VISITS ol Clc
eJ,ap of Bishop: ana one IndH -
ber for bewitching his SOW. Other witnesses
ooo,sod Rridoet BISHOP of still more extraordinary
rorLs such for example, that recounted Nv
rno Jobr Lander. who deposed that upon some
1.+lo controversy with Bishop about her fowls GO
; ,ou IN he'd he did walk in the mght nH
or1icbt and did see clearly the likeness OF 'l'S
,ronor crievously depressing him; in when mis-
oIJo condition she held him. unable 10 heip
L;n,solf until near day. lie told Blshop OF 'h's
hr+ che denied it. and threatened him very inucn'
Op;cl,lv after this, being at home on ho'" u"s
81 Tho doors shut about him, he saw blacK pig
,.ooot him. at which he going to KICK, u
"Pr.S orov Immediately after. sitting down.
y, ao,, h,ocly thing lump in at the window ana
$500 ,rd stapd before him. The body was IKE
a.. 90 = ,nonl,cv the feet like % cocks, Dut 'he
face much like that Of a man. lie pein8 ~ w
tremely affrghted that he could not hpeaH' '"''
monster spoke to him and said: ! am niesS'n-
cor sent unto you, for understand thaC YOU are
in some trouble Of mind, ana II you VIII Nv iu'''
-. mo ,,ou shall want for nothing in this world
Wbereupon he endeavored TO cap HIS n""'' "P,"
:. hrt could feel no substance and it jumped out
- ,Lo ,,;ndo,v again: but Immediately came in by
tho norch though the doors were shut, ana saiu
.you had better take my COUNSEL lie 'heh
struck at il with q stick, but struck only the
Ground and broke the stick. The arm with which
bo struck was presently disenabed, and 1t vanished
away He presently went out at the back door,
and snied this Bishop in her orchard going toward
her house but he had no power to SET one 1901 iol
ward unto her. Whereupon, returning INTO 'he
| bouse he was Immediately accostcd by the monster
be had seen before: which goblin vas now going 10
a., az him whereat be cried out The whole
.rnor ot God be between me and you so 1t
snra,g back. and few over the appetrce, shaking
many apples of the tree in its flying over Az l,S
lean il flung dirt with its feet against the stomach
~ the man: whereupon he was then struck dump'
and 90 continued for three days together
COTTON MATHER's VIEWS.
Such stories prevailed, and on June 10. having
becn found guilty, Bridget Bishop was s~nt 70 the
scaeold and hanged. Then the court took recess,
and sought counsel from the clcrgymcn, as to how
tbev should proceed with the rest OF the cases
Chief among the ministers was Cotton Mather, and
II was he who wrote the opinion Tor the guidance
NJ the court Stern and bigoted as he was, In this
;rstonca he was conservative and forbearing.
lie exborted the court to proceed most cautiously.
| and TO convict no one save on apeoiu'ely ihuuoi-
table evidence. He was, however, a firm believer
| in witchcraft 1T is" he wrote, well known
that these wicked spectes did proceed so far as to
s,eol several quantities OF money from divers peo-
Mo mart of which individual money was dropped
ome,imes ont of the air, before sufficient specta-
| tors into the hands of the afflicted, while the
snec,res were urqing them to subscribe their cove
| nan, with death. Moreover, poisons, to the
stanacrs-bv wholly invisibly. were sometimes
.-o.a imam the affiliated: which when they have