Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-04
THE WITCH TRAGEDY
AN ANNIVERSARY THAT WILL NOT
BE CELEBRATED.

<tN RiNftivGnSrnf - f7Nt WILL WI
BE CELEBRATED.
Robert Graves Visits Salem and Dis
cusses the Execution of the witches.
The Birthplace of Hawthorne The
House Of the Seven Gables.
Especial Correspondence
SALEM, Mass, Sept 19.-It is impossible
TO come into this quaint old town without
looking for the witch houses and inquiring
for the scene of that dreadful tragedy of
two centuries ago. One thinks also of
Hawthorne and The House of the Seven
Cables" but first of all the witches.
As stepped off the train here this morn
ing and proceeded to inquire of the aged
and most sedate hackman who had me in
tow where the witch tragedy took place
and something about it, was informed
that had come to Salem on notable an
niversary. 'Just 200 years ago the last OF
the witch executions took place Yes, SIR
was looking that up today, having lit
tie dispute with my wife about the dates,
and it was Sept. %, 1892, that the last OF
those executions took place out on Gal
lows hill"
lS uOb UQlS anniversary w oO SCASoioOSo
or observed in some mannerr
mot any. You see, the people of Salem
are not bit proud of that witchcraft busi-
ness. They haven't outgrown the old ira
dition that the hanging of those poor peo-
pie was disgrace to the city and to the
inhabitants, and such it was, sure enough.
When you come to think that hundreds
and hundreds of the people who live here
and hereabouts now are the descendants of
the very men who put the so called witches
to death you may imagine that it is a sore
kind of a subject, mister. Salemites don't
talk much about that witch business if
they can help it."
My ancient Jehu proving to be well in
formed mana characteristic of New Eng
land cab drivers is their advanced age and
general store of information-I questioned
him further.
"Have efforts been made to preserve the
historic buildings and other scenes con-
nected with the witchcraft tragedy" /
asked.
mot at all. In fact, guess the people
of Salem have sort of encouraged the pull
ing down of the old buildings. They'd
like to have the whole witch business for
gotten if they could.
''We hack drivers care more for it than
anybody else, because it is money in our
pockets all the time You have no idea
how many people in passing through
Salem stop off between trains and ask to
be driven about to the places of interest.
They all want to see where the witches
were hung, and then they want to see
where Hawthorne lived. remember Mr..
Hawthorne as well as do my own father"
My communicative driver first took me
to the old court house. 1t is an old build
ing-completed fifty years ago-but in an
cient Salem half century is such small
measure of time that the natives persist in
calling it ''the new court house." Here
are displayed two authentic souvenirs of
one Of the most terrible tragedies ever
known in America.
One is small bottle, protected by the
county seal, containing few rusty pins
which were produced in court two centu
ries ago and identified as the very pins
with which the wicked witches pricked
and tortured their Juvenile victims. These,
the most famous pins in history, are curl
GUS looking contrivances-twice as long as
our modern pins, heads formed of twisted
wire, and not SO sharp that they need have
inflicted much pain upon the deluded vic
Tins. These grewsome relics helped to
place the rope about the necks of nineteen
Innocent men and women. They were
originally pinned into the papers contain
ing. the famous-rather the Infamous
trials, but as they disappeared one by one
the remainder were placed in the bottle
and carefully sealed.
One of the death warrants is to be seen
here-the one which sent innocent Bridget
Bishop to the gallows. A musty old docu-
1 - i of l. ~,
clinging to it through all these years The
return of the sheriff on this warrant inter-
ested me very much. In solemn language
pious old Sheriff Corwin certified that he
had caused the said Bridget Bishop ''to be
hung by the neck till she was dead and
buried" AS if realizing when too late
that the words "and buried" were carry
ing matters little too far, he drew his
pen threw them.
All the original testimony taken in the
witchcraft trials is preserved here, and
suggest to my readers who may want to
learn what the testimony was upon which
the nineteen innocent men and women
were hanged, that they send to the Salem
Press for little book written by Caroline
Upham, and which costs a dollar. 1t is
one of the most interesting books 1 have
ever read. In it may be found q full ac-
count of the witchcraft delusion, the trials
and executions, abridged from Charles Up
hams History of Salem Witchcraft,"
which was published twenty-five years
ago, and is now out of print, as found to
my cost when, Boston bookseller charged
me thirty dollars for the two volumes.
Not far from the court house my driver
halted before bronze tablet which con-
tanned the following inscription-a minia-
ture history of the witchcraft tragedy:
Nearly Opposite this Spot
Stood, in the Middle of the Street,
A Building Devoted from 1877 Until IT'S,
To Municipal and Judicial Uses.
In it, in 1892,
Were Tried and Condemned for Witch
craft
Most of the Nineteen Persons
Who Suffered Death on the Gallows.
Giles Corey was Here Put to trial
On the Same Charge, and Refusing to
Plead
Was Taken Away and Pressed to Death.
Were Tried Here for Witchcraft,
OF Whom Eighteen Were Acquitted and
Three Condemned, but Later Set Free,
Together With About $50 Accused
In a General Deliysry cry; Which Occurred
in May.
A drive Of five minutes took me to one
of the most interesting houses in all New
England-the Roger Williams or switch
house." Though the Oldest house in
Salem or vicinity, it has not the old look.
The New England habit of renewing roofs
oil hoo Ac a,%l 4 1f